Patent ID: 12187567

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the structural embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG.2is a perspective view of a basic embodiment of the present invention, andFIG.1is a front view (with the tape roll4installed). The tape dispenser of this embodiment includes a main body1, a blade2and an adhesive portion3. The main body1is further provided with a tape-holding portion11which is an annular hollow boss for holding a tape roll4; the tape roll4can be rotated around the hollow boss to release the tape; the main body1further includes a portion for grip12which covers the outer edge of the tape roll4to prevent it from falling off; The portion for grip12and the other part of the main body1are usually connected by hinge to achieve relative rotation (the hinge structure is not illustrated in the figure), so that it can support tape rolls of different sizes. The blade2is arranged on the main body1, and is usually a blade with a jagged edge. The surface of the adhesive portion3is coated or covered with pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive portion3is mounted under the blade2(the up and down orientations are described as in the front view) and protrudes from the main body1. The operation process of using is as follows: first pull out the tape and stick it onto the object6which is to be taped (usually a corrugated carton,FIG.3), then hold the tape dispenser with your hand and pull it back. The tape roll is passively rotated to release the tape. After the first application of tape is completed, the operator manually adjusts the angle of the tape dispenser (as shown inFIG.3, where the NO.6is the object to be taped), so that the blade2touches the back of the tape41. The tape41should have been tightened at this time and bypassed the adhesive portion3, so a pressure to the adhesive portion3will be generated. Thus the adhesive portion3will stick to the back of the tape as there is pressure-sensitive adhesive on the surface of the adhesive portion3. When a torsion force is further applied as shown by the arrow inFIG.3, the tape41is further tightened, so the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the surface of the adhesive portion3contacts the back of the tape more fully and sticks thereto tighter. The blade2penetrates the tape41further until it is completely cut off After the tape is cut, the back of the tape's end is adhered to the adhesive portion3, so that no fluttering or re-adhesion occurs, and the sticky side of the tape remains outward. When applying a tape next time, as shown inFIG.4, you don't need to look for the tape's end or pull out the tape's end by hand. You need only align the sticky surface of the tape's end directly to the object6; press the tape's end onto the object6via the adhesive portion3of the tape dispenser, and then slightly lift the tape dispenser to separate the adhesive portion3from the back of the tape's end, and the tape's end sticks to the object6. When the above-mentioned “lifting tape dispenser operation” is done, the tape's end may be separated from the object6and still kept on the adhesive portion3. This situation should be avoided as much as possible. Therefor a right pressure-sensitive adhesive with a suitable initial adhesion force can be selected to act as the adhesive on the surface of the adhesive portion3. Those skilled in the art can balance the initial adhesion force according to the following two points. First, after the tape is cut by the blade, the adhesive portion3can stick constantly and stably to the tape's end to make it difficult to fall off from the adhesive portion3; second, after the above-mentioned “lifting tape dispenser operation”, the adhesive force between the sticky side of the tape's end and the object6(usually a corrugated box) is greater than the adhesive force between the back of the tape's end and the adhesive portion3. Since the corrugated box of the object to be taped6has a rough paper surface, its adhesion to the tape is very strong, while the back side of the tape is very smooth and relatively easy to peel off after being adhered to the adhesive portion3. Therefore, it is a bit easy to achieve the above two points at the same time. In addition, the inventor found a small trick in repeated operation experiments: before performing the above-mentioned “lifting tape dispenser operation”, pressing the tape's end against the surface of the object6and holding the tape dispenser for some slight squeezing or rotating (repeatedly slightly raising and pressing down) is beneficial for the tape's end to stick firmly to the object6and separate from the adhesive portion3. If all the above measures are taken and the tape's end still cannot be separated from the adhesive portion3, one can use fingers of the other hand to assist in pressing the furthest free portion42of the tape's end onto the object6, as shown inFIG.4. There is a certain gap between the edge of the blade and the object6. If the gap is too small, you can slightly rotate the tape dispenser to lift the edge of the blade so that your finger(s) can reach and press the furthest free part42of the tape's end, which will certainly make the tape's end separated from the adhesive portion3and stuck to the object6. When the tape's end is attached to the object to be taped6and the tape dispenser is raised, you could hold the tape dispenser and pull it rightwards to continuously release the tape. At this time, you can also press the released tape with your other hand, making it attached closely to the object6. During continuous operation, because the tape's end is always kept in the state that the sticky side faces outward and able to be directly pressed onto the object6each time, the whole process is very smooth. Even if the other hand is occasionally required to assist in, it is only a simple auxiliary operation that does not require attention, which is very convenient and easy.

