Tape measure with retraction spring adjacent to tape reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11226187-B2
Application number	US-201916534543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2019
Priority date	Jul 24, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A tool, such as a tape measure, including a spring-based retraction system is shown. The retraction system includes a spiral spring that is located outside of and adjacent to a tape reel about which a tape blade is wound. This arrangement provides for a decreased housing height which improves the ability to grip and handle the tape measure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tape measure comprising:
a housing;
an axle having a longitudinal axis, the axle is mounted within the housing;
a tape reel rotatably mounted within the housing around the axle, wherein the tape reel defines a radially outward-facing surface;
an elongate tape blade wound around the radially outward-facing surface of the tape reel; and
a spiral spring located within the housing, wherein when the elongate tape blade is unwound from the tape reel to extend from the housing the spiral spring stores energy, wherein the spiral spring releasing energy drives rewinding of the elongate tape blade on to the tape reel, and wherein no spring is located between the tape blade and the longitudinal axis in the radial direction, wherein the spiral spring is a first spiral spring and the tape measure comprises a second spiral spring located within the housing, and wherein the first spiral spring and the second spiral spring are located on opposing sides of the tape reel along the longitudinal axis.

2. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein no spring is located between the tape reel and the longitudinal axis in the radial direction.

3. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the first spiral spring, the second spiral spring, and the tape reel rotate around the longitudinal axis, and wherein the axle rotates with respect to the housing.

4. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the tape reel comprises a central barrel that defines the radially outward surface around which the tape blade is wound, a sidewall that extends radially outward-facing from the central barrel, and a spring wall that extends outward from the sidewall around the longitudinal axis, and wherein an outer end of the first spiral spring is coupled to the spring wall.

5. The tape measure of claim 1 , the tape measure further comprises a gear train that is coupled between the axle and the tape reel, wherein during extension of the elongate tape blade from the housing, each full rotation of the tape reel results in less than a full rotation of the axle.

6. The tape measure of claim 5 , wherein the gear train comprises a plurality of planetary gears and a central sun gear and has a gear ratio greater than 1.5.

7. A tape measure comprising:
a housing;
an axle having a longitudinal axis, the axle is mounted within the housing;
a tape reel rotatably mounted within the housing around the axle, the tape reel defining a radially outward-facing surface;
an elongate tape blade wound around the radially outward-facing surface of the tape reel; and
a spiral spring located within the housing, wherein when the elongate tape blade is unwound from the tape reel to extend from the housing the spiral spring stores energy, wherein the spiral spring releasing energy drives rewinding of the elongate tape blade on to the tape reel, and wherein no spring located within the housing has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the radially outward-facing surface of the tape reel, wherein the spiral spring defines a width less than half a width of the tape blade.

8. The tape measure of claim 7 , wherein the spiral spring is a first spiral spring and the tape measure comprises a second spiral spring located within the housing, and wherein the first spiral spring and the second spiral spring are located on opposing sides of the tape reel along the longitudinal axis.

9. The tape measure of claim 7 , wherein the tape reel comprises a central barrel that defines the radially outward-facing surface around which the tape blade is wound, a sidewall that extends radially outward from the central barrel, and a spring wall that extends outward from the sidewall around the longitudinal axis, and wherein an outer end of the spiral spring is coupled to the spring wall.

10. The tape measure of claim 7 , the tape measure further comprises a gear train that is coupled between the axle and the tape reel, wherein the gear train comprises a plurality of planetary gears and a central sun gear.

11. The tape measure of claim 10 , wherein the gear train provides a gear ratio during extension of the elongate tape blade from the housing such that tape reel rotations to axle rotations has a ratio between 2.5 and 4.5.

12. The tape measure of claim 7 , the housing defining a maximum height perpendicular to the tape blade during tape blade extraction, and the housing defining a maximum width parallel to the width of the tape blade, wherein a ratio of the maximum height to the maximum width is less than 2:1.

13. A tape measure comprising:
a housing;
an axle having a longitudinal axis, the axle is mounted within the housing;
a tape reel rotatably mounted within the housing around the axle, the tape reel defining a radially outward-facing surface and an inward-facing surface;
an elongate tape blade wound around the outward-facing surface of the tape reel; and
a spiral spring located within the housing, wherein when the elongate tape blade is unwound from the tape reel to extend from the housing the spiral spring stores energy, wherein the spiral spring releasing energy drives rewinding of the elongate tape blade on to the tape reel, and wherein a diameter of the axle is at least one-third of a diameter of the outward-facing surface of the tape reel.

14. The tape measure of claim 13 , wherein the axle comprises a cylindrical outer surface that extends along a majority of a length of the axle, and wherein the diameter of the axle is a diameter of the cylindrical outer surface.

15. The tape measure of claim 14 , wherein the axle rotates with respect to the housing, the tape measure further comprises a gear train that is coupled between the axle and the tape reel.

16. The tape measure of claim 15 , wherein the gear train comprises a plurality of planetary gears and a central sun gear.

17. The tape measure of claim 16 , wherein the gear train provides a gear ratio during extension of the elongate tape blade from the housing such that tape reel rotations to axle rotations has a ratio between 2.5 and 4.5.

18. The tape measure of claim 17 , wherein the gear ratio is between 3 and 4.

19. The tape measure of claim 18 , wherein there is no spring between the axle and the tape blade in the radial direction.

20. The tape measure of claim 13 wherein the spiral spring is a first spiral spring and the tape measuring comprises a second spiral spring located within the housing, and wherein the first spiral spring and the second spiral spring are located on opposing sides of the tape reel along the longitudinal axis.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Vitas Jonathan F

Classifications

• G01B3/1005 Primary

  Means for controlling winding or unwinding of tapes · CPC title

• G01B2003/103

  operated by springs · CPC title