Abstract:
An adhesive tape dispenser and applicator which folds one or both edges of tape being applied over upon themselves is constructed with an edge folding guide having a planar surface, two inwardly converging edges and tape guides cooperating to fold the edges of the tape and a compression roller to press the edges together. A method of threading tape onto a folding tape dispenser is also described.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/856,908, filed on Jul. 22, 2013. This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to dispensers and applicators for adhesive tape and more particularly to a dispenser and applicator which folds a portion of the edge of the length of tape upon itself while dispensing. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0003]    Adhesive tape is used in business settings and home settings for a variety of purposes. Adhesive tape is used in sealing boxes for shipping. Adhesive tape is used in masking surfaces in painting operations. Adhesive tape is temporarily or permanently used to repair items or bind items together for storage or other purposes. Adhesive tape for use in these situations is frequently comprised of a long substrate of paper, plastic or other film-like materials of generally uniform width and adhesive coated onto one or both sides of the substrate. Such lengths of tape are often rolled upon a core of paper, plastic or other suitable material. The users of such tape frequently buy them premounted on a dispenser or mount them on a dispenser for use in storing the tape, dispensing the tape and sometimes applying the tape to the intended workpiece. 
         [0004]    It is sometimes advantageous to fold over one or both edges of a length of adhesive tape before applying it to the intended workpiece. In other situations, a folded edges of a tape provides a desired effect for an edge in a painting operation. In still other situations, a folded edge provides a grasping portion available when one intends to remove the tape from the temporary position after it has served its function. These and other advantages of folding the edge of the tape are known in the art. 
         [0005]    Attempts have been made to provide tape dispensers which fold the edge of an adhesive tape length as it is dispensed from a roll. Some such dispensers are adapted for use with masking tape used in painting operations. Some such dispensers are complex to manufacture, have a high part count, and are expensive. Moreover, such tape dispensers are difficult to use and difficult to thread. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    In accordance with the present disclosure, a tape dispenser for dispensing adhesive tape with one longitudinal edge or both longitudinal edges folded over upon itself is described. 
         [0007]    The tape dispenser of the present disclosure generally comprises a first side wall with a forward end, a rearward end, a top edge and hub portion facing a second side wall having a forward end, a rearward end, a top edge and a hub portion near its rearward end; a connecting portion extending between the two side walls, and connecting the side walls in a generally parallel relationship; a cutter adjacent the forward end of the dispenser and extending between the two side walls; an edge folding guide having a first generally planar surface against which the non-adhesive side of a length of tape may engage, an inwardly facing surface generally perpendicular to the first generally planar surface with this inwardly facing surface converging toward the center line of the tape dispenser from its end near the hub its end near the cutter and a guide member adjacent the inwardly facing surface, the guide member, the inwardly facing surface, and the first generally planar surface defining a guide slot adapted to engage one of the edges of the length of tape being dispensed and fold that edge into a longitudinal fold with portions of the adhesive bearing surface confronting one another; and, a compression element between the guide slot and the cutter adapted to apply pressure to the lengths of tape bringing the confronting adhesive surface portions into contact as the tape is dispensed. 
         [0008]    Further in accordance with the disclosure, the edge folding guide has a proximal end closer to the cutter and a distal end remote from the cutter; the edge folding guide is rotatable with respect to the first and second side walls about an axis generally parallel to the cutter and adjacent the proximal end of the edge folding guide; a first guide roller is mounted on the edge folding guide adjacent its distal end whereby the edge folding guide may be rotated into a tape threading position allowing a length of tape to be threaded into engagement with the first guide roller and made available to the guide slot and rotated into a dispensing position for dispensing lengths of tape with folded edges. 
         [0009]    Still further in accordance with the disclosure, the edge folding guide may be releasably locked in the dispensing position by means of one or two bosses mounted at the ends of the guide roller. 
         [0010]    Still further in accordance with the disclosure, the dispenser is generally symmetrical about a central plane thus providing one guide slot for each edge of the tape whereby both edges of the tape may be folded and compressed in a dispensing operation. 
         [0011]    It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a tape dispenser which will fold one or both edges of an adhesive tape length being dispensed as it is applied to a workpiece which is easy to use and easy to thread. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a tape dispenser which will fold one or both edges of a length of adhesive tape whose operation is easy to understand. 
