Tape cutter

Abstract

To prevent rewinding of an adhesive tape by utilizing the adhesiveness of the adhesive tape, and to further simplify a support structure for a movable member that presses the adhesive tape against a tape fastening member. [Solution] The tape cutter of the present disclosure has a main body, a tape cutting blade, a tape fastening member, a movable member, and a biasing member. The tape fastening member is supported by the main body and fastens the adhesive tape by receiving adhesion from the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape. The movable member is supported by the main body so as to be movably brought into contact with and separated from the tape fastening member, and is biased by an elastic restoring force so as to press the tape fastening member. The biasing member is supported by the main body and biases the movable member by an elastic restoring force so that the movable member presses the tape fastening member. The movable member has holes or grooves at both ends. The main body further has a pair of protrusions that enter the holes or grooves of the movable member, thereby movably supporting the movable member.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape cutter, and more particularly to a technique for preventing a cut tape from being rewound. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional tape cutters have a drawback in that the cut adhesive tape rewinds and sticks to the surface of the adhesive tape, making it difficult to peel it off (see the abstract of Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a tape cutter that aims to solve this problem.

[0003] The tape cutter disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to solve the problem of rewinding by forming a cushion mounting plate by making two cuts in the tape mounting tube of the tape cutter, and mounting a cushion on the cushion mounting plate to provide an appropriate contact resistance between the inner circumference of the tape and the cushion (see the abstract of the same document). As a result, a resistance force equivalent to the resistance force preventing the tape from rewinding also acts when pulling out the tape, which creates the problem of requiring extra force to pull out the tape.

[0004] The tape cutter disclosed in Patent Document 2 was invented by the same inventor as the present application to solve this problem. This tape cutter has a pressing piece that prevents the rotation of an annular tape body formed by wrapping an adhesive tape around a ring by pressing the inner peripheral surface of the annular tape body, and is configured so that the pressing piece moves away from the inner peripheral surface of the annular tape body when the adhesive tape is pulled out.

[0005] The same inventor as in the present application wondered whether it would be possible to create a mechanism for preventing the rewinding of an adhesive tape by utilizing the adhesiveness of the adhesive tape, instead of the method of preventing the rotation of the annular tape body by pressing it. As a result, he came up with the tape cutters disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 5. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-140871 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7076661 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7418643 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 7429821 [Patent Document 5] Patent No. 7429822 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present inventor further considered whether it would be possible to simplify the structure in which the main body movably supports the movable member that presses the adhesive tape against the tape fastening member, as compared with the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 5. The present invention was made based on the inventor's awareness of such a problem, and aims to provide a tape cutter that utilizes the adhesiveness of the adhesive tape to prevent the tape from rewinding, and has a simpler support structure for the movable member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a tape cutter comprising a main body, a tape cutting blade, a tape fastening member, and a movable member. The main body has a tape holder that detachably and rotatably holds an annular tape body formed by winding an adhesive tape in a ring shape. The tape cutting blade is supported by the main body and cuts the adhesive tape pulled out from the annular tape body. The tape fastening member is supported by the main body and stops the adhesive tape by receiving adhesion from the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape. The movable member is movably supported by the main body so as to abut against and separate from the tape fastening member, and is biased by an elastic restoring force so as to press the tape fastening member. The tape fastening member and the movable member are positioned to sandwich each other midway along the path of the adhesive tape that is pulled out from the annular tape body and reaches the tape cutting blade, and the tape fastening member is positioned on the side of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape. The tape cutter further comprises a biasing member. The biasing member is supported by the main body and biases the movable member by the elastic restoring force so that the movable member presses the tape fastening member. The movable member has holes or grooves at both ends. The main body further has a pair of protrusions that enter the holes or grooves of the movable member, thereby movably supporting the movable member.

[0009] According to this configuration, when the adhesive tape is pulled out from the annular tape body in order to use it, the tension applied to the adhesive tape can push the movable member away from the tape fastening member. As a result, the adhesive tape is separated from the tape fastening member, and the adhesive tape can be pulled out smoothly. After the adhesive tape is cut by the tape cutting blade, the pulled-out adhesive tape no longer has tension, so the movable member presses the adhesive tape against the tape fastening member by the elastic restoring force of the biasing member. Since the tape fastening member is located on the side of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape, the pressed adhesive tape adheres to the tape fastening member. This prevents the adhesive tape from rewinding. The movable member has holes or grooves at both ends, and a pair of protrusions of the main body enter these holes or grooves, so that the movable member is movably supported by the main body, and the support structure of the movable member is simpler.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is a tape cutter according to the first aspect, wherein the main body portion is doubly openable and closable, and the movable member can be attached and detached by opening and closing the portion having the pair of protrusions, and the annular tape body can be replaced while the movable member is still supported by opening and closing the portion that holds the annular tape body while keeping the portion having the pair of protrusions closed.

