A tape measure including an elongate tape blade is shown. The tape measure includes a relatively short protective polymer film coupled to an end of the tape blade adjacent to the hook end of the tape blade.

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.

A tool, such as a tape measure, including a spring-based retraction system is shown. The retraction system utilizes an epicyclic gear train coupled between the tape blade winding reel and a rotating arbor or axle within the tape measure. A spiral spring has an outer end coupled to the reel and an inner end coupled to the axle. The gear train may be a reduction gear train such that the axle rotates slower than the reel. By coupling the spiral spring between the gear train input and gear train output, high energy density springs may be used, which may allow for decrease in housing size, increase in tape length or thickness for a given housing size, and/or advantageous retraction speed control.

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.

Provided is a length measuring device, which includes a first case including a bobbin axis at a center, a second case to which a circuit board is attached, a bobbin mounted on the bobbin axis and around which a tape is wound, a sensor for sensing an amount of rotation of the bobbin rotated by the tape being pull-out, and first and second anti-tilt members for preventing tilting of the bobbin during rotation of the bobbin.

The multi-use tape measure comprises a semi-rigid tape measure, a flexible tape measure, a marking implement, a pencil holder, a first and second bubble level, a writing surface, and a magnetic mount in a single a case. The semi-rigid tape measure and the flexible tape measure may be deployed from within the case to make distance measurements and may then retracted back into the case. The marking implement may be tethered to prevent loss and may be used to mark a measured distance and then stored within a cavity of the case. The pencil holder may be deployed to guide the pencil in making an accurate measurement mark and may then be stored within the case. The first and second bubble levels may be used to verify level and plumb. The writing surface may record measurements. The magnetic mount may hold the case in place.

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.

Provided is a length measuring device having an automatic zero point adjusting function and a control method thereof. The length measuring device includes a line to which a hook part is attached at one end, a case having an opening formed therein, a rotating part to be rotated according to extraction or retraction of the line out of or into the case through the opening, a rotation sensing part which senses a rotation of the rotating part, and a control part which converts an amount of rotation of the rotating part into a length measurement value and resets the converted length measurement value to a predetermined value when the length measuring device is in a first state.

Provided is a length measuring device, which includes a first case including a bobbin axis at a center, a second case to which a circuit board is attached, a bobbin mounted on the bobbin axis and around which a tape is wound, a sensor for sensing an amount of rotation of the bobbin rotated by the tape being pull-out, and first and second anti-tilt members for preventing tilting of the bobbin during rotation of the bobbin.

A length measuring device includes a hook (380) to which a ring of the tape tip is hooked and retained, and the hook (380) includes a first hook (380-1) and a second hook (380-2) provided on both sides of an outlet perpendicularly to each other, in which, when the ring at a leading end of the tape tip is hooked with the first hook or the second hook, a surface of the first hook or the second hook is brought into contact with a rectangular inner peripheral surface of the fastening hole (305), such that the tape tip is retained perpendicularly to the first hook or the second hook.