Tape measure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11768066-B2
Application number	US-202117554962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2021
Priority date	Mar 6, 2012
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A tape measure includes a housing having a wall defining an internal cavity and a tape port, a coilable measuring tape disposed within the internal housing and having a first end extendable out of the housing, and an end hook member including an attachment portion and a hook portion. The attachment portion is arranged to engage the first end of the tape to attach the end hook member to the tape. The hook portion extends in a direction normal to the attachment portion and includes a first face and a second face arranged to engage the workpiece. A finger guard extends from the housing, and is configured to engage the hook member, and a finger space is defined between the tape port and the finger guard and is arranged to receive a user's finger during operation of the tape measure such that the user's finger engages the measuring tape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tape measure comprising:
a housing defining a tape port;
a spool assembly disposed within the housing;
a coilable measuring tape coupled to the spool assembly and having a first end extendable out of the housing through the tape port;
a retraction mechanism coupled to the spool assembly configured to provide powered retraction of the measuring tape onto the spool assembly;
an end hook member coupled to the first end of the measuring tape;
a guard member extending from the housing at location in front of the tape port, the guard member having a front surface configured to engage a portion of the end hook member when the measuring tape is fully retracted;
a gap defined between the tape port and the guard member; and
a tape lock configured for sliding movement within a slot defined along a forward wall portion of the housing, wherein the slot is located above the gap.

2. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the a rear face of the end hook member contacts a front face of the guard member when the measuring tape is fully retracted.

3. The tape measure of claim 1 , further comprising a guard support member supporting the guard member from the housing and wherein the forward wall portion of the housing has curved shape, wherein the tape lock is located above the gap.

4. The tape measure of claim 3 , wherein the guard member includes a U-shaped guard member.

5. The tape measure of claim 3 , wherein the guard member is formed of metal.

6. The tape measure of claim 3 , wherein the guard support member is formed of an impact resistant material.

7. The tape measure of claim 3 , wherein the guard support member is formed of a material that is more resilient than the housing.

8. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the gap extends in a first direction between the tape port and the guard member, and wherein the housing includes a lowermost surface, and the gap is recessed above the lowermost surface into the housing to provide space for a user's finger in a second direction substantially normal to the first direction.

9. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the guard member inhibits contact between the end hook member and a user's finger when the user's finger is positioned within the gap.

10. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the guard member defines an opening sized to allow passage of the measuring tape into the housing through the tape port and sized to inhibit passage of the end hook member into the housing.

11. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein a user's finger slidingly engages the measuring tape in the gap and the gap is sized to receive a user's finger and the guard member limits contact between the user's finger and the end hook member when the user's finger is disposed in the gap during tape usage.

12. The tape measure of claim 1 , wherein the end hook member comprises an attachment portion and a hook portion and the attachment portion is coupled to the first end of the measuring tape, the hook portion comprising:
an upper portion extending in a direction away from the attachment portion above the measuring tape; and
a lower portion extending in a direction away from the attachment portion below the measuring tape.

13. The tape measure of claim 12 , wherein the front surface of the guard member is a forward-most surface of the guard member such that the portion of the end hook member engages the forward-most surface of the guard member when the measuring tape is fully retracted.

14. The tape measure of claim 13 , wherein the front surface of the guard member that engages the portion of the end hook member is a vertical surface.

15. The tape measure of claim 12 , wherein the upper portion of the end hook member comprises a left upper portion extending above an upper surface of the measuring tape and a right upper portion extending above the upper surface of the measuring tape.

16. The tape measure of claim 15 , wherein the portion of the end hook member that engages the guard member comprises surfaces of the left upper portion and the right upper portion.

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Burch Wade F
• Fischer Scott R
• Steele Michael S
• Khangar Abhijeet A

Classifications

• G01B3/1056 Primary

  Tape end arrangements, e.g. end-hooks · CPC title

• G01B3/1071 Primary

  Separate means for supporting or affixing measuring tapes · CPC title

• G01B3/1003

  characterised by structure or material; characterised by layout or indicia · CPC title