WO2007031979A1

WO2007031979A1 - Tape measure end hook

Info

Publication number: WO2007031979A1
Application number: PCT/IL2005/000980
Authority: WO
Inventors: Uri Sa'ar
Original assignee: Kapro Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Kapro Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2005-09-14
Filing date: 2005-09-14
Publication date: 2007-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-14

Abstract

A tape measure for use with a frame having a top surface and an external corner with a vertex, the tape measure including a measuring tape with a downwardly slotted end hook with a slot extending down from the measuring tape such that the end hook is capable of being snugly anchored onto the frame's external corner with the vertex protruding therethrough and the measuring tape lying flat on the frame's top surface.

Description

TAPE MEASURE END HOOK

Field of the Invention

The invention is in the field of tape measures.

Background of the Invention Do-It- Yourselfers and professional tradesmen employ analog and/or digital tape measures including a housing with a retractable measuring tape having a flat end hook for serving as a finger grasp for selectively pulling the measuring tape from the housing for taking length measurements and ensuring that the measuring tape does not fully retract into the housing after use thereby rendering the tape measure useless. End hooks can have a curved end surface or a small cutout for catching on a nail or similar (see Figure 1). End hooks can be provided with a widthwise slit for anchoring onto a nail or a screw's head for facilitating taking length measurements (see Figure 2). Professional level tape measures are typically now provided with one or more features including inter alia magnets, friction elements, and the like, for improving contact between an end hook's inside surface and a surface against which it is abutted for measurement purposes. Exemplary analog and/or digital tape measures are illustrated and described in US Patent No. 5,027,526 to Crane, US Patent No. 5,142,793 to Crane, US Patent No. 5,606,803 to O' Sullivan, US Patent No. 5,787,599 to Clifton, and US Patent No. 5,848,481 to Parsons et al.

NL 1003305 entitled Roll-up tape measure in the name of Arnold Cohen illustrates and describes a tape measure with a corner end hook for use in framing applications for taking diagonal length measurements (see Figure 3). NL 1003305's corner end hook protrudes far more than a conventional flat end hook making it less compact and more likely to undesirably catch on other objects such as tools in a tool box, clothing, and the like. Moreover, NL 1003305 's corner end hook precludes the same scale being used for taking length measurements when using the tape measure in a conventional manner and a framing application.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is for an analog and/or digital tape measure including a housing with a retractable measuring tape having a downwardly slotted end hook equally suitable for use in conventional applications and framing applications. An external corner's vertex typically protrudes through a downwardly slotted end hook in framing applications for facilitating centering notwithstanding that this introduces errors in absolute diagonal length measurements since they are are typically within acceptable limits. Moreover, many framing applications suffice with relative diagonal length measurements thereby rendering such errors irrelevant. The downwardly slotted end hook of the present invention also beneficially lends itself to being combined with the aforementioned features such as magnets, friction elements, and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order to understand the invention and to see how it can be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of a non- limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are likewise numbered, and in which: Fig. 1 shows the use of a measuring tape with a conventional end hook;

Fig. 2 shows the use of a measuring tape with another type of conventional end hook for anchoring onto a nail or a screw's head;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a measuring tape with a corner end hook in accordance with NL 1003305; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a tape measure with a downwardly slotted end hook in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the downwardly slotted end hook;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the downwardly slotted end hook; Fig. 7 shows the anchoring of Figure 4's tape measure on a frame with an external corner having a rounded vertex;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the end hook in Figure 7; and Fig. 9 shows the use of Figure 4's tape measure on a frame with an external corner having a right angled vertex.

Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Figures 4-6 show an analog and/or digital tape measure 10 with a conventional standard handheld tape measure housing 11 with a spring recoilable take-up reel (not shown) having a retractable measuring tape 12 with a free end 13. The measuring tape 12 is preferably formed from a cross curved steel band but other suitable non-metallic material having sufficient strength and flexibility may be employed. The tape measure 10 has an L-shaped downwardly slotted end hook 14 preferably riveted on the free end 13 by rivets 16. The end hook 14 includes a first leg 17 overlying the free end 13 and a downwardly depending bifurcated second leg 18 including a pair of prongs 19 defining a slot 21 extending down from the measuring tape 12. The slot 21 can have a slot width W varying from a relatively small width of, say, about 2mm-3mm suitable for anchoring onto sharp external corners to wider widths of, say, 5mm-6mm for anchoring onto more rounded external corners or corners of mitered timber which have been broken or corners of mitered steel which are covered with weld. The end hook 14 can be optionally provided with a widthwise slit 22 in a similar manner as shown in Figure 2.

Figures 7 and 8 show the tape measure 10 with the measuring tape 12 lying flat on a frame 30 having a top surface 31 and side surfaces 32 and 33 intersecting at an external corner 34 having a rounded vertex 36. The tape measure's end hook 14 is snugly anchored on the external corner 34 such that its vertex 36 slightly protrudes through the slot 21. Figure 9 shows the tape measure 10 snugly anchored on a frame 40 having a top surface 41 and side surfaces 42 and 43 intersecting at an external corner 44 having a right angled vertex 46 protruding through the tape measure's slot 21 to a greater extent than the rounded vertex 36.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications, and other applications of the invention can be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A tape measure for use with a frame having a top surface and an external corner with a vertex, the tape measure comprising a measuring tape with a downwardly slotted end hook with a slot extending down from said measuring tape such that said end hook is capable of being snugly anchored onto the frame's external corner with the frame's vertex protruding therethrough and said measuring tape lying flat on the frame's top surface.

2. The tape measure according to claim 1 wherein said measuring tape includes a free end and said end hook includes an L-shaped member with a first leg fixedly overlying said free end and a downwardly depending bifurcated second leg including a pair of prongs defining said slot.

3. The tape measure according to either claim 1 or 2 wherein said slot has a slot width of between about 3mm and about 6mm.