Abstract:
An adhesive tape dispenser capable of cutting an adhesive tape at a uniform length includes a suction cup for fastening to a tabletop, an operating handle operable to rotate a rotating wheel in pulling out an adhesive tape of a tape roll on the tape roller and to drive a gear set in rotating a cutter holder so that cutter blades at the cutter holder are moved into one of a series of cutting slots in the rotating wheel to cut the adhesive tape into multiple adhesive tape segments of the same lengths, and thus, the tape cutting efficiency is greatly improved. Further, the design of the suction cup enhances the operational stability of the adhesive tape dispenser.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to adhesive tape dispensing technology, and more particularly to an adhesive tape dispenser that is capable of cutting an adhesive tape at a uniform length. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Adhesive tape dispenser is a tool widely used today for shearing an adhesive tape for adhering things. When using an adhesive tape dispenser, the user can simply use the eyes to check whether or not the length of the adhesive tape been pulled out is sufficient. Sometimes, the length of the adhesive tape been pulled out can be too long, other times, the length of the adhesive tape been pulled out can be too short. So, it not only will lead to a waste of adhesive tape, but also bring some degree of distress to the user. 
         [0005]    In order to solve the aforesaid problem, Korean Patent 10-2009-0117280 teaches the use of a rotating wheel to pull an adhesive tape out of a tape roller at predetermined length, and a cutter blade to cut the adhesive tape at the rotating wheel at a uniform length through a reciprocation motion. However, this design simply uses one single cutter blade for cutting the adhesive tape. In consequence, the adhesive tape dispensing efficiency of this design is not optimal. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide an adhesive tape dispenser, which is capable of cutting a uniform length of adhesive tape, improving operational efficiency and increasing operational stability. 
         [0007]    To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, an adhesive tape dispenser of the invention comprises a housing, a first tape roller, a rotating wheel, an operating handle, a gear set, a first cutter unit, and a positioning unit. The first tape roller is rotatably mounted in one end of the housing for supporting a tape roll. The rotating wheel comprises a rotating shaft rotatably mounted in an opposite end of the housing, a plurality of supporting arms radially and equiangularly connected to the periphery of the rotating shaft, and a cutting slot defined between each two adjacent supporting arms. The operating handle comprises a handle grip and a handle shaft. The handle shaft has one end thereof rotatably inserted through one lateral side of the housing and connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating wheel, and an opposite end thereof disposed outside the housing and connected with the handle grip. The gear set comprises a drive gear coupled to the rotating shaft of the rotating wheel, and at least one transmission gear rotatably mounted inside the housing and meshed with the drive gear. The first cutter unit comprises a first cutter holder, a driven gear, and a plurality of first cutter blades. The first cutter holder is rotatably mounted inside the housing. The driven gear is fixedly mounted on one end of the first cutter holder and meshed with the at least one transmission gear. The first cutter blades are equiangularly arranged around the periphery of the first cutter holder, and respectively insertable into one cutting slot of the rotating wheel. The positioning unit comprises a suction cup located in a bottom side of the housing. 
         [0008]    With the above design, before operating the adhesive tape dispenser, the housing is positively positioned on a tabletop by means of the suction cup to enhance the operation stability. At the beginning of the adhesive tape dispensing operation, operate the operating handle to rotate the rotating wheel, causing the rotating wheel to pull out the adhesive tape of the tape roll. At the same time, the gear set is driven to synchronously rotate the first cutter holder, moving the first cutter blades into one respective cutting slot of the rotating wheel to cut the adhesive tape into multiple adhesive tape segments of the same length, and thus the efficiency of the adhesive tape dispensing operation is greatly enhanced. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the positioning unit further comprises a positioning seat, an operating rod and a press bar. The positioning seat is mounted in the bottom side of the housing, defining therein an accommodation chamber that accommodates the suction cup. The operating rod is disposed inside the housing, comprising a cam portion. The press bar has a top end thereof pivotally connected to the cam portion of the operating rod, and an opposing bottom end thereof inserted into the accommodation chamber and fixedly connected with the suction cup. Thus, the press bar can be driven by the operating rod to move the suction cup. By means of the suction cup, the positioning seat can be positively and steadily positioned in a selected location, and then the housing can be fastened to the top side of the positioning seat, and thus, the housing held in position, avoiding slippage during operation. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the adhesive tape dispenser further comprises a second tape roller and a second cutter unit. The second tape roller is rotatably mounted at an outer wall of one end of the housing. The second cutter unit comprises a second cutter holder mounted at an outer wall of the other end of the housing at a front side relative to the second tape roller, and a second cutter blade mounted in the second cutter holder. Thus, the user can selectively use the second cutter unit to cut the adhesive tape of the tape roll at different lengths. 