[0011] According to this configuration, the annular tape body can be replaced while the movable member is supported by the main body, so that replacement of the annular tape body is easy.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a tape cutter according to the second aspect, wherein the main body further has a member for releasably holding the portion having the pair of protrusions in a closed state, and a member for releasably holding the portion holding the annular tape body in a closed state.

[0013] According to this configuration, the portion supporting the movable member is releasably held in a closed state, and the portion holding the annular tape body is releasably held in a closed state.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a tape cutter according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the hole or groove of the movable member is a hole, and the movable member has a rotating body rotatably supported on the main body portion.

[0015] According to this configuration, when the adhesive tape is pulled out, the rotor that presses the adhesive tape rotates, so that the adhesive tape can be pulled out more smoothly.

[0016] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a tape cutter according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the biasing member has a sponge body supported by the main body portion and biases the movable member by the elastic restoring force of its own compressive deformation as the elastic restoring force. According to this configuration, the biasing member can be simply configured. Effect of the Invention

[0017] As described above, according to the present invention, a tape cutter is realized which utilizes the adhesiveness of the adhesive tape to prevent the tape from being rewound, and which has a simpler support structure for the movable member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a tape cutter according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which an adhesive tape is held. [Diagram 2] This is a photo of the prototype of the tape cutter shown in Figure 1. [Diagram 3] This is a photograph of the prototype in Figure 2 after it has been unfolded and the adhesive tape has been removed. [Figure 4] 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the tape cutter in FIG. 1 in a state where the adhesive tape is being pulled out. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the tape cutter in FIG. 1 in a state where the adhesive tape is not being pulled out. FIG. [Figure 6]2 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of each part of the tape cutter in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an adhesive tape is being pulled out of a tape cutter according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the tape cutter in FIG. 7 in a state where the adhesive tape is not being pulled out. FIG. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are perspective views illustrating another configuration of the movable member applicable to each embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a tape cutter according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which it holds an adhesive tape. FIG. 2 is a photograph of a prototype of the tape cutter illustrated in FIG. 1. The width of the adhesive tape 5 attached to the prototype is about 5 cm. Both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are expressed with some perspective taken into account. This tape cutter 101 is configured as an industrial tape cutter that holds and cuts industrial adhesive tape, as an example. The tape cutter 101 has a main body 1 and a tape cutting blade 3.

[0020] The main body 1 has a tape holder 9 that detachably and rotatably holds the annular tape body 7 around which the adhesive tape 5 is wound in a circular shape. In the illustrated example, the tape holder 9 is a cylindrical body, and holds the annular tape body 7 by being inserted into the cavity of the annular tape body 7. As an example, the cylindrical tape holder 9 is set to have an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the annular tape body 7. As a result, the tape holder 9 holds the annular tape body 7 with some play. The tape cutting blade 3 is supported by the main body 1, and in the illustrated example, is fixed to the main body 1. The tape cutting blade 3 is used to cut the adhesive tape 5 pulled out from the annular tape body 7. As an example, the main body 1 is made of synthetic resin by integral molding, and the tape cutting blade 3 is made of metal.

[0021] A pair of tape fastening members 23 that fasten the adhesive tape 5 by receiving the adhesion of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 5 are supported on the main body 1. In the illustrated example, the tape fastening members 23 are molded integrally with the main body 1. The main body 1 further supports a movable member 25 movably on the main body 1 so as to abut against and move away from the tape fastening members 23. In the illustrated example, the movable member 25 is a hollow cylindrical rotating body. A pair of protrusions 31 formed on the left and right inner walls of the main body 1 enter a hollow portion, which is a kind of hole, of the movable member 25. The diameter of the protrusions 31 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion of the movable member 25. As a result, the movable member 25 is supported on the main body 1 movably and rotatably.

