GB2344176A

GB2344176A - Tape measure for left hand use

Info

Publication number: GB2344176A
Application number: GB9927082A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frank Hague
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-11-30
Filing date: 1999-11-17
Publication date: 2000-05-31
Also published as: GB9927082D0; GB9826235D0

Abstract

The present invention provides for a tape measure comprising a casing 1 housing a reel of measuring tape material 3 bearing indicia of distance, characterised in that said indicia are orientated the right way up for reading when said casing is held in a user's left hand and said measuring tape material is extended using the right hand.

Description

Tape measures This invention relates to tape measures. More specifically, it relates to an extendable and retractable tape measure, the scale of which is more easily read than a conventional extendable and retractable tape measure when used in many practical applications.

Extendable and retractable tape measures comprising a casing housing a reel of measuring tape material which is extendable and retractable, and optionally releasably lockable in a desired extended position are well known. They are widely used both in the building trade and by private individuals for a wide range of jobs involving measurement.

The tape measures currently commercially available are designed such that when the casing is held in a user's right hand and the tape is extended using the left hand, the indicia on the scale are the correct way up for reading by the user. However, if these tape measures are used in the reverse manner, i. e. the casing is held in the left hand and the tape is extended using the right hand, the indicia on the scale are inverted and therefore difficult for the user to read.

There is a problem when the user wants to mark a measured surface using a pencil or other marking implement, because the majority of people are right handed.

What happens in practice is that the user (necessarily) holds the marking implement in their right hand and therefore inevitably, the casing of the tape measure is held in the left hand. Hence, use of conventional tape measures by right handed people often leads to difficulty in easily and quickly reading the scale.

It is an aim of this invention to overcome this problem and to provide a tape measure which can be used more easily and reliably by right handed people.

Accordingly, the tape measure of this invention comprises a casing housing a reel of measuring tape material bearing indicia of distance, characterised in that the indicia are orientated such that when the casing is held in a user's left hand and the tape is extended using the right hand, the indicia on the tape material are the right way up for reading.

In a preferred embodiment of the tape measure of the invention incorporated in the casing are conventional releasable locking means which can be applied to the extended tape material to hold it at a desired extended position. In other respects also, the construction of the tape measure, the tape material, and the casing are conventional.

Preferably the tape material is of the form-retaining type, e. g of metal, plastics, fibreglass or nylon, as in many conventional types of tape measure. This then allows the user to release his right handed grip on the tape material and mark the measurement onto the required surface using the marking device in his right hand.

In preferred embodiments of the tape measure of this invention, the tape material may bear indicia of distance (e. g. a cm, mm, inch [2.54 cm], foot [30.48 cm] or other number scale) oriented in just the above-defined single orientation so as to be the right way up when the casing is held in the left hand and tape extended with the right, or even, within the scope of the invention, another, i. e. a second indicia scale may be provided on the tape (on the same or an opposite surface as the first scale) of the conventional orientation, so that the same single tape measure is equally readily usable by both right handed and left handed users in the manner described above.

The present invention will be further apparent from the following description with refeence to the accompanying figure which shows by way of example only a specific embodiment of a tape measure.

Of the figures: Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tape measure.

A preferred embodiment of a tape measure 100 of the present invention, especially suitable for use by a right-handed person, is illustrated in Fig. 1. Tape measure 100 has a rigid casing 1, out of which tape material 3 may be extended to a desired length. Tape material 3 is spirally coiled around a spring reel (not shown) within casing 1, said spring reel urging tape material 3 into casing 1. Tape material 3 has a reinforced tape end 4 which cannot pass into, and therefore always remains external to, casing 1.

Tape material 3 can be prevented from moving relative to casing 1 by locking means 2 incorporated in casing 1. Locking means 2 can be manipulated along the longitudinal axis of groove 5 to positions which either allow tape material 3 to be released, or to be locked.

Tape material 3 bears indicia of distance along both its upper edge 8 and lower edge 7. In the present embodiment, upper edge 8 and lower edge 7 have different indicia scales, ie. in inches (1 inch is approximately 2.54 cm) and centimeters, respectively. Indicia scales imprinted onto tape material 3 are orientated so as to be the right way up for reading when casing 1 is held in the left hand of a user (not shown) and tape material 3 is extended to the right with the right hand-the orientation shown in Fig.

1. Indicia scales are ordered numerically such that zero coincides with reinforced tape end 4, with increasing values on tape material 3 extending towards casing 1 when tape measure 100 is orientated as shown in Figure 1.

Tape material 3 is made of thin, rollable metal which is nevertheless formretaining when extended. A user (not shown) may therefore extend tape material 3 to a desired length, move locking means 2 along groove 5 to prevent movement of tape material 3 into or out of casing 1, release his right handed grip on the tape material 3 and mark the measurement onto the required surface (not shown) using a marking device (not shown) grasped in his right hand.

Claims

Claims 1. A tape measure comprising a casing housing a reel of measuring tape material bearing indicia of distance, characterised in that said indicia are orientated the right way up for reading when said casing is held in a user's left hand and said measuring tape material is extended using the right hand.
2. A tape measure according to claim 1, wherein said casing has a releasable locking means which can be applied to said measuring tape material to hold it at a desired position.
3. A tape measure according to either of the preceding claims, wherein said measuring tape material is of the form-retaining type.
4. A tape measure according to claim 3, wherein said measuring tape material is metal.
5. A tape measure according to claim 3, wherein said measuring tape material comprises any one of the group of plastic, fibreglass and nylon.
6. A tape measure according to any of the previous claims, wherein said measuring tape material bears a further indicia scale oriented so as to be the right way up when said casing is held in the right hand and said measuring tape material is extended to the left by the left hand.
7. A tape measure according to any of the previous claims, wherein said measuring tape bears one or a plurality of indicia scales on each side of said measuring tape material.
8. A tape measure according to any of the previous claims, wherin said indicia are ordered from right to left when said casing is held in a user's left hand and said measuring tape material is extended using the right hand.
9. A tape measure according to any of the previous claims, wherein said indicia are in centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm), inches (2.54 cm) or feet (30.48 cm).