Patent Application
20140123512
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
This invention relates generally to the field of writing accessories and more specifically to a writing pad and holder.
The use of tape measures while doing construction projects is well known. A tape measure is typically comprised of a ribbon of thin steel that has markings printed on it and is rolled up into a housing. The user pulls the tape out to measure a length, for example a length of wood, so that it may be cut to the proper length for its intended use. During the process of measuring it is often necessary to record the length on a sheet of paper or the like so that it might be referred to when the actual cutting takes place. To this end, the person doing the measuring and cutting requires some form of writing surface to be in convenient and close proximity to the job being done. Many carpenters have a pad of paper in their pockets. Some simply write, with a pencil, on any convenient surface and then erase the markings if necessary at a later time. There is a deficiency in this type of record keeping activity in that one can not always count on the fact that an appropriate writing surface will always be at close hand. It is particularly important to have the writing surface within arms length while measuring so that one does not have to interrupt that measuring activity to record a numerical dimension. The ideal solution would be one where the writing surface was attached to the tape measure, making it unnecessary to carry and use a separate item. It would be even more ideal to have a pad of paper attached to the tape measure so that a fresh sheet of paper could be available for each measuring activity. It would be most ideal for the pad of paper to be constructed in such a way that each sheet was securely attached in close proximity to the side of the tape measure housing until it is needed to be removed. Other applications include but are not limited to attachment to a vehicle dashboard, any wall surface, the side of a refrigerator or other piece of furniture, and to the outer surface school notebook
The primary object of the invention is to provide a writing pad that includes a plurality of flat paper sheets that each have a strip of semi permanent adhesive centrally fixed to their rear surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a writing pad where the paper sheets are circular in shape.
Another object of the invention is to provide a writing pad where the paper sheets are other non standard shapes such as hexagonal or octagonal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a circular shaped writing pad that fits into a depression in a rigid circular pad holder where a side ridge protects the edges of the pad of paper from being disturbed.
A further object of the invention is to provide a circular shaped writing pad that can be mounted in a rigid circular pad holder which is sized to attach to the side of a standard tape measure housing with a double sided adhesive strip.
A further object of the invention is to provide protection of the circular shaped writing pad during typical use including storing and retracting from a contractors tool bag and or pocket.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a visual indicator that helps the user find the correct orientation for mounting the circular pad into the holder.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a writing pad and holder comprising: a writing pad having of a plurality of sheets of identically sized paper stacked on top of each other, a semi-permanent adhesive backing strip, a rigid pad holding member, a permanent double adhesive strip attachment means, each said paper sheet having a front side and a rear side, said semi-permanent adhesive backing strip centrally attached to said rear side of each said paper sheet, said writing pad capable of fitting in a depression in said rigid pad holding member, the last said semi permanent adhesive strip attaching said pad to the flat depressed floor of said pad holding member, said rigid pad holding member including a cut out portion allowing the user access to an edge of said paper sheet, said paper sheet including an optional visual indicating means for helping know the proper orientation of said writing pad in relationship to said cut out portion of said rigid pad holding member, said semi-permanent adhesive backing strip fixed in a horizontal orientation with respect to said cut out portion of said rigid pad holding member and, said pad holding member attached to the side of a standard tape measure housing by said permanent double adhesive attachment strip.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
Referring now to
Of course, the pad 4 and pad holder 6 may be other shapes, such as square, hexagonal or octagonal. The location of the pad 4 and pad holder 6 makes it easy for a user to write down crucial measurements or other relevant information without needing an additional pad of paper or other writing surface. This is time saving because one does not have to put down the tape measure to pick up a separate writing pad and then reverse that process to begin taking measurements again.
Because the pad 4 is placed in the recessed 16 portion of the rigid holder 6, the edges of the sheets of the pad 4 are protected when the tape measure 2 is stored in a tool box or pocket. The cut out portion 8 can be clearly seen in the side section view shown in
Obviously the present invention 100 can be used for other purposes and mounted in other locations such as on the dashboard of a vehicle, the side of a piece of furniture, on a wall, or on the outer surface of a notebook.
An alternate method of indicating the proper pad orientation is to have a tab 22 as shown in
Of course, the present invention can be used in other environments, such as on the surface of a refrigerator in a kitchen, or on the dashboard of a vehicle.
Additionally, an obvious alternate embodiment can be envisioned where the pad holding member 6 can be fully integrated into the side wall of a standard tape measure device so that no permanent adhesive strip is needed to hold a separate pad holder 6 to the side of a tape measure device 2.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
