Abstract:
A magnetic end hook for a tape measure has a hook member having a mounting section extending in a first direction and a hooking section extending away from the mounting section in a second direction generally transverse to the first direction. A distinct bezel affixes to the hooking section so as to capture a magnet between the bezel and the hooking section. A magnet is disposed at least partially in a hole in the hooking section and a hole in the bezel so as to be visible from both front and rear views of the end hook. The magnet may include flanges and a fastener, such as a rivet, may secure the bezel in place. There may be a second magnet similarly situated. A tape measure and methods of assembly are also described.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed generally to tape measures of the type commonly used to measure linear distances.  
         [0002]     Modern tape measures (or “tape rules”) typically include an L-shaped metallic end hook for hooking onto measurement surfaces. Such end hooks, while being available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, all basically operate by being either pressed against a surface for an abutting-type measurement, or hooked over a suitable edge for a hooking-type measurement. However, it is sometimes difficult to keep the end hook in the desired location. As such, various approaches have been proposed to provide alternative means for helping keep the end hook in the desired location. One area receiving attention is the addition of magnets to the end hook so that the end hook may be at least partially magnetically coupled to metallic measurement surfaces (e.g., metal wall studs). While a number of magnetic end hook configurations have been proposed, none have proven entirely satisfactory. As such, there remains a need for alternative magnetic end hook designs.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a magnetic end hook assembly for a tape measure, such as a power-return tape measure, and/or a method of assembling the same. The end hook may comprise a hook member having a mounting section extending in a first direction and a hooking section extending away from the mounting section in a second direction generally transverse to the first direction; the hook member mounting to the blade via the mounting section; the hooking section having at least a first hole therethrough; a first magnet; a bezel distinct from, but affixed to, the hooking section so as to capture the first magnet between the bezel and the hooking section, the bezel having at least a second hole therethrough; wherein the first magnet extends into the first and second holes so as to be visible from both a front view and a rear view of the end hook. The first magnet may comprise flanges disposed between the hooking section and the bezel. A fastener, such as a rivet, may secure the bezel to the hook member. The bezel may mount on a forward face of the hooking section, advantageously with a front face of the first magnet substantially flush with a front face of the bezel and a rear face of the first magnet substantially flush with a rear face of the hooking section. The hooking section or the bezel may further comprise an alignment boss, with the other of the hooking section and the bezel having a corresponding alignment hole that engages the alignment boss. The hooking section may further comprise a third hole and the bezel may comprise a fourth hole, and the end hook may further comprise a second magnet disposed between hooking section and the bezel and extending into the third and fourth holes so as to be visible from both the front view and the rear view of the end hook.  
         [0004]     In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a tape measure that incorporates a magnetic end hook. The tape measure may be a power-return tape measure comprising: a housing having first and second sidewalls and a peripheral wall extending between the sidewalls; the peripheral wall having a tape opening; a tape measure blade coupled to the housing and having a retraction bias applied thereto; the tape blade selectively deployable from said housing via said tape opening; an end hook assembly attached to an end portion of the tape blade; the end hook assembly being as described above.  
         [0005]     In another embodiment, a method of assembling an end hook may comprise: providing a hook member having a mounting section extending in a first direction and a hooking section extending away from the mounting section in a second direction generally transverse to the first direction; mounting a first magnet to the hook member by attaching a bezel to the hooking section to thereby clamp the first magnet between the bezel and the hooking section. The method may be such that, after the mounting, the first magnet is visible from both a front view and a rear view of the end hook. The first magnet may comprise flanges disposed between the hooking section and the bezel. The mounting may comprise securing the bezel to the hook member with a fastener, such as by riveting. The hooking portion may comprise a first hole and the bezel may comprise a second hole; and the mounting may comprise clamping the first magnet between the bezel and the hooking section so that the magnet extends into the first and second holes. The method may further comprise mounting a second magnet to the hook member by the step of attaching the bezel to the hooking section and thereby clamp the second magnet between the bezel and the hooking section. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one tape measure embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of one embodiment of an end hook in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the end hook embodiment of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the end hook embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a tape measure, generally designated  10 , is shown constructed according to one embodiment of the present invention. The tape measure  10  includes a housing  12 , a coilable measuring tape or blade  20 , and an end hook assembly  30 . The housing  12  typically has a generally squarish shape, with a rounded upper-rear corner, and may have a slightly projecting nose. The housing  12  includes an opposing pair of sidewalls  14  and an interconnecting peripheral wall  16  which help define an internal chamber (not shown) that houses the coiled portion of the tape  20 , a suitable tape-biasing device (e.g., retraction spring), and portions of the blade locking mechanism. The housing  12  typically includes an opening  18  near its lower-front corner that connects to the internal chamber. The distal end of the tape  20  extends through this opening  18  for selective deployment therefrom. The housing  12  is preferably sized to fit within a user&#39;s hand and/or conveniently stored on a work belt or in a toolbox. A belt clip  19  may be attached to a side of the housing  12  and may take any form known in the art, such as the conventional modified “R” shape well known in the art. As the general design and operation of power-return tape measures are well known in the art, additional detailed discussion thereof is omitted herein for brevity. However, additional discussion may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,527,334; 4,976,048; and 6,349,482 and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0233762, which are incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0011]     As is conventional, the end hook assembly  30  is attached to the distal end of the tape  20 . The end hook assembly  30  helps prevent the tape  20  from being completely retracted into the housing  12  and provides a convenient measurement reference point. The tape end hook assembly  30 , or simply end hook, includes a hook member  32 , a bezel  50 , one or more magnets  60   a , 60   b , and a rivet  70 . The rivet  70  secures the bezel  50  to the hook member  32 , sandwiching the magnets  60   a , 60   b  between the bezel  50  and the hook member  32 . It is intended that the end hook assembly  30  of the present invention attach to a measurement surface via magnetic and/or mechanical means.  
