Patent Application
20250137769
Example embodiments generally relate to measuring tape devices, and particularly relate to a measuring tape that has a blade designed to reduce the incidence of roll-over responsive to blade extension.
Measuring tapes have been around for a very long time, and are common measuring tools used in numerous contexts to obtain linear measurements. Measuring tapes can come in many forms and may be made of cloth, fiber glass, metal, plastic, or the like. The materials used are often dictated by the specific measuring application. For example, tailors and dressmakers typically use a flexible tape that can be easily manipulated between two hands to measure a distance therebetween. However, for construction or carpentry applications, a stiff and often metallic tape is preferred to allow the measuring tape to be extended between a first location at which one end of the tape is anchored, and the location of the user at whose location the measuring tape is paid out from a reel assembly. The reel assembly may have a manual retracting mechanism or a self-retracting mechanism, typically depending upon the length of the measuring tape. For measuring tapes having length in a range of about 12 ft to 50 ft, self-retracting mechanisms and using metallic tape ribbons for the tape (or blade) are very common.
For nearly a century, metallic tape ribbons with a curved (or cupped) and relatively stiff construction have been preferred for use in self-retracting measuring tapes. The metallic tape ribbon tends to be flexible enough to permit the metallic tape ribbon to be wound onto a spring loaded reel assembly, but stiff enough to have a relatively long standout. The cupping of the metallic tape ribbon further enhances the standout without negatively impacting the ability of the metallic tape ribbon to be wound onto the reel assembly. By employing the end hook at one end of the tape, the user may take advantage of the standout to pay out the measuring tape toward an anchor point on a medium that is to be measured and then conduct the measurement without having to physically move to the anchor point to affix the end hook and then move away to make the measurement. Given the time and energy that can be saved by this method of measurement, taking advantage of the standout characteristics of a self-retracting measuring tape is a very popular feature. So much so, in fact, that it is not uncommon to see a user make multiple attempts to utilize standout and catch a remote end of media being measured with the end hook, rather than simply moving to the remote end of the media to manually fix the end hook to the remote end. When the standout is poor, and the user has to use multiple attempts, or fails and must resort to moving to the remote end to affix the end hook, frustration may grow, and the user may seek out a measuring tape with better standout characteristics.
Invariably, each measuring tape will have a certain length that effectively defines the maximum standout that can be achieved before the tape bends and basically collapses. The measuring tape can no longer be extended reliably toward the anchor point once this collapse occurs. However, the collapse that occurs at maximum standout is not the only type of tape bending or collapse that can occur with metallic tape ribbons. In this regard, another collapse phenomena that can occur is called rollover. Rollover occurs when the blade is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the blade. The rotation of the blade about the longitudinal axis may be desirable when measuring vertical surfaces (e.g., walls, doors, windows, etc.).
For maximum standout, the blade is extended with the apex of the convex side of the cupped shape pointing straight toward the ground. As the blade is rotated about the longitudinal axis and extended, even typical blades that are designed for long standout will tend to collapse when the angle of rotation nears 90 degrees at a relatively small amount of extension. Meanwhile, standout characteristics of some blades may enable extension of greater than 10 feet or 12 feet. Thus, it may be desirable to improve anti-rollover characteristics to decrease the gap between the maximum standout and the length at which rollover occurs.
Some example embodiments may enable the provision of a measuring tape that has improved anti-rollover characteristics.
In an example embodiment, a measuring tape device may be provided. The device may include a housing having an aperture, a reel assembly enclosed within the housing, and a blade formed from a metallic strip of material having a first end configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly. The metallic strip is cupped to define a first concave face. The blade further includes a reinforcement strip that is cupped to define a second concave face. The reinforcement strip is applied to a longitudinal centerline of a selected portion of the metallic strip such that the first concave face is directed toward the second concave face. The blade further includes a lateral retention assembly operably coupled to the metallic strip to retain the reinforcement strip laterally while enabling the reinforcement strip to move relative to the metallic strip in a longitudinal direction.
In another example embodiment, a blade for a measuring tape device may be provided. The blade may include a first end at which an end hook is configurable, a second end configured to be operably coupled to a reel assembly of the measuring tape device, a metallic strip of material extending between the first end and second end where the metallic strip is cupped to define a first concave face, a reinforcement strip cupped to define a second concave face, and a lateral retention assembly. The reinforcement strip may be applied to a longitudinal centerline of a selected portion of the metallic strip such that the first concave face is directed toward the second concave face. The lateral retention assembly may be operably coupled to the metallic strip to retain the reinforcement strip laterally while enabling the reinforcement strip to move relative to the metallic strip in a longitudinal direction.
