1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispensing unit and a thin film dispenser having the same, and more particularly to a dispensing unit having a capability of providing a locking effect to a tape wheel.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional thin film dispenser, such as a correction tape dispenser or an adhesive tape dispenser, substantially comprises a housing and a dispensing unit mounted in the housing. The conventional dispensing unit comprises a dispensing head, a wheel assembly and a thin film. The dispensing head is mounted on one end of the dispensing unit. The wheel assembly comprises a tape supplying wheel and a used tape collecting wheel driven to rotate with each other. The thin film is mounted around the wheel assembly and the dispensing head. For environmentally friendly purposes and to reduce cost burden of the user, the housing of the thin film dispenser is in a detachable form to allow a user to replace the used dispensing unit with a new one. Therefore, the dispensing unit for a thin film dispenser is usually individually packaged and sold, and a user can buy a new dispensing unit for replacing a used one.
With reference to
However, the conventional securing card 60 can hold the dispensing unit 50 in position only during the course of packaging and transporting. When the dispensing unit 50 is to be assembled in the housing of a thin film dispenser, the securing card 60 has to be taken out of the dispensing unit 50 and the dispensing unit 50 is unlocked. Therefore, the tape supplying wheel 52 is easily rotated and the thin film is easily loosened from the rotating wheel assembly during the assembling of the dispensing unit 50 with the housing. To assemble the conventional dispensing unit is inconvenient. In addition, the correction tape or adhesive gel on the loosened thin film easily adhere onto another object or user's hand, not only contaminating the environment or the user's hand, but also rendering the loosened thin film no longer useable, causing waste of the thin film.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a dispensing unit for a thin film dispenser to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a dispensing unit with a locking function for a thin film dispenser and a thin film dispenser having the same to prevent a thin film from being loosened during the course of packaging, transporting and assembling processes. Consequently, replacing and assembling the dispensing unit is convenient to improve the convenience and versatility of use of the dispensing unit.
The dispensing unit in accordance with the present invention has a base, a wheel assembly, a thin film and a locking device. The wheel assembly is mounted on the base and has a tape supplying wheel and a used tape collecting wheel. The tape supplying wheel and the used tape collecting wheel are mounted rotatably on the base. The thin film is mounted around the wheel assembly. The locking device is resiliently disposed on the base and selectively engages the wheel assembly to prevent the wheel assembly from rotating.
The thin film dispenser in accordance with the present invention has a housing and a dispensing unit. The housing has a transmission device disposed in the housing. The dispensing unit is mounted in the housing and has a base, a wheel assembly, a thin film and a locking device. The wheel assembly is mounted on the base and has a tape supplying wheel and a used tape collecting wheel. The tape supplying wheel and the used tape collecting wheel are mounted rotatably on the base. The thin film is mounted around the wheel assembly. The locking device is resiliently disposed on the base and selectively engages the wheel assembly to prevent the wheel assembly from rotating.
With such an arrangement, the locking device can provide a locking effect to the wheel assembly to prevent the wheel assembly from rotating arbitrarily. Accordingly, the thin film can be prevented from being loosened due to the rotation of the wheel assembly during the course of packaging, transporting and assembling processes. The packaging and transporting processes of the dispensing unit can be simplified and the cost therefore can also be reduced. A user can replace the dispensing unit easily and conveniently, and the assembling process of the dispensing unit is convenient. The waste of the thin film can be avoided to improve the utility of the dispensing unit.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
A thin film dispenser in accordance with the present invention may be a correction tape dispenser, an adhesive tape dispenser or the like and includes all kinds of apparatus that can apply coating materials of a thin film onto a desired location. With reference to
With reference to
The thin film 26 is mounted around the wheel assembly 23 and the dispensing head 22 and has an unused end mounted around the tape supplying wheel 24 and a used end that is mounted first over and via the dispensing head 22 and then around the used tape collecting wheel 25.
