| US 7,490,414 B2 | ||
| Tape measure with extended standout | ||
| James M. Critelli, Fuquay-Varina, N.C. (US); William C. Blackman, Raleigh, N.C. (US); Edgar T. Gilliam, Franklinton, N.C. (US); Darin H. Duphorne, Houston, Tex. (US); and John R. Owen, Cary, N.C. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Cooper Brands, Inc., Houston, Tex. (US) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 03, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/866,761. | ||
| Application 11/866761 is a continuation of application No. 11/519743, filed on Sep. 12, 2006, abandoned. | ||
| Application 11/519743 is a continuation of application No. 11/013858, filed on Dec. 16, 2004, granted, now 7,159,331, filed on Jan. 09, 2007. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/533093, filed on Dec. 30, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0034605 A1, Feb. 14, 2008 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. G01B 3/02 (2006.01); G01B 3/10 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 33—755 [33/757; 33/770; 33/771] | 10 Claims |
| 1. A tape measure, comprising:
a main case having first and second sidewalls and a peripheral wall extending between said sidewalls;
a flexible tape blade selectively deployable from said case; said tape blade having a generally curved cross-sectional profile
when deployed from said main case and having a generally flat profile when retracted into said main case; said blade comprising
a distal end portion, an inner end portion, and an expected buckling region therebetween; said distal end portion being deployed
before said expected buckling region and said inner end portion when said blade is deployed from said case;
a hook attached to said distal end portion of said tape blade so as to be movable a distance along a longitudinal axis of
said tape blade; said hook comprising a first section disposed generally parallel to said longitudinal axis and a second section
connected thereto and disposed generally normal to said longitudinal axis;
a reinforcement distinct from but permanently attached to said blade in said expected buckling region, said distal end portion
and said inner end portion being free of said reinforcement;
said expected buckling region including a location where said blade would normally buckle in a standout test absent said reinforcement.
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