Patent Publication Number: US-10308467-B2

Title: Device for unrolling and cutting a strip

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a device for unrolling and cutting a strip on a strip roll, wherein the device is provided with a base member, wherein the base member comprises a topside with a tear-off blade, a slot, a storage plate for storing the strip, and a roller, two lateral guide surfaces, and a bottom side. The strips employed in the context of this invention can be adhesive tapes, packaging and securing tapes and strips with and without adhesive coating, such as self-adhesive fixation strips in the medical field. 
     Such a device is disclosed in US 2013/0 087 275 A1. In this device, behind the slot the tear-off blade and downstream thereof an upwardly pivotable storage plate are arranged. In front of the slot, a roller is provided for holding down the strip. 
     A further device is disclosed in DE 10 2010 007 002 A1. The described strip cutter can be placed on top of the strip roll as well as laterally pushed onto the strip roll. In use, a loose end of the strip is lifted off the outer circumference of the strip roll and is guided through the slot of the base member. In a further embodiment, the strip can also be inserted from the side into the slot. It is disadvantageous that passing the strip through the slot is rather cumbersome and that the device as a whole is also not sufficiently secured on the strip roll. 
     It is thus the object of the invention to further develop a device of the aforementioned kind in such a way that simple handling is ensured. In addition, the device should be secured on the strip roll during use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As a solution to this object, it is proposed according to the invention to configure the device of the aforementioned kind in such a way that the storage plate is laterally pivotable or the roller, arranged behind the slot when viewed against the unrolling direction, for storing the strip is insertable and lockable, wherein the storage plate or the roller in its end position forms the slot together with a rear edge of the topside. 
     When using the device according to the invention, it is first mounted on or pushed onto the strip roll, with storage plate folded upward or without roller. Subsequently, the free end of the strip is lifted up from the outer circumference of the strip roll and the storage plate folded down or the roller inserted. In its end position, the storage plate or the roller form the slot together with the rear edge of the topside. In this way, the device according to the invention is now ready for use. A cumbersome guiding through or threading of the strip into the slot, as in the prior art, is thus not needed. Since the base member has approximately the shape of a quadrangular frame, the device is also secured sufficiently on the strip roll. 
     In order to avoid accidental upward pivoting of the storage plate in operation of the device, one embodiment of the invention provides that the storage plate in its end position locks with a lateral guide surface. When the device after use is to be removed again from the strip roll, the locking action is released and the storage plate is pivoted upwardly. In this way, the free end of the strip can be placed again onto the outer circumference of the strip roll. Subsequently, the device is lifted off the strip roll. In order to enable insertion of the device on the strip roll, the base member is not completely closed but a passage opening for the strip roll into the base member must remain free. Advantageously, one of the lateral guide surfaces is therefore partially open in direction toward the center of the roll and does not extend completely to the bottom side of the base member. 
     In order to ensure safe guiding of the device on the strip roll even for decreasing diameter of the strip roll due to use of the strip, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the bottom side of the base member is comprised of an elastic clamping bracket which is resting against the inner side of the strip roll. The pretension of the clamping bracket and also the contact surface of the clamping bracket on the inner side of the strip roll, depending on the thickness of the strip roll, can be embodied differently. For a range of use as broad as possible, the clamping bracket is advantageously S-shaped and spoon-like. 
     When tearing off the strip at the tear-off blade, it is conceivable that the device can move uncontrolled on the outer circumference of the strip roll. In order to prevent this, a further embodiment of the invention provides that on the topside of the base member a stop that is interacting with the strip is provided. As soon as the strip is placed and pushed onto the tear-off blade, the stop is pushed onto the outer circumference of the strip and prevents thus a further movement of the device. In order for this braking action to be optimal, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the stop is arranged in the area of the tear-off blade. 