The locking device 28 is resiliently disposed on the base 21 to prevent the wheel assembly 23 from rotating and selectively engages the wheel assembly 23. Preferably, the locking device 28 engages the tape supplying wheel 24 and may engage one of the concave-convex teeth 242 on the tape supplying wheel 24. With the arrangement of the locking device 28, arbitrary rotation of the wheel assembly 23 is prevented, and the thin film 26 can be kept from being loosened and escaping from the wheel assembly 23. The locking device 28 comprises at least one resilient engaging arm 29 formed on the base 21. Preferably, two resilient engaging arms 29 are implemented. Each resilient engaging arm 29 comprises a straight segment 292 and a curved segment 294. The straight segment 292 is integrally and resiliently connected with the base 21 and has a free end opposite to the base 21. The curved segment 294 is connected with the straight segment 292 and has a connecting end and an engaging end. The connecting end is integrally connected with the free end of the straight segment 292. The engaging end is opposite to the connecting end, and an engaging element 296 is formed on the engaging end of the curved segment 294 and selectively engages one of the concave-convex teeth 242 on the tape supplying wheel 24. The engaging element 296 may be a protruding element and engaging one of the concave teeth among the concave-convex teeth 242. Alternatively, the engaging element 296 may be a cavity element and engaging one of the convex teeth among the concave-convex teeth 242. With the engagement between the engaging element 296 and the concave-convex teeth 242, the tape supplying wheel 24 can be prevented from rotating. In addition, a pushed protrusion 298 is formed on and protrudes from the engaging end of the curved segment 294 and is distal from the wheel assembly 23.
In addition, each resilient engaging arm 29 may only comprise a straight segment 292 integrally and resiliently connected with the base 21 and having an engaging end opposite to the base 21. An engaging element 296 is formed on the engaging end of the straight segment 292 and selectively engages one of the concave-convex teeth 242 on the tape supplying wheel 24. A pushed protrusion 298 is formed on and protrudes from the engaging end of the straight segment 292.
Alternatively, each resilient engaging arm 29 may only comprise a curved segment 294 integrally and resiliently connected with the base 21 and having an engaging end opposite to the base 21. An engaging element 296 is formed on the engaging end of the curved segment 294 and selectively engages one of the concave-convex teeth 242 on the tape supplying wheel 24. A pushed protrusion 298 is formed on and protrudes from the engaging end of the curved segment 294.
Further, each resilient engaging arm 29 may comprise two ends integrally and resiliently connected with the base 21 and an engaging segment formed between the ends. An engaging element 296 is formed on the engaging segment and selectively engages one of the concave-convex teeth 242 on the tape supplying wheel 24. A pushed protrusion 298 is formed on and protrudes from the engaging segment.
With such an arrangement, for a manufacturer, during the processes of packaging and transporting the dispensing unit 20, a conventional securing card additionally disposed for holding the dispensing unit 20 is unnecessary. The processes of packaging and transporting the dispensing unit 20 can be simplified and the cost thereof can also be reduced. For a user, when a user buys a new dispensing unit 20 for replacing a used dispensing unit 20, the wheel assembly 23 can be kept at a locked condition with the locking effect provided by the locking device 28 during the whole assembling process of the dispensing unit 20 with the housing 10. The thin film 26 can be prevented from being loosened, so to assemble the dispensing unit 20 with the housing 10 is convenient and the waste of the thin film 26 caused by loosening can also be prevented. The utility of the dispensing unit 20 is improved.
In addition, an unlocking device is further disposed on the housing 10 and corresponds to the locking device 28 on the dispensing unit 20 to unlock the wheel assembly 23 from the locking device 28. With reference to
With reference to
Furthermore, the locking device 28,28A can engage the used tape collecting wheel 25 of the wheel assembly 23,23A and comprises at least one resilient engaging arm engaging the used tape collecting wheel 25. The at least one resilient arm may have a structure same as those shown in
With reference to
The dispensing head 22B is mounted on the housing 10B and is provided for connecting with the dispensing unit 20B. When the dispensing unit 20B is mounted in the housing 10B, an end of the base 21B of the dispensing unit 20B is combined with the dispensing head 22B. The thin film 26B that is mounted around the wheel assembly 23B is mounted around the dispensing head 22B after the dispensing unit 20B is assembled in the housing 10B. The dispensing head 22B will tighten the thin film 26B to enable the thin film 26B to be used in a normal condition.
The locking device 28B is resiliently disposed on the base 21B to prevent the wheel assembly 23B from rotating. The structure and operation of the locking device 28B is the same as those of the aforementioned embodiments and description thereof are omitted.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101102478 | Jan 2012 | TW | national |