Patent Application
20070056182
The present invention relates to coilable tape measures, and more particularly to a coilable tape measure allowing user control of the rate of retraction of a tape blade into the housing.
Coilable tape measures are widely employed to facilitate taking measurements and to provide for the return of an extended tape blade into a housing for storage. The tape blade is generally constructed of metal, and a hook is secured to its outer surface end, which aids in the use of the tape blade by engaging an edge of a surface to be measured. Typically, the tape blade is spring-loaded and biased toward a retracted position within the housing. When the tape blade is fully retracted within the housing, the hook remains outside the housing so as to provide a point of engagement of the tape blade for the user.
A positive locking mechanism is typically provided so that the tape blade can be locked in a desired extended position for convenience in making measurements. The locking mechanism usually operates on the tape blade within the housing with a push-button actuator located on a surface of the housing so that it can be easily manipulated by the user's thumb. The lock is actuated when the tape blade is extended and then released when the user desires the tape blade to be automatically retracted and coiled within the housing.
Due to the spring used to retract and coil the extended tape blade into the housing, the tape blade often uncontrollably flexes or whips as it is being retracted, causing fatigue at the inner end of the tape blade and potentially damaging the measured surface.
Additionally, the unencumbered rate of retraction of the tape blade into the housing, when abruptly stopped by the abutment of the hook against the housing, results in shock loading about the fasteners connecting the hook to the tape blade that produces fatigue or shear. As a result, it is quite common for a tape blade to fracture or shear around the hook, which consequently causes the tape blade to be retracted and coiled completely into the housing, thereby preventing further use of the measuring tape.
Various measuring tape devices of the prior art have attempted to address the aforementioned problems through employing complicated means to control the rate of retraction of an extended tape blade into a tape measure housing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,933 describes a decelerating lever, including a biasing V-shaped spring, having small projections extending therefrom. When the lever is depressed the projections contact the tape blade and force it into additional contact with an anvil to control the retraction rate. The decelerating lever, however, extends beyond the outer housing surface. Further, the lever relies on biasing from a separate additional component, the V-shaped spring, within the housing. These features may hinder use of the tape measure for some operations, and add complexity where simplicity is sought.
Thus, there is a need for a tape measure which controls the rate of retraction of an extended tape blade into a tape measure housing without providing complexity and without hindering operation of the tape measure. The present device addresses these and other problems of prior tape measure devices.
There is disclosed herein an improved tape measure which includes features for controlling the rate of retraction of an extended tape blade into a tape measure housing.
It is an object of the invention to provide a tape measure which controls the rate of retraction of an extended tape blade into a tape measure housing by contacting the curvilinear surface of the tape blade.
Another object of the invention is to provide a temporary brake mechanism that allows for the retraction of an extended tape blade to be temporarily halted while being retracted into the housing through the aperture by placing the tape blade in simultaneous contact with a temporary braking mechanism and a positive locking mechanism.
An illustrative embodiment of the present invention relates to a tape measure including a housing having peripheral walls defining a chamber, at least one peripheral wall having an aperture, an elongated coilable measuring tape blade within the housing chamber and extending outwardly through the aperture at an end having a hook thereon, wherein the tape blade is capable of being retracted automatically into the housing, a positive locking mechanism mounted on said peripheral wall for locking the tape blade at a selected position while the tape blade is in an extended position outside the housing, and a temporary braking mechanism mounted on the peripheral wall for controlling the rate of retraction of the extended tape blade into the housing, the temporary braking mechanism being located opposite the positive locking mechanism with the tape blade extending therebetween, whereby, when external manual pressure is applied to the temporary brake mechanism, the tape blade is forced against the positive locking mechanism, reducing the retraction rate of the tape blade during automatic retraction into the housing.
Another illustrative embodiment of the invention relates to a method for controlling a retraction rate of a tape blade during automatic retraction into a housing including the steps of applying pressure to a temporary braking mechanism mounted on a peripheral wall of a tape measure housing containing the tape blade, contacting the temporary braking mechanism to a lower surface of the tape blade, and optionally forcing an upper surface of the tape blade opposite the lower surface into contact with a positive locking mechanism.