         [0011]    Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is an oblique top elevational view of an adhesive tape dispenser in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of the adhesive tape dispenser in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a plain view of the rotating wheel according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of a part of the present invention, illustrating the engagement arrangement of the gears of the gear set. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the present invention, illustrating the structural relationship between the housing and the positioning seat of the positioning unit. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of a part of the present invention, illustrating a status of the suction cup before pressing of the press bar. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6 , illustrating the press bar pressed on the suction cup. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the present invention, illustrating a status of the adhesive tape dispenser before operation. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is similar to  FIG. 8 , illustrating an operation status of the adhesive tape dispenser. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 , an adhesive tape dispenser  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. The adhesive tape dispenser  1  comprises a housing  20 , two first tape rollers  30 ;  32 , a rotating wheel  40 , an operating handle  50 , a gear set  60 , a first cutter unit  70 , and a positioning unit  80 . 
         [0022]    The housing  20  comprises a first side cover  21  and a second side cover  22 . The first side cover  21  and second side cover  22  each comprise two first hooked rods  23  located at a bottom wall thereof, and a rectangular opening  24  abutted against each other. 
         [0023]    The first tape roller  30  is rotatably mounted between the first side cover  21  and second side cover  22  of the housing  20  by a first axle  34  for supporting a tape roll  11 . The first tape roller  32  is mounted on the first axle  34  in a parallel manner relative to the first tape roller  30  for supporting another tape roll  11 . Actually, the first tape roller  32  can be omitted according to actual needs. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rotating wheel  40  is disposed in a front side relative to the first tape rollers  30 ;  32 , comprising a rotating shaft  41  and a plurality of supporting arms  42 . The rotating shaft  41  is rotatably mounted between the first side cover  21  and second side cover  22  of the housing  20 , comprising two opposing recessed portions  412  located in the outer peripheral surface of one end thereof. The supporting arms  42  are radially arranged about the rotating shaft  41 , each comprising a supporting portion  43  and an arched portion  44 . The supporting portion  43  is connected between the arched portion  44  and the rotating shaft  41 . The direction of the open side of the arched portion  44  is opposite to the rotating shaft  41 , thus, the arched portion  44  defines therein a finger slot  45  for the insertion of a finger. Further, the arched portions  44  of each two adjacent supporting arms  42  are connected together by a connection portion  46 , and thus, a cutting slot  47  is defined by each two adjacent arched portions  44  and the associating connection portion  46 . The width of the cutting slots  47  is smaller than the width of the finger slots  45 . Each supporting arm  42  further comprises a flange  48  transversely extended from one end of the arched portion  44  thereof toward the opposite end of the arched portion  44 . 
         [0025]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the operating handle  50  comprises a handle grip  51  and a handle grip  51  and a handle shaft  52 . The handle shaft  52  is rotatably inserted through the first side cover  21  of the housing  20 , having one end thereof connected to the rotating shaft  41  of the rotating wheel  40  by a one-way bearing  53  and an opposite end thereof extended out of the housing  20  and connected with the handle grip  51 . Thus, pressing down the handle grip  51  will cause the handle shaft  52  to rotate the rotating wheel  40 ; turning the handle grip  51  upwards will cause the one-way bearing  53  to release the interlocking relationship between the handle shaft  52  and the rotating wheel  40 , i.e., the rotating wheel  40  will not be rotated with the handle shaft  52  in the reversed direction. 
         [0026]    The gear set  60  comprises a drive gear  61 , and two transmission gears  62 ;  63  (actually one transmission gear can achieve the same effect). As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the drive gear  61  comprises a coupling hole  612  coupled to the rotating shaft  41  of the rotating wheel  40 , and two engagement ribs  614  located in the coupling hole  612  at two opposite sides and respectively engaged into the recessed portions  412  of the rotating shaft  41 . The two transmission gears  62 ;  63  are rotatably mounted on an inner wall of the first side cover  21  of the housing  20  and meshed together. One transmission gear  62  is also meshed with the drive gear  61 . Thus, the drive gear  61  is rotatable with the rotating wheel  40  to rotate the two transmission gears  62 ;  63  synchronously. 
