Tape applicator and methods of applying tape to a surface
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsGary K. Kuhn, Michael G. Slagter
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Abstract
A tape applicator. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a tape applicator having a tape head, a x-axis actuator for moving the tape head in the x-axis direction, and a y-axis actuator for moving the tape head in the y-axis direction. The tape head preferably includes: i) a base; ii) a tape roll holder attached to the base; iii) a tape application roller attached to the base for applying the tape to a surface; iv) a cutter attached to the base for cutting tape to form a removeable portion of a tape; and v) a remover attached to the base for removing the removeable portion of the tape. The present invention also relates to methods of applying tape to a surface.
Claims17
A tape head, comprising:
- i) a base;
- ii) a tape roll holder attached to said base;
- iii) a tape application roller attached to said base for applying the tape to a surface, wherein said tape head includes a tape path from said tape roll holder to said tape application roller;
- iv) a cutter attached to said base along said tape path between said tape roll holder and said tape applicator miter for cutting tape to form a removeable portion of a tape;
- and
- v) a remover attached to said base along said tape path between said cutter and said tape application roller for removing the removeable portion of the tape, wherein said remover includes a pad, wherein said pad includes an exposed face facing said tape path, and wherein said pad is configured to contact the removeable portion of the tape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.