         [0013]    It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a tape dispenser which will fold the edge of the adhesive tape being dispensed which is easy to thread. 
         [0014]    It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a tape dispenser having an appearance which is generally familiar to consumers and is therefore readily understood and used by consumers in dispensing a piece of tape. 
         [0015]    It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide an adhesive tape dispenser which will fold the edges of adhesive tape as dispensed and applied which is inexpensive to manufacture. 
         [0016]    Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken together with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the tape dispenser in accordance with the disclosure looking from the bottom with a roll of transparent tape mounted in the dispenser and threaded through the dispenser; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  with the edge folding guide in the threading position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective top view of the tape dispenser shown in the same configuration as  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  emphasizing the threading location used in threading the tape from a roll of tape through the edge folding guide; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  showing the edge folding guide rotated back into the dispensing position and locked in place; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  illustrating the next step in threading tape through the dispenser; and, 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  shows a top forward view of the tape dispenser of  FIGS. 1-6  with the tape threaded through the dispenser and being applied to a workpiece with the longitudinal edges folded. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    The description and drawings herein are merely illustrative of the disclosure and various modifications, changes, and alterations can be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0025]    Referring now to the figures, a tape dispenser  10  has a first side wall  12 , a second side wall  14 , a connecting portion  16  ( FIG. 3 ) and a cutter  18 . The first side wall  12  and the second side wall  14  are generally parallel to one another and mirror images of one another. The structure of these major elements is generally conventional and familiar to consumers. 
         [0026]    “Generally parallel” is used herein to describe surfaces and planes which are parallel to one another and also which divert from parallel slightly to accommodate molding and design. Similarly, “perpendicular” is used to include two lines or planes at right angles to one another and two lines or planes having an intersecting angle close to 90° but being slightly greater or smaller than 90° to allow for divergence to accommodate molding (draft) or otherwise accommodate manufacturing or design. “Proximal” is used to identify something closer to a given reference than something else. “Distal” is used to identify something further from a reference than something else. “Between” is used to describe a thing operatively or physically after a first element and before a second element. Thus, a second roller may be “between” a first roller and a third roller even if, physically, it is to the left of both the first roller and third roller but a length of tape engages the rollers in the order first, second, then third. Unless otherwise clear from context, “proximal” is used to describe close to the cutter end of the tape dispenser and “distal” is used to describe something remote from the cutter end of the tape dispenser. 
         [0027]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the first side wall  12  has a hub portion  22  near the distal end of the tape dispenser. The hub portion  22  includes a flange extending inwardly from the first side wall  12  (inwardly referring to towards the second side wall  14 ). A second hub portion  24  is in a similar position on the second side wall  14 . The two hub portions  22 ,  24  rotatably support the core  26  of a roll of adhesive tape  28 . 
         [0028]    The first side wall  12  and the second side wall  14  are mirror images of one another. 
         [0029]    An edge folding guide  30  is rotatably mounted between the first side wall  12  and the second side wall  14  near the cutter  18 . The edge folding guide  30  is rotatable about an axis parallel to the cutting edge of the cutter  18 . The edge folding guide  30  is rotatable between a dispensing position in which the edge folding guide  30  is locked into position not only between the two side walls but flanked by the side walls as seen in  FIG. 1  and a tape threading position in which the edge folding guide  30  is, for the most part, not flanked by the side walls  12 ,  14  but extending outside of the side walls between the planes of the side walls as seen in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 1 , the edge folding guide  30  is seen in the dispensing position. 
         [0031]    The edge folding guide  30  is generally symmetrical about a central plane. The edge folding guide has a first side bar  32  and a second side bar  34 . The first side bar and the second side bar are generally mirror images of one other. The first side bar  32  and the second side bar  34  have aligned circular holes at their proximal end closer to the cutter  18 . A compression roller  40  has a cylindrical portion of a first diameter contained between the proximal end of the first side bar  22  and the proximal end of the second bar  34 . Reduced diameter portions extend from each end of the central portion of the compression roller  40 . These reduced diameter portions pass through circular apertures in the proximal ends of the first side bar  32  and the second side bar  34  and into circular apertures in the first side wall  12  and the second side wall  14 . The compression roller  40  and the edge folding guide  30  are rotatably mounted to the tape dispenser body by means of the compression roller  40  extensions passing through these apertures. Because the side walls  12 ,  14  are fabricated as by injection molding from a polymer material, the side walls can be spread apart sufficiently to allow assembly of these elements through the apertures in the side walls  12  and  14 . Alternatively, a wiper integral with the edge folding guide can replace the compression roller  40 . In this arrangement, the wiper has a smooth curved downwardly facing surface (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) but does not rotate when tape is dispensed. 