         [0012]     The hook member  32  may be generally L-shaped with a mounting portion  34  and a hooking portion  40 . The mounting portion  34  extends generally along the tape blade  20  in a front/back direction  38  and provides a location for attaching the end hook  30  to the tape blade  20 . As such, the mounting portion  34  should be contoured to match the corresponding section of the tape blade  20 , such as being slightly concavo-convex in cross section. The mounting portion  34  may include suitable rivet holes  36 , or other means known in the art, for attaching the end hook  30  to the tape blade  20  in any conventional fashion. The rivet holes  36  may advantageously be oval shaped to allow for an appropriate amount of movement of hook member  32  along axis  38  so as to maintain appropriate positioning for abutting and hooking measurements. The hooking portion  40  extends away from the mounting portion  34 , advantageously generally perpendicularly thereto. The hooking portion  40  of  FIG. 2  includes a fastener hole  46  and two registration holes  48   a , 48   b . The fastener hole  46  is advantageously centered on the front face  42  of the hooking portion  40 , and is sized to accept the rivet  70 , as discussed further below. The registration holes  48   a , 48   b  flank the fastener hole  46 , and advantageously have a rectangular (e.g., square) shape. Both the registration holes  48   a , 48   b , and advantageously also the fastener hole  46 , extend all the way through the hooking portion  40 .  
         [0013]     The bezel  50  mounts to the front face  42  of the hooking portion  40 , and is held thereagainst by the rivet  70  so as to clamp the magnets  60   a , 60   b  in place. In simple terms, the bezel  50  is a frame with a front face  52  and a peripheral wall  54 . The bezel&#39;s front face  52  is similar to that of the hooking portion&#39;s front face  42 , with a central fastener hole  56  and two registration holes  58   a , 58   b . It should be noted that it is believed advantageous if the central fastener hole  56  is somewhat countersunk or otherwise slightly recessed, so as to reduce or eliminate forward protrusion of the rivet  70  after assembly. The peripheral wall  54  extends rearwardly from the front face  52 , toward the hooking portion  40 , and advantageously has a thickness that is slightly less than that of the magnets  60   a , 60   b . For size, it is believed advantageous if the front view footprint of the bezel  50  is no larger than, and preferably smaller than, the front view footprint of the hooking portion  40 . When mounted to the hooking portion  40 , the bezel  50  extends forward from the front face  42  of the hooking portion  40 .  
         [0014]     Each of the magnets  60   a , 60   b  may be thought of as having a main body  62  and one or more side flanges  68 . The main body  62  has a shape that generally corresponds to that of the registration holes, with a smooth, planar front face  64  and rear face  66 . For most embodiments, it is intended that the main body  62  extend into the corresponding registration holes, advantageously to the extent that the faces  64 , 66  of the magnet  60   a , 60   b  are flush with the corresponding faces of the hooking portion  40  and bezel  50 . For example, for a front mounted bezel  50 , the front face  64  of magnet  60   a  should advantageously be flush with the bezel&#39;s front face  52  and the rear face  66  of magnet  60   a  should be flush with rear face  44  of the hooking portion  40 . The side flanges  68  extend outward from the main body  62 , advantageously vertically up and down and parallel to the front and rear faces  62 , 64 . As can be seen in the figures, the flanges  68  have a thickness that is less than the thickness of the main body  62 , advantageously by an amount equal to the thickness of the hooking portion  40  plus the thickness of the bezel  50 . The flanges  68  act to prevent the magnet  60   a , 60   b  from passing completely through the corresponding registration holes, thereby helping keep the magnet  60   a , 60   b  trapped between the bezel  50  and the hooking portion  40 .  
