Roller Tape Measure With Extendable Hook For Flexible Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing measuring devices, including tape measures, face challenges in accurately and efficiently measuring the sizes of flexible materials like textiles during quality inspection, particularly in industrial settings where precise, non-destructive measurements are necessary for quality control and sampling inspection.
Innovation Solution
A roller tape measure with an integrated, extendable hook and electronic reading system that allows for precise placement and measurement of flexible materials, featuring a straight reading edge, optical indicia for easy reading, and a contactless charging mechanism, enabling reliable and efficient measurement with the option for electronic data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional tape measure is used for measuring flexible materials, then the device is simple and easy to manufacture, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient due to difficulty in achieving uniform measuring conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device is segmented into distinct functional components: a housing containing the tape measure mechanism, an extendable hook portion with straight reading edge, and an electronic reading system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall system manageability and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional purely mechanical reading methods with an electronic reading system that uses optical sensors and digital processing. This substitution significantly improves measurement precision by eliminating human reading errors and providing consistent, repeatable measurements across multiple products.
2Productivity
If manual measurement methods are used during quality inspection, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity and inspection speed are insufficient for measuring large numbers of products
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic reading system with optical sensors and digital display replaces manual visual reading, enabling faster and more consistent measurement data acquisition. This allows inspectors to process measurements more quickly while maintaining high precision, directly improving productivity in quality inspection settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates self-reading capabilities through electronic sensors that automatically detect and record measurement values without requiring manual reading or interpretation. This self-service feature reduces inspection time and increases productivity by eliminating the need for operators to manually read and record each measurement.
3Ease of operation
If the hook is made extendable to assist with stretching and placement, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The hook is merged with the tape measure assembly, combining the stretching function and the measuring function into a single integrated component. The straight reading edge on the hook serves dual purposes: it assists in positioning the tape measure correctly while also providing a reference edge for accurate reading, thereby improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.
4Measurement precision
If electronic reading and wireless transmission components are added, then the measurement precision and data collection efficiency improve, but the weight and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic reading system with optical sensors replaces traditional mechanical reading mechanisms, providing superior measurement precision through digital detection. While this adds some weight, the gain in measurement accuracy and consistency far outweighs the minimal weight increase, especially in quality inspection where precision is critical.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments relate to a roller tape measure comprising a housing and a flexible measuring tape that is in operative connection with the housing and that includes scale indicia on a surface thereof. The measuring tape extends within an interior area of the housing and includes a length portion that is selectively variably extendable and retractable from the housing interior area. The housing includes a hook in operative connection therewith that is movable between an extended position and a retracted position independently of extension and retraction of the measuring tape. The hook includes a hook bend portion with a measuring edge that extends perpendicular the measuring tape surface to facilitate reading of the scale indicia for measurement. In the extended position of the hook, the hook is configured to engage an article of flexible material to enable a portion of the article to be stretched for measurement.