[0022] The main body 1 further supports a biasing member 33 for biasing the movable member 25 so that the movable member 25 presses the tape fastening member 23. In the illustrated example, the biasing member 33 is a leaf spring, and biases the movable member 25 by the elastic restoring force of bending deformation. The leaf spring constituting the biasing member 33 is made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin. The tape fastening member 23 and the movable member 25 are disposed at positions sandwiching each other midway along the path of the adhesive tape 5 that is pulled out from the annular tape body 7 and reaches the tape cutting blade 3. The tape fastening member 23 is positioned on the side of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 5, and the movable member 25 is positioned on the side of the non-adhesive surface.

[0023] In the illustrated example, the main body 1 has, in addition to the tape holder 9, left and right side walls 11 and a head wall 12 connecting them. The tape holder 9 is divided into left and right parts, with the left divided piece 15 connected to the left side wall 11 and the right divided piece 17 connected to the right side wall 11. The tape cutting blade 3 is supported by the head wall 12 by being embedded in the head wall 12 except for its tip. A pair of tape fastening members 23 protrude from the left and right side walls 11 so as to face each other. A gap is provided between the pair of tape fastening members 23 to facilitate the placement of the adhesive tape 5 between the tape fastening members 23 and the movable member 25. A protrusion 31 that supports the movable member 25 is provided on the left and right side walls 11. The base end (not shown) of the biasing member 33 that biases the movable member 25 is supported by the head wall 12.

[0024] In the illustrated example, the main body 1 is configured to be openable and closable. Linear grooves 13 are formed in the main body 1 along the linear connecting portions between the left and right side walls 11 and the head wall 12. The left and right side walls 11 can be folded or stretched relative to the head wall 12 along the connecting portions where the thickness is thinned by the grooves 13, thereby enabling the main body 1 to be opened and closed. Linear grooves 14 are formed in each of the left and right side walls 11 along the linear boundary portion that divides the side wall upper portion 16 and the side wall lower portion 18. The left and right side walls 11 themselves can be opened and closed along the boundary portion thinned by the linear grooves 14.

[0025] The left and right split pieces 15, 17 of the tape holder 9 are connected to the lower part 18 of the side wall. A pair of tape fastening members 23 are also connected to the lower part 18 of the side wall. A protrusion 31 supporting the movable member 25 is provided on the upper part 16 of the side wall. The reason why the main body 1 is configured to be doubly openable and closable is that by opening the main body 1 along the groove 13, the movable member 25 can be attached and detached, and by opening the main body 1 only along the groove 14, the annular tape body 7 can be replaced with the movable member 25 still attached.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a photograph of the prototype shown in Fig. 2 unfolded with the annular tape body 7 removed. As shown in the figure, the main body 1 (see Fig. 1) can be manufactured by integral molding of synthetic resin. In the example shown, the main body 1 is not opened along the groove 13 (see Fig. 1), but only along the groove 14 (see Fig. 1). That is, the side wall upper part 16 remains folded relative to the head wall 12, and only the side wall lower part 18 is opened relative to the side wall upper part 16. Therefore, the movable member 25 remains attached to the side wall upper part 16.

[0027] Thin-walled portions 19, 21 are formed at the opposing axial ends of the left and right divided pieces 15, 17 that constitute the tape holder 9. One thin-walled portion 19 is formed so that the inner peripheral surface is recessed at the axial end of the left divided piece 15. The other thin-walled portion 21 is formed so that the outer peripheral surface is recessed at the axial end of the right divided piece 17. The left divided piece 15 and the right divided piece 17 are connected to each other with the inner peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 19 and the outer peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 21 rubbing against each other. As a result, the connection state between the left divided piece 15 and the right divided piece 17 is maintained by the frictional force between the rubbing peripheral surfaces. The left divided piece 15 and the right divided piece 17 can be pulled apart from each other by applying a force exceeding the frictional force with a finger.