Regarding the relative positional relationship of the blade2, the adhesive portion3and the main body1:

The blade2is generally fixed on the main body1, usually with a toothed edge, and its teeth should be designed with clearance around (number9inFIG.4), that is, there is no object blocking in a certain space around, so that the teeth can fully penetrate the tape to cut it off (seeFIG.3). The blade2can also be made telescopic, which can slide relative to the main body1. Normally, the blade2is retracted into the main body1due to an elastic mechanism. At this situation, there is no need to make a clearance design around the blade teeth. In the using state shown inFIG.3, just push the blade out by hand. Regardless of the design of the blade2, the positional relationship between the blade2and the adhesive portion3must be satisfied: when the tape is cut by the blade2, the adhesive portion3can contact and stick to the back of the tape's end. In the basic embodiment of the present invention, as shown inFIG.4, a clearance design is made under the teeth of the blade2, that is, the gap9between the blade2and the adhesive portion3. The width of the gap9, namely, the distance D between the edge of the blade2and the edge of the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the adhesive portion3is generally set to 5-15 mm, preferably 10 mm, and this distance D is approximately equal to the length of the furthest free portion42of the tape's end after the tape is cut. The free portion42of the tape's end will not be stuck by the adhesive portion3, and with the hardness and thickness of the commonly used tape in the market, if the length is within about 15 mm, there will be no flapping and sticking backward. Adopting the design of clearance to form the furthest free part42of the tape's end has the following advantages: after pressing the tape's end onto the object6as shown inFIG.4, the furthest free part42of the tape's end, along with the tape's end as a whole, can easily be attached to the object6. While the adhesive portion3does not stick to the back side of the free part42of the tape's end, so when the adhesive portion3is lifted, it is easy to peel off from the tape's end which could also be held down with a fingertip of the other hand. (Described foregoing).

The adhesive portion3is mounted under the blade2and protrudes from the main body1. What is the specific extent of the protrusion referred to in the present invention? It should be understood that: in the operating position shown inFIG.4, when the adhesive portion3is in close contact with the object6(with the tape's end in between), all other parts of the tape dispenser (including the blade2and the main body1) and the tape roll4are all located above the object6without contacting it, so as to ensure that “the adhesive portion3can press the tape's end onto the object to be taped6”.

According to the above teachings and referring to the specific structures of the embodiments shown in the drawings of the present invention, those skilled in the art can understand how to design the relative positions of the blade2, the adhesive portion3and the main body1and the size of each part. All modifications and variations of designs made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the principles of the present invention fall within the claimed protection scope of the present invention.

