Patent Publication Number: US-2003226274-A1

Title: Structure of a tip hook of a tape rule

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a tip hook of a tape rule, and more particularly, to an improved structure of a tip hook having a hook-adjusting mechanism on the braking section thereof, thus the hooking area can be extended opportunely in order to enhance the hooking stability of the tape head and to accomplish a tape rule that is secured and more convenient for use.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] The tape rule is a measuring tool with high mobility and convenience. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional tape rule B generally comprises an elastic device (not shown) accommodated by a housing C, and a tip hook A combined the end of the tape B. The hook A is provided with a fixing section A 1  fixed to the end of the tape B by a rivet; and a hook portion A 2  is provided to the tip hook A. In order to prevent the tape B from being withdrawn into the housing C completely, it is trapped by the tip hook A outside the tape exit of the housing C; the tape B can be pulled out by plucking the tip hook A in order to proceed the measurement with propping the hook A up to the vertical surface of an object.  
       [0005] Although the conventional tape rule with such tip hook A has been widely used for many years, it still has considerable disadvantages as below:  
       [0006] Firstly, in order to form integrality and prevent from being too outstanding that would cause inconvenience for carrying, the area of the hook portion A 2  of the tip hook was designed to be as small as possible initially. While measuring by the tape rule, the hook portion serves as a fixing end for hooking the object, and the tape can be extended by pulling the tape rule by the user after the hook portion is fixed, and then the dimensions can be measured. Nevertheless, as the area of the hook portion is too small, it would cause dangers of the slack hook to be withdrawn with great tension.  
       [0007] Secondly, although it is provided with certain strength since the tip hook is mostly made of metal, the hooking endurance between the hook and the object is relatively low because of the low friction coefficient of the metal surface. This is another reason why the hook is easily to be slacked off.  
       [0008] The present invention is generated finally after being analyzed and tested repeatedly by the inventor of the present invention who focused on the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional tip hook of the tape rule.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape rule with an improved structure of a tip hook. According to the improved structure of a tip hook of a tape rule, a hook-adjusting mechanism for extending the hooking area opportunely is installed onto the braking section constructing the hooking portion of the tape rule, thus it is secured for use.  
       [0010] According to the improved structure of a tip hook of a tape rule, a gradine groove is formed onto the side of the braking section adhering to the surface of the object, and an elastic stop-sliding pad is installed into the groove. Thus, the hooking endurance between the hook and the object is improved, and the safety is enhanced. This is another object of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a 3D perspective view showing a conventional tape rule.  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a 3D perspective view showing the tape rule of the present invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 3 is a 3D perspective view showing the tip hook of the present invention.  
     [0014]FIG. 4 is a 3D perspective view showing the motion of the tip hook according to the present invention.  
     [0015]FIG. 5 shows the second example of the present invention.  
     [0016]FIG. 6 shows the motion of the tip hook according to the second example of the present invention.  
     [0017]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the situation before the present invention is operated.  
     [0018]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the situation after the present invention is operated. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0019] The improved structure of the tip hook of the tape rule according to the present invention consists of: an elastic device inside the housing, the elasticity of the elastic device enables the tape to be withdrawn and accommodated into the housing; a tip hook is installed onto the front of the tape rule, the tip hook enables itself to be hooked onto the object, and also be detained against the tape exit for preventing the tape from being withdrawn into the housing completely and becoming invalid. The basic components thereof are described apparently by the fore cases and they are not repeated here.  
     [0020] Thereinafter, only the improvement of the present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the tape rule with an improved structure of a tip hook, wherein the tip hook  1  includes a braking section  11  and a fixing section  12 ; the fixing section  12  is combined with the tape by rivets or other fixing components; an opening  13  is formed onto the braking section  11 , and a hook-adjusting mechanism  2  is set to the opening  13 .  
     [0022] As shown in FIG. 3, wherein slide grooves  14  of the hook-adjusting mechanism  2  are formed onto both sides of the opening of the braking section  11 .  
     [0023] Please refer to FIG. 4 for the structure of the hook-adjusting mechanism  2 . As shown in the figure, the opening  13  of the braking section  11  is a reversed convex opening, and the slide sheet  3  is reversed-convex shaped in accordance with the opening  13 . On the braking section  11 , pressing boards  41  and  42  are respectively fixed to the front and the rear of the slide pieces  15  of both sides of the opening. The area of the pressing board  41  or  42  is slightly larger than that of the slide piece  15 . Thus the slide grooves  14 , which are provided for sliding and extending the slide sheet, are formed. Pressing sheets  51  and  52  are respectively installed to the front and the rear of the bottom of the slide sheet  3 ; thus it is enabled to be integral with the braking section  11  when it is retracted into the opening  13 , and to be convenient for being pulled out and controlled by the user.  
     [0024] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressing sheets  51  and  52  at the rear of the hook-adjusting mechanism  2  can be elastic stop-sliding pads  61 , of which the thickness can be slightly larger than that of the pressing boards  41  and  42  of the slide sheet. With this structure, when the stop-sliding pad is pressed onto the surface of the object, it can be adhered to the object since it is slightly contracted caused by the pressing force and the endurance to the object is enhanced thereby it is prevented from slacking off (as shown in FIG. 6). Alternatively, the rear pressing boards can also be stop-sliding pads.  
     [0025] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, since the braking section of the tip hook is provided with the hook-adjusting mechanism  2 , the slide sheet  3  can be contracted into the opening while the tape rule is not in use, or it can be pulled out as in use (as shown in FIG. 8); therefore, it can increase the adhering area to the surface of the object and thereby enable a secured measurement.  
     [0026] It is known from the above description that the improved structure of a tip hook of a tape rule according to the present invention, by attaching a hook-adjusting mechanism to the braking section of the tip hook of a tape rule, the hooking area can be extended opportunely in order to accommodate the object that intended to be measured, thus the hooking endurance is enhanced and thereby it is prevented from slacking off; therefore, the safety for measurement is raised efficiently.  
     [0027] Although the present invention has been described using specified embodiment, the examples are meant to be illustrative and not restrictive. It is clear that many other variations would be possible without departing from the basic approach, demonstrated in the present invention.