CA2237015A1 - Tape dispenser - Google Patents

Tape dispenser Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2237015A1
CA2237015A1 CA 2237015 CA2237015A CA2237015A1 CA 2237015 A1 CA2237015 A1 CA 2237015A1 CA 2237015 CA2237015 CA 2237015 CA 2237015 A CA2237015 A CA 2237015A CA 2237015 A1 CA2237015 A1 CA 2237015A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
tape
dispenser
roll
tape dispenser
guiding mechanism
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2237015
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
James Mang C. Hung
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2237015A1 publication Critical patent/CA2237015A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

The invention is directed to a tape dispenser which comprises a main body of a size capable of being gripped by a hand of a user, the body having a dispensing end, means for pivotally supporting a roll of tape in the body and for permitting the roll of tape to be rotated about an axis, a guiding mechanism disposed at the dispensing end of the body for guiding a free end of the displaced tape onto a surface including means to retain the free end of the tape away from the roll, and a cutting unit mounted adjacent the guiding mechanism for cutting the tape at the dispensing end of the body.

Description

'~ TAPE DISPENSER

Field of the Invenffon The present invention relates to tape dispensers and in particular to a hand held tape dispenser operable with only one hand.

B~rk~round of the Invention There are several different types of tape dispensers ~ clllly available on the market today. For example, some tape ~iicp~ncers have been m~mlf~ctured with multiple blades or rollers. Other tape dispensers have been developed for specific applications such as for dispensing carpet tape, dry wall tape or colle.;li~e tape. Such dispensers are disclosed in for example U.S. Patents 5,736,001, 5,676,298, 5,174,850 and 4,508,587.
One of the most well known types of tape dispensers used in households is developed for the dispensing of clear tape for adhering surfaces together using a "cut and paste" method. Such a dispenser has a hand gripable body which sunports a roll of displaceable tape therein. A cutting unit having a blade is located at one end of the body. In order to dispense a portion of tape for use, it is required that one holds the dispenser with one hand and with the other hand, pull out a portion of tape and press it against the blade of the cutting unit. One then puts down the tape dispenser and uses both hands to position the cut piece of tape to adhere to a particular surface.
U.S. Patent 4,222,509 discloses an adhesive tape ~i~en~er of a one piece construction. A tape-roll-holding portion is positioned at one end of the dispenser and a tape severing portion is positioned at the other end which is provided with cutoff saw teeth. The di~pen~er is designed to be manipulated with two hands using a "cut and paste" method.
U.S. Patent 3,918,338 discloses a tape dispenser for dispensing gummed tape.
The dispenser is manipulated with two hands in order to unwind and sever a piece of tape which is moistened during unrolling and prior to severing.

CA 0223701~ 1998-06-11 U.S. Patent 4,961,525 discloses a tape dispenser adapted to ~u~po~l a tape roll.-- Using two hands the tape is unwound and severed at a tape cutting means which comprises saw teeth.
While these types of tape dispensers are very popular, they require the use of both hands in order to dispense a piece of tape. Tape dispensers have also been developed which are hand held and operable by one hand. Such dispensers are described for example in U.S. Patents 4,406,730 and 4,012,273. Such dispensers are operable by one hand, however, they often have complicated assemblies to dispense the tape and do not work in a simple unidirectional manner.
It was therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tape dispenser which could be operable with only one hand and allow tape to be dispensed in a simple and efficient "one step" technique.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with the present invention there is provided a tape dispenser which is operable with only one hand. The tape dispenser of the present invention is easier to use than dispensers ~ el~lly available and provides a fast and convenient way to dispense tape. Additionally, the present tape dispenser is also rnore economical as it is provides for greater accuracy in the amount of tape dispensed and therefore less tape is wasted. Furthermore, the tape dispenser of the present invention has a simple design with fewer parts such that it is less prone to damage if accidentally dropped or excessively used.
According to an aspect of the present invention is a tape dispenser comprising a main body of a size capable of being gripped by a hand of a user, the body having a dispensing end, means for pivotally supporting a roll of tape in the body and for pt;llllillillg the roll oftape to be rotated about an axis, a guiding meçh~ni~m disposed at the dispensing end of the body for guiding the free end of the displaced tape onto a surface including means to retain the free end of the tape away from the roll, and a cutting unit mounted adjacent the guiding mççh~ni~m for cutting the tape at the dispensing end of the body.
According to another object of the present invention is a guiding mech~ni~m for use with a tape dispenser comprising a mounting means for mounting the CA 0223701~ 1998-06-11 meçh~nicm to a dispensing end of a tape dispenser; a body portion supporting a cylindrical member, and lel~ i"g means ~rtçn-lin~ from the body portion for clai~ g the free end of tape away from the roll.
According to another object of the present invention is a one step method for dispensing and positioning a desired length of tape onto a selected surface.