Pressure-sensitive adhesive is a kind of viscous compound, and essentially a viscoelastic body with both liquid viscosity and solid elastic properties. It is widely used in various easy-to-tear stickers, label's adhesives, and display glass's adhesives, and the sealing tape used for packaging. The pressure-sensitive adhesive is not easy to cure in the air and does not need to be cured after bonding, so it is easy to stick and tear. The bonding process is very sensitive to pressure. A lightly pressing or even lightly contact can make the adhesive adhere to the surface of the adherend, so it is called pressure-sensitive adhesive. The most widely used in the industry are rubber and acrylic ester pressure-sensitive adhesives, both of which can be used in the present invention. Acrylic ester pressure-sensitive adhesive is preferred, because it is used to make packaging tapes. Commonly used packaging tapes take BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene film) as the base material, and coat with acrylic ester emulsion evenly and then go through heating and drying to finally make it; Acrylic ester emulsion is a kind of emulsion polymerized under certain conditions by acrylic acid and acrylic esters, plus other auxiliary ingredients. The invention adopts acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive to stick to the back of the tape's end, and the bonding effect is very good, and after multiple peeling and pasting cycles, it can still provide durable, stable and suitable bonding force. Pressure-sensitive adhesive is a high developed industrial product. There are various formulas and processes to achieve different effects. Those skilled in the art can choose according to their needs. The Pressure-sensitive adhesive with an initial adhesive force of about 12 # (steel ball) is preferred. There are many finished double-sided tapes made of pressure-sensitive adhesives on the market, which can be directly used in the present invention. For instance, cutting the pressure-sensitive double-sided tapes (preferably 0.1-0.2 mm thickness) into suitable sizes and attaching them close to the adhesive portion3. While the tape dispenser of the present invention is used for taping, after each operation is completed, the adhesive portion3will stick to the back of the tape's end, and be peeled off when the next time operation is started, so the adhesive portion3and the back of the tape's end are repeatedly adhered and separated. After such a long cycle, the double-sided tape material on the adhesive portion3will eventually lose its viscosity. At this time, a new layer of double-sided tape can be attached to the original double-sided tape to restore the stickiness. The pressure-sensitive double-sided tape can be cut into suitably sized ones and made into consumables for users to stick by themselves, which is very convenient and low in cost. If the double-sided tapes covered on the adhesive portion3are with a lot of layers and too thick and affects the use effect, you can use a knife to shovel it all off and then stick a new one on again. In addition to adopting the finished pressure-sensitive double-sided tape, the surface of the adhesive portion3can also be directly coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive portion3is generally made of plastic or metal material. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be formed by coating the surface of the adhesive portion3with acrylic ester emulsion and then drying.

The adhesive portion3and the main body1may be integrally formed, or the adhesive portion3may also be an independent part fixed on the main body1. As a further improvement, the adhesive portion3and the main body1may be detachably connected.FIGS.5-8show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the adhesive portion3and the main body1are detachably connected in a snap-fit manner. As shown inFIG.5, a mounting seat13is fixed in the main body1and provided with two circular blind holes and a square through hole. And the adhesive portion3is provided with two protruded cylinders and a cantilever hook31. The two protruded cylinders on the adhesive portion3can be inserted into the two circular blind holes on the mounting seat13; the cantilever hook31on the adhesive portion3can be inserted into the square through hole on the mounting seat13and pass through the through hole to mate with the inside surface of the mounting seat13to achieve snap-fit fastening. When disassembling, as shown inFIG.6, just push the hook31from the inside of the tape dispenser to make the cantilever beam bent backward to unsnap the connection, and then the adhesive portion3can be pulled out. With the above-mentioned detachable connection way, the adhesive portion3can be quickly replaced by a new one after the pressure-sensitive adhesive thereon loses its viscosity. The adhesive portion can be provided as a consumable, and be coated or put on with the pressure-sensitive adhesive at the factory. The worn-out adhesive portions3can be collected and returned to the factory for getting new pressure-sensitive adhesive to restore viscosity, thus becoming recyclable. Of course, the detachable connection in this embodiment can also be fulfilled in other common ways, such as by magnetic attraction.