         [0015]     The end hook  30  is assembled by placing the magnets  60   a , 60   b  in the corresponding registration holes  48   a , 48   b  in hooking portion  40 . A portion of each magnet  60   a , 60   b  rests in the corresponding registration hole  48   a , 48   b  in the hooking portion  40 , with the flanges  68  resting against the front face  42  of the hooking portion  40 . The bezel  50  is then placed over the magnets  60   a , 60   b , and rivet  70  is inserted through fastener holes  46 , 56 . The rivet  70  is then upset to solidly secure the bezel  50  to the hook member  32 . This action captures the magnets  60   a , 60   b  between the bezel  50  and the hooking portion  40  with a clamping or sandwich action, with the majority of the main body  62  of the magnets  60   a , 60   b  being disposed forward of the hooking portion  40 . It should be noted that the bezel  50  may advantageously include two or more pegs or bosses  59 , if desired, that mate with corresponding recesses or holes  49  in the hooking portion  40 , to aid in maintaining the relative alignment of the parts, both during and after assembly. Or, some or all of the locations of the bosses  59  and holes  49  may be reversed. With the bezel  50  and magnets  60   a , 60   b  joined to the hook member  32 , the end hook assembly  30  may be then attached to the tape blade  20  using conventional techniques.  
         [0016]     The magnets  60   a , 60   b  are mounted so as to extend into the alignment holes in both the bezel  50  and the hooking portion  40 , and are positioned to be visible in both a front and a rear view of the end hook  30 . See  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , respectively. Further, as discussed above, the magnets  60   a , 60   b  are advantageously sized such that they are flush mounted with the front face  52  of the bezel  50  and the rear face  44  of the hooking portion  40 . Thus, the magnets  60   a , 60   b  can easily engage a metallic measurement surface either in front of the hook member  30  (abutting measurement) or behind the hook member  30  (hooking measurement).  
         [0017]     For materials, the entire end hook assembly  30  may be made from metal, if desired. Alternatively, one or more of the parts may be made from other suitable materials, such as plastics and the like; however, metallic materials are believed to be best for encouraging the desired magnetic coupling to the measurement surface. Advantageously, the materials chosen should allow the overall weight of the end hook assembly  30  to be kept low, so as to minimize any adverse effect on overall tape blade standout. The magnets  60   a , 60   b  may be made from any suitable material known in the art, such as sintered neodymium iron boron (e.g., N3867). Advantageously, the magnets  60   a , 60   b  should be strong enough, both magnetically and mechanically, to support the entire weight of the tape measure  10  when the tape measure  10  is hung from an overhead surface, such as a suspended ceiling cross-member.  
         [0018]     The discussion above has assumed that the bezel  50  mounts on the front face  42  of the hooking portion  40 ; however, such is not required in all embodiments. In some alternative embodiments (not shown), the bezel  50  may attach to, and extend rearwardly from, the rear face  44  of the hooking portion  40 , although this is believed to be a less robust configuration. For such a configuration, the front face  64  of the magnet  60   a  may advantageously be substantially flush with the front face of  42  the hooking portion  40 , and the rear face  66  of the magnet  60   a  may be substantially flush with the rearwardly oriented face  52  of the bezel  50 .  
         [0019]     Similarly, the discussion above has assumed that rivet  70  secures bezel  50  to hooking portion  40 ; however, this is not required in all embodiments. For example, a screw may be substituted for rivet  70 . For such an arrangement, it is believed advantageous to thread the fastener mounting hole  46  of the hooking portion  40  so as to eliminate the need for a projecting nut or the like. Other means may also be employed to attach the bezel  50  to the hooking portion  40 , either separately or in conjunction with a fastener  70 ; however a fastener-based approach is believed most robust.  
         [0020]     The discussion above has generally assumed that two or more magnets  60   a , 60   b  are used; however, this is not required in all embodiments. For some embodiments, only a single magnet (e.g., magnet  60   a ) may be used, although such an arrangement is believed to be less resistant to twisting of the end hook assembly  30  against the measurement surface. Further, if two magnets  60   a , 60   b  are used, it is believed advantageous if both magnets are visible in front and rear views of the end hook assembly  30 ; however, one of the magnets may be hidden if desired.  
         [0021]     It should be understood that the tape measures  10  of the present invention may also include other features, such as shock-absorbing bumpers proximate the opening  18 , specially coated blades  20 , various locking mechanisms, and like, all of which are known in the art.  
         [0022]     The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.