Rolled sheet material dispenser with protected sheet cutting means

• US 6,786,376 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Pitzen, James F., Johansson, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US09/571,590
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 225/19, 225/20, 225/48, 225/56, 225/77, 225/91, 225/93, 835/68, 835/70, 836/49, 242/522, 242/523.1, 242/526, 242/554.2
• US Class Current: 225/19
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0026 for delivering pressure-sensitive adhesive tape
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/004 simultaneously with a second roll, e.g. masking tape
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/008 Arrangements or adaptations of cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/215 With blade-edge guard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/257 Blade mounted on hand-held wound package
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/282 With fixed blade and support for wound package

Abstract

A dispenser from which sheet material may be dispensed from a supply of the sheet material carried on the dispenser. The dispenser has a frame on which the roll of sheet material is journaled for rotation about its axis. An elongate blade fixed to the frame has a sharp cutting edge that is adapted for transversely cutting the sheet material after a desired length of the sheet material has been dispensed. A guard strip of resiliently movable material extends along one major surface of the blade and along the cutting edge to help protect the sheet material and/or users of the dispenser from the cutting edge. That guard strip is resiliently movable by pulling the sheet material toward the cutting edge to allow the cutting edge to transversely sever the sheet material being pulled from the dispenser.

Claims

1. A portable dispenser from which sheet material may be dispensed from a supply of the sheet material in a roll having an axis and axially spaced end surfaces, said dispenser comprising:

a frame including a bridging portion having opposite ends and an edge extending between said ends, said bridging portion being adapted to extend along a portion of the periphery of the roll to position said ends at the end surfaces of the roll, said frame further including end wall portions fixed to the ends of said bridging portion and adapted to extend along the opposite end surfaces of the roll of sheet material;

said dispenser including means for journaling the roll of sheet material for rotation about the axis of the roll on said end wall portions to position the end surfaces of the roll adjacent said end walls with said bridging portion extending along the periphery of the roll;

an elongate blade having opposite major surfaces extending between opposite first and second elongate edges of the blade, with a portion of said blade defining a sharp cutting edge along said first elongate edge of the blade adapted for transversely cutting the sheet material, said blade being fixed to said bridging portion of the frame adjacent said edge of the bridging portion with said cutting edge transverse to said path and with a major part of said bridging portion on the side of said blade opposite said edge of the bridging portion, with said portion of said blade defining said cutting edge adjacent the axis of the roll, and with the major surface of said blade adjacent said major part of said bridging portion disposed at an angle of more than about 110 degrees with respect to a plane passing through the axis of the roll and generally through said cutting edge to restrict contact with said cutting edge by a person using the dispenser; and

a strip of resiliently compressible material extending along the major surface of said blade adjacent said major part of said bridging portion, said strip of resiliently compressible material having a contact surface normally extending along said sharp cutting edge, and said strip being resiliently compressible by pulling said sheet material toward said cutting edge to allow said cutting edge to transversely sever the sheet material being dispensed from the dispenser.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said major surface of said blade adjacent the major part of said bridging portion is disposed at an angle of about 135 degrees with respect to a plane passing through said axis and generally through said cutting edge of said blade.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said blade includes generally triangular teeth along said first edge with said cutting edge being along said teeth, and said strip of resiliently compressible material is separated from said blade along said teeth.

4. A dispenser according to claim 1 in combination with the sheet material, wherein said sheet material is a composite of adhesive coated tape and longitudinally folded polymeric film.