Story Behind the Invention
There are many instances while reading a book that one may desire access to a writing instrument. Such instances occur when a note needs to be made in a margin, or several words or lines need to be highlighted. Often, a student or other person will carry writing instruments loose in a backpack, briefcase, or pocket. Consequently, these writing instruments are inevitably misplaced, lost, or even stolen. If a person decides to just leave the writing instruments behind, retention levels and/or grades may suffer. Similar problems exist when marking a page in a book. Scraps of papers can be used, page corners can be turned, and other methods attempted, but none beat the functionality and true poise of a real bookmark.
Through observation of various students, including her granddaughters, Ruth Raue Collins of Dallas, TX, noticed the need for note-marking with both pen and highlighter, as well as means to bookmark, and has developed a clever innovation comprising a dual-ended marking device combining the functionality of a writing pen, a highlighter, and a bookmark. The beauty of such an instrument is that it allows a user the convenience of three separate instruments integrated into one easily used tool.
The Pen & Highlighter with Retractable Bookmark is a pen/highlighter with a combination retractable bookmark made up of a double-ended writing instrument which has a common ball point pen on one end and a color highlighter on the other. Both the pen and highlighter are disposable and replaceable, allowing a user to refill the device with common refills of different colored inks. A pen cap portion comprises a tethered interchangeable bookmark depicting such items as a charm, a school or corporate logo, a sports team logo, an entertainment or musical icon, among others. A thin retractable cord connects the bookmark to the device, thus providing a retracting mechanism within the pen cap. In such a manner, the cord can be used to mark a page in a book with the bookmark hanging out from the bottom, while the double-ended writing instrument is attached to the spine or front of the book for easy access.
