Patent Publication Number: US-7712507-B2

Title: Tape dispenser with cutter shield

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to a tape dispenser, and more particularly to a tape dispenser with cutter shield. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Some conventional tape dispensers are provided with means to protect user from hurt by cutter. Typically, such means include a movable cutter or a movable shield. The movable cutter is received in the dispenser in a normal condition and moves out when user wants to cut the tape off only. The movable shield covers the cutter in a normal condition and moves off the cutter when user wants to cut the tape off. 
   Both of the movable cutter and movable shield are provided with a spring member to return the cutter or shield. The spring member usually is an independent element, which means it needs more steps to assemble the spring member on the tape dispenser. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tape dispenser, which has a cutter shield with simple structure and beneficial to assembly. 
   According to the objective of the present invention, a tape dispenser includes a main member, on which a tape roll mount, a cutter and a movable shield are provided, wherein the shield is moved to cover or expose the cutter, and at least a flexible arm is projected from the shield directly. The flexible arm has a suspended end urging a bottom wall of the main member. The flexible arm is compressed when the shield is moved to expose the cutter, and the compressed flexible arm may return the shield to cover the cutter automatically. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is sectional view of the shield along  3 - 3  line of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7  are two sectional views of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the shield covering the cutter; and 
       FIG. 6  and  FIG. 8  are two sectional views of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the shield exposing the cutter. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A tape dispenser of the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a main member  10 , a tape roll mount  20 , a cutter  54  and a shield  56 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , the main member  10  includes a base plate  12  and a swing plate  14 . The base plate  12  has a first post  16 , a second post  18 , and the tape roll mount  20  on an interior side thereof. A first roller  22  and a second roller  24  are fitted to the first post  16  and the second post  18  respectively. The first post  16  has a block  26  at a distal end thereof, and the base plate  12  also has a block  26  at an exterior side associated with the first post  16 . A screw  28  is screwed into a distal end of the second post  18  to keep the second roller  24  on the second post  18 . The tape roll mount  20  is a hollow column, on a circumference of which two suspended elastic plates  30  are provided. A tap roll  32  may be fitted to the tape roll mount  20  with the elastic plates  30  pressing it. The elastic plates  30  may prevent the tap roll  32  from turning reversely. The swing plate  14  mad a main plate  34  and two lateral plates  36  on opposite ends of the main plate  34 . Each of the lateral plates  36  has a bore  38  to be fitted to the blocks  26  of the base plate  12 , such that the swing plate  14  is connected to the base plate  12  and may be swung relative to the base plate  12 . The main plate  34  has two slots  40 ,  42  at a front end thereof, and between the slots  40 ,  42  is a wall  44 . The wall  44  has a stop portion  46  at a rear end thereof, as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 . Two protrusions  48  are projected from a lower side of the lower slot  42 , and the upper slot  40  has a bottom wall  50 . The cutter  54  is fixed in the lower slot  42  and rested on the protrusions  48 , and the shield  56  is received in the upper slot  40 . 
   The shield  56 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , has a plate  58  with a curved portion  60  at a front end thereof and two flexible arms  62  at a rear end thereof. The curved portion  60  is bent toward the cutter  54 , such that the shield  56  is closer to the cutter  54 . The flexible arms  62  are projected from opposite sides of the rear end of the plate  58  and bent inwards, such that the flexible arms  62  have suspended distal ends. Each of the flexible arms  62  has a head  64  at the distal end. The plate  58  has a hook portion  66  at a bottom side adjacent to the rear end and an indentation at a top side above the hook portion  66 . As a result, the plate  58  is thinner at a region of the hook portion  66  that makes the hook portion flexible. The shield  56  is inserted into the upper slot  40  of the main plate  56  with the hook portion  66  across the wall  44  and the heads  64  of the flexible arms  62  rested on the bottom wall  50 . A distance between the bottom wall  50  and the stop portion  46  is slightly less than that between the heads  64  of the flexible arms  62  and the hook portion  66 , such that the flexible arms  62  are slightly compressed with the heads  64  urging the bottom wall  50  and the hook portion  46  pressing the stop portion  46  in a normal condition that keeps the shield  56  tight in the slot  40 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , in the normal condition, the shield  56  covers the cutter  54  to prevent the cutter  54  hurting user. When user wants to cut a tape  321  off, as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 8 , user has to hold the tail of the tape  321  and draw it to the rear of the tape dispenser (referring to  FIG. 8 ). At this moment, the tape  321  will press the shield  54  to move it into the slot  40 , and that will expose the cutter  54 , such that the tape  321  will press the exposed cutter  54  and is cut off. When the shield  54  is moved into the slot  40 , the flexible arms  62  are compressed, and when the tape  321  is cut off, the flexible arms  62  will return the shield  54  until the hook portion  66  touches the stop portion  46  that the shield  54  covers the cutter  56  again. 
   It is noted that the shield of the present invention may be incorporated in any types of the tape dispensers. The description above is a few preferred embodiments of the present invention and the equivalence of the present invention is still in the scope of the claim of the present invention.