Adhesive tape dispenser

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6176409
  • Patent Number
    6,176,409
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, February 11, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 23, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Hughes; S. Thomas
    • Jimenez; Marc
    Agents
    • Reed Smith Hazel & Thomas LLP
Abstract
The present invention relates to an adhesive tape dispenser which includes a gun-shaped case body having a detachable cover, a drawing portion for drawing an adhesive tape from the case body, and having a trigger handle protruded outwardly from one side of the case body and a pair of drums rotating with the trigger handle, and a cutting portion for cutting the adhesive tape which is drawn by the drawing portion from the dispenser, and having a handling member mounted on a gunbarrel portion of the case body, a lever interlocking with the handling member and a cutter mounted at a front end of the lever, so that an user may draw the adhesive tape as long as necessary by pulling the trigger handle without pulling it with hand, an adhesive strength of the adhesive tape is kept in good state, and an adhesion state of the adhesive tape is clean, since the adhesive tape is cut clean by a cutter.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an adhesive tape dispenser which is widely used as stationery, and more particularly, to an adhesive tape dispenser which has an automatic drawing and cutting means, so that an user may use an adhesive tape conveniently.




DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART




In general, adhesive tape dispensers have an opening at one side thereof through which an adhesive tape is detachably mounted. Most of the conventional adhesive tape dispensers have a saw toothed cutting blade which is integrally formed or detachably located at a front end part thereof so that a free end part of the adhesive tape is drawn from the tape dispenser and cut by the saw toothed cutting blade. After cutting, the free end part of the adhesive tape is attached on a shoulder part formed under the saw toothed cutting blade for next use.




Therefore, if users want to use the adhesive tape in the conventional adhesive tape dispenser, they have to detach the adhesive tape attached on the shoulder part of the tape dispenser with finger, pull it as long as necessary, put it on the saw toothed cutting blade and strain downward so that the adhesive tape can be cut. However, all of these procedure should be taken manually and inconveniently, and an adhesive strength of the adhesive tape is weakened by fingerprints or dirt, since the users grasp the adhesive tape with finger during using it.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




An object of the present invention is to provide an adhesive tape dispenser having an automatic drawing and cutting means which may automatically draw out the adhesive tape as long as necessary without pulling it with hand and automatically cut it clean by a cutter, so that the user may use the adhesive tape conveniently.




To achieve the object the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention includes a gun-shaped case body having a detachable cover, a drawing means for drawing an adhesive tape from the case body, and having a trigger handle protruded outwardly from one side of the case body and a pair of drums rotating in integration with the trigger handle, and a cutting means for cutting the adhesive tape which is drawn by the drawing means from the dispenser, and having a handling member mounted on a gunbarrel portion of the case body, a lever interlocking with the handling member and a cutter mounted at a front end of the lever.




The adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention may draw the adhesive tape from the case body as long as necessary by putting a finger on the trigger handle and pulling the handle several times without directly pulling the adhesive tape with hand, and may cut clean the drawn adhesive tape by the cutter when the user pulls the handling member.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view showing a separated state of an adhesive tape dispenser and according to the present invention;





FIG.2

is a partial cross-sectional view showing an installation state of a drawing and a cutting means in the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a partial construction view of the drawing means separately taken from the adhesive dispenser according to present invention;




FIG.


4




a


is an exploded perspective view of the drawing means according to the present invention, and




FIG.


4




b


is an exploded perspective view of the drawing means with the auxiliary rollers formed as a gear type.





FIG. 5

is a perspective view showing the assembled state of the drawing means according to the present invention, as shown in

FIG. 4

;




FIG.


6




a


is a perspective view showing the cutting means, and




FIG.


6




b


is a perspective view of the cutting means separated from the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention;





FIG. 7

is a perspective view showing a disassembly of the cutting means according to the present invention; and




FIG.


8




a


and FIG.


8




b


are explanation views of the operation principal of the cutting means according to the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT





FIG. 1

is a perspective view showing a separated state of an adhesive tape dispenser and a cover according to the present invention, and

FIG. 2

is a partial cross-sectional view showing an installation state of a drawing means and a cutting means in the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention.




As shown in FIG.


1


and

FIG. 2

, an adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention includes a gun-shaped case body


100


having a detachable cover


110


and a protrusion


101


for detachably mounting an adhesive tape


400


; a drawing means for drawing the adhesive tape


400


from the case body


100


, and having a trigger handle


220


protruded outwardly through an opening


102


at one side of the case body


100


, a pair of drums


200


rotating in integration with the trigger handle


220


; and a cutting means for cutting the adhesive tape


400


which is drawn by the drawing means from the case body


100


, and having a handling member


300


mounted on a gunbarrel portion of the case body


100


, a lever


320


interlocking with the handling member


300


and a cutter


330


mounted at a front end of the lever


320


.




