Patent Publication Number: US-10767971-B2

Title: Measuring tape with weatherproof seal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM TO PRIORITY 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/845,292, filed Dec. 18, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,260,852, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/792,119, filed Jul. 6, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,846,021, which claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/021,130, filed Jul. 5, 2014, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to measuring tapes and methods for making thereof. In particular, the measuring tapes of the present invention contain a device for cleaning the tape as it retracts. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A measuring tape represents a flexible form of linear rule, typically consisting of a ribbon or tape of cloth, plastic, fiberglass, or metallic strip of a uniform width containing measurement markings along its length. This style of measuring device provides advantages over a traditional fixed rule in that it is collapsible and easily stored in a coiled form. One common form of tape measure that is well known in the construction industry retains the measuring tape by coiling it around a spool contained within a protective housing. The measuring tape may be retracted into the housing by hand winding the tape or by releasing a spring lock so the winding action of the spring retracts the tape. 
     Measuring tapes are often used in locations where particulate matter, such as sawdust, dirt, and powders from metal or masonry products, and water are present. In typical applications, measuring tapes are placed onto a work surface and a measurement is read between two or more points. When used in this manner debris contained on the work surface may adhere to and accumulate on the tape. Subsequent retraction of the tape may transport the debris inside the protective housing where it becomes trapped, unable to exit through the housing&#39;s small passageway. Once debris is trapped inside the tape measure&#39;s protective housing, it continues to accumulate and eventually foul the tape measure&#39;s internal mechanisms, sometimes rendering the tape inoperable. Over time, in addition to lost time and aggravation to the user, the lifespan of the tape is greatly reduced. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,589 to Chemay discloses a tape measure for underwater use. This tape measure is described as reliable, durable and effective for underwater work. However, instead of preventing moisture from entering, it is described as easily disassembled for inspection and cleaning without tools. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,785 to Hsu discloses a measuring tape that is designed for fast and easy retraction of tape measures. The retracting mechanism is a hand crank that engages a reverse gear to retract the tape. No mechanism for cleaning the tape is disclosed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,567,085 to Roeske discloses a retractable measuring tape containing an opening in the tape housing. The opening, when the tape is in use, is sealed with a plug. The plug can be detached from the housing by a user to access the interior of the housing to remove debris therein. 
     Therefore, there remains a need for a measuring tape that retracts quickly but does not transport particulate materials and water into its protective housing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to measuring tapes, specifically to measuring tapes for use in harsh conditions on a construction site where moisture and dirt can render a measuring tape inoperable. The measuring tape of the present invention contains a wipe mechanism at the tape port to wipe the tape of any debris as it retracts into its housing assembly. The wipe mechanism contains an upper wipe and a lower wipe to clean the upper surface and lower surface, respectively, of the tape. 
     Methods for making the measuring tape of the present invention and retrofitting an existing tape measure to include a wipe mechanism are also disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing background and summary, as well as the following detailed description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a partially extended measuring tape of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded fragmentary view of the partially extended measuring tape of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows a fragmentary side view of the partially extended measuring tape of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows an exploded fragmentary view of a fully retracted measuring tape of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows an exploded disassembled view of the wipe mechanism; 
         FIG. 6  shows an elevational view of a retrofitting kit of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  shows an alternative position for the wipe mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     When referring to the figures, like reference numerals designate like elements throughout, while the different drawings may illustrate various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments illustrated and discussed herein are presented for the sole purpose of enabling one to make and use the invention, is not exhaustive, and should not be understood as limiting in any way. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements, dimensions, and instruments shown and described. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a length measurement device, more specifically, a measuring tape  100 . The measuring tape  100  includes a coilable tape  102  that is at least partially disposed within a housing assembly  104 . A variable-length segment of the tape  102  is retractable and extendable from the housing assembly  104  along a tape axis  106 . When extended from the housing assembly  104 , the extended portion of the tape  102  may form a concavo-convex cross sectional shape that includes a concave or top surface  108  of the tape  102  and a convex or bottom surface  109  of the tape  102 . Although a concavo-convex cross sectional shape is preferred in spring-loaded, automatically recoiling measuring tapes, a flat tape  102  is also sufficient for the present invention, particularly for the manual winding measuring tape. At least the top surface  108  of tape  102  includes indicia for taking measurements. 
