Hand held tape dispenser

A tape dispenser for dispensing a length of tape from a roll of tape rotatably mounted thereon, and for cutting the dispensed length of tape away from the roll of tape, said tape dispenser comprising:

• a body having a rear portion and a front portion;
• and
• a cutter member disposed at a front edge of said front portion;
• said body having a pair of substantially planar side walls, and a pair of inwardly directed hub portions located in the rear portion thereof, said hub portions each having at least an arcuate portion in the top region thereof so as to be adapted to rotatably support a core of a roll of tape when placed thereon;
• a cover portion extending between the side walls in the front portion of said body, behind said cutter member, and
• a cover wing portion extending inwardly from each side wall in the upper region of said rear portion of said body, so as to cover the edges of a roll of tape in that upper region when placed in said tape dispenser;
• said pair of side-walls being sufficiently flexible so as to permit them to be spread apart in the rear portion thereof in order to remove or install a roll of tape over said hub portions, and said pair of side walls having elastic memory so as to restore themselves to a normal unflexed condition whereby each of said side walls is substantially planar.