Stanley Black Decker, Inc.

Antony J Orsini

Keith M Lombardi

Vincent Cook

John Delneo

Chirag Kamani

Eric Ranieri

Bruce Eidinger

Daniel Joseph White

Thomas A Pelletier

Aliaksei Chernyshou

Justin David Zirbes

George Soria

William Michels

A knife includes a body, and a blade slider slidably mounted within the body, the blade slider configured to hold and slidably move a blade relative to the body. The knife further includes a blade snapper pivotally coupled to the body, positioned such that when the blade slider selectively positions the blade to be engaged by the blade snapper, pivotal movement of the blade snapper imparts a force on a blade segment of the blade to detach the blade segment from the blade.

Knife with integrated blade snapper

A tape rule comprises a blade, a reel, a spring, a lock, and a housing. The blade comprises a substrate and a coating. The coating is configured to provide color, environmental protection, and/or abrasion resistance. In some embodiments, (1) the coating is formed from non-polymer materials; (2) the blade comprises reinforcements metallurgically bonded to the blade at or near a free end; (3) measurement indicia comprise laser marked portions of the substrate that create color contrasts with other portions of the substrate; (4) the measurement indicia comprise portions of the substrate visible through gaps in the coating; (5) the measurement indicia comprise voids in the substrate filled with a coating material having a contrasting color; and/or (6) the substrate has a surface texture configured to change an appearance of the coating relative to an appearance of the coating on an as-rolled surface finish of the metal substrate.

Self-retracting tape rule

An ergonomic tape measure having a side which has a protruding surface that fills at least a part of the gripping cavity of an operator's hand and provides a comfortable and secure feeling grip when holding the tape measure. The tape measure can have a grip swell surface which fills part or all of the gripping cavity of an operator's hand. The tape measure can have a grip swell side center region which protrudes from a grip swell plane and into the gripping cavity of an operator's hand.

Ergonomic tape measure

According to an embodiment, a tape measure comprises an accessory removably coupleable to either side of the housing. According to another embodiment, a tape measure comprises an accessory removably coupleable to the housing via a locking mechanism that holds the accessory at a plurality of desired orientations. According to another embodiment, a tape measure comprises a slide lock, where movement of the slide lock from a locked position into an unlocked position requires depression of the actuator towards the interior of the housing. According to another embodiment, a motor assembly for a tape measure comprises a backer plate, a motor body, and a spring, where a bond is applied therebetween. According to another embodiment, a motor assembly for a tape measure comprises a motor body and a spring, where one of a metallurgical bond or an adhesive is applied between the motor body and the spring.

Tape measure

A tape rule comprises a blade, a reel, a spring, a lock, and a housing. The blade comprises a substrate and a coating. The coating is configured to provide color, environmental protection, and/or abrasion resistance. In some embodiments, (1) the coating is formed from non-polymer materials; (2) the blade comprises reinforcements metallurgically bonded to the blade at or near a free end; (3) measurement indicia comprise locally annealed portions of the substrate or the coating that create color contrasts; (4) the measurement indicia comprise portions of the substrate visible through gaps in the coating; (5) the measurement indicia comprise voids in the substrate filled with a coating material having a contrasting color; and/or (6) the substrate has a surface texture configured to change an appearance of the coating relative to an appearance of the coating on an as rolled surface finish of the metal substrate.

A hand tool comprising a head portion, a shaft, and a grip component is provided. The grip component and the shaft form a handle of the hand tool. The grip component is a reverse-molded component formed by: forming the external portion of the grip component by molding a first thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material or thermoplastic urethane (TPU) material into a shell that surrounds a first cavity; after forming the external portion; placing the shaft into the first cavity; and, after the external portion is formed and the shaft is placed into the first cavity, forming the inner portion of the grip component by injecting a second TPE material or TPU material into the first cavity and onto the shaft. The first TPE or TPU material has a first level of hardness, and the second TPE or TPU material has a second level of hardness lower than the first level.

Grip component for a hand tool

A measuring tool comprises an end hook having a mounting portion, blade, hole extending through the blade, and a fastener extending through the hole and securing the blade to the mounting portion. The blade generally has an average first thickness along its length. The hole formed in the blade has a depth which is greater than the first thickness through a protrusion of blade material extending from the blade. Similarly, a method of forming a tape measure blade may forming a blade generally having an average first thickness along its length, forming a hole in the blade along a hole axis, near a first end of the blade, the hole having a depth that is greater than the first thickness through a protrusion of blade material extending from the blade, and extending a fastener through the hole to secure the blade to a mounting portion of the end hook.

Tape measure end hook protection

A tape rule assembly includes differential spring-drive systems for rotating a reel of tape through an angular distance different from the angular distance traveled by a hub carrying a wound spring, relative to the tape rule housing. The differential spring drive systems include planetary and cycloidal drive systems. The tape rules of the present invention are thus made more compact than conventional tape rules.

Tape rule assembly with differential spring-drive systems

A tape rule having a housing, a hub, a reel, a tape, a spring, and a motor. The hub and reel are rotatably mounted within the housing. The tape is wound around the reel. The spring is wound around the hub and is attached to at least one of the reel and the tape. The motor is disposed adjacent to the hub and is configured, when activated, to rotate the hub to adjust an amount by which the spring is wound around the hub.

Hybrid spring and electric motor tape rule

Disclosed is a rule assembly having a housing, a reel rotatably mounted in the housing, an elongated blade wound on the reel and extendable through an opening in the housing, and an end hook member attached to the elongated blade. A hook portion extends downwardly below a bottom surface of the housing when the blade is in a fully retracted position. The housing has an opening having an upper portion disposed above the blade, and a flexible cover overhanging the opening to inhibit or prevent penetration of debris therein. The cover is flexed by the end hook member upon impact by force (e.g., when dropped) and permits movement of the end hook member into the opening to reduce deformation of the end hook member. Optionally, a grip cover made of elastomeric material is provided on the housing and the cover is part of the grip cover.

Growing community of inventors

Cheshire, CT, United States of America

Antony J Orsini