     A hook assembly  110  is fixedly coupled to a first end portion  112  of the tape  102 . The hook assembly  110  includes a hook body  114  and an attachment portion  116  for fastening the hook assembly  110  to the first end portion  112  of the tape  102 .  FIG. 1  shows the attachment portion  116  may fastened to the first end portion  112  by rivets  118 , but other fasteners, such as adhesives, welds, folds, solders, etc., may also be appropriate for the present invention. In preferred embodiments, the attachment portion  116  forms a concavo-convex cross section complementary to that of the tape  102 . In some embodiments, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the attachment portion  116  may span the entire width of the tape  102 . In other embodiments, the attachment portion  116  may span only a portion, e.g. a center portion, of the tape (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) to facilitate the attachment of the hook assembly  110  to the tape  102 . A hook body  114  extends substantially perpendicular to the attachment portion  116 , and thus the tape  102 . The hook body  114  is configured to engage an end portion of a workpiece to be measured, such as a board or beam, and may contain serrations for secured engagement with the workpiece. In certain embodiments, the hook may also be magnetic for engaging ferromagnetic workpieces. The hook body  114  serves two functions: 1) to engage the workpiece; and 2) to provide the “0” mark indicating the starting point of the rule portion of the tape  102 . The hook assembly  110  may be allowed to float in the direction of the tape axis  106  an amount equivalent to the thickness of the hook body  114 . This allows for accurate inside and outside measurements to be read without having to account for the thickness of the hook body  114 . Although the hook body  114  is illustrated in the drawings as spanning the entire width of the tape  102 , that is not necessary, as it may span only a portion of the width of the tape  102 , as long, as it functions properly. 
     A second end of the tape  102  is coupled to the housing assembly  104 . The tape  102  is attached to a spool disposed within the cavity of the housing assembly  104 . A retraction mechanism is coupled to the spool to provide for retraction of the tape  102 . The retraction mechanism may involve a simple hand winding mechanism or a powered mechanism which may include an elongated coiled spring for motive force. A tape lock  120  is provided to selectively engage at least one of the spool and the retraction mechanism, such that the extended segment of the tape  102  remains at a desired length. 
     The housing assembly  104  includes a first side wall  122 , a second side wall  144 , and a peripheral wall  126  connecting the first side wall  122  and the second side wall  144 . Each of the first side wall  122  and the second side wall  124  may have circular or polygonal shapes or combinations thereof. The housing assembly  104  may typically be made of two halves: a first half containing the first side wall  122  and a portion of the peripheral wall  126 , and second half containing the second side wall  124  and a portion of the peripheral wall  126 . The two halves are then assembled to partially contain the tape  102  therebetween. The housing assembly  104  may be molded from plastic materials, including glass filed polymers, or may be cast, forged or machined from metallic materials, such as aluminum, steel, zinc, or brass, which are chosen for their impact resistance. Portions of the housing assembly  104  may be co-molded or separately formed. 
     A slot  128  is defined along a portion of the peripheral wall  126 . The slot  128  is provided to allow for sliding movement of the tape lock  120  relative to the housing assembly  104 . On another portion of the housing assembly  104 , a tape port  130  is provided to allow for the retraction and extension of the tape  102  to and from the internal cavity of the housing assembly  104 , as best shown in  FIG. 4 . Ideally, when in its fully retracted configuration, a small portion of the tape  102  should remain accessible outside of the housing assembly  104 , such that a user may grasp the end portion  112  of the tape  102  and extend the tape by pulling it away from the housing assembly  104 . The tape port  130  serves this purpose, allowing the measuring tape  102  to pass into the housing assembly  104  without binding. 
     A wipe mechanism  200  (as best shown in  FIGS. 2-4 ) is attached to the housing assembly  104  at the tape port  130  to wipe the tape  102  of any debris as it retracts into the housing assembly  104 . The wipe mechanism contains an upper wipe  202  and a lower wipe  204  that encloses the tape port  130 . The upper wipe  202  and the lower wipe  204  protrude away from the housing assembly  104  and are shaped such that they cooperate to provide a slit through which the tape  102  passes. In a preferred embodiment, the upper wipe  202  and lower wipe  204  provide a slit that mirrors the concavo-convex cross-sectional shape of the tape  102 . The upper wipe  202  is in contact with and presses against the top surface  108  of the tape  102 ; and the lower wipe  204  is in contact with and presses against the bottom surface  109  of the tape  102 . The upper wipe  202  may form an angle with the top surface  108  of the tape  102  of 0° to about 45°, preferably about 15° to about 25°, more preferably about 16° to about 20°. Likewise, the angle between the lower wipe  204  and the bottom surface  109  of the tape  102  may be at a similar range. The upper and low wipes  202 ,  204  cooperate to clean the top and bottom surfaces  108 ,  109 , respectively, of the tape  102  through a wiping action when the tape  102  retracts into the housing assembly. Due to friction created by the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  on the tape  102 , if the measuring tape  100  uses a spring to provide motive force for retraction, it is preferred that the spring used by the present invention produces a retraction force greater than springs normally used for ordinary tape measures. Preferably, the spring provides a force that is about 0.5 to about 2.0 lb. to overcome the friction from the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204 , more preferably about 1.0 to about 1.5 lb. The spring force should be sufficient to overcome friction between the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  and the tape  102  when the tape  102  is covered with debris after use. 
     The upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  are preferably made of a flexible, resilient material. Polymeric materials are preferred, including polyurethane, rubber, silicone, etc., with polyurethane being most preferred material. For example, a polyurethane having at least one, at least three, at least five, at least six, at least eight, or at least ten of the following physical characteristics, is appropriate for the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204 : 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Property 
                 Unit 
                 Value* 
                 Standard 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Durometer hardness 
                 SHORE A 
                 95 
                 DIN 53505 
               