A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following description and claims and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings an embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.
While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiment illustrated.
Referring generally to
The tape spool 20 incorporates a spring means 29 whereby the tape blade 18 is spring loaded and biased toward a retracted position within the housing chamber 15. The spool 20 is secured onto a cylindrical boss 22 molded integrally with and projecting interiorly from housing portion 13a. This type of automatically retractable, spring-loaded coilable tape blade is well known in the industry.
As stated above, the housing 12 is formed as a split-type housing, which is also known in the measuring tape art. The utilization of the split-type housing 12, including portions 13a and 13b, facilitates assembly of the device. The portions 13a and 13b of the housing 12 are secured together by fasteners, not shown, as is well known in the art. The fasteners may project through either housing portion 13a or 13b and into internal bosses 23 molded in the remaining housing portion 13a or 13b. The housing 12 can be made of plastic, metal or any other suitable material. Preferably, each of the housing portions 13a and 13b is a molded plastic material, whereby various bosses, flanges, side rails and positioning means for various components and the like can be molded integrally on the interior of the housing portions 13a and 13b without requiring numerous separate parts.
The housing 12 is dimensioned and configured to be held by the user around a lower area 28, with the user's thumb overlying a portion of a peripheral side 16. The lower area 28 of the housing 12 includes an opening 26 for accommodating a temporary braking mechanism 30. In a preferred embodiment, the temporary braking mechanism 30 includes an outer diaphragm 31 mounted within peripheral wall 16 and an internal brake element 32 contacting diaphragm 21, but located within chamber 15. It is anticipated that the diaphragm 31 and brake element 32 may be either separate components or a single piece. The diaphragm 31 is designed to allow inward flexing to direct the brake element 32 into contact with the tape blade 18, as discussed in detail below. The temporary braking mechanism 30 is broadly considered to be within the peripheral wall 16 of the housing 12 so long as at least an actuating component, in the present case, the diaphragm 31, is accessible along a peripheral wall 16. The myriad of alternate configurations which may be possible to adequately perform the temporary braking function, in light of the present disclosure, are too numerous to be discussed in this application. However, any combination of components, other than the positive locking mechanism, which act to suitably engage tape blade 18 and thereby decrease the rate of retraction of the tape into the housing 12 is considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims.
The housing 12 additionally includes an opening 34 for receiving a positive locking mechanism 36. The positive locking mechanism 36 includes an actuator 38 that is moveably engaged to both housing portions 13a and 13b and a lever arm 40 moveably engaged to the actuator 38. Preferably, the actuator 38 and lever arm 40 operate as an elbow joint for applying a positive lock on the tape blade 18. The positive locking mechanism 36 is selectively operable for applying a positive lock on tape blade 18 to prevent the retraction of the tape blade. The actuator 38 is depressed inward at the bottom portion to rotate about the axis A, as shown in
Referring now to
Alternatively, the temporary braking mechanism 30 can be pressed with a greater amount of force sufficient to permit contact between the curvilinear brake element 32 and the curvilinear lower surface of tape blade 18, as well as the lever arm 40 and the upper surface (opposite the lower surface) of tape blade 18. As a result, the retraction of tape blade 18 can be halted temporarily.
The temporary braking mechanism 30 permits sufficient control of the rate of retraction and, as a result, can reduce the shock of the impact of retraction upon the tape blade 18 so that damage to the hook 19 and associated end is prevented, thereby extending the useful life of the tape measure 10.
Referring specifically to
A tape measure as detailed herein may be utilized in various forms. One such tape measure may be useful for reducing the rate of retraction of the tape blade without stopping retraction without the need of another structure to press on the tape blade opposite of the temporary braking mechanism. Another such tape measure may incorporate a positive locking mechanism adapted to cooperate with temporary braking mechanism, so as to further reduce the rate of retraction. From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided an improved tape measure which greatly facilitates the control of the rate of retraction of the tape blade.
The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.