As shown in FIG.


2


and

FIG. 3

, the drawing means having the trigger handle


220


and the drums


200


are mounted at a front part of the protrusion


101


of the case body


100


.





FIG. 4

is an exploded perspective view of the drawing means according to the present invention, and

FIG. 5

is a perspective view showing the assembled state of the drawing means according to the present invention, as shown in FIG.


4


.




Referring to FIG.


4


and

FIG. 5

, the construction of the drawing means according to the present invention is explained in more detail as follows.




The trigger handle


220


has a push latch


222


supported by a second spring


223


and mounted by a pin. The drawing means further includes a supporting portion


230


having a pair of insertion portions


231


which is located at side ends of the supporting portion


230


, exposed outside the drums


200


and fixedly inserted in a pair of grooves


103


at sides of the case body


100


, and a holding latch


232


supported by a third spring


233


and mounted by a pin in opposing direction to the push latch


222


, a roller


240


mounted at a front end of an upper part of the supporting portion


230


by a pin to idle, and a shaft pin


210


for inserting the trigger handle


220


and the supporting portion


230


. The trigger handle


220


is rotatably inserted in the shaft pin


210


and supported on the supporting portion


230


by a first spring


221


inserted in the shaft pin


210


.




Between the drums


200


and the adhesive tape


400


inserted in the protrusion


101


, a guide bar


105


for guiding the adhesive tape


400


is mounted so that the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape may contact smoothly on a peripheral surface of the drums


200


. In case that the adhesive tape


400


is drawn out while a diameter of the adhesive tape


400


becomes smaller and smaller, a saw-toothed protrusion


234


of the supporting portion


230


prevents the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape


400


from contacting to the rear part of the insertion portion


231


of the supporting portion


230


.




On inner peripheries of the drums


200


which are rotatably inserted at each of ends of the shaft pin


210


, a multistage latch


201


is formed to contact and catch the front end parts of the holding latch


232


and the push latch


22


. On outer peripheries of the drums


200


, grooves


202


for belts is formed. A shaft


250


which has auxiliary rollers


251


inserted therein and which is away from the drums


200


by an interval keeping means


252


at certain intervals is coupled with the drum


200


by the belts


260


in order to be rotated with the drum


200


.




It is preferable that outer peripheries of the auxiliary rollers


251


are formed as a gear type to a contact area of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape


400


, thus smoothly drawing the adhesive tape


400


.





FIG. 6

is a perspective view showing the cutting means separated from the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention,

FIG. 7

is a perspective view showing a disassembly of the cutting means according to the present invention, and FIG.


8




a


and FIG.


8




b


are explanation views of the operation principal of the cutting means according to the present invention.




Referring to

FIG. 6

to

FIG. 8

, the construction of the cutting means according to the present invention is explained in more detail as follows.




Inside the gunbarrel portion of the case body


100


, a lever


320


is mounted by a pin, and a rear part of the lever


320


is supported by a fourth spring


321


. At the rear part of the gunbarrel portion, an end part of a movable latch


310


rotatably mounted by a pin is coupled. An upper part of the movable latch


310


is coupled to the handling member


300


slidably moved on the gunbarrel portion, so that when the handling member


300


is moved, the movable latch


310


may be moved rotatably.




The lever


320


has a pair of protrusions


322


at sides of a front end thereof, and an elastic steel wire


323


in inserted is the center of the lever


320


.




The cutter


330


having a pair of holes


331


for inserting the protrusions


322


of the lever


320


and a pressing member


340


having a pair of guide grooves


341


for the protrusions


322


of the lever


320


is coupled with the lever


320


, and a front end of the steel wire


323


is inserted in a hole of the push means


340


so that the cutter


330


and the push means


340


are movable up and down.




When cutting the adhesive tape


400


, the push means


340


is lowered and pushes the adhesive tape


400


at the end part of the outlet


104


in order for the adhesive tape


400


not to move, and the cutter


330


is lowered and cuts the adhesive tape


400


between the end part of the outlet


104


of the case body


100


and the auxiliary rollers


251


.




The gunbarrel portion has a rounded curved pressing portion


106


at the front end part thereof at which the cutting means is mounted. The pressing portion


106


may press the adhesive tape drawn through the outlet


104


of the case body


100


without touching the adhesive tape with band.




The unexplained reference number


107


and


108


are hinge pins by each of which the movable latch


310


and the lever


320


are mounted on the cutting means.




A process for inserting the adhesive tape in the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention will now be explained.




