EP1192099A1

EP1192099A1 - Tape dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP1192099A1
Application number: EP00927639A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eelco H. De Man; Erwin Boes
Original assignee: Kel Development BV; Kel Dev BV
Current assignee: Ray Tech Group BV
Priority date: 1999-05-31
Filing date: 2000-05-24
Publication date: 2002-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-24
Also published as: AU4602900A; JP2003500314A; US6659322B1; TR200103380T2; BR0011075A; NZ515688A; CA2375332A1; CN1352616A; EP1192099B1; AU770428B2; KR20020014806A; WO2000073187A1; DE50009593D1; ES2238276T3; MXPA01012247A; CN1159198C; ATE289565T1; HK1044325A1; HK1044325B

Abstract

The invention relates to a tape dispenser for producing lengths of tape. The tape dispenser comprises a rotatable roller on which the tape is wound up and a rotatable take-off roller across which the tape to be taken off is guided. The take-off roller has at least one perforation element that is directed against the surface of support of the tape and that is used to perforate the tape. The dispenser is further provided with latch elements that block the take-off roller if the tape has covered a certain distance once it has been perforated. The latch elements release the take-off roller once the perforated section at the tape's end is separated from the tape.

Description

Tape dispenser

The invention relates to a tape dispenser according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

In many areas of daily life, pieces of tape of a certain length - for example pieces of adhesive tape for packages or the like - are often required. Simple devices - so-called tape unwinders - are known for producing such tape pieces, with which the tape is unwound from a roll and guided over a cutting element. When the free end of the tape has reached the desired length, it is cut off with the cutting element. In these devices, the length of the tape to be cut is determined by the user by unwinding the tape to the desired length and then cutting. To cut it, it must guide the end of the tape over the cutting element so that it can act on the tape in a cutting manner. The known devices are not suitable for the production of pieces of tape with a predetermined length. In addition, their handling is cumbersome, especially for safe cutting, and is therefore tiring when used for a long time.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple tape dispenser of the type mentioned, which is very handy and does not require any special manipulations by the user to cut the tape.

This object is achieved by a tape dispenser with the features of claim 1. Preferred further developments of the tape dispenser are specified in further patent claims.

The tape dispenser according to the invention has a very simple structure and allows the user to easily and quickly produce tape pieces of a predetermined length. The The band pieces are produced in a continuous workflow that does not require any particular hand movements. This ensures high work performance without fatigue of the user.

Further advantages of the invention emerge from the dependent patent claims and from the following description, in which various exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to drawings. It shows:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the tape dispenser,

FIG. 2 shows the main parts of the complete tape dispenser,

Figure 3-6 the operation of the tape dispenser,

Figure 7 shows a variant of the unwinding roll, and

Figure 8 shows a second embodiment of the tape dispenser.

In the figures, the same reference numerals have been used for the same elements, and first-time explanations apply to all figures, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Figures 1 and 2 show the essential parts of the tape dispenser, wherein Figure 1 shows a side view of the inside of the opened tape dispenser. Its main parts consist of a basic housing 4 and a housing attachment 12 which can be plugged onto the basic housing 4. The connection between the basic housing 4 and the housing attachment 12 takes place via latching elements 18. The basic housing 4 consists of two separable housing halves 4a, 4b which are joined together by plugging them together (see Figure 2). In Figure 1, a housing half is also omitted to allow a view into the interior of the tape dispenser. A carrier 3 is provided on the housing attachment 12, on which a roller 1 with the wound tape 2 is rotatably attached. A rotatable unwinding roll 5 is attached to the basic housing 4, via which the band 2 coming from the roll 1 is guided. The free end of tape 2 occurs from an opening 8 from the basic housing 4. The unwinding roll 5 has a perforation element 6 which is directed against the underside, ie against the surface of the band 2 resting on the unwinding roll 5. At least one triangular knife, for example, is present as the perforation element 6, the tip of which protrudes from the unwinding roller 5. Several such knife elements can also be provided side by side. Furthermore, a locking element 7 - for example a spring bar clamped at one end - is accommodated in the basic housing 4, which engages in the unwinding roller 5 in a manner described in more detail and blocks it in a specific position and then releases it again. Furthermore, known tape guides are provided inside the tape dispenser as required to guide the tape until it exits. To replace a used roll 1 with a new one, it is sufficient to separate the housing attachment 12 from the basic housing 4 and to equip it with a new roll. It is also conceivable to replace the entire housing attachment 12 including roller 1 (see FIG. 2).

