Handheld adhesive applicator

Abstract

A handheld adhesive segment applicator is provided for use with an adhesive segment laden carrier release tape. The handheld applicator includes an adhesive dispensing wheel upon which a roll of adhesive segment carrier release tape is mounted and a take-up core system operatively engaged to the dispensing wheel for automatically advancing and positioning the adhesive segment-laden carrier release tape.

1 . A handheld adhesive segment dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
 (a) a housing;    (b) a tape supply wheel rotatably mounted to the housing;    (c) a roll of flexible carrier release tape mounted to the tape supply wheel, the roll of flexible carrier release tape extending longitudinally and having a transverse width, opposed first and second release surfaces, and a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously in a longitudinally spaced-apart progression along the first release surface of the carrier release tape;    (d) a take-up wheel rotatably mounted to the housing, adapted to receive an end of the flexible carrier release tape, and operatively coupled to the tape supply wheel such that rotation of the tape supply wheel drives rotation of the take-up wheel; and    (e) an adhesive dispensing roller rotatably mounted to the housing;    wherein the tape supply wheel, take-up wheel, and adhesive dispensing roller are mounted with respect to each other and the housing such that a flexible carrier release tape from a roll of flexible carrier release tape held on the supply wheel may be extended from the supply wheel, around the adhesive dispensing roller, and onto the take-up wheel such that rotation of the supply wheel to advance the carrier release tape to position an adhesive segment at the adhesive dispensing roller simultaneously rotates the take-up wheel to wind carrier release tape with the adhesive segments removed therefrom around the take-up wheel.    
   
   
       2 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an opening formed in a side thereof located substantially near the supply wheel, wherein the supply wheel is manually advanceable through the opening in the housing.  
   
   
       3 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the supply wheel comprises a supply gear and an advancement cap and the roll of flexible carrier release tape is securely mounted therebetween.  
   
   
       4 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the advancement cap has a first surface securely engaged to the supply gear and a second surface comprising a plurality of manually engagable ribs, wherein a least a portion of the ribs are always accessible through the opening in the housing.  
   
   
       5 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the supply wheel and the take-up wheel comprise a gear wheel having a plurality of gear teeth formed thereon and wherein a portion of the gear teeth on the supply wheel is operatively engaged to a portion of the gear teeth of the take-up wheel.  
   
   
       6 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the supply wheel comprises a supply gear and an advancement cap and the roll of flexible carrier release tape is securely mounted therebetween.  
   
   
       7 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the take-up wheel comprises a take-up gear and a take-up core secured together and rotatably secured within the housing.  
   
   
       8 . A handheld, disposable adhesive segment dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing having a first opening;    a roller element rotatably secured to the housing, wherein at least of a portion of the roller element extends out of the first opening in the housing;    a roll of flexible carrier release tape rotatably mounted inside the housing and operatively engaged to the roller element such that rotation of the roller element causes simultaneous rotation of the roll of flexible carrier release tape, wherein the roll of flexible carrier release tape extends longitudinally and has a transverse width, opposed first and second release surfaces, and a plurality of adhesive segments arrayed non-contiguously in a longitudinally spaced-apart progression along the first release surface of the carrier release tape; and    a take-up wheel rotatably mounted inside the housing, having a portion at least operatively engaged to the roll of flexible carrier release tape, such that rotation of the roll of flexible carrier release tape causes simultaneous rotation of the take-up wheel, whereby spent carrier release tape is wound on to the take-up wheel.    
   
   
       9 . The disposable adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the housing comprises first and second housing portions secured together with the take-up wheel completely secured therein, wherein at least one of the portions includes a second opening located substantially near the roll of flexible carrier release tape, wherein the roll of flexible carrier release tape is manually advanceable therethrough.  
   
   
       10 . The disposable adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second housing portions are substantially unseparable once secured together.  
   
   
       11 . The disposable adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the roll of flexible carrier release tape further comprises a supply gear having a plurality of gear teeth formed on an edge thereof and an advancement cap, wherein the roll of flexible carrier release tape is positioned therebetween and wherein a least a portion of the advancement cap is always accessible through the second opening in the housing.  
   
   
       12 . The disposable adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the take-up wheel comprises a take-up gear having a plurality of gear teeth formed on an edge thereof and a take-up spool for securing a free end of the roll of flexible carrier release tape, wherein a portion of the gear teeth on the supply wheel is operatively engaged to a portion of the gear teeth of the take-up wheel.  
   
   
       13 . A handheld adhesive segment dispensing apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing having an inside surface;    a tape supply wheel including a plurality of gear teeth formed around the circumference thereof, the supply wheel rotatably mounted to the inside surface of the housing and configured to receive a roll of    a roll of flexible carrier release tape having first and second release surfaces and including a plurality of adhesive segments disposed thereon, wherein the roll of flexible carrier release tape is formed such that the plurality of adhesive segments are outwardly exposed;    a take-up wheel rotatably mounted to the inside surface of the housing and comprising a take-up gear including plurality of gear teeth, wherein a portion of the plurality of gear teeth on the take-up gear is always in operational engagement with the plurality of gear teeth on the tape supply wheel such that rotation of the supply wheel causes simultaneous rotation of the take-up wheel; and    a roller rotatably secured to the housing, and having a portion extending outside the housing; wherein the roll of carrier release tape extends from the supply wheel to the the roller and back to the supply wheel such that the roller is in operational engagement with the supply wheel, wherein rotation of the roller causes simultaneous rotation of the supply wheel and advancement of an adhesive segment on the roll of flexible carrier release tape.    
   
   
       14 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the supply wheel, the take-up wheel and the roller are mounted to the housing via a support structure extending from the inside surface of the housing.  
   
   
       15 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the housing further comprises an opening formed in a side thereof located substantially near the supply wheel, wherein the supply wheel is manually advanceable through the opening in the housing.  
   
   
       16 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the supply wheel comprises an advancement cap having a surface including a plurality of manually engagable ribs, wherein a least a portion of the ribs are always accessible through the opening in the housing.  
   
   
       17 . The adhesive segment dispensing apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the tape supply wheel, take-up wheel, and roller are mounted with respect to each other such that the flexible carrier release tape having the first release surface with the adhesive segments arrayed thereon facing outward may be extended from the supply wheel, around the roller, over the first release surface of a portion of the roll of flexible carrier release tape held on the supply wheel, and onto the supply wheel such that the portion of the carrier release tape extending between the roller and the take-up wheel are held in position by adhesive segments on the first release surface.