Packing Tape Dispenser

Abstract

The present invention discloses a packing tape dispenser which comprises a frame for mounting a roll of tape, a cutting blade fastened to a front end of the frame, the cutting blade not being able to move relative to the frame, a first plate slidably engaging the frame and being able to slide between a front location and a rear location, when the first plate being at the front location, a front edge of the first plate being positioned in front of the cutting blade for preventing the cutting blade to come into contact with other objects, and when the first plate being at the rear location, the front edge of the first plate being positioned behind the cutting blade for exposing the same for cutting, and a spring coupled to the frame and urging the first plate to slide toward the front location.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to dispensers for adhesive tapes, and, more particularly, to packing tape dispenser.

People that pack a large number of packages for shipping often use specialized tape dispensers, designed for sealing boxes with shipping tape using only one hand. One of such packing tape dispensers has a frame supporting a handle and a roll of tape. The frame also include a hinged level, when pushed, will force out a cutting blade over a stretch of the tape.

A common problem with conventional packing tape dispensers is that they do not cut tape very easily especially under less ideal situation due to their structural characteristics. Chief among them is that the tape is often suspended over a rather long stretch and can move. It is not easy to make a cut when an object can move back away.

As such, what is desired is a packing tape dispenser that can be easily applied.

SUMMARY

A packing tape dispenser is disclosed which comprises a frame for mounting a roll of tape, a cutting blade fastened to a front end of the frame, the cutting blade not being able to move relative to the frame, a first plate slidably engaging the frame and being able to slide between a front location and a rear location, when the first plate being at the front location, a front edge of the first plate being positioned in front of the cutting blade for preventing the cutting blade to come into contact with other objects, and when the first plate being at the rear location, the front edge of the first plate being positioned behind the cutting blade for exposing the same for cutting, and a spring coupled to the frame and urging the first plate to slide toward the front location.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a side view of a packing tape dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed top view of a cutter assembly of the packing tape dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the cutter assembly of FIG. 2.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification are included to depict certain aspects of the invention. A clearer conception of the invention, and of the components and operation of systems provided with the invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numbers (if they occur in more than one view) designate the same elements. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the description presented herein.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a packing tape dispenser. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a packing tape dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention. The packing tape dispenser 100 includes a frame 110 that has a vertical part 110 and a horizontal part 115. A roll of tape 120 is mounted on a wheel 130 which is in turn pivotally mounted to the frame's vertical part 110 at an axle 135. A handle 140 is mounted to the frame's vertical part 110. The handle 140 has an extended member 145 that, together with the frame's horizontal part 115, form a narrow passage way for passing a strip 125 of the tape 120.

Referring again to FIG. 1, there is a hump 150 that is attached to the frame's horizontal part 115. The hump 150 has a smooth downward facing surface and is wider than the tape strip 125, so that it can serve to press the tape strip 125 against a surface of a box (not shown). In front of the frame's horizontal part 115 situates a cutter assembly 160 for cutting the tape strip 125 when so desired.

FIG. 2 is a detailed top view of the cutter assembly 160 of the packing tape dispenser 100 of FIG. 1. The cutter assembly 160 comprises a blade 210 fastened to the front of the frame's horizontal part 115, and a sleeve 220 slidably engaging the frame's horizontal part 115 and covering the blade 210. The blade 210 has a row of sharp teeth in the front for cutting a tape strip. The blade 210 is exemplarily fastened to the frame's horizontal part 115 by two sets of bolt-and-nut 232 and 234 through openings 224 and 226, respectively. Apparently, the blade 210 can be formed directly out of the frame's horizontal part 115.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the sleeve 220 is urged forward by two coil springs 242 and 244. In its forward position, the sleeve 220 covers the blade 210 as shown in FIG. 2. The coil spring 242 is held in place by a pole 252 formed on the frame's horizontal part 115, which can be made of a sheet metal. Then the pole 252 can be formed by stamping out a U-shaped opening 262 on the sheet metal. The coil spring 244 is identical to the coil spring 242, so are the associated structures.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views at A-A′ of the cutter assembly 160 of FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 3A, the sleeve has a top plate 220A and a bottom plate 220B with the frame's horizontal part 115 along with the blade 210 sandwiched in-between. The blade 210 is fastened to the frame's horizontal part 115 by a set of nut-and-bolt 232. Apparently, the blade 210 is not movable relative to the frame's horizontal part 115. The bottom plate 220B also has an opening for accessing the nut-and-bolt 232 during the assembly of the cutter assembly 160, and also for not letting the nut-and-bolt 232 interfere with the sliding of the sleeve 220. The nut-and-bolt set 232 limits the top plate 220A of the sleeve 220 from being urged to move further forward.