Brief Description of the Drawin~
A detailed description of the plcf~ d embo~limçntc are provided herein below with reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the tape dispenser in accordance with a plefclled embodiment ofthe invention;
Figure 2 is a back pcl~e~Live view of the tape dispenser of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the tape ~ ling meçh~ni.cm of the tape dispenser of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the tape dispenser of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the tape dispenser of Figure 1.
In the drawings, plerellcd embo~ i ,. .c. ,1 ~ of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to underst~ntling, and are not intçnded as a definition of the limits of the invention.

Detailed Dese. .~lion of the Preferred E,..bo-li.nents Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is illustrated a tape dispenser of the present invention generally indicated as ~erelellce numeral 10. The tape dispenser 10 comprises a main body 12 having a dispensing end 14 and a flattened base 15. Inside the main body 12 is a circular mandrel 16 for pivotally ~iUUpOl lhlg a roll of tape 18 in the body and for pellllillillg the roll of tape 18 to be rotated about an axis.
A guiding mech~nicm 20 is provided at the dispensing end 14 ofthe tape dispenser 10. As seen in Figure 3, the guiding meçh~nicm 20 comprises a mountingtab 22 for mounting to the dispensing end 14 of the tape disl,~,lls~l. Extendingperpendicularly from the mounting tab is a main plate 27 from which two opposed end plates 24, 26 extend outwardly thelcrlu~ll. The two end plates 24, 26 support a cylindrical member 28 which extends btl~ the two end plates 24, 26. One of the end plates 24 SuppOI 1~ a cantilevered retainer 30 for retaining the free end of tape 32 away from the roll 18. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art, that the cylindrical member may be supported in such a manner as to be rotatable about its axis. ~ltern~tively, the cylindrical member can be statically ~u~polled. In both cases, the cylindrical member functions to press and adhere the unwinding tape to a surface.
. . .
As shown in Figure 4, adjacent the guiding meçh~ni~m 20 is a cutting unit 34 mounted within the dispensing end of the dispenser and which comprises a cuttingedge 36 projecting from the dispensing end. As better seen in Figure 5, the cutting edge 36 is serrated. The guiding meçh~ni.cm can be fabricated in a single piece or several pieces which are then adhered together. The meçh~nicm can be fabricated from any suitable material such as plastic. The cutting edge of the guiding meçh~ni~m can also be fabricated of a plastic m~tçri~l or from a suitable metal.In operation, the tape dispenser is held in one hand. The adhesive side of the free end of the tape is retained on the cantilevered retainer. The tape dispenser is positioned as desired onto a surface to be taped. The tape is pressed onto a surface and pulled along the surface as desired while ~imnlt~neously applying a downwardpressure in order to adhere the tape to the surface. Once the desired amount of tape is dispensed, the tape dispenser is rotated dow,lw~dly with the same hand such that the leading end of the tape is pushed against the cutting edge and cut. The free end of the tape is then again retained on the cantilevered retainer in order that it does not stick to the roll of tape.
The tape dispenser of the present invention provides for a convenient and easy manner for taping surfaces and items together using only one hand. This is ideal for children and also for adults who may have disabilities and limited use of their hands.
It is understood that the tape dispenser can be used with a variety of different types of tapes such as ScotchT~ tape and m~Cl~ing tape. It is also understood that the tape dispenser of the present invention can be fabricated to be refillable with new rolls of tape or, in contrast, non-refillable and thus discarded after the tape roll is empty. In the case of a refillable dispenser, the main body portion is fabricated to be pulled apart by hand to be able to insert a new roll of tape within the body and then easily snapped back together.

