Structure tape rule housing

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6807747
  • Patent Number
    6,807,747
  • Date Filed
    Monday, August 25, 2003
    20 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 26, 2004
    19 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Bennett; G. Bradley
    • Guadalupe; Yaritza
    Agents
    • Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
Abstract
An improved structure tape rule housing, the tape rule housing comprised of a left case half and a right case half having a soft rubber pad around their top edges and bottom edges to thereby increase grasping friction and utilization comfort, enabling rule housing variability and greater practical value.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1) Field of the Invention




The invention herein relates to measuring instruments, specifically an improved structure tape rule housing that provides a tape rule enclosure, the left and right plastic case halves of which have a soft rubber pad around their top edges and bottom edges to thereby increase grasping friction and utilization comfort, enabling additional tape rule housing variability and greater manufacturing practical value.




2) Description of the Prior Art




The outer housing of a conventional tape rule is comprised of a left case half and a right case half that are assembled together. The said conventional tape rule has a measuring blade rolled up inside and since the conventional tape rule consists of a single plastic injected left case half and right case half that are assembled together, grasping friction is deficient and slippage easily occurs and, furthermore, the ordinary plastic housing does not provide for product structure variability. However, to enable greater tape rule utilization convenience, the applicant of the invention herein conducted extensive research and development based on many years of specialized production experience to ensure that the present invention is of superior practical value which, following repeated testing and refinement, culminated in the improved structure tape rule of the invention herein.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved structure tape rule housing, the said tape rule housing comprised of a left case half and a right case half having a soft rubber pad disposed by a second injection molding step around their top edges and bottom edges and, furthermore, wherein the outer periphery of the said rubber pad consists of a plurality of evenly arrayed rib elements, thereby increasing tape rule grasping friction and utilization comfort, while providing for additional tape rule housing variability and higher practicality.




To enable the examination committee a further understanding of the structural features and original content of the present invention as well as its advantages and other related aspects, the brief description of the drawings below are followed by the detailed description of the invention herein.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an isometric drawing of the invention herein.





FIG. 2

is an exploded drawing of the invention herein.





FIG. 3

is a cross-sectional drawing of the rubber pad


3


, as viewed from the perspective of line A—A.





FIG. 4

is a cross-sectional drawing of the rubber pad


4


, as viewed from the perspective of line B—B.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to

FIG. 1

,

FIG. 2

,

FIG. 3

, and

FIG. 4

, in the improved structure tape rule housing of the invention herein, the said tape rule housing is comprised of a left case half


10


and a right case half


20


, in which:




The left case half


10


is constructed of a plastic material and after the first injection molding, the said left case half


10


has a recess


11


in its upper edge and, furthermore, an upward extending partition plate


12


along the inner side and center of the recess


11


, and the said left case half


10


has a recess


13


in its lower edge; with the upper edge recess


11


and the lower edge recess


13


now present in the left case half


10


, a soft rubber material is used for the second injection molding, wherein a rubber pad


3


is formed around the upper edge recess


11


of the left case half


10


and a rubber pad


4


is formed around the lower edge recess


13


of the left case half


10


, the outer periphery of the said rubber pad


3


consisting of a plurality of evenly arrayed rib elements


31


and the outer periphery of the rubber pad


4


consisting of a plurality of evenly arrayed rib elements


41


.




The right case half


20


is of a reverse symmetrical arrangement, with the right case half


20


having a rubber pad


5


around its upper edge and a rubber pad (not shown in the drawings) around its lower edge.




The left case half


10


and the right case half


20


of the invention herein are assembled by interconnection, the case half upper edge and lower edge each have the soft rubber pad and, furthermore, the outer periphery of the rubber pads consist of a plurality of evenly arrayed rib elements that increase tape rule grasping friction and utilization comfort, enabling additional tape rule housing variability and higher practicality.




The above disclosure is provided to present one feasible embodiment of the invention herein, however, the said embodiment shall not be construed as a limitation of the scope of the invention herein and, furthermore, all equivalent adaptations and modifications of the technological spirit of the invention herein shall remain included within the patented claims of the present invention.




In summation of the foregoing section, since the invention herein is not only of an original spatial arrangement, but also capable of greater utility, performance, and practical value and, furthermore, an identical or similar product has not been observed or disclosed in the market, the invention herein is submitted to the examination committee for review and granting of the commensurate patent rights.



Claims
  • 1. An improved tape rule housing comprising:a pair of case halves coupled together at respective inner sides of said case halves, each case half being formed of a plastic material and having a first recess on an upper portion thereof and a second recess on a lower portion of said case half, said first recess extending from an outer side of said case half to an upwardly extending partition plate disposed adjacent said inner side of said case half, said upwardly extending partition plates of said pair of case halves being disposed in juxtaposition; a pair of first pads respectively disposed in said first recesses of said pair of case halves, each of said first pads being formed of a rubber material and having a plurality of ribs extending from an outer surface thereof; and, a pair of second pads respectively disposed in said second recesses of said pair of case halves, each of said second pads being formed of a rubber material and having a plurality of ribs extending from an outer surface thereof.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Number Name Date Kind
4574486 Drechsler Mar 1986 A
6148534 Li Nov 2000 A
6182916 Lin Feb 2001 B1
6272765 Li Aug 2001 B1
6276071 Khachatoorian Aug 2001 B1
6382547 Yang May 2002 B1
6405451 Hsu Jun 2002 B1
6449866 Murray Sep 2002 B1
6484412 Donaldson et al. Nov 2002 B1
6691426 Lee et al. Feb 2004 B1
6718649 Critelli et al. Apr 2004 B1