Referring again to FIG. 3A, the coil spring 242 urges the sleeve 220 to move forward, so that the blade recedes into the sleeve 220 and cannot perform any cutting.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, the frame's horizontal part 115 is forced against a wall 302 of, for instance, a packaging box. The front end of the top plate 220A of the sleeve 220 is in contact with the wall 302 and forces the sleeve 220 to slide backward which results in a compressed coil spring 242. The nut-and-bolt set 232 limits the top plate 220A from being pushed further backward. Note that the top plate 220A is longer and protrudes more in front than the bottom plate 220B.

At the sleeve 220′s pushed-back position as shown in FIG. 3B, the blade 210 protrudes in front of the bottom plate 220B, but is still behind the top plate 220A. As a result, when a tape strip is stretched across the front end of the top plate 220A and the front end of the bottom plate 220B, the blade 210 will poke can cut the tape strip. Because the blade 210 is still behind the top plate 220A, the wall 302 will not be poked by the blade 210. As described earlier, the sleeve 220 cannot be pushed further back due to the limitation of the nut-and-bolt set 232, so that the blade 210 is always protected by the top plate 220A in the front.

Because a gap between the top plate 220A and the bottom plate 220B can be made very small, for instance, about two millimeters, a tape strip stretched across the front end of the top plate 220A and the front end of the bottom plate 220B will be firmed suspended and very easy to be cut by the blade 210.

The above illustration provides many different embodiments or embodiments for implementing different features of the invention. Specific embodiments of components and processes are described to help clarify the invention. These are, of course, merely embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention from that described in the claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A tape dispenser comprising:

a frame for mounting a roll of tape;

a cutting blade fastened to a front end of the frame, the cutting blade not being able to move relative to the frame;

a first plate slidably engaging the frame and being able to slide between a front location and a rear location, when the first plate being at the front location, a front edge of the first plate being positioned in front of the cutting blade for preventing the cutting blade to come into contact with other objects, and when the first plate being at the rear location, the front edge of the first plate being positioned behind the cutting blade for exposing the same for cutting; and

a spring coupled to the frame and urging the first plate to slide toward the front location.

2. The tape dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a handle mounted to the frame.

3. The tape dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cutting blade has a row of teeth in the front for cutting the tape.

4. The tape dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first plate is situated beneath the cutting blade in between the cutting blade and a tape strip.

5. The tape dispenser of claim 4 further comprising a second plate coupled to the first plate and situated above the cutting blade, a backward movement of the second plate also causing the first plate to move backward by the same distance, when the first plate being in the rear location, a front edge of the second plate being in front of the cutting blade for preventing to cutting blade to contact an object directly in front thereof.

6. The tape dispenser of claim 5 further comprising a nut-and-bolt set for fastening the cutting blade to the frame, and the first and the second plate having respective openings allowing the nut-and-bolt set to go through.

7. The tape dispenser of claim 6 wherein the opening on the second plate, together with the nut-and-bolt set, cause the first plate to stop at the front and rear locations.

8. The tape dispenser of claim 5, wherein the first and the second plate form a sleeve flanking the cutting blade.

9. The tape dispenser of claim 5, wherein the spring also urges the second plate to move forward.

10. The tape dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a smooth member attached to a bottom of the frame and having a width wider than a tape strip for pressing the same against a surface.

11. The tape dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cutting blade is formed out of the frame.

12. A tape dispenser comprising:

a frame for mounting a roll of tape;

a cutting blade fastened to a front end of the frame, the cutting blade not being able to move relative to the frame;

a first plate slidably engaging and situated beneath the frame and being able to slide between a front location and a rear location, when the first plate being at the front location, a front edge of the first plate being positioned in front of the cutting blade for preventing the cutting blade to come into contact with other objects, and when the first plate being at the rear location, the front edge of the first plate being positioned behind the cutting blade for exposing the same for cutting;

a second plate coupled to the first plate and situated above the cutting blade, a backward movement of the second plate also causing the first plate to move backward by the same distance, when the first plate being in the rear location, a front edge of the second plate being in front of the cutting blade for preventing to cutting blade to contact an object directly in front thereof; and

a spring coupled to the frame and urging the first plate to slide toward the front location.

13. The tape dispenser of claim 12 further comprising a handle mounted to the frame.

14. The tape dispenser of claim 12, wherein the cutting blade has a row of teeth in the front for cutting the tape.

15. The tape dispenser of claim 12 further comprising a nut-and-bolt set for fastening the cutting blade to the frame, and the first and the second plate having respective openings allowing the nut-and-bolt set to go through.

16. The tape dispenser of claim 15 wherein the opening on the second plate, together with the nut-and-bolt set, cause the first plate to stop at the front and rear locations.

17. The tape dispenser of claim 12, wherein the first and the second plate form a sleeve flanking the cutting blade.

18. The tape dispenser of claim 12, wherein the spring also urges the second plate to move forward.

19. The tape dispenser of claim 12 further comprising a smooth member attached to a bottom of the frame and having a width wider than a tape strip for pressing the same against a surface.

20. The tape dispenser of claim 12, wherein the cutting blade is formed out of the frame.