The basic embodiment of the present invention still has defects: when using the tape dispenser to press the tape's end onto the object to be taped and then raise the tape dispenser, the tape's end may be separated from the object and still stay on the adhesive portion3. In order to improve this situation, the adhesive tape dispenser of the present invention further includes a non-adhesive portion5, seeFIGS.9and10which are the third embodiment of the present invention. The non-adhesive portion5is provided under the adhesive portion3. The non-adhesive portion5and the adhesive portion3are integrally formed as with coplanar outer surfaces, and both protrude from the main body1. As shown inFIG.10, the adhesive portion3has adhesive on the surface (indicated by dotted shading), and the non-adhesive portion5has no adhesive on the surface. The lower edge of the non-adhesive portion5can also play a role in guiding and flattening the dispensed tape, and can also press down the dispensed tape during the taping process to make it closer to the object which is to be taped, thereby facilitating sticking. The lower part of the non-adhesive portion5can be provided with a rounded edge, so that the dispensed tape can pass over the edge more smoothly and get lower possibility of being scratched or damaged when passing. After the tape is cut by the blade2, the non-adhesive portion5contacts the back of the tape's end, and the tape's end is only stuck to the adhesive portion3. In the next use, the non-adhesive portion5and the adhesive portion3can jointly press the tape's end onto the object to be taped. The front of the tape in this whole area will adhere to the object to be taped, but the back of the tape will only be stuck to the area of the adhesive portion3. The area between the front of the tape and the object to be taped is much larger than the area between the back of the tape and the adhesive portion3, so the adhesion force to the front of the tape is much greater than the adhesion force to the back of the tape. When the tape dispenser is raised, it can be ensured that the tape's end is separated from the adhesive portion3and remains tightly adhered to the object to be taped, and then the tape dispenser is held in hand and moved back to continue dispensing the tape. This embodiment makes it possible to perform continuous operation with one hand without the necessity for the other hand to assist in pressing the terminal of the tape's end every time the taping is applied.

FIGS.11and12show a fourth embodiment of the invention. The difference from the third embodiment is that the surfaces of the adhesive portion3and the non-adhesive portion5are not coplanar, and their intersecting ridge line is slightly protruded outward. It should still meet: the adhesive portion3and the non-adhesive portion5both protrude from the main body1, that is: in the operating state shown inFIG.12, the non-adhesive portion5and the adhesive portion3can both press the tape's end onto the object6to be taped, which can be achieved by slightly rotating the tape dispenser back and forth in the direction shown by the arrow7. The entire area of the tape's end will be fully and firmly attached to the object6, and then the tape dispense will be raised by putting up the tip of the blade first. The adhesive portion3certainly will be peeled off from the back of the tape's end, and the entire tape's end remains attached to the object6, and then the tape dispenser is moved backward by hand to continue dispensing the tape. In this embodiment, one-handed continuous operation can also be fulfilled.

The second embodiment of the present invention shown inFIGS.5-8also includes the non-adhesive portion5. The non-adhesive part5is a rotatable roller which is arranged on the main body1with a rotating shaft (not shown in the figure). Both the adhesive portion3and the non-adhesive portion5protrude from the main body1, that is, in the operating state shown inFIG.8, the non-adhesive portion5and the adhesive portion3can both press the tape's end onto the object to be taped6. The tape's end in the entire area between the non-adhesive portion5and the adhesive portion3will fully adhere to the object to be taped6, but the back of the tape's end is only stuck by the adhesive portion3, and then the tape dispense will be raised by putting up the tip of the blade first, the adhesive portion3must be peeled off from the back of the tape's end, and the entire tape's end remains firmly attached to the object6. Then the operator holds the tape dispenser and moves it backward to make it continue to dispense the tape. Meanwhile, the roller-shaped non-adhesive portion5can constantly press against and roll on the object6, so as to flatten and compress the dispensed tape onto the object6. To realize this operation, it is necessary to design an appropriate size of the roller5so that when the tape is dispensed onto the object to be taped6via rolling and pressing, other parts of the tape dispenser and the tape roll should not touch the object6. In this embodiment, one-handed continuous operation can also be fulfilled.

FIG.13shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the basic embodiment is that the surface of the adhesive portion3is curved. The adhesive portion3may be a complete cylinder fixed on the main body1, and an appropriate area of the protruded surface is treated to be sticky. The advantage is: while the angle of the tape dispenser is adjusted to make the blade2cut the tape, the back of the tape will gradually cover the arc-shaped adhesive portion3in a line contact manner until it is guided to the blade, which can make the operation process more stable, better experienced, and reduce the occurrence of tape's end wrinkles.

Upon the teaching of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make some changes to the specific embodiments of the present invention. For example, the sixth embodiment shown inFIG.14has been changed, compared to the second embodiment, as follows: the shape and structure of the main body1are changed; the structure and position of the tape-holding portion are changed; and a gripping handle8is added. But the principle of the present invention is still applied, and it still belongs to the protection scope of the present invention.