     As the strip is pulled off, the device according to the invention glides along the outer circumference of the strip roll. The movement of the device relative to the strip roll is effected by pulling off the strip because the strip, in particular with its face that is not adhesive, is contacting the rear edge of the topside and therefore displaces the topside in the unrolling direction due to a force component. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be explained in more detail in the following with the aid of the drawing. The drawing shows embodiments of the invention. In this context, it is shown in: 
         FIG. 1  a side view of a first embodiment with strip roll; 
         FIG. 2  a plan view according to  FIG. 1  without strip roll; 
         FIG. 3  a rear view according to  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  a view from below according to  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  a plan view of a further embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  a side view according to  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  a plan view of a further embodiment; and 
         FIG. 8  a view of a further embodiment, folded open. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The device  1  for unrolling and cutting a strip  2  on a strip roll  3  comprises a base member  4 . The base member  4  comprises a topside  5 , a first lateral guide surface  6 , a second lateral guide surface  7 , and a bottom side  8 . The base member is embodied monolithic. On the topside  5 , a tear-off blade  9  which is extending in radial direction outwardly is arranged so as to be positioned close to a forward edge  10  of the topside  5 . The tear-off blade  9  has the shape of a saw and extends at a slant, wherein one side is taller than the other side in order to facilitate cutting off the strip  2 . The front edge  10  faces in the direction of an unrolling direction  11  of the base member  4 . At the topside  5 , a slot  12  is formed. The topside  5  comprises furthermore a storage plate  13 . The slot  12  is located between a rear edge  14  of the part of the topside  5  on which the tear-off blade  9  is arranged and a front edge  15  of the storage plate  13 . The storage plate  13  is pivotable about a pivot area  16  in upward direction, i.e., in radial direction. The pivot area  16  is located at the upper edge of the first guide surface  6 . On the other side, the storage plate  13  has a projection  17  which is extending parallel to the second guide surface  7  and is lockable with the second guide surface  7 . For this purpose, the projection  17  has an inwardly oriented protrusion  18  which in the end position of the storage plate  13  engages about the second guide surface  7 . The protrusion  18  engages only that part of the second guide surface  7  which is positioned close to the projection  17 . When viewed in a side view, the protrusion  18  has a tapering pointed shape with a top edge that is not extending horizontally but at a slant. Accordingly, the adjoining bottom edge of the second guide surface  7  also extends at a slant in order to avoid that the protrusion  18  and the second guide surface  7  slide apart after locking. The bottom side  8  is an elastic clamping bracket which is connected with the first guide surface  6  and which extends from the first guide surface  6  toward the second guide surface  7 . The bottom side  8  in longitudinal section is S-shaped and comprises, approximately after ⅔ when viewed from the first guide surface  6 , a bending area  19  which upon use of the device  1  is contacting an inner side  20  of the strip roll  3 . Since the clamping bracket is elastic, this bending area  19  is still contacting the strip roll  3  even when the latter, due to continuous use, has reduced its diameter. 
     The S-shaped elastic clamping bracket of the bottom side  8  is comprised of the bending area  19 , the bending area  19   a , and the straight section  19   b  between the two bending areas  19 ,  19   a , and ends at free end  19   c .  FIG. 4  shows the bottom side  8  in a view from below. The bottom side  8  in the form of the elastic clamping bracket is embodied spoon-like with a constriction C in a direction of length L of the clamping bracket ( FIG. 3 ). As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the second guide surface  7  does not extend as far downward in the direction of the center of the strip roll  3  as the first guide surface  6 . Accordingly, a through opening  21  between the bottom side  8  and the second guide surface  7  is formed through which the strip roll  3  can be passed through when the device  1  is pushed onto the strip roll  3 . 