         [0032]    The distal end of the first side bar  32  and the distal end of the second side bar  34  have aligned circular holes which accept the end portions of the a first guide roller  44 . The first guide roller  44  is generally cylindrical with a crenelated outer surface to minimize the area of contact with tape. Additionally, the first guide roller has extensions  46  of reduced diameter at each of its ends. The extensions  46  pass through circular openings in the first side bar  32  and the second side bar  34  rotatably fixing the first guide roller to the edge folding guide rotatably. The extensions  46  can be integrally molded with the first guide roller or separate elements spring loaded into recessors in the first guide roller  44  used in locking the edge folding guide  30  in place as hereinafter described. 
         [0033]    A web element  50  extends between the first side bar and the second side bar  34  adjacent the compression roller  40 . There is a gap between the web element  50  and the compression roller  30 . One side of the web element  50  presents a generally planar tape confronting surface  52  best seen in  FIG. 5 . The tape confronting surface  52  need not be flat. It can be slightly curved or textured or otherwise, so long as it guides the tape and constrains it to interact as described below. Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the inside surfaces, that is the surfaces facing one another, of the first side bar  32  and the second side bar  34  are further away from each other adjacent the first guide roller  44  when compared to the distance between these surfaces adjacent the compression roller  40 . Thus, as also seen in  FIG. 2 , the inside surface of the first side bar  32  and the inside surface of the second side bar  34  form two inwardly facing surfaces generally perpendicular to the first generally planar tape confronting surface  52  which converge toward one another from the distal end of the edge folding guide  30  to the proximal end of the edge folding guide  30  when the edge folding guide  30  is in the configuration seen in  FIG. 1 . This gives the generally planer tape confronting surface  52  the shape of a trapezoid with a width at its wide end approximately the same as the width of the roll of tape to be dispensed and a narrower width at its narrow end closer to the cutter  18 . Each side bar  32 ,  34  carries a guide member. The first guide member  62  extends inwardly from the first side bar  32  and the second guide member  64  extends inwardly from the second side bar  34 . The guide members  62 ,  64  are integrally fabricated with the side bars  32 ,  34 . The working surfaces of the guide members are fashioned to work with the generally planar tape confronting surface  52  and the inside surface of the first side bar and the inside surface of the second side bar  34  to fold over the edges of tape being dispensed. At the distal end of the generally planar tape confronting surface  52 , the working surface of the guide members is spaced from the tape confronting surface and almost perpendicular to the tape confronting surface. The working surfaces of the guide members  62 ,  64  thereafter twist to gradually become more closely to parallel to the tape confronting surface  52  as the inside surfaces of the side bars  32 ,  34  converge. This twisting continues until the proximal end of the generally planar tape confronting surface  52  where the working surfaces of the guide members  62 ,  64  are almost parallel to the tape confronting surface  52  and define narrow slots. As a length of tape is pulled through this structure in the direction shown by the arrow  70  in  FIG. 6 , the edges of the tape are first forced to curl away from the tape confronting surface  52  as there is not sufficient width to accommodate the entire width of the tape. The working surfaces of the guide members  62 ,  64  then curl the edges of the tape so that the edges of the tape are first turned vertically and then into a confronting relationship with adjacent portions of the width of the tape. This continues to the proximal end of the tape confronting surface  52  wherein the edges of the length of the tape being dispensed are folded into proximity or contact with the next adjacent portions of the tape as seen in  FIG. 1 . The tape, with its edges folded over upon itself in a regular manner, is now ready for application to a workpiece and severing from the roll of tape by the cutter  18 . 
         [0034]    The above described dispense operation is available for dispensing lengths of tape for the entire length of tape contained upon the roll of tape  28 . In this position, the extensions  46  of the first guide roller  44  extend through countersink holes in the side walls  12 ,  14  locking the edge folding guide  30  in the dispensing position. 