               
                 Durometer hardness 
                 SHORE D 
                 48 
                 DIN 53505 
               
               
                 Density 
                 g/cm 3   
                 1.24 
                 DIN 53479 
               
               
                 Tensile strength 
                 N/mm 2   
                 50 
                 DIN 53504 
               
               
                 Elongation at break 
                 % 
                 380 
                 DIN 53504 
               
               
                 100% modulus 
                 N/mm 2   
                 17 
                 DIN 53504 
               
               
                 Compression set: 
                 % 
                 25 
                 — 
               
               
                 70° C./24 h, 20% compression 
               
               
                 Compression set: 
                 % 
                 30 
                 — 
               
               
                 100° C./24 h, 20% compression 
               
               
                 Compression set: 
                 % 
                 — 
                 DIN 53517 
               
               
                 70° C./70 h, 10% compression 
               
               
                 Tear strength 
                 N/mm 
                 120 
                 DIN 53515 
               
               
                 Rebound resilience 
                 % 
                   
                 DIN 53512 
               
               
                 Abrasion 
                 mm 3   
                 17 
                 DIN 53516 
               
               
                 Minimum service temperature 
                 ° C. 
                 −20 
                 — 
               
               
                 Maximum service temperature 
                 ° C. 
                 110 
                 — 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *The numerical data are valid for test pieces of the corresponding ISO, DIN and ASTM standards and can vary by 20%, preferably 10%, and more preferably 5%. 
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The polymeric material may be self-lubricating. Methods for making self-lubricating polymers are known in the art and are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,323,159 and 3,382,202, which are incorporated herein by reference. Generally, the polymer is made self-lubricating by adding a fatty acid amide, such as erucamide and/or crodamide, to the polymer. When in the polymer, the fatty acid amide blooms to the surface of the polymer to provide a lubricating layer on the surface. 
     The upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  may be attached to the housing assembly  104  as known in the art. For example, they may be molded directly to the tape port  130 . Alternatively, the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  may be attached to the tape port  130 , e.g. by an adhesive. In yet another alternative, the upper and lower wipes may be held in place by clamping them between the two halves of the housing assembly  104 . Preferably, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the tape port  130  has a generally a concavo-convex cross shape that matches and accommodates the tape  102 . The tape port  130 , however, is generally larger than the cross section of the tape  102 . The upper wipe  202  and the lower wipe  204  may be provided as two separate pieces, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Each of the wipes  202 ,  204  contains an attachment portion  502 ,  504 : the upper wipe  202  contains an upper attachment portion  502 ; and the lower wipe  204  contains a lower attachment portion  504 . These attachment portions  502 ,  504  are attached, e.g. by an adhesive, to the portions of the peripheral wall  126  immediately adjacent to the tape port  130 . The adhesive used may be, e.g., a hot melt adhesive or a cyanoacrylate. 
