BLADE DISPENSER
A blade dispenser including a body comprising a housing and a cover. The housing is configured to store a plurality of new blades. The housing has an opening for receiving the blades. The cover is configured to close the opening. The blade dispenser further includes a blade ejector constructed and arranged to dispense blades through a slot in the body. The body comprises an attachment member configured to couple the blade dispenser to another blade dispenser to increase a storage capacity of new blades of the blade dispenser.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to blade dispensers.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Blade dispensers are used to carry a stack of utility blades. Blades are used in many activities such as cutting carpeting, cardboard, paper, drywall sheets, plastic and many other materials. The blade can be held by or mounted to a knife or cutter. After a certain time of usage, a sharpened edge of the blade may become dull. Thus, replacing the blade may be needed. A new blade can be dispensed from the blade dispenser. While various blade dispensers are available, these blade dispensers have had limitations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn aspect of the present invention is to provide a blade dispenser having an attachment member. The blade dispenser further includes a body comprising a housing and a cover. The housing is configured to store a plurality of new blades. The housing has an opening for receiving the blades. The cover is configured to close the opening. The blade dispenser further includes a blade ejector constructed and arranged to dispense blades through a slot in the body. The body comprises the attachment member configured to couple the blade dispenser to another blade dispenser to increase a storage capacity of new blades of the blade dispenser.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a blade dispenser having a removable stop structure. The blade dispenser further includes a housing including a body comprising a housing and a cover. The housing configured to store a stack of new blades. The housing has an opening. The cover is configured to close the opening. The blade dispenser also includes a slider mechanism configured to engage a first blade within the stack. The slider mechanism comprises a manually engageable portion, the manually engageable portion being actuatable to move the slider mechanism to dispense the first blade through a slot in the body. The removable stop structure prevents movement of the slider mechanism unless the stop structure is moved.
These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment of the invention, the structural components illustrated herein are drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
In the accompanying drawings:
As shown in
In one embodiment, the housing 12 includes female closure latches 16 and the cover 14 includes male closure latches 18. In one embodiment, the female closure latches 16 can be notches provided on a wall of the housing 12. The male closure latches 18 can be projections provided in the cover 14. As shown in
In one embodiment, the housing 12 has a horizontal slit or slot 20 provided on a sidewall 19 of the housing 12 for dispensing the blades stored in the housing 12, as shown in
In one embodiment, the housing 12 further includes a hanger portion 24 for hanging the blade dispenser 10 on a shelf, on a wall or the like. In one embodiment, the hanger portion 24 can be integrally formed with the housing 12. For example, the hanger portion 24 can be integrally molded as one piece in an injection molding process with the housing 12 from a plastic material. The hanger portion 24 can be detached or snapped off from the housing 12 after purchase of the blade dispenser 10. In one embodiment, the hanger portion 24 can be made thinner at an interface of the hanger portion with the housing 12, for example to facilitate detaching the hanger portion 24 from the housing 12. In another embodiment, the hanger portion 24 can be joined to the housing 12 at various points of the hanger portion 24, for example at two extremities of the hanger portion 24 (as shown in
The housing 12 also includes an opening 26 provided on a wall 25 of the housing 12 opposite the cover 14. The opening 26 is partially covered by a strip portion 28. The strip portion 28 is attached to a front wall 25 of the housing 12. In one embodiment, the strip portion 28 can be attached to the front wall 25 at one or more points on the periphery of the opening 26. In one embodiment, the strip portion 28 can be integrally formed as one piece (e.g., from plastic) with the housing 12. The strip portion 28 is removable or detachable from the housing 12. By pulling an extremity of the strip portion 28 to break the one or more frangible attachment points of the strip portion 28, the strip portion 28 can be detached from the front wall 25 of the housing 12, thus uncovering the opening 26. For example, prior to dispensing the blades from the blade dispenser 10, the strip portion 28 can be detached or snapped off from the housing 12 to allow access to a blade dispensing mechanism as will be described in further detail in the following paragraphs. In one embodiment, the strip 28 can be used, for example, as a tamper strip so as to deter from dispensing blades from the blade dispenser 10 prior to purchasing the blade dispenser 10. The strip 28 can also prevent unwanted release of blades from the blade dispenser 10.
In one embodiment, the cover 14 also includes an opening 32 spaced apart from a detached extremity 30C of the tab 30. The cover 14 has a recessed portion 33 at a periphery of the cover 14, adjacent to the opening 32. In one embodiment, a second blade dispenser 10′ (identical to the first blade dispenser 10) can be attached to the first blade dispenser 10.
In another embodiment, instead of coupling the two blade dispensers 10 and 10′ together to increase the storage capacity, a storage unit for used blades or a disposal or recycling blade unit 40 can be attached to the blade dispenser 10.
The storage unit also includes a slot 46 (shown in
On an opposite end of the stack of blades is disposed, inside the housing 12, a blade ejector 60. In one embodiment, the blade ejector 60 can be a slider mechanism.
The blade ejector or slider mechanism 60 is configured to engage an end blade within the stack of blades. The manually engageable portion or pusher 64 is actuatable to move the slider mechanism 60 to dispense the end blade within the stack of blades through the slot 20. Specifically, when the resilient member 54 pushes against a last blade in the stack of blades, a first of the plurality of blades is forced into alignment with the slot 20 in the body 2. The first blade in the stack is cupped inside the walls of the slider mechanism 60. The slider mechanism 60 can be moved by pressing on the pusher 64, for example with the thumb, and actuating the pusher 64 in the direction of the arrow, as shown in
As described in the above paragraphs, the opening 26 in the housing through which the pusher 64 of the slider mechanism 60 protrudes is covered at least partially by the strip portion or removable stop structure 28. The strip portion 28 is removably attached to the housing 12. The removable stop structure 28 prevents movement of the slider mechanism 60 unless the stop structure 28 is moved. Hence, in order to access and be able to actuate the pusher 64 to move the slider mechanism 60 to dispense blades, the strip portion 28 must be detached from the housing 12. Therefore, the strip or removable stop structure 28 can be used as a tamper strip so as to deter from dispensing blades from the blade dispenser 10 prior to purchasing the blade dispenser 10.
Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.
It should be appreciated that in one embodiment, the drawings herein are drawn to scale (e.g., in correct proportion). However, it should also be appreciated that other proportions of parts may be employed in other embodiments.
Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those of skill in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation described herein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents should be considered as falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A blade dispenser, comprising:
- a body comprising a housing and a cover, the housing being configured to store a plurality of new blades, the housing having an opening for receiving the blades, the cover being configured to close the opening; and
- a blade ejector constructed and arranged to dispense blades through a slot in the body; the body comprising an attachment member configured to couple the blade dispenser to another blade dispenser.
2. The blade dispenser of claim 1, wherein the attachment member comprises a tab having an end attached to the cover and an elongated portion detached from the cover.
3. The blade dispenser of claim 2, wherein the cover comprises an opening spaced apart from a detached extremity of the tab, and a recessed portion at a periphery of the cover adjacent to the opening.
4. The blade dispenser of claim 3, wherein the other blade dispenser comprises a tab and an opening adjacent to the tab, wherein the opening in the cover is configured to receive the tab of the other blade dispenser and wherein the opening of the other blade dispenser is configured to receive the tab of the blade dispenser.
5. The blade dispenser of claim 1, wherein the attachment member is further configured to attach the blade dispenser to an object.
6. The blade dispenser of claim 5, wherein the object is a belt or strap.
7. The blade dispenser of claim 1, further comprises a hinge, the hinge configured to join the housing to the cover.
8. The blade dispenser of claim 7, wherein the hinge is integrally formed with the housing and the cover.
9. The blade dispenser of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises female or male closing latches and the cover comprises male or female closing latches, wherein the female latches of housing are configured to mate with the male latches of the cover or vice versa.
10. The blade dispenser of claim 1, wherein the slot is formed in a wall of the housing.
11. The blade dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a window in a wall of the housing for viewing a quantity of blades stored in the housing.
12. The blade dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a hanger portion for hanging the blade dispenser to an object.
13. The blade dispenser of claim 12, wherein the hanger portion is detachably joined to the housing or the cover.
14. The blade dispenser of claim 13, wherein the hanger portion is integrally molded with the housing or the cover, or both.
15. The blade dispenser of claim 1, further comprises an opening for attaching the blade dispenser to an object.
16. The blade dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tab openings configured to receive a plurality of tabs of a storage unit for used blades to mount the storage unit to the blade dispenser.
17. The blade dispenser of claim 16, wherein the storage unit comprises a slot for introducing used blades into the storage unit.
18. The blade dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a blade platform and a resilient member, the blade platform configured to be disposed inside the housing, the b lade platform cooperating with the resilient member to press upon a last one of the plurality of blades such that a first of the plurality of blades is forced into alignment with the slot in the body.
19. The blade dispenser of claim 18, wherein the blade platform comprises a lock structure configured to retain the blade platform in spaced relation from its extended position to facilitate loading of blades into the housing.
20. The blade dispenser of claim 19, wherein the lock structure comprises a plurality of tabs, wherein when the plurality of tabs are depressed to release the blade platform, the resilient member biases the blade platform against the plurality of blades in the housing.
21. The blade dispenser of claim 1, wherein the blade ejector comprises a plate configured to support a blade in the plurality of blades and a manually engageable portion coupled to the plate, the manually engageable portion being actuatable to move the plate to dispense a blade.
22. The blade dispenser of claim 21, wherein the manually engageable portion protrudes from a second opening in the, body, the second opening being initially closed by a strip portion removably attached to the housing, the strip portion covering at least partially the manually engageable portion.
23. The blade dispenser of claim 22, wherein the strip portion is removable from the housing to access the manually engageable portion.
24. A blade dispenser, comprising:
- a body comprising a housing and a cover;
- the housing being configured to store a stack of new blades, the housing having an opening;
- the cover being configured to close the opening; and
- a slider mechanism configured to engage a first blade within the stack, the slider mechanism including a manually engageable portion, the manually engageable portion being actuatable to move the slider mechanism to dispense the first blade through a slot in the body; and
- a removable stop structure preventing movement of the slider mechanism unless the stop structure is moved.
25. The blade dispenser of claim 24, wherein the removable stop structure is removable from the housing to access the manually engageable portion.
26. A blade dispenser, comprising:
- a body comprising a housing and a cover, the housing configured to store a plurality of new blades, the housing having an opening for receiving the blades, the cover for closing the opening;
- a blade ejector constructed and arranged to dispense blades through a slot in the body; and
- a removable storage unit removably attachable to the body.
27. A blade dispenser, comprising:
- a body comprising a housing and a cover, the housing configured to store a plurality of blades, the housing having an opening for receiving the blades, the cover for closing the opening; and
- a blade ejector constructed and arranged to dispense blades through a slot in the body; and
- a blade counter indicia disposed on a sidewall of the body adjacent an opening in the sidewall, the blade counter indicia configured to indicate a quantity of blades present in the housing.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 12, 2008
Publication Date: Jun 17, 2010
Applicant: THE STANLEY WORKS (New Britain, CT)
Inventors: Edward A. ILIFFE (Worksop), Eric RANIERI (Besancon)
Application Number: 12/334,118
International Classification: B65D 83/10 (20060101); B65H 1/08 (20060101);