Tape Measure

Abstract

According to an aspect of the disclosure, embodiments of a tape measure include one or more of a belt clip removably coupleable to alternatively the left or right side of the housing, and a belt clip removably coupleable in a plurality of orientations via alignment apertures on the clip shaped to engage with a locking mechanism. According to another aspect of the disclosure, a slide lock includes a lock engagement tab which engages with a protrusion in the housing when moving the slide lock from a locked to unlocked position, requiring depression of a slide lock actuator to disengage the lock engagement tab from the protrusion to move the slide lock into the unlocked position. According to another disclosure aspect, a motor assembly includes a motor body, a spring, a backer plate, and a protrusion formed on one of the motor body and the backer plate, protrusion welded together.

1 . A tape measure comprises:
 a housing having a left side and a right side surrounding a front;   a tape selectively extendable from and retractable to the front of the housing; and
 an accessory removably coupleable to the housing; 
   wherein the accessory comprises interlock tabs configured to selectively engage receiving flanges on the housing; and   wherein the housing comprises engagement flanges on both the left side and the right side such that the accessory may alternatively be coupled to the left side and the right side.   
     
     
         2 . The tape measure of  claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a pivot protrusion configured to engage with a pivot and load aperture on the accessory. 
     
     
         3 . The tape measure of  claim 2 , wherein the pivot protrusion is positioned between the engagement flanges on the housing and wherein the pivot and load aperture is positioned between the interlock tabs on the accessory. 
     
     
         4 . The tape measure of  claim 2 , wherein the engagement flanges encircle the pivot protrusion, and wherein the engagement flanges and the pivot protrusion extend from a recessed portion of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The tape measure of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a locking mechanism configured to hold the accessory at a plurality of desired orientations relative to the housing; and
 wherein the accessory further comprises alignment apertures shaped to engage with the locking mechanism.   
     
     
         6 . The tape measure of  claim 5 , further comprising a gap in the housing behind the locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is biased to protrude forward of the gap to engage with a desired one of the alignment apertures associated with a desired orientation of the accessory relative to the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The tape measure of  claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises one or more of a snap lock and a spring biased protrusion. 
     
     
         8 - 22 . (canceled)