As shown in

FIG. 1

, the user separates the front end part of the roller adhesive tape


400


from the rolled adhesive tape


400


, takes off the cover


110


from the case body


100


, and inserts the adhesive the tape


400


into the case body


100


. The front end of the adhesive tape


400


passes through the guide bar


105


, the drums


200


, the roller


240


, and the auxiliary roller


251


, and is inserted in the outlet


104


in order to be exposed outwardly. At this time, the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape is contacted to the surface of the drum


200


, the roller


240


, and the auxiliary roller


251


. The cover


110


covers the case body


100


.




A process for drawing the adhesive tape from the case body


100


will now be explained.




The user grasps the case body


100


with hand and pulls the trigger handle


220


exposed through the groove


102


, of the case body


100


by the user's finger. When the trigger handle


220


is pulled, the first spring supporting the trigger handle


220


is compressed, so that the trigger handle


220


rotates on the shaft pin


210


.




The push latch


222


which has a front end engaged with one of teeth of the latch gear of the inner periphery of the drum


200


is rotated with the trigger handle


220


and pushes the drum


200


so that the drums


200


rotate in the counterclockwise direction.




When the drums


200


rotate as the above, the adhesive tape adhered to the surface of the drums


200


is pulled and the rolled adhesive tape inserted in the protrusion


101


of the case body


100


is rotated.




At this time, the roller


240


mounted at the supporting portion


230


by a pin to be located on the upper side of the drum


200


idles and pulls the adhesive tape


400


to be drawn smoothly.




When the drums


200


rotate as the above, the auxiliary rollers


251


connected with the drums


200


by the belts


260


also rotate to hold the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape


400


. The outer peripheries of the auxiliary rollers


251


are formed as a gear, such that the adhesive tape


400


may be smoothly drawn through the outlet


104


, since the auxiliary roller


251


has a small contact area to the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape


400


.




When the drums


200


rotate in the counterclockwise direction, the holding latch


232


rotates pressing the third spring


233


to release the latch gear


201


of the drums


200


, so that the drums


200


can rotate freely.




If the user releases the pulled trigger handle


220


, the push latch


222


is loosed from the latch gear


201


of the drum


200


, since the first spring


221


has a tension higher than the second spring


223


supporting the push latch


222


, and the trigger handle


220


is recovered to its original position.




The drums


200


are held by the holding latch


232


by the tension of the third spring


233


so as to keep the rotated position.




Therefore, the drums


200


are rotated so much as the number of times that the trigger handle


220


is pulled. By the process as the above, the user can draw out the adhesive tape


400


from the case body


100


as long as necessary without pulling it with hand.




As the user uses the rolled adhesive tape


400


, it becomes smaller and smaller. Therefore, when the adhesive tape


400


passes through the guide bar


105


, the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape


400


is adhered to the rear surface of the supporting portion


230


, and thus the adhesive tape is not drawn well in spite of pulling the trigger handle


220


.




However, the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention may prevent the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape


400


from contacting to the rear surface of the supporting portion


230


by the saw-toothed protrusion


234


thereof, so that the adhesive tape can be drawn well, though becoming smaller.




A process for cutting the adhesive tape in the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention will now be explained.




If the user wants to cut the adhesive tape


400


drawn from the case body


100


as long as necessary, the user pulls the handling member


300


mounted on the upper part of the case body


100


with the user's finger. As shown in FIG.


8




a


, as the movable latch


310


rotates on the hinge pin, the rear part of the lever


320


is lifted up and the front part thereof is lowered. The cutter


330


connected to the front end of the lever


320


is lowered and the pressing member


340


is also lowered by pressure of the steel wire


323


of the lever


320


.




The pressing member


340


presses the upper part of the adhesive tape


400


drawn through the outlet


104


and is not lowered any longer. However, the cutter


330


can be more lowered, since the protrusion


322


of the lever


320


inserted in the holes


331


of the cutter


330


are moved down along with the guide groove


341


of the pressing member


340


. As shown in FIG.


8




b


, as the steel wire


323


inserted in the pressing member


340


is bent by its elasticity, the cutter


330


is lowered with the lever


320


, so as to cut the adhesive tape


400


.




As described the above, the cutter


330


can cut clean, since the pressing member


340


press steadily the front part of the adhesive tape


400


.




After cutting the adhesive tape


400


, if the user releases the pulled handling member


300


, the rear part of the lever


320


is recovered to its original position by a tension of the fourth spring


321


, so that the handling member


300


is naturally recovered to its original position by the movable latch


310


which is rotated in the counterclockwise direction. The cutter


330


and the pressing member


340


connected at the front end of the lever


320


are also promptly lifted up to their original position so that the adhesive tape dispenser is in good state to cut the adhesive tape again.




As described hereinabove, the cut end of the adhesive tape


400


is adhered at the end part of the outlet


104


. Therefore, by using the adhesive tape dispenser according to the present invention, the user puts and presses lightly the adhesive tape adhered to the end part of the outlet


104


on the things to stick the adhesive tape. Therefore, the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape


400


is not weak.




