Patent Application
20080105723
The present invention generally relates to adhesive tape dispensers, and more particularly to a dispensing device where the adhesive tape and the cutting blade are concealed in a circular body member when not in use for safe and convenient carry.
As shown in
The foregoing design has a number of disadvantages. First of all, the axle 31 and the roll of adhesive tape 32 have to be matched nicely; otherwise, the roll 32 will fall off easily or be too tight to spin. Secondly, when the body member 30 is held in one hand and the tape is pulled out by the other hand, the tape would usually be hindered by the hand holding the body member 30. This is especially troublesome if the tape is for medical purpose and contamination to the tape may be an issue. In addition, as the cutting blade 33 is exposed openly, it presents a potential hazard to the user.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a dispensing device for safe and convenient carry. The dispensing device has a flat cylindrical base member with a coaxial axle element inside for the mounting of a roll of adhesive tape. Along the wall of the cylindrical base member, a slit in the axial direction is provided through which a segment of the tape is pulled out. On a section of the wall adjacent to the slit, a curved rectangular buckle matching the curvature of the wall is hinged to the wall, which can be flipped away from the slit to be held at an appropriate included angle with the wall. A cutting blade is provided along the outer edge of the buckle parallel to the slit for cutting the exposed segment of the tape while the end of the remaining exposed segment of the tape is automatically adhered to the edge of the buckle. When the buckle is closed to the wall, the remaining exposed segment of the tape is folded between the buckle and the section of wall. The interfacing surfaces of the buckle and the section of the wall are patterned to reduce the contact area with the tape and the folded segment of the tape can be easily unfolded when the buckle is flipped open again.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
The following description are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
As illustrated in
A section 16 of the circular wall has a patterned outer surface 17. Adjacent to an end of the section 16, a slit perpendicular to the disk is provided, through which the tape can be pulled out of the base member 10. A buckle 13 is provided, which is shaped correspondingly to the section 16 so that the buckle 13 can be fitted completely over the pattered surface 17 of section 16. The buckle 13 is pin-joined to the circular wall by a hinge 12 positioned perpendicularly to the circular wall. As such, the buckle 13 can be flipped up to reveal or closed to cover the patterned surface 17 of the section 16. A notch 14 having a C-shaped cross section whose opening faces the slit is positioned along the slit on the circular wall opposite to the section 16. Therefore, when the buckle 13 is closed, the edge of the buckle 13 opposite to the hinge 12 can be snapped into the notch 14 to retain the buckle 13. A middle section of this edge of the buckle 13 is indented appropriately where a cutting blade 15 is installed. The cutting blade 15 can also be integrally formed with the buckle 13 in alternative embodiments. On the inner surface of the buckle 13, a similar or the same patterned surface 17 is provided to interface with the patterned surface 17 of the section 16 when the buckle 13 is closed.
The base member 10 is sealed from a side by a circular cover plate 21 having a number of plugs 22 along the rim on the side facing the base member 10. Correspondingly, along the surface of the circular wall facing the cover plate 21, a number of holes 18 for receiving the plugs 22 are provided so that the cover plate 21 and the base member 10 can be joined together for form a flat cylindrical body. As shown in
As illustrated in
Another advantage of the present invention is that the dispensing device, when not in use, has a nearly airtight package. This is especially advantageous for medical personnel where contamination can be effectively prevented and the dispensing device can be conveniently carried in a pocket without any safety and hygiene issues.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