[0028] In this way, the left split piece 15 and the right split piece 17 are detachable from each other. A convex portion and a concave portion may be formed at corresponding positions on the inner peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 19 and the outer peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 21, and the left split piece 15 and the right split piece 17 may be maintained in a connected state by engaging them. When the left split piece 15 and the right split piece 17 are connected, a cylindrical tape holder 9 (see FIG. 1) is formed. At this time, the main body 1 is closed along both the grooves 13 and 14, and assumes the shape exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0029] As shown in the illustrated example, in order to maintain the state in which the side wall upper parts 16 are folded relative to the head wall 12, the left and right side wall upper parts 16 are connected to protruding members 34, 35 that protrude toward each other. In the illustrated example, the protruding members 34, 35 are molded integrally with the main body 1. As an example, the protruding members 34, 35 have thin-walled parts (not shown) at their tips, similar to the left and right divided pieces 15, 17 that constitute the tape holder 9, and the protruding members 34, 35 are connected to each other in a state in which these thin-walled parts rub against each other with frictional force. When the protruding members 34, 35 are connected to each other as shown in the illustrated example, they cannot approach each other any more, and also cannot freely separate from each other due to frictional force, so that the left and right side wall upper parts 16 maintain their folded position at a set angle relative to the head wall 12 as shown in the illustrated example.

[0030] 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the tape cutter 101 when the adhesive tape 5 is pulled out. In the illustrated example, the biasing member 33 that biases the movable member 25 is a leaf spring, and its base end is embedded in the head wall body 12. To use the tape cutter 101, the annular tape body 7 is attached to the tape holder 9, and the adhesive tape 5 is pulled out from the annular tape body 7. The pulled-out adhesive tape 5 is passed between the tape fastening member 23 and the movable member 25. The adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 5 that passes between the tape fastening member 23 and the movable member 25 faces the tape fastening member 23.

[0031] In order to use the adhesive tape 5, when the adhesive tape 5 is pulled out in a direction approaching the tape cutting blade 3 as shown in the figure, the tension applied to the pulled out adhesive tape 5 pushes the movable member 25 against the biasing force of the biasing member 33 and separates from the tape fastening member 23. The leading end of the pulled out adhesive tape 5 is applied to an object such as the surface of a cardboard box, and the main body 1 is moved in a direction retracting from the applied portion while being held in the hand, whereby the adhesive tape 5 is continuously unwound from the annular tape body 7 and the adhesive tape 5 can be continuously applied to the object. In this case as well, the tension of the pulled out adhesive tape 5 pulls the movable member 25 away from the tape fastening member 23. When the movable member 25 is pushed by the adhesive tape 5 and separates from the tape fastening member 23, the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 5 separates from the tape fastening member 23. For this reason, the adhesive tape 5 can be smoothly pulled out.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the tape cutter 101 in a state in which the adhesive tape 5 is not pulled out. When the pulled-out adhesive tape 5 is cut by the tape cutting blade 3, the pulled-out adhesive tape 5 loses tension, and the movable member 25 presses the adhesive tape 5 against the tape fastening member 23 by the biasing force of the biasing member 33. Since the tape fastening member 23 is located on the side of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 5, the pressed adhesive tape 5 adheres to the tape fastening member 23. This prevents the adhesive tape 5 from rewinding. When the adhesive tape 5 is pulled out again, as described above, the movable member 25 moves in a direction away from the tape fastening member 23, so that the adhesive tape 5 moves away from the tape fastening member 23 and the state in which the adhesive tape 5 adheres to the tape fastening member 23 is released. As described above, in the tape cutter 101, by utilizing the adhesive force of the adhesive tape 5, the pulled-out adhesive tape 5 is prevented from being rewound, and the adhesive tape 5 can be pulled out without receiving resistance as great as the resistance force that prevents the rewinding.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of each part of the tape cutter 101. FIG. 6(a) illustrates the support structure of the movable member 25. As already described, the side wall upper part 16 and the side wall lower part 18 constituting the left and right side walls 11 (see FIG. 1) of the main body 1 can be folded along the linear groove 14. Similarly, the head wall 12 and the side wall upper part 16 of the main body 1 can be folded along the linear groove 13. The protrusion 31, which supports the movable member 25 by entering the hollow part of the movable member 25, has a space between itself and the inner wall surface of the hollow part, so that the movable member 25 can abut against the tape fastening member 23 or move away from the tape fastening member 23. The protrusion 31 is connected to the side wall upper part 16. Therefore, by opening the lower part 18 of the side wall relative to the upper part 16 of the side wall while closing the upper part 16 of the side wall relative to the head wall 12, it is possible to replace the annular tape body 7 (see Figure 1) with the movable member 25 supported by the main body 1.

[0034] Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the protruding members 34, 35 (see Fig. 3). The protruding members 34, 35 have their base ends connected to the side wall upper portion 16. In the illustrated example, the protruding members have a protruding portion on one end and a recessed portion on the other end, which engage with each other by frictional force. This allows the protruding members 34, 35 to be connected to each other.