The mode of operation of the tape dispenser according to the invention is explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, only the parts necessary for understanding being shown. Figure 3 shows the starting position where the free end of the tape 2 protrudes beyond the unwinding roller 5 after a piece of tape has been separated. If another piece of tape is to be produced, the user pulls tape 2 out further at the free end. The unwinding roll 5 rotates in the direction of the arrow and the perforation element 6 runs in the same direction. The free end of the spring bar 7 engages in a groove 9 running in the unwinding roller 5 and is guided therein when the unwinding roller 5 is rotated. The groove 9 runs spirally on the surface of the unwinding roller 5 from the outside inwards. Characterized the spring rod 7 is biased when unwinding the tape 2.

In the course of the rotational movement of the unwinding roll 5, the perforation element 6 comes into a position where it first touches the tape 2 and then pierces (see

Figure 4). If the belt 2 is moved further, the unwinding roll 5 continues to rotate, until it is blocked by the spring bar 7 running into the groove 9 onto a stop 10 (FIG. 5). If the band 5 is pulled further in the direction of the arrow, the free end of the band 2 is severed from the band 2 at the point previously pierced by the perforation element 6. The torque which acts on the unwinding roller 5 due to the tensile force exerted on the band 2 is suddenly canceled. As a result, due to its pretensioning, the spring bar 7 immediately moves from the position blocking the rotation of the unwinding roller 5 to a position within the groove 9 which releases the rotary movement. In this area, the groove 9 is preferably of Z-shape. The spring bar 7 resumes its rest position with a lower preload. The starting position according to FIG. 1 is thus reached again and a next piece of tape can be produced in the manner described by the user again pulling the tape 2 out of the housing 4 at its free end. The length of the tape pieces produced is determined by the outer circumference of the unwinding roll 5 *

A variant of the unwinding roll 5 'is shown in FIG. 7, the groove 9' being provided approximately centrally on the winding roll 5 'and laterally two perforation elements 6' lying next to one another. In particular, the z-shaped design of the groove 9 'in the area of the stop 10' with larger curves is provided therefrom. However, the groove 9 'shown here has exactly the same function as that of the unwinding roll 5' described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, i.e. the friction surfaces in the z-shaped area of the groove 9 'prevent the spring bar 7 from springing back into the starting position as long as the adhesive tape 2 has not yet been torn off. The further cutouts 20 'on the winding roll 5' serve to ensure that the adhesive tape 2 does not adhere too strongly to the surface thereof.

FIG. 8 shows a tape dispenser with an alternative embodiment of the locking element. Figure 8a shows a view into the interior of a housing half 4a with a carrier 3 for receiving the tape roll. The unwinding roll 5 has a support disk 14 on the side, on which a tension spring 13 is attached as a locking element (see FIG. 8b). The tension spring 13 consists of a part 13a fixedly connected to the carrier disk 14 and a spring arm 13b with a spring head 16. In the interior of the housing 4 there is a spiral groove 15 with a stop 17. The disc 14 is inserted so that the spring head 16 engages in the groove 15. In the starting position for producing a piece of tape, the spring head 16 is located at the point labeled “x” in the groove 15 - Nuclearly increasing compressive force is exerted on the spring arm 13b, the spring arm 13b being preloaded The locking element shown here is made in one piece from a suitable two-component plastic by injection molding.

Otherwise, the basic mode of operation for producing a piece of tape is the same as for the tape dispenser according to FIGS. 1 to 6. On the way of the spring head 16 to the stop 17, the tape running over the unwinding roller 5 is pierced by the perforation element 6. The spring head 16 then runs onto the stop 17 and the unwinding roller 5 is blocked. When the perforated piece of tape is torn off, the spring head 16 jumps immediately into the starting position “x”. The pretension of the spring arm 13b is released and the tape dispenser is ready to produce another piece of tape.

Claims

claims

1. Tape dispenser for producing pieces of tape, with a rotatable roller (1), on which the tape (2) is wound, and with a rotatable unwinding roller (5), over which the tape (2) to be unwound is guided, characterized that the unwinding roll (5) has at least one perforation element (6) directed against the bearing surface of the band (2) for perforating the band (2), and that means (7,9; 13,15) are provided which the unwinding roll ( 5) block when the tape (2) has traveled a certain distance after perforation and release the unwinding reel (5) when the perforated section at the tape end is separated from the tape (2).

2. Tape dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that a spiral groove (9) is provided in the unwinding roll (5), in which a spring bar (7) engages.

3. Tape dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that a tension spring (13) with a spring head (16) is provided on the unwinding roll (5), which engages in a spiral groove (15) on the housing wall.

4. Tape dispenser according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the groove (9; 15) has a stop (10; 17).

5. Tape dispenser according to one of claims 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that a basic housing (4) with the unwinding roll (5) and a housing attachment (12) with the tape roll (1) is provided.

6. Tape dispenser according to claim 5, characterized in that the housing attachment (12) from the basic housing (4) is separable.