Patent ID: 6971431

Claim:
A tape dispenser for applying tape to a substrate surface, the tape having a first surface with a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon and a second surface, the dispenser comprising: a housing suitable for holding and dispensing a roll of tape, the housing including an exterior application surface having a tape dispensing opening therein; a plurality of rotatable cylindrical rollers with outer surfaces rotatably mounted within the housing, wherein the surfaces of the rollers coact with each other and the tape surfaces to retain, guide and feed the tape through the tape dispensing opening to the exterior application surface, wherein at least two of the plurality of rollers are opposed rollers that engage the tape surfaces therebetween; wherein the outer surface of at least one of the plurality of rollers protrudes through the application surface on one side of the opening enabling frictional contact of the roller surface with the substrate surface; wherein a cutting blade having a cutting edge is fixedly mounted to the application surface, the cutting edge facing into the housing; whereby when the application surface of the tape dispenser is drawn over the substrate surface in one direction, the outer surface of the roller frictionally engages the substrate surface causing the roller to roll along the substrate surface and to coact and drive the outer surfaces of the other rollers of the plurality of rollers causing them to grip the surfaces of the tape to thereby feed the tape through the opening enabling the first surface of the tape with the pressure sensitive adhesive thereon to contact the substrate surface and adhere thereto, and when the dispenser is moved in a direction different than the one direction, the tape is cut by the blade and retained in the housing between the two opposed rollers.