     Because the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  protrudes away from the housing assembly  104  and are made of a flexible material, it is generally undesirable to have the hook assembly  110 , when the tape is fully retracted, come into contact with the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204 . Repeated slamming and pushing of the hook assembly  110  against the wipes  202 ,  204  during retraction of tape  102  is likely to prematurely damage the wipes  202 ,  204 . As such, in preferred embodiments, the attachment portion  116  of the hook assembly  110  contains an elevated portion  206  extending toward the housing assembly  104  and rising away from the top surface  108  of the tape  102 , as best shown in  FIG. 4 . When the tape  102  retracts, the elevated portion  206  makes contact with the peripheral wall  126  above the upper wipe  202  (as best shown in  FIG. 4 ) to stop the tape  102  from further retracting into the housing assembly  104 . That way, the hook assembly  110  does not slam onto or press against the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  when the tape  102  is in its fully retracted position. Although  FIG. 4  shows the elevated portion  206  being part of the attachment portion  116 , the elevated portion  206  may also be formed and attached separately to the tape  102 . The elevated portion  206  may take on different configurations, as long as its functions to prevent the hook assembly  110  from slamming into or pressing against the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204  when the tape  102  is fully retracted. For example, although  FIG. 4  shows the elevated portion  206  being raised at an angle (preferably about 10° to about 45°, more preferably about 15° to about 30° from the surface  108  of the tape  102 , the elevated portion  206  may take on an S-shape or L-shape rather than a straight segment. 
     In an embodiment, as best illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the peripheral wall  126  contains a set back wall  700  where the tape port  130  and wipe mechanism  200  are located. The set back wall  700  allows the wipe mechanism  200  to be located further toward the rear  702  of the housing assembly  104  under a ledge  704  to further protect the tape  102  and the wipe mechanism  200 , when the tape is fully retracted. 
     In use, the tape  102  may be extended from the housing assembly  104  to be used for length measurement. As noted above, the environment in which the tape is used may contain particulate matters, such as sawdust, dirt, and powders from metal or masonry products, and water, which may adhere on and/or accumulate on the tape  102  when it is outside of the housing assembly  104 . When the tape  102  retracts back into housing assembly  104 , however, the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  204 , by being in contract with and pressing on tape  102 , remove the particulate materials and water that are on the tape. Essentially, the tape  102  is scraped clean by the upper and lower wipes  202 ,  205  before entering and does not carry debris into the housing assembly  104 . The retraction stops when the elevated portion  206  hits the peripheral wall  126  of the housing assembly  104 , thereby preventing the hook assembly  110  from hitting the upper and lower wipes. 
     It should be understood that although the above measuring tape  100  and methods for making thereof are described for a newly manufactured measuring tape, they could be used to add a wipe mechanism to an existing tape measure. Referring to  FIG. 6 , a retrofitting kit  600  may be provided, which contains a base plate  602  having an opening  604  therethrough. The opening  604  may be arc shaped to approximate the concavo-convex cross sectional shape of the tape  102  and to allow the tape  102  to pass therethrough. The opening  604  is covered with an upper wipe  608  and a lower wipe  606 , which substantially correspond to the upper and lower wipes  202  and  204 , and have the same shape and function. The retrofitting kit  600  may be attached over the tape port  130  of an existing tape measure to provide a mechanism for removing debris from the tape  102  as it retracts into the housing assembly  104 . 
     Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.