         [0027]    The first cutter unit  70  comprises a first cutter holder  71 , a driven gear  74 , and four first cutter blades  75 . The first cutter holder  71  is a cylindrical member having two opposite ends thereof rotatably connected between the first side cover  21  and second side cover  22  of the housing  20 . The driven gear  74  is fixedly mounted on one end of the first cutter holder  71  and meshed with one transmission gear  63 . The first cutter blades  75  are equiangularly arranged around the outer perimeter of the first cutter holder  71 . Thus, the driven gear  74  can be driven by the transmission gear  63  to rotate the first cutter holder  71 , causing the first cutter blades  75  to be synchronously rotated with the first cutter holder  71 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , the positioning unit  80  comprises a positioning seat  81 . The positioning seat  81  comprises an accommodation chamber  812  located at the center thereof, and two pairs of second hooked rods  814  extended from a top wall thereof. The positioning unit  80  further comprises an anti-slip pad  82 , a suction cup  83 , a press bar  84 , and an operating rod  85 . The anti-slip pad  82  is mounted on an opposing bottom wall of the positioning seat  81 , comprising an opening  822  cut through opposing top and bottom walls thereof and disposed in communication with the accommodation chamber  812 . The suction cup  83  is accommodated in the accommodation chamber  812  of the positioning seat  81  and the opening  822  of the anti-slip pad  82 . The press bar  84  has a top end thereof inserted into the inside of the housing  20  and an opposing bottom end thereof inserted into the accommodation chamber  812  of the positioning seat  81  and fixedly connected with the suction cup  83 . The operating rod  85  has a cam portion  852  located at one end thereof and pivotally connected to the top end of the press bar  84 . Thus, the press bar  84  can be driven by the operating rod  85  to move the suction cup  83 . 
         [0029]    Before tape dispensing, the user can operate the operating rod  85  to secure the suction cup  83  to a tabletop (not shown), and then hook up the first hooked rods  23  of the first side cover  21  and second side cover  22  of the housing  20  with the respective second hooked rods  814  of the positioning seat  81 , enabling the housing  20  to be positively and steadily positioned on the tabletop. After installation, the operating rod  85  extends through the rectangular opening  24  into the inside of the housing  20 . At this time, the user can start to dispense the adhesive tape  112  of the tape roll  11 . 
         [0030]    In actual operation, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , press down the operating handle  50  to rotate the rotating wheel  40 . During rotation of the rotating wheel  40 , the arched portions  44  of two adjacent supporting arms  42  of the rotating wheel  40  synchronously pull the adhesive tape  112  of the tape roll  11 , at the same time, the rotating shaft  41  of the rotating wheel  40  drives the drive gear  61  to rotate the two transmission gears  62 ;  63 , causing the driven gear  74  to rotate the first cutter holder  71 . During rotation of the first cutter holder  71 , the first cutter blades  75  will be sequentially inserted into one respective cutting slot  47  of the rotating wheel  40  to cut the adhesive tape  112  into multiple adhesive tape segments  114  of the same length. After cutting, every piece of adhesive tape segment  114  will be adhered to one respective supporting arm  42  between the two opposite ends of the associating arched portion  44 . At this time, the flanges  48  of the supporting arms  42  provide a large adhesive surface area for the adhesion of the adhesive tape segments  114 , avoiding falling of adhesive tape segments  114  from the rotating wheel  40 . After a predetermined number of adhesive tape segments  114  has been cut from the adhesive tape  112 , the user can turn the operating handle  50  upwards to release the interlocking relationship between the operating handle  50  and the rotating wheel  40 , stopping the rotating wheel  40  and the first cutter holder  71  from rotation. At last, the user can insert one finger into each finger slot  45  to pick up the respective adhesive tape segment  114  from the rotating wheel  40 . 
         [0031]    On the other hand, in order to meet different user needs, the adhesive tape dispenser  10  further provides a second tape roller  36  and a second cutter unit  90 . The second tape roller  36  is mounted at an outer wall of the second side cover  22  of the housing  20  by a second axle  38  for supporting a tape roll  12 . The second cutter unit  90  comprises a second cutter holder  92 , and a second cutter blade  94  mounted at the second cutter holder  92 . The second cutter holder  92  is mounted at the outer wall of the second side cover  22  at a front side relative to the second tape roller  36 . Thus, the user can operate the adhesive tape dispenser  10  according to the above-described operating procedure to cut the adhesive tape  112  into multiple pieces of adhesive tape segments  114  of the same length, and can also selectively use the second cutter blade  94  of the second cutter unit  90  to cut the adhesive tape of the tape roll  12  at different lengths. 
         [0032]    In conclusion, subject to matching between the rotating wheel  40  and first cutter unit  70 , the adhesive tape dispenser  10  is operable to rapidly pulled out the adhesive tape  112  by the rotating wheel  40  and to simultaneously cut the adhesive tape  112  into multiple adhesive tape segments  114  of the same length, and thus the efficiency of the cutting operation is greatly improved. Further, the design of the suction cup  83  of the positioning unit  80  enables the housing  20  to be positively and steadily positioned on the tabletop prior to the cutting operation, achieving the purpose of increasing the operational stability. 
         [0033]    Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.