US 5,494,204 AGranted

Stand for easy replacement of the tape roll

OwnerShenn-Ming S. Wanginventor

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Abstract

An interconnecting structure for connectable tape stands formed with a plurality of resilient fingers extending axially from the free end of a hollow cylinder which extends from the inner face of a side wall, and the free ends of the resilient fingers being formed with radially outwardly facing flanges. Through holes penetrating onto the wall of the supporting cylinder are formed in alignment with the resilient fingers on the outer face of the side wall. As a result, when the resilient fingers of one tape stand are inserted into the corresponding through holes on another tape stand, the flanges on the respective resilient fingers will enter the through holes and rest on the inner face of the side wall, thus to complete the interconnection of the tape stands. In addition, grooves are formed axially inwardly in the hollow cylinder on both sides of the resilient fingers for increasing the flexibility of the resilient fingers such that a tape roll is easy to replace.

A connectable tape stand of semi-snail shape, for easy replacement of the tape roll carried thereon, comprising a side wall (101), said side wall having a first side, an opposite side, a periphery and a thickness, a protective wall (102) extending around said periphery of said side wall and extending orthogonically from said first side, said protective wall having a free end and a height wherein said height is measured from said first side of said side wall to said free end of said protective wall, said protective wall having a top including a first corner and an opposite corner, said top of said protective wall together with said side wall (101) being cut out to form an opening (103) between said corners, a portion of said opening forming a diagonal surface in said side wall, a serrated cutter (104) located at said opposite corner of said protective wall;

a hollow supporting cylinder (2) for supporting a tape roll, said supporting cylinder protruding from said first side of said side wall;
said supporting cylinder having a free end and a height wherein said height is measured from said first side of said side wall to said free end of said cylinder, said height of said cylinder being the same as the height of said protective wall, a plurality of resilient fingers (201a,b,c,d) extending axially from said free end of said supporting cylinder and having a base portion, a free end, a width and a length, flanges (2011) being formed radially outwardly with respect to said supporting cylinder on said free end of each of said resilient fingers, slots (202a,b,c,d) penetrating axially into a wall of said supporting cylinder from said opposite side of said side wall and having a circumferential width slightly larger than the width of each of said resilient fingers for insertion of each resilient finger and its flange into a corresponding one of said slots, said base portion of said resilient fingers having an end, and grooves (2012a,b) being formed in said wall of said supporting cylinder adjacent said end of said base portion of each of said resilient fingers, whereby two tape stands can be connected together by inserting the resilient fingers of one tape stand into the slots of another tape stand.

Abstract

Claims6