Reusable tape dispenser
AssigneeManco, Inc.
InventorsThomas A. Corbo, Brian A. Vulpitta, Alan R. Greenleaf, Richard J. Kicak, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tape dispenser comprising a molded plastic frame having a base wall portion with a tape cutting edge and a pair of flexurable side wall arm portions extending in generally parallel side-by-side relation from the base wall portion and provided with C-shaped wall portions having opposed arcuate hub portions extending inwardly therefrom and adapted to support a tape roll. The hub portions are provided with axially engageable and releasable locking means adjacent the free ends of the C-shaped wall portions for firmly joining the hub portions together thereat simply by relative pivotal flexure movement of the arm portions to rigidify the dispenser.
Claims11
A roll tape dispenser comprising an integral molded plastic U-shaped frame including a forward tape guide wall portion having generally parallel extending forward outer and rearward inner edges, parallel opposite side edges, and a generally planar tape guide wall surface at its forward edge, said guide wall portion being provided with tape cutting means adapted to cut off a portion of tape from a roll of tape supported on said dispenser disposed along its said forward outer edge, and a pair of flexurable side wall arm portions disposed at right angles to the plane of said guide wall surface and extending along and rearwardly from the opposite side edges of said guide wall portion in generally side-by-side spaced apart relation, said arm portions being formed with complementary C-shaped side wall portions of arcuate shape, said arm portions being spaced rearwardly from said guide wall portion and centered on an axis approximately parallel to said forward outer edge and lying approximately in the plane of said guide wall surface, said C-shaped side wall portions terminating in corresponding free ends located generally diametrically opposite the said guide wall surface and said side wall arm portions being provided with inwardly facing opposed hub portions of generally semi-cylindrical shape centered approximately on said axis for rotatably supporting a tape roll thereon, said hub portions being arcuately coextensive with said C-shaped side wall portions and terminating in free ends located at the said free ends of said C-shaped side wall portions, said side wall arm portions being flexurable away from one another a sufficient distance to permit insertion of a tape roll between the separated hub portions for rotative mounting thereon, and said hub portions being provided with axially engageable and releasable snap-locking means located adjacent the said free ends thereof to firmly secure the said hub portions axially together thereat against axial separation, said locking means comprising a male prong member extending axially from one of said hub portions adjacent the said free end thereof and a female socket member extending axially from the other one of said hub portions for snaplocking, gripping engagement with said prong member and disengagement therefrom solely by pivotal flexure movement of said side wall arm portions and their associated said hub portions respectively toward and away from one another.
A roll tape dispenser comprising an integral molded plastic U-shaped frame member having a pair of flexurable side wall arm portions extending in generally parallel spaced apart relation from a base wall portion and provided with complementary C-shaped side wall portions of arcuate shape spaced from said base wall portions and centered on an axis lying approximately in the plane of said base wall portion, said C-shaped side wall portions terminating in corresponding free ends located generally diametrically opposite the said base wall portion and being provided with inwardly facing opposed hub portions of semi-cylindrical shape centered on said axis for rotatably supporting a tape roll thereon, said hub portions being arcuately coextensive with said C-shaped side wall portions and terminating in free ends located at the said free ends of said C-shaped side wall portions, and said hub portions being provided with axially engageable and releasable locking means located adjacent the said free ends thereof to firmly secure the said hub portions axially together thereat against axial separation, said locking means comprising a male prong member extending axially from one of said hub portions adjacent the said free end thereof and a female socket member extending from the other one of said hub portions for snap-locking gripping engagement with said prong member and disengagement therefrom solely by pivotal flexure movement of said side wall arm portions and their associated said hub portions respectively toward and away from one another.
A roll tape dispenser comprising a frame including a tape guide portion provided with tape cutting means adapted to cut off a portion of tape from a roll of tape supported on said dispenser, a pair of flexurable side wall arm portions extending rearwardly from said tape guide portion in generally side-by-side spaced apart relation, said side wall arm portions being formed with side wall portions of arcuate shape spaced rearwardly from said tape guide portion, said side wall portions terminating in corresponding free ends located generally diametrically opposite from said tape guide portion, said side wall portions being provided with inwardly facing opposed hub portions of generally semi-cylindrical shape adapted for rotatably supporting a tape roll thereon, said hub portions terminating in free ends located at the said free ends of said side wall portions, said side wall arm portions being flexurable away from one another a sufficient distance to permit insertion of a tape roll between the separated said hub portions for rotative mounting thereon, and said hub portions being provided with axial engageable and releasable snap-locking means located adjacent the said free ends thereof to firmly secure the said hub portions axially together thereat against axial separation, said locking means comprising a male prong member extending axially from one of said hub portions adjacent the said free end thereof and a female socket member extending axially from the other one of said hub portions adjacent the said free end thereof for snap-locking gripping engagement with said prong member and disengagement therefrom solely by pivotal flexure movement of said side wall arm portions and their associated said hub portions respectively toward and away from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.