If the user wants the adhesive tape


400


to be drawn more longer, after drawing the adhesive tape


400


so long that it is contacted to the pressing portion


106


of the case body


100


, the user puts the front end of the drawn adhesive tape


400


on the materials and presses it by using the rounded curved pressing portion


106


of the case body


100


, and then the front end of the adhesive tape


400


is adhered on the things.




When the case body


100


is moved while the pressing portion


106


of the case body


100


presses the drawn adhesive tape as described above, the rolled adhesive tape


400


inserted in the case body


100


is continuously drawn even though the user does not pull the trigger handle


220


, and the adhesive tape


400


is adhered on the things to stick the adhesive tape.




When the user pulls the handling member


300


with the user's finger after the adhesive tape is adhered as long as the user desires, the cutter is lowered and cuts the adhesive tape


400


, so that the adhesive strength of the adhesive tape


400


is kept well and the user may use the adhesive tape conveniently.




Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.



Claims
  • 1. An adhesive tape dispenser comprising:a gun-shaped case body having a detachable cover, an outlet for drawing out an adhesive tape, at least one groove at one side of the case body, and a pair of holes at each side of the case body; a drawing means for drawing an adhesive tape from the case body, the drawing means having a pair of drums and a trigger handle protruded outwardly through the groove of the case body, the trigger handle having a push latch mounted in a lower position from a center part of the pair of drums by a pin, a first spring supporting the triggering handle at the drums and a second spring supporting the push latch at the trigger handle, and the drums rotated with the trigger handle, each of the drums having multistage teeth on an inner periphery thereof, belts for rotating the tape to said outlet and a groove for each one of said belts on outer periphery thereof, and, a cutting means for cutting the adhesive tape which is drawn by the drawing means from the case body, the cutting means having a handling member mounted on a gunbarrel portion of the case body, a lever interlocking with the handling member and having a pair of protrusions at a front end thereof, and a cutter being mounted at a front end of the lever and having a pair of holes for inserting the protrusions of the lever.
  • 2. An adhesive tape dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drawing means further includes a supporting portion for supporting the drums having a pair of insertion portions which are located at side ends of the supporting portion, the insertion portions exposed outside the drums and fixedly inserted in the at least one groove of the case body and a holding latch supported by a third spring and mounted by a pin in opposing direction to the push latch, the holding latch and the push latch being engaged with the teeth of the drums when the drums are rotated; a roller for holding the adhesive tape, mounted at a front end of an upper part of the supporting portion by a pin to idle; a shaft pin for inserting the trigger handle and the supporting portion, the trigger handle being rotatable; a shaft having auxiliary rollers for holding the adhesive tape; and belts for connecting the shaft with the drums.
  • 3. An adhesive tape dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the supporting portion has a saw-toothed protrusion at a rear part thereof, so that when the adhesive tape is drawn out while a diameter of the rolled adhesive tape becomes smaller, the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape is not contacted to the rear part of the supporting portion.
  • 4. An adhesive tape dispenser according to claim 2, wherein each of the auxiliary rollers has an outer periphery formed as a gear to minimize a contact area of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape.
  • 5. An adhesive tape dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means further includes a movable latch having a hole for inserting the lever, the movable latch in which the lever is inserted being supported by a fourth spring and being moved along with the handling member moving slidingly on the upper part of the gunbarrel portion; an elastic steel wire being protruded upward from the cutter through a hole of the lever; and a pressing member connected to the lever by the elastic steel wire,wherein when the handling member is pulled backwardly, the pressing member is lowered with the cutter and presses the end part of the adhesive tape on the end part of the outlet of the case body before cutting the adhesive tape by the cutter.
  • 6. An adhesive tape dispenser according to claim 1, the gunbarrel portion has a rounded curved pressing portion at a front end thereof so that a user may press the front end of the adhesive tape on things to stick the adhesive tape without using the user's hand.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
98-3921 Feb 1998 KR
US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
2652115 Mysels Sep 1953
2822046 Krueger Feb 1958
3035345 Barnard May 1962
3050853 Domeny Aug 1962
3194463 Comet Jul 1965
3386634 Curry Jun 1968
4262835 Wrobel Apr 1981
4630765 Samuelson et al. Dec 1986
5482182 Thompson et al. Jan 1996
5776301 Huang Jul 1998
5820725 Maeda Oct 1998
5878932 Huang Mar 1999
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
98-058106 Sep 1998 KR
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry
Application Serial Number 09/222,131, Lee, “Automatic Drawing and Cutting Device For Adhesive Tape Dispenser”, Claims 1-4, Dec. 1998.