CA 0223701~ 1998-06-11 The tape dispenser of the présent invention can be fabricated as a single dispenser together with the guiding means, or ~lt~ tively, the guiding means can be made as a separate piece and adhered to the inside portion of the dispensing end of a tape dispenser body. The guiding means can be adhered to a tape dispenser by any~pl~.p,iate means such as with the use of glue to the inside surface of the mounting tab. In this manner, the guiding means can be adhered to the dispensing end of the di~ensel body.
While the main body of the tape dispenser is shown to be fabricated subst~rlti~lly rounded with a flattened base portion, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the design of the main body can vary so long as it can support a roll of tape therein, and that it can be comfortably held in one hand. As such, the main body can be made as a single piece or several pieces which are adhered together. Furthermore, the main body can be made of varying sizes to support different sizes of tape so long as it is of a size which can be held easily and operated by one hand. Additionally, the main body can be made of varying widths to accommodate varying widths of tape.
It is understood by those skilled in the art that the tape dispenser of the present invention can be fabricated from any suitable plastic m~t~ri~l. The cutting edge can be fabricated from any suitable plastic or metal material so long as the cutting edge is serrated in order to provide for a surface that can easily cut the leading end of the tape.
In s~mm~ry, the tape dispenser of the present invention is easier to use than dispensers cullelllly commercially available and provides for a faster way in which one can dispense tape. Additionally, the present tape dispenser is also more econornical as it is provides for greater accuracy in the amount of tape dispensed and the.e~ol~ less tape is wasted.
Although p,efelled embodiments have been described herein in detail, it is understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention or the spirit of the appended claims.
-CA 0223701~ 1998-06-11

Claims (15)

1. A tape dispenser comprising;
- a main body of a size capable of being gripped by a hand of a user, the body having a dispensing end;
- means for pivotally supporting a roll of tape in the body and for permitting the roll of tape to be rotated about an axis;
- a guiding mechanism disposed at the dispensing end of the body for guiding a free end of the displaced tape onto a surface including means to retain the free end of the tape away from the roll; and - a cutting unit mounted adjacent the guiding mechanism for cutting the tape at the dispensing end of the body.
2. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body comprises a dispensing end and a flattened base.
3. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for pivotally supporting a roll of tape in said main body comprises a circular mandrel which permits the roll of tape to be rotated about an axis.
4. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guiding mechanism is mounted via a mounting tab to the dispensing end of the tape dispenser.
5. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein said guiding mechanism comprises a main plate extending from said mounting tab and two opposed end plates extending outwardly from said main plate which support a cylindrical member extending between the two end plates.
6. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein a cantilevered retainer is supported by one of said end plates for retaining the free end of tape away from the roll.
7. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cutting unit comprises acutting edge.
8. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein said cutting edge is serrated.
9. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body is made of a plastic material.
10. A tape dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dispenser is a refillable dispenser.
11. A tape guiding mechanism for use with a tape dispenser comprising;
- a mounting means for mounting the mechanism to a dispensing portion of a tape dispenser;
- a body portion supporting a cylindrical member; and - retaining means extending from the body portion for retaining the free end of tape away from the roll.
12. A tape guiding mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein said mechanism is mounted to a tape dispenser via a mounting tab.
13. A tape guiding mechanism as claimed in claim 11, wherein said body portion comprises a main plate extending from said mounting tab and two opposed end plates extending outwardly from said main plate which support a cylindrical member extending between the two opposed end plates.
14. A tape guiding mechanism as claimed in claim 12, wherein said retaining means comprises a cantilevered retainer.
15. A tape guiding mechanism as claimed in claim 13, wherein said cantilevered retainer is supported by one of said opposed end plates.
CA 2237015 1997-06-12 1998-06-11 Tape dispenser Abandoned CA2237015A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US4974497P 1997-06-12 1997-06-12
US60/049,744 1997-06-12

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2237015A1 true CA2237015A1 (en) 1998-12-12

Family

ID=21961471

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2237015 Abandoned CA2237015A1 (en) 1997-06-12 1998-06-11 Tape dispenser

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2237015A1 (en)

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