Tape applicator

• US 20070006974A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inspired Technologies, Inc. (evo Medical Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Inspired Technologies, Inc. (evo Medical Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gruber, George
• Application Number:
  US11/176,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20070006974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/577
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0033 and affixing it to a surface B65H35/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0073 Details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/14 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with shaping, scarifying, or cleaning joining surface only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1795 Implement carried web supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/18 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with handle or handgrip

Abstract

The housing has a spindle that accepts a spool of a roll of tape. The spindle has retention fingers that can either exert pressure against the spool or the retention fingers can connect with a detent on the inner surface of the spool. Biasing alignment fingers are built into the housing to exert a spring pressure against the roll of tape in a direction that is substantially parallel to the spindle to aid in registering an edge of the roll of tape with an outer edge of the housing. A base surface of the device has an opening through which an end of the roll of tape exits. The tape rides over a fixed or movable wear surface adjacent to the opening. A cutting edge is substantially adjacent to and pointing away from the opening.

Claims

1. A tape applicator device comprising:

a spindle adapted to accept a roll of tape;

biasing alignment fingers built into the device that exert a pressure against the roll of tape in a direction parallel to the spindle; and

a base surface comprising an opening through which an end of the roll of tape can be inserted.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the spindle fits inside the roll of tape.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the spindle comprises:

a plurality of retention fingers that are adapted to provide pressure against an inner portion of the roll of tape to keep the roll of tape against the biasing alignment fingers.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the spindle comprises:

a handle formed within the spindle.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the pressure from the biasing alignment fingers is such that and edge of the roll of tape is substantially registered with an outer edge of the device.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein the plurality of retention fingers are substantially equally spaced around the periphery of the spindle.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the biasing alignment fingers are substantially equally spaced in a circular pattern around the device.

8. A tape applicator device comprising:

a spindle adapted to accept a roll of tape, the spindle comprising a plurality of retention fingers substantially equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindle such that they apply pressure to the inner surface of the roll of tape;

biasing alignment fingers built into the device that exert a pressure against the roll of tape in a direction substantially parallel to the spindle and substantially perpendicular to the direction of the pressure of the retention fingers;

a base surface comprising an opening through which an end of the roll of tape can be inserted, the base surface comprising a wear surface over which the tape moves in response to pressure on the base surface; and

a cutting edge coupled to the base surface.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of retention fingers comprises a detent at the end of the finger.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the biasing alignment fingers are comprised of depressions in the surface of the device that exert an active spring pressure against the roll of tape to align an edge of the tape with an outer edge of the device.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the wear surface is a non-moving surface.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the wear surface is a rotating surface.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the rotating surface rotates in response to pressure on the base surface.

14. The device of claim 8 wherein the cutting edge is coupled to a flat applicator surface and is substantially adjacent to and pointing away from the opening.

15. The device of claim 8 and further including a flat applicator surface between the opening and the cutting edge over which the tape moves as it is being applied from the opening.

16. The device of claim 8 and further including a brush on the base surface.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the brush is positioned to burnish the tape on an application surface.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the brush is positioned to clean an application surface prior to application of the tape.

19. The device of claim 8 and further including a cleaning element on the base surface for cleaning an application surface prior to application of the tape.

20. A tape system comprising:

a roll of tape comprising an inner surface and an outer surface; and

a housing into which the roll of tape is positioned, the housing comprising;

a plurality of biasing alignment fingers arranged in a circular pattern that exert a spring pressure against the roll of tape to align an edge of the outer surface of the roll of tape with an outer edge of the housing;

a spindle having an outer surface to accept the inner surface of the tape roll, the outer surface having a plurality of retention fingers that exert a retention pressure against the inner surface of the roll of tape, the retention pressure substantially perpendicular to the spring pressure; and

a base surface comprising an opening, a wear surface, a flat applicator surface and a cutting edge such that the tape exits the housing through the opening and moves around the wear surface and along the applicator surface in response to pressure exerted on the tape on the applicator surface.

21. The system of claim 20 and further including a handle formed in the inside of the spindle.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the wear surface is a cylindrical, movable surface that rotates in response to pressure on the applicator surface and the wear surface.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the housing further comprises depressions on opposing sides.

24. A method for manufacturing a tape applicator, the method comprising:

forming a housing for the tape;

forming a spindle in the housing, the spindle comprising a plurality of retention fingers that extend outward from the spindle;

forming biasing alignment fingers that extend inward from the surface of the housing such that the biasing alignment fingers are capable of applying spring pressure to the tape;

forming an opening in a base of the housing that permits the tape to exit the housing;

forming a wear surface substantially adjacent to the opening; and

coupling a cutting edge to the base such that a flat applicator surface is formed between the cutting edge and the opening.

25. A tape applicator device comprising:

a spindle adapted to accept a roll of tape, the spindle comprising a plurality of retention fingers substantially equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindle such that they apply pressure to the inner surface of the roll of tape;

a metal device coupled to an inside surface of the spindle such that the metal device applies a force to the plurality of retention fingers;

biasing alignment fingers built into the device that exert a pressure against the roll of tape in a direction substantially parallel to the spindle and substantially perpendicular to the direction of the pressure of the retention fingers;

a base surface comprising an opening through which an end of the roll of tape can be inserted, the base surface comprising a wear surface over which the tape moves in response to pressure on the base surface; and

a cutting edge coupled to the base surface.

26. A tape system comprising:

a roll of tape wound on a spool comprising an inner surface, the inner surface having at least one detent; and

a housing into which the roll of tape is inserted, the housing comprising;

a plurality of biasing alignment fingers arranged in a circular pattern that exert a spring pressure against the roll of tape to align an edge of an outer surface of the roll of tape with an outer edge of the housing;

a spindle having an outer surface to accept the spool, the outer surface having a plurality of retention fingers that are adapted to fit into the at least one detent; and

a base surface comprising an opening, a wear surface, a flat applicator surface and a cutting edge such that the tape exits the housing through the opening and moves around the wear surface and along the applicator surface in response to pressure exerted on the tape on the applicator surface.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the at least one detent is a groove that encircles the inside perimeter of the spool such that ends of the plurality of retention fingers are adapted to be inserted into the groove when the spool is accepted by the spindle.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the at least one detent comprise a plurality of detents that are located in a predetermined orientation that substantially matches an orientation of the retention fingers such that an end of each retention finger is adapted to be inserted in a respective detent when the spool is accepted by the spindle.