Having thus described some example embodiments in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all example embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described and pictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is to be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true whenever one or more of its operands are true. As used herein, operable coupling should be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection that, in either case, enables functional interconnection of components that are operably coupled to each other.
As indicated above, some example embodiments may relate to the provision of a measuring tape device that may have an improved blade design for resistance to rollover. This may be accomplished by providing an anti-rollover treatment to the apex of the top of the blade, and over all or a limited length of the blade. For example, for a blade having a full length of 12 feet or less, perhaps the full length of the blade may be provided with anti-rollover treatment. However, for a blade having a full length greater than 12 feet, perhaps 12 inches to 96 inches of the blade may be provided with the anti-rollover treatment.
Referring now to
The blade 140 has an end hook 170 disposed at one end thereof, and is affixed to the reel assembly 120 at the other end of the blade 140. The end hook 170 may be affixed (temporarily) to an anchor point on a medium that is to be measured. Once the end hook 170 is affixed to the anchor point, the blade 140 may be paid out of the aperture 150 and unwound from the reel assembly 120. When a desired length of the blade 140 has been paid out, the user can make any necessary markings, readings, etc., associated with measuring scale markings that may be printed on the blade 140. The measuring scale markings generally measure length from the end hook 170 in one or more units, with divisions and subdivisions of such units clearly marked on the blade 140.
By fixing the end hook 170 to the anchor point, the self-retraction assembly 130 (which may be spring loaded in some cases) may be prevented from retracting the paid out portions of the blade 140 into the housing 110 (via the aperture 150). Similarly, when the locking assembly 160 is engaged, a force (e.g., a pinching force) may be placed on the blade 140 to prevent retraction or motion of the reel assembly 120 may otherwise be inhibited to prevent the self-retraction assembly 130 from retracting the paid out portions of the blade 140. However, when the end hook 170 is not anchored and the locking assembly 160 is not engaged, the self-retraction assembly 130 may cause the reel assembly 120 to wind the blade 140 back onto the reel assembly 120.
As mentioned above, for a typical measuring tape, when the blade 140 is paid out through the aperture 150, the blade 140 will extend relatively straight out the aperture 150 (although some sagging or droop may be noticed due to the weight of the blade 140). The blade 140 can be extended in a guided fashion toward an intended target anchor point while the blade 140 continues to have sufficient rigidity to standout. The blade 140 will continue to extend and standout until the weight of the blade 140 extended past the aperture 150 is sufficient to cause the blade 140 to collapse and bend, thereby losing its rigidity and preventing any further guided extension. The loss of sufficient rigidity which causes collapse and bending of the blade 140 at a length of maximum standout generally occurs at a portion of the blade 140 that can be referred to as a “critical region” since it can occur at slightly different points (but generally in the same region) on different extension operations, and on different individual measuring tapes.
It may be possible to increase the standout capabilities of the blade 140 by changing certain characteristics of the blade 140. For example, the cupping of the blade 140 such that a convex curve having an apex (or axis of symmetry) that is generally faced toward the ground when the blade 140 is extended to achieve maximum standout is well known to improve standout of the blade 140. Notably, the opposite side of the blade 140 also has a curved shape that generally faces upward in this case with an axis of symmetry (i.e., a concave apex). This is the orientation shown in
This critical region for rollover can, however, be extended by modifying the structure of the blade 140 (or at least the portion extending rearward from the end hook 170 for a given distance). In this regard, by adding an anti-rollover treatment to a center or axis of symmetry of the concave portion of the blade 140 over the given distance, the amount of extension of the blade 140 that can be achieved before rollover occurs may be increased.