     When using the device  1 , the second guide surface  7  is placed onto the outer circumference of the strip roll  3  and the elastic bottom side  8  is somewhat bent open toward the center of the strip roll  3 . Then the strip roll  3  can be pushed through the through opening  21  and is located then within the base member  4  wherein the bottom side  8  is contacting the inner side  20  of the strip roll  3 . The storage plate  13  is then folded open and the free end of the strip  2  is lifted up as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . Now the storage plate  13  is folded down again and locks at the second guide surface  7 . The storage plate  13  is now in one plane with the remaining topside  5  and forms thus the slot  12  in which the strip  2  is extending. In this way, simple handling for insertion of the strip  2  into the slot  12  is provided. Prior to further use, the strip  2  can now be placed on or adhered to the storage plate  13 . By further pulling up the strip  2  which is contacting with its non-adhesive surface the rear edge  14 , the base member  4  is pushed in the unrolling direction  11 . When the desired length of the strip  2  has been dispensed, the strip  2  is pivoted downwardly onto the tear-off blade  9  and torn off. The strip  2  can of course also be adhered to the desired location after having been pulled up initially and, by pulling away the strip roll  3 , the base member  4  is then also displaced in the unrolling direction  11  and the strip  2  dispensed. Without particular differences in handling, the device  1  can be placed and used on the roll in both directions. The direction in which the storage plate  13  is pointing to the open end of the strip  2  enables better storage of the strip end. Upon pulling out the strip  2 , the strip roll  3  must not be held rigidly and fixedly. It is guided movably through the slightly closed hand, between the thumb on one side and the fingers on the other side, so that it can rotate by sliding in the hand and thereby can unroll. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a roller  22  is provided in place of the storage plate  13 . The roller  22  is seated in a U-shaped cutout of the topside  5  that is open at one side. The axis  23  of the roller  22  is locked at a first lateral clamping holder  24  and a second lateral clamping holder  25 . The two lateral clamping holders  24 ,  25  extend approximately from the rear edge  14  in upward direction. Each lateral clamping holder  24 ,  25  has a guide slot  26  for insertion of the axis  23  of the roller  22  so that the roller  22  can be inserted. In its end position, the roller  22  again forms, together with the rear edge  14 , the slot  12  for the strip  2 . In use of this embodiment, the device  1  without inserted roller  22  is pushed onto the strip roll  3 . Then the strip  2 , as also in the first embodiment, is lifted up and pulled in upward direction. Subsequently, the roller  22  is inserted and forms then with its outer circumference the slot  12  and thus the guide means for the strip  2 . The strip  2  can now be placed on or adhered to the roller  22  prior to further use. 
     On the inner surface of the topside  5 , a stop is arranged facing the strip  2  and positioned close to the front edge  10  of the topside  5 . When tearing off the strip  2  at the tear-off blade  9 , due the pressure on the tear-off blade  9  the topside  5  is pushed in downward direction toward the strip  2  and thus the stop is forced also onto the strip  2 . In this way, a further movement of the base member  4  in the unrolling direction  11  is avoided when tearing off the strip  2 . 
     In the embodiment according to  FIG. 7 , the storage plate  13  extends approximately up to the second guide surface  7  and has no projection. In this way, it cannot be locked with the second guide surface  7 . The storage plate  13  is however also pivotable here and the insertion of the strip  2  is realized as described above in the first embodiment, wherein it is conceivable here that the strip  2  is inserted somewhat more from the side. 
     The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8  with folding brackets  28  is constructed for strip rolls  3  in which the inner diameter is very small, the outer diameter however very large and for which therefore the lateral surfaces are very wide. In use, the device  1  encloses the entire strip roll  3  wherein the basic frame and the folding brackets  28  overlap at one of the two lateral surfaces of the roll. They are fastened and secured on each other by snap fasteners. The frame of this embodiment is U-shaped toward the center of the roll with two right angles at the edges, and is closed and rigid. On the inner side of the lateral guide surfaces  6 ,  7 , a vertical or radially extending guide rail  29  is located, respectively. By means of the latter, a pressure plate is guided and is limited in its movement by transverse projections  30  at the ends of the guide rails  29 . The pressure plate has at its short sides a groove corresponding to the guide rails  29 . The pressure plate is pushed outwardly by a spring  31  which with its base is seated on the bottom side  8 , i.e., inwardly at the frame bottom, on a base plate. The base plate can exert by means of an adjusting screw a stronger pressure on the spring  31 . The thread which is required for this is located in the bottom of the frame. This device  1  is pushed from the roll center onto the strip roll  3  wherein the pressure plate is guided against the inner side  20  of the strip roll  3  and the spring  31  securing it is compressed. After having been pushed on sufficiently far on the strip roll  3 , the folding bracket  28  which secures the tear-off blade  9  is folded about the outer surface of the roll and locked by the snap fasteners. Now the strip  2  to be used is lifted off the strip roll  3  and held across the already closed bracket. The folding bracket that is still open at this point is now also folded closed and secured by the snap fasteners.