[0035] Fig. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the left split piece 15 and the right split piece 17 that constitute the tape holder 9 (see Fig. 1). As already described, the left split piece 15 and the right split piece 17 have thin-walled portions 19, 21, respectively, at the axial ends that face each other. The left split piece 15 and the right split piece 17 are detachably connected to each other with the inner peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 19 and the outer peripheral surface of the thin-walled portion 21 rubbing against each other.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a tape cutter according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this tape cutter 102, the biasing member 33 that biases the movable member 25 is a sponge body. The sponge body is made of a soft porous synthetic resin that is widely known for use in home kitchens. In the illustrated example, the biasing member 33, which is a sponge body, is supported by the main body 1 by being sandwiched between a pair of plate-like bodies 41 protruding from the bottom surface of the head wall body 12 of the main body 1. As an example, the biasing member 33 is fixed to the bottom surface of the head wall body 12 by an adhesive. FIG. 7 illustrates the tape cutter 102 in a state in which the adhesive tape 5 is pulled out.

[0037] Fig. 8 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the tape cutter 102 in a state where the adhesive tape 5 is not pulled out. As can be seen from Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the biasing member 33 made of a sponge body also serves the function of biasing the movable member 25 against the tape fastening member 23, similar to the biasing member 33 (see Figs. 4 and 5) formed as a leaf spring, and has a simpler configuration.

[0038] 9 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the movable member 25 of the tape cutters 101 and 102. The movable member 25 illustrated in FIG. 9(a) has grooves 43 formed at both ends in the main axis direction instead of a hollow portion. The pair of grooves 43 extend parallel to each other. A pair of protrusions 31 connected to the main body 1 enter the pair of grooves 43, thereby guiding the movable member 25 in the extending direction of the grooves 43. In the illustrated example, the protrusions 31 have a rectangular cross-sectional shape to prevent the movable member 25 from rotating around the protrusions 31 and falling off the protrusions 31, thereby restricting the rotation of the movable member 25.

[0039] 9(b) has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. As in this example, the movable member 25 does not have to be cylindrical as long as its rotation is prevented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 main body portion, 3 tape cutting blade, 5 adhesive tape, 7 annular tape body, 9 tape holder, 11 side wall body, 12 head wall body, 13 groove, 14 groove, 15 left side partition piece, 16 upper part of side wall body, 17 right side partition piece, 18 lower part of side wall body, 19 thin portion, 21 thin portion, 23 tape fastening member, 25 movable member, 31 protrusion, 33 biasing member, 34, 35 protruding members, 41 plate-shaped body, 43 groove, 101, 102 tape cutter.

Claims

1. A tape cutter, a main body having a tape holder for detachably and rotatably holding a circular tape body formed by winding an adhesive tape in a circular shape; a tape cutting blade supported by the main body portion and configured to cut the adhesive tape pulled out from the annular tape body; a tape fastening member that is supported by the main body and fastens the adhesive tape by receiving adhesion from an adhesive surface of the adhesive tape; a movable member that is movably supported by the main body portion so as to come into contact with and separate from the tape fastening member, and that is biased by an elastic restoring force so as to press the tape fastening member, the tape stopper member and the movable member are positioned to sandwich the adhesive tape along a path from the annular tape body to the tape cutting blade, and the tape stopper member is positioned on the side of the adhesive surface of the adhesive tape, The tape cutter further includes a biasing member supported by the main body and configured to bias the movable member by the elastic restoring force so that the movable member presses the tape fastening member, the movable member is a rotating body having circular holes at both ends, The main body portion further has a pair of protrusions that enter the circular hole of the movable member and have a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole, thereby supporting the movable member movably and rotatably.

2. 2. The tape cutter of claim 1, wherein the main body can be opened and closed in a doubly manner, and the movable member can be attached and detached by opening and closing the portion having the pair of protrusions, and the annular tape body can be replaced while the movable member is supported by opening and closing the portion that holds the annular tape body while keeping the portion having the pair of protrusions closed.

3. 3. The tape cutter according to claim 2, wherein the main body further includes a member that releasably holds the portion having the pair of protrusions in a closed state, and a member that releasably holds the portion that holds the annular tape body in a closed state.

4. 4. The tape cutter according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member has a sponge body supported by the main body portion and biases the movable member by an elastic restoring force of its own compressive deformation as the elastic restoring force.

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