Tape protector

A reusable, one-piece, rubberized tape protector cover for a roll of tape that fits snugly onto the roll to protect its edges from coming into contact with dirt or moisture that might be on the floor. The device has a spindle of varying widths to accommodate different thicknesses of tape and two parallel side walls that extend outward from the spindle in wheel-like fashion. The device is installed on a roll of tape by compressing one of the two side walls and then pushing the compressed side wall through the hollow center of the roll of tape before releasing it. When released, the side wall resumes its former shape. In this installed position, the spindle is located within the hollow part of the roll of tape and the two parallel side walls extend on either side of the roll of tape and hug the side edges of the tape.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is a tape protector that fits around a roll of tape to protect the edges of the tape from coming into contact with water or debris that might be on the floor. This tape protector is particularly suited for use on masking tape.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the auto collision repair industry, the shop worker uses a roll of masking tape to apply tape and masking paper to the automobile body. Often this work is done in a shop or other location where the floor is not perfectly clean and may have debris, dirty or moisture on the floor surface. One of the problems that occurs is that the worker will drop the roll of tape and when it hits the floor, the roll of the tape will adhere the dust, debris or moisture onto the edges of the tape thereby making that roll of tape unusable for further application to the automobile body. Rolls of tape that have fallen on the floor must then be discarded, wasting valuable product and costing the shop owner unnecessary money to complete the job.

The present invention addresses this problem by providing a cover for a roll of tape that fits snuggly onto the roll and protects the edges of the tape from coming into contact with dirty or moist surfaces, protecting the tape even when the roll is dropped onto the floor. Further, the present invention can be reused. It is made from a flexible, rubberized material so that it can easily be compressed and inserted through the center of a roll of tape to install it onto a roll and so that it can also be easily removed from an empty roll. Because it is made of a rubberized material, if it becomes dirty, it can be cleaned without harming the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a tape protector cover for a roll of tape that fits snuggly onto the roll and protects the edges of the tape from coming into contact with dirty or moist surfaces, protecting the tape even when the roll is dropped onto the floor. The present invention can be reused. It is made from a flexible, rubberized material so that it can easily be compressed and inserted through the center of a roll of tape to install it onto a roll and so that it can also be easily removed from an empty roll. Because it is made of a rubberized material, if it becomes dirty, it can be cleaned without harming the device.

The device is a one piece device in the shape of a spool. The device is flexible and is designed to flex so that one of its two parallel side walls can fit through the center of a roll of tape.

Once through the center, the flexed side wall is allowed to resume its original shape so that the two parallel side walls extending on either side of the roll of tape hug the sides of the tape to protect the side edges of the tape.

The two parallel side walls connect together via a spindle of varying widths to accommodate different thicknesses of tape that is somewhat smaller in outside diameter than an inside diameter of a roll of tape on which the device is to be installed. The two parallel side walls extend outward from the spindle in wheel-like fashion. The side walls extend a sufficient distance to completely cover the side edges of a full roll of tape and are spaced apart from each other a distance that is approximately equal to the width of the roll of tape so that the two parallel side walls sandwich the roll of tape between them when installed on a roll of tape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and initially toFIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a tape protector cover10for use with a roll of tape100that is constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated inFIG. 4, the cover fits snuggly onto the roll of tape100and protects the edges102of the tape100from coming into contact with dirty or moist surfaces, thereby protecting the edges102even when the roll100is dropped onto a dirty or wet floor.

The cover10is reuseable. It is made from a flexible, rubberized material that can easily be compressed and inserted through the center of a roll of tape100to install it onto the roll100and can easily be removed from an empty roll100. Because it is made of a rubberized material, if it becomes dirty, it can be cleaned without harming the cover10.

The cover10is a one piece device in the shape of a spool. The two parallel side walls12A and12B connect together via a spindle14of varying widths to accommodate different thicknesses of tape, the spindle14being somewhat smaller in outside diameter than an inside diameter of a roll of tape100on which the cover10is to be installed. The two parallel side walls12A and12B extend outward from the spindle14in wheel-like fashion. The side walls12A and12B extend a sufficient distance to completely cover the side edges102of a full roll of tape100and are spaced apart from each other a distance that is approximately equal to the width of the roll of tape100so that the two parallel side walls12A and12B sandwich the roll of tape100between them when the cover10when installed on a roll of tape100.

The cover10is compressed and is designed to flex so that one of its two parallel side walls12A or12B can fit through a hollow center of a roll of tape100. Once through the center of the roll of tape100, the compressed side wall12A or12B is released and allowed to resume its original shape to complete installation of the cover10on the roll100.

When the cover10is installed, the spindle14is located within the hollow center of the roll of tape100and the two parallel side walls12A and12B extending on either side of the roll100hug and protect the side edges102of the tape100.