Patent ID: 8898922

Claim:
A tape measure, comprising: a housing having an exit port and a finger recess; a spring disposed in the housing; a tape blade having measuring indicia thereon, the tape blade moveable between a deployed configuration where the tape blade extends forwardly outward from the housing at the exit port and a retracted configuration where the tape blade is substantially retracted into the housing; the tape blade biased toward the retracted configuration by the spring; a lock movably disposed in the housing and movable between an unlocked position in spaced relation to the tape blade and a locked position engaged with an upper surface of the tape blade at a blade engagement location so as to inhibit retraction of the tape blade; wherein the tape blade exits the housing at the exit port in the deployed configuration; wherein a laterally central portion of an underside surface of the tape blade is externally exposed in the finger recess; wherein the exit port is disposed forwardly relative to the blade engagement location; wherein the finger recess is disposed rearwardly relative to the blade engagement location.