         [0035]    It can be seen in  FIG. 1  that the first guide roller  44  is crenelated or ridged. This reduces the surface area of the guide roller and allows the guide roller to interact with the adhesive bearing side of the roll of tape in dispensing operation. The tape is guided as required but is not adhesively bound to the guide roller so as to prevent dispensing. 
         [0036]    While the first guide roller  44  is shown crenelated with circumferential ridges and grooves, other texturing of the guide roller may work as well. Thus, spiral ridges or rectangular feet and recesses would also work appropriately. 
         [0037]    When a roll of tape is exhausted, the old core can be removed and a new roll of tape on a core placed between the first side wall  12  and the second side wall  14  with its tape core mounted on the first hub portion  22  and the second hub portion  24 . Folding guide  30  is then unlocked from the side walls  12  and  14  by compressing the extensions  46  and the edge folding guide  30  is rotated into the threading positions seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The end of the tape is then fed through the opening between the first guide roller  44  and the web element  50 . The edge folding guide  30  is moved back into the dispense position The end of the tape is thus available to a user and can be pulled into engagement with the tape confronting surface  52 , the inner surface of the side bars  32 ,  34 , the guide members  62 ,  64  and the compression roll  40 . The tape is now available for application to a workpiece in the configuration seen in  FIGS. 1 and 7 . 
         [0038]    When a user has applied a length of tape to a workpiece and wishes to end the application, he turns the dispenser  10  upwardly engaging the tape with the cutter and cutting off the length of tape. A length of tape is thereby applied to the workpiece either to seal a container, temporarily join different workpieces, or mask a workpiece for painting. The advantages of a folded edge tape are thereby available for feather-edged painting, potentially increased tensile strength in sealing a box, and easy removal of the tape after use because the non-adhesive edges are available for grasping and removal of tape. 
         [0039]    The above-described structures are symmetrically disposed about a plane situated half way between the first side wall and the second side wall. This provides the dispensing of tape having two folded side edges. The above-described structures can be modified by deleting the edge folding components on one side of the center line of the tape dispenser thereby folding only one edge of the tape. Thus, dispensers capable of folding one edge or both edges of a length of tape in dispensing are disclosed. 
         [0040]    The width of the folded portion on each edge can be controlled by the shape of the tape confronting surface  52 , the convergence of the inside surfaces of the side bars  32 ,  34  and the shape of the guide member  62 ,  64 . Various widths of overlap can be provided. The overlaps can be identical on each edge of the tape or can be different sizes on one edge when compared to another. 
         [0041]    The tape dispenser described has an overall appearance and operation very similar to existing tape dispensers for use with packaging tape and the like without folded edges. Thus, once the tape is threaded, the operation of the tape dispenser will be familiar to persons who have previously used hand held dispensers for non-folded edge tape. In addition, with reference to  FIG. 2  a molded arrow  72  is provided in the underside of the web  50  indicating how to thread the tape when the edge folding guide  30  is in the threading position. Thus, the dispenser  10  is self-explanatory in both the application of tape and the threading of tape from a new roll of tape  28  into the dispenser. 
         [0042]    The exemplary embodiment described above incorporates novel tape folding and novel tape threading structures into a conventional tape dispenser architecture. The novel tape edge folding and tape threading structures can be incorporated into other tape dispenser architectures without departing from the present disclosure. The disclosed structure and method, including the rotating edge folding guide, can be integrated into a pistol grip type or other type tape dispenser. Moreover, the tape edge folding and tape threading structures disclosed above will work in a tape dispenser using tape rolls with virtually any size core including those with internal diameters of 1.5 inches, 3 inches, and others. The tape edge folding and tape threading structures described above will work when integrated into a refillable type tape dispenser, an industrial pistol grip tape dispenser, and/or retail pistol grip tape dispenser. The tape edge folding and tape threading structures described above will work with any width of adhesive tape from 18 mm to 3 inches. Applicability to different types of tape is also supported in identical or slightly varying tape dispensers for use in sealing, strapping, filament strapping, binding and similar operations. The tape itself can be carton sealing tape, filament strapping tape, paper tape, duct tape, or other types of tape. The tape edge folding structure; and, the tape threading structure are reasonably integrated into any tape dispenser or tape applicator architecture or structure. 
         [0043]    The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.