BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tape dispenser provided with a safety cutting mechanism according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectioned side view showing the safety cutting mechanism for tape dispenser according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a safety cover of the safety cutting mechanism of the present invention at an extended position to shield a toothed blade of a cutter;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the safety cover of the safety cutting mechanism of the present invention at a retracted position to expose the toothed blade of the cutter for cutting; and
FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectioned side views showing the movement of the safety cutting mechanism of the present invention when the tape dispenser is operated to dispense and cut a length of adhesive tape.
FIGS. 6A and 7A. are enlarged views of rib 162.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 at the same time, in which a tape dispenser 1 provided with a safety cutting mechanism of the present invention is shown. The tape dispenser 1 includes a fixed handle 11, a rotatable tape roll holder 12 located above the handle 11, and a hold-down roller 13 located at a lower front of the tape roll holder 12. The safety cutting mechanism includes a fixing seat 14 located above the hold-down roller 13 and defining a forward recess 141 for receiving a cutter 15 and a safety cover 16 therein. The cutter 15 has a front toothed blade. The safety cover 16 is located above the cutter 15, and has two curved spring arms 161 symmetrically and angularly extended rearward and outward from near a rear edge center of the safety cover 16, such that when the safety cover 16 is located in the forward recess 141, distal ends of the two spring arms 161 are abutted on and retained to a rear inner edge of the recess 141 to hold the safety cover 16 in place in the recess 141 and provide the safety cover 16 with a predetermined elasticity. The safety cover 16 is provided across a lower front edge with a downward extended rib 162 having a predetermined height, such that the rib 162 is normally located in front of the cutter 15 to shield the toothed blade of the cutter 15.
When the tape dispenser 1 is not in use, the toothed blade of the cutter 15 is normally shielded by the rib 162 of the safety cover 16 without the risk of injuring any person nearby the tape dispenser 1. And, when a length of adhesive tape has been dispensed on a desired location using the tape dispenser 1, the tape dispenser 1 may be tilted forward for the cutter 15 to cut the dispensed adhesive tape. At this point, the dispensed adhesive tape is tensed to push the rib 162 of the safety cover 16 upward and rearward, so that the safety cover 16 elastically slides away from the cutter 15 to expose the toothed blade, allowing the cutter 15 to cut the adhesive tape.
Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 6. When the tape dispenser 1 is not in use, or is in the process of dispensing a length of adhesive tape 2, the adhesive tape 2 is located below and pressed by the hold-down roller 13 against a desired location, and the safety cover 16 received in the fixing seat 14 is pushed forward by the spring arms 161 to an extended position for the rib 162 to shield the toothed blade of the cutter 15, preventing the cutter 15 from injuring a user.
Please refer to FIGS. 5 and 7. When the dispensed adhesive tape 2 has been firmly attached to the desired location, the tape dispenser 1 is operated in a normal way to tilt forward, so that a section of the dispensed adhesive tape 2 between the desired location and the hold-down roller 13 is tensed to produce a predetermined tension and push against the rib 161 of the safety cover 16, causing the rib 161 to slide upward and backward to a retracted position to expose the toothed blade of the cutter 15. The exposed blade of the cutter then cuts the adhesive tape 2 to complete the bonding of the adhesive tape 2 to the desired location. When the adhesive tape 2 has been cut, the safety cover 16 is elastically pushed forward by the two spring arms 161 to cover the toothed blade of the cutter 15 again, preventing the cutter 15 from injuring anyone.
In brief, the safety cutting mechanism for tape dispenser according to the present invention includes a safety cover 16 that is normally elastically pushed forward by two spring arms 161 to locate a lower front rib 162 in front of a toothed blade of a cutter 15 of the tape dispenser 1, so that the cutter 15 of the tape dispenser 1 not in use or in the process of dispensing a length of adhesive tape 2 is safely covered by the safety cover 16 without the risk of injuring people.