Desktop tape dispenser

• US 7,380,693 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pei-Lin Huang
• Original Assignee: Pei-Lin Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Pei-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Peterson; Kenneth E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHONG H
• Application Number:
  US11/308,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 156/527, 156/523, 156/574, 156/577, 156/579, 225/20, 225/4, 225/56, 225/82, 225/84, 225/11, 225/12, 225/16, 225/77, 836/48, 836/49, 242/598.1, 242/598.2, 242/597.5
• US Class Current: 225/11
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/0066 this length being adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/206 Including means to select or adjust feed-out length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/207 Including feed-out stop for manually pulled work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/211 Manually operated feed-out mechanism

Abstract

A desktop tape dispenser is disclosed. The desktop tape dispenser of the present invention comprises a main body portion, an adjustment portion, a stopping portion and a return portion. A rotation shaft is disposed in the lower middle part of the main body portion. The adjustment portion may be used to set the tape output length. The stopping portion is fitted in the main body portion and has a wheel piece, which extends out of the main body portion and is positioned at a level higher than that of the rotation shaft. A cutter is provided on the front part of the main body portion. A user may set the tape output length with the control piece of the adjustment portion. The desktop tape dispenser of the present invention is easy to use and can reduce the waste of the tape.

Claims

1. A desktop tape dispenser, comprising:

a main body portion, with a rod disposed in the rear part of the main body portion, said rod holding a roll of tape, a rotation shaft disposed in the lower middle part of the main body portion, an extension piece provided on a bottom plate of the main body portion and a cutter provided on the front part of the main body portion;

an adjustment portion, fitted in the main body portion and able to be used to set a tape output length;

a stopping portion, fitted in the main body portion and comprising a wheel piece, a transmission piece and a return piece, wherein the wheel piece extends out of the main body portion and is disposed to move the transmission piece and the return piece, and wherein the wheel piece is positioned at a level higher than that of the rotation shaft of the main body portion; and

a return portion, fitted onto the front part of the main body portion and able to return the stopping portion to its original position,

wherein a space is provided near the front part of the main body portion so as to hold the adjustment portion and the return portion, wherein a first hole is provided on one side wall of the space and a second hole and a plurality of positioning holes are provided on another side wall of the space so as to hold the adjustment portion in place,

characterized in that, in use, a free end of the tape is pulled out and made to go through an underside of the rotation shaft and then through an upper surface of the wheel piece of the stopping portion so that the wheel piece, the transmission piece and the return piece are rotated along with the movement of the tape, and, when a preset tape output length is reached, the stopping portion will stop the movement of the tape, and when the tape is cut by pulling the free end of the tape downwards on the cutter, the return portion will return the stopping portion to its former position so as to be ready for another tape dispensing.

2. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 1, wherein a rotation piece is fitted on the main body portion and is rotatable, and the rod and the rotation shaft are provided on the rotation piece, and wherein the rotation shaft is positioned at a level lower than that of the rod and that of the wheel piece of the stopping portion.

3. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 1, wherein the adjustment portion comprises a control piece, a fixing seat, a spring and a cover piece, and, during assembly, a shaft of the control piece is inserted into the space through the first hole and passes through the second hole so as to hold the fixing seat in place and so that a plurality of positioning pieces provided on the fixing seat are respectively engaged with the positioning holes and so that a cap piece of the control piece remains visible, and wherein a stopping piece extends from an underside of the cap piece, the cover piece holds the fixing seat therein, the spring is disposed between the fixing seat and the cover piece so as to allow a user to press down on the control piece to provide a returning force, tape output length indicators are provided on the circumferential portion of the fixing seat, and wherein a window is provided on a top part of the space and is aligned with the tape output length indicators so that a user may set the tape output length by looking at the window.

4. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 3, wherein several protrusion pieces are provided on an inner end of the shaft of the control piece and are engaged with a hole provided on the center of the fixing seat, and the spring is fitted between a cylindrical piece provided on the fixing seat and a notch provided on an inner side of the cover piece.

5. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 3, wherein the wheel piece, the transmission piece and the return piece are disposed in the space of the main body portion so that a coarse surface of the wheel piece extends out of the space, and a circular groove is provided on an inner part of the transmission piece and may be engaged with the return portion, and wherein a coiled piece is disposed in the return piece and a transmission member is provided on an inner side of the return piece, and wherein the distance between the transmission member and the stopping piece of the control piece allows a user to set the tape output length.

6. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 5, wherein a transmission member is disposed in the wheel piece of the stopping portion and the transmission piece has a first transmission member and a second transmission member so that the first transmission member of the transmission piece may be engaged with the transmission member of the wheel piece.

7. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 6, wherein each of the transmission member of the wheel piece, the second transmission member of the transmission piece, the first transmission member of the transmission piece, and the transmission member on the inner side of the return piece has the form of cog-wheel.

8. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 5, wherein the return portion comprises a sliding piece, a spring and a flexible piece, and the spring is fitted onto the sliding piece, and wherein the sliding piece is disposed in the front part of the main body portion and the spring presses against the bottom plate so that the sliding piece is movable vertically, and wherein the flexible piece is positioned by the extension piece on the bottom plate and a front part of the flexible piece is fixed by the main body portion, and wherein the circular groove of the transmission piece is engaged with an indentation of the flexible piece and a piece with inclined surfaces is provided in a rear part of the flexible piece and is aligned with the bottom of the sliding piece.

9. The desktop tape dispenser as in claim 8, wherein a fixing piece is provided in the front part of the flexible piece and is fixedly held in the main body portion, and wherein the indentation is provided in a middle portion of the flexible piece and may be engaged with the circular groove of the transmission piece so that the transmission piece may be moved by the flexible piece.