In various example embodiments, the lateral retention assembly 196 may be embodied in various different ways. For example, repeated rivets or other such devices may be disposed at intervals along the lateral sides of the reinforcement member 192 to hold the reinforcement member 192 in position proximate to the metal strip 190. Alternatively, different mechanical interfaces may be defined to accomplish the same function. For example, the wings or lateral edges of the metal strip 190 could be folded inwardly to define a slot or C-channel inside with lateral edges of the reinforcement member 192 may be retained (but otherwise allowed to slide longitudinally). Additional metallic strips could be welded or adhered or joined via mechanical or chemical bonding method. to the metal strip 190 to define such slots or channels in other examples. In still other examples, the lateral retention assembly 196 may be defined by an overlay material that retains the reinforcement member 192 proximate to the metal strip 190. One example of such an overlay is shown the example of
To apply the anti-rollover treatment of an example embodiment, a reinforcement strip 210 (e.g., an example of the reinforcement member 192 of
As best seen in
In an example embodiment, the selected length (Lr) may extend longitudinally from a fixed joint 212 to a terminus 214. The terminus 214 may be spaced apart from, but otherwise closest to, the first end 202 of the metallic strip 200. When spaced apart from the first end 202, the terminus 214 may typically be no farther than 36 inches from the first end 202, but may be relatively close to the first end 202 in other examples (e.g., 1 or 2 inches). The first end 202 of the metallic strip 200 may be the end to which the end hook 170 is applied. Thus, it can be appreciated that the fixed joint 212 may be closest to the second end 204 of the metallic strip 200. In some cases, the fixed joint 212 may be located at the second end 204, but in other examples (as shown in
In some embodiments, the fixed joint 212 may be formed by welding the metal of the metallic strip 200 to the metal of the reinforcement strip 210. However, the reinforcement strip 210 need not always be made of metal (e.g., spring steel, like the metallic strip 200). In this regard, for example, the reinforcement strip 210 could instead be made of plastic or another rigid polymeric material of which could contain embedded reinforcements such as glass, carbon fiber, etc. (e.g., polyamide aka nylon,, polypropylene, Polyester, (PET/PBT), Polycarbonate (PC), Epoxy, etc.) that is able to exhibit a spring-like quality to oppose collapse of the metallic strip 200 that would otherwise cause rollover. The reinforcement strip 210 may also be made of materials that include a combination of a laminate of both metal and plastic. In other words, numerous different materials could be employed, but the material may be selected to have a high stiffness and flexibility. Accordingly, as an alternative to welding, the fixed joint 212 may be made via one or more rivets, adhesives, or other structures or materials that can bind the end of the reinforcement strip 210 at the fixed joint 212 to a top surface of the metallic strip 200. For example, the metallic strip 200 could have a slot formed therein, and a portion of the reinforcement strip 210 may be passed through the slot and bent to form the fixed joint 212. Other structural fixing means may also be employed.
Regardless of how the fixed joint 212 is formed, it should be appreciated that the opposing curvatures of the metallic strip 200 and the reinforcement strip 210 will result in different rates at which such strips will be coiled up responsive to retraction (e.g., of the blade 140 onto the reel assembly 120). As a result, during coiling, the terminus 214 of the reinforcement strip 210 will tend to move in the direction shown by arrow 216 in
The polymer overlay 220 may have a width that is substantially equal to the width (W) of the metallic strip 200. Thus, where coextensive with the metallic strip 200, the polymer overlay 220 may extend from wing tip to wing tip of the opposing lateral edges of the metallic strip 200. The polymer overlay 220 may be affixed to the wing tips of the metallic strip 200 over an adhered area (AA). An adhesive or other (e.g., mechanical) fixing means may be employed to affix the polymer overlay 220 to the metallic strip 200 on both lateral sides of the reinforcement strip 210. However, the polymer overlay 220 may (in some cases) not be affixed in any way to the reinforcement strip 210, and may not be affixed to portions of the metallic strip 200 that are proximate to the reinforcement strip 210 in order to avoid putting any pressure on the reinforcement strip 210. Meanwhile, in other alternative embodiments, the polymer overlay 220 and the adhered area (AA) may overlap the reinforcement strip 210 at the fixed joint 212, and may assist in forming the fixed joint 212. Thus, the adhered area (AA) may extend toward the reinforcement strip 210 to limit lateral movement of the reinforcement strip 210, but not limit longitudinal movement of the reinforcement strip 210 (except possibly at the fixed joint 212). Accordingly, the metallic strip 200 may have the reinforcement strip 210 applied thereto at a longitudinal center of the metallic strip 200 so as to be fixed at an end of the reinforcement strip 210 that is opposite the end hook 170, and unfixed at an end of the reinforcement strip 210 that is closest to the end hook 170.
The reinforcement strip 210 may typically extend continuously (i.e., where the reinforcement strip 210 is one unitary piece of material) from the fixed joint 212 to the terminus 214. As noted above, the amount of spacing provided from the first end 202 may be, for example, 0 to 36 inches in some cases. In some example embodiments, the reinforcement strip 210 (and the metallic strip 200) may be made of steel. However, other rigid metals or materials may also be employed in alternative embodiments. Although the thickness (Tr) of the reinforcement strip 210 can vary relative to the thickness (T) of the metallic strip 200, the same thickness for each may be employed in some cases.
Similarly, although the reinforcement strip 210 may have a range of widths (Wr) that may be equal to the width (W) of the metallic strip 200 in some cases, it may be desirable to select the width (Wr) to be less than about ½ the width (W) of the metallic strip 200 in some cases to ensure that any reference markings 230 (shown for example in detail window 240) may not be impacted by the reinforcement strip 210. The reference markings 230 may be printed on the polymer overlay 220, or on the metallic strip 210. If the reference markings 230 are printed on the metallic strip 210, the polymer overlay 220 may be transparent. However, the polymer overlay 220 need not be transparent (and could be opaque, and any desired color) if the reference markings 230 are disposed on the polymer overlay 220.
As shown in
In an example embodiment, a width of the adhered area (AA) may be greater than 1/16th of an inch (i.e., 0.0626 inches). Thus, an acceptable range of widths of the adhered area (AA) may be from 0.0625 inches to Amax, where Amax=(Flat tape width−Flat reinforcement width)/2. The flat tape width is the width of the metallic strip 200 flattened out. The flat reinforcement width is the width of the reinforcement strip flattened out.
As noted above, the lateral retention assembly could take other forms.
Example embodiments have been tested to demonstrate superior performance relative to conventionally designed measuring tapes. In this regard, example embodiments may be extended in the orientation of
In an example embodiment, a measuring tape device (or a blade for such device) may therefore be provided. The measuring tape device may include a housing having an aperture, a reel assembly enclosed within the housing, and a blade having a first end configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly. The blade may further include an end hook attached to the first end, a metallic strip of material extending between the first end and second end where the metallic strip is cupped to define a first concave face, a reinforcement strip cupped to define a second concave face, and a lateral retention assembly. The reinforcement strip may be applied to a longitudinal centerline of a selected portion of the metallic strip such that the first concave face is directed toward the second concave face. The lateral retention assembly may be operably coupled to the metallic strip to retain the reinforcement strip laterally while enabling the reinforcement strip to move relative to the metallic strip in a longitudinal direction.
In some embodiments, the features of the device described above may be augmented or modified, or additional features may be added. These augmentations, modifications and additions may be optional and may be provided in any combination. Thus, although some example modifications, augmentations and additions are listed below, it should be appreciated that any of the modifications, augmentations and additions could be implemented individually or in combination with one or more, or even all of the other modifications, augmentations and additions that are listed. As such, for example, in some cases the reinforcement strip may be affixed to the metallic strip at a fixed joint disposed at an end of the reinforcement strip that is opposite the end hook, and the reinforcement strip may not be affixed to the metallic strip at a terminus opposite the fixed joint (or along any lateral sides thereof). In an example embodiment, the terminus may be spaced apart from the first end by a distance of less than about 36 inches. In some cases, the fixed joint may be located at the second end, or alternatively spaced apart from the second end. In an example embodiment, the lateral retention assembly may include a polymeric overlay encapsulating the reinforcement strip to constrain lateral movement of the reinforcement strip (while allowing longitudinal movement). In an example embodiment, the polymeric overlay may be adhered to the metallic strip via an adhesion area that extends proximate to and spaced apart from lateral edges of the reinforcement strip and from the terminus. In some cases, a vent hole may be disposed in the metallic strip proximate the terminus within a pocket defined by the polymeric overlay, or alternatively the vent hole may be disposed in the polymeric overlay proximate the terminus. In an example embodiment, the lateral retention assembly may be attached to the metallic strip via an adhesive. In an example embodiment, an arc height of the reinforcement strip may be between about 0.04 and 0.75 times an arc height of the metallic strip. In some cases, an arc width of the reinforcement strip is between about 0.2 and 1.0 times an arc width of the metallic strip. In an example embodiment, a thickness of the reinforcement strip may be between about 0.25 and 1.75 times a thickness of the metallic strip.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be appreciated that such advantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, any advantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thought of as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or to that which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/041517 | 8/25/2022 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63237594 | Aug 2021 | US |
