Description TAPE CLEANER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a tape cleaner, which removes fine dust and/or hair from a floor or woven goods, such as textile fabrics, using the stickiness of adhesive tape, thus efficiently cleaning the surface of the floor or the woven goods. Background Art

[2] To clean an indoor floor, a vacuum cleaner is typically used to remove fine dust and/or hair from the floor. However, it is not easy to remove hair and/or fuzz from woven goods, such as textile fabrics, using the vacuum cleaner. Further, when the vacuum cleaner is repeatedly used to remove hair and/or fuzz from small surfaces, it is inconvenient to a user and consumes excessive electricity, and thus, to remove fine dust and/or hair from a small surface, adhesive tape is preferably used.

[3] To use the adhesive tape to clean an object surface, a desired length of adhesive tape is released from a tape roll and the adhesive surface of the released tape is pressed onto the object surface, thus removing fine dust and/or hair from the object surface using the stickiness of the tape. In the prior art, as an improved device for removing fine dust and/or hair from an object surface, a single shaft-type tape cleaner has been proposed and used. The single shaft-type taper cleaner comprises a shaft for holding a paper tube of a tape roll and a handle mounted to the shaft. Thus, a user can roll the adhesive tape of the paper tube on the object surface while holding the handle, and thus clean the object surface.

[4] However, the single shaft-type tape cleaner is problematic in that, during an operation of the tape cleaner, a dirty part of the adhesive tape, to which fine dust and/or hair has become adhered, must be repeatedly released from a tape roll by a user or cut off and thrown away. To release the dirty part of the tape from the tape roll, the user must hold the unsanitary dirty part with a hand. Further, the user must manually collect the released dirty parts and discard them, so that the use of the single shaft-type tape cleaner is inconvenient to the user.

[5] In an effort to overcome the problems of the single shaft-type tape cleaner, the inventor of the present invention proposed a double shaft-type tape cleaner, which comprises two shafts and a power transmission unit provided between the two shafts, as disclosed in Korean U.M. Registration No. 384131. However, the tape cleaner proposed by the inventor of the present invention has the following problems. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the cleaner.

[6] The cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a body part 105 and a handle part 150.

The body part 105 includes a cover 110, a first shaft 120, a second shaft 130 and a tension roller 140. In the cleaner 100, an adhesive tape roll is fitted over the second shaft 130 and an end of the adhesive tape is unwound from the tape roll held on the second shaft 130, and is locked to the first shaft 120 after passing over the tension roller 140. Thus, during the operation of the cleaner 100, the adhesive tape can be moved between the first shaft 120 and the second shaft 130 while being tensioned by the tension roller 140. However, the cleaner having the above-mentioned construction is problematic as follows.

[7] Because the first shaft and the second shaft are rolled forwards or backwards in a state in which they are simultaneously in contact with an object surface, the tape released from the tape roll of the second shaft may not be wound onto the first shaft in a clean state. Further, in the cleaner, the first and second shafts are configured to rotate independently, so that, if the first and second shafts are connected to each other by adhesive tape and the tape releasing speed of one shaft is different from the tape winding speed of the other shaft, the tape may become loose. Thus, the tape in the tension roller may lose its desired tension. Further, the tension roller is installed at a predetermined location inside the body part such that the location cannot be changed. Thus, the tension roller may not prevent sagging of the tape caused by variation in the outer diameters of the tape rolls held on the first shaft and the second shaft.

[8] Another embodiment of the double shaft-type tape cleaner has the construction shown in the sectional view of FIG. 2.

[9] As shown in the drawing, a first gear 220 and a second gear 230 are provided on corresponding ends of first and second shafts, and are connected to each other by a middle gear 240, such that the two gears 220 and 230 are rotated in conjunction with each other by the middle gear 240. However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is problematic in that it cannot prevent sagging of the tape caused by variation in the outer diameters of the tape rolls held on the first and second shafts, in the same manner as that described for the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[10] The problem, commonly experienced in the two embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is caused by the fact that, although the amounts of tape on the tape rolls held on the first and second shafts during the forward and rearward rolling motion of the tape rolls vary continuously, thus constantly changing the outer diameters of the tape rolls, neither of the two embodiments, in which the power transmission unit is placed at a fixed location without considering the continuous change in the outer diameters of the tape rolls, can prevent the sagging of the tape. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[11] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and the present invention is intended to propose a tape cleaner, in which, to prevent the adhesive tape from becoming loose or sagging during the operation of the tape cleaner, a movable roller having a plurality of wheels is movably located between the front shaft and the rear shaft of the cleaner such that the wheels are in contact with the outer surface of the adhesive tape wound on the tubes of the front and rear shafts and reliably transmit the rotating force from the front shaft to the rear shaft regardless of a continuous change in the outer diameters of the tape rolls held on the front and rear shafts, with springs connected at first ends thereof to opposite ends of a shaft of the movable roller and at second ends thereof to a body of the cleaner or to opposite ends of a support bar, installed parallel to the shaft of the movable roller, such that the springs normally bias the movable roller with an appropriate biasing force, thus causing the wheels of the movable roller to come into close contact with the outer surface of the tape wound on the tubes of the front and rear shafts and to reliably transmit the rotating force from the front shaft to the rear shaft during the forward and rearward rolling motion of the cleaner on an object surface.

[12] Further, the present invention is also intended to propose a tape cleaner, in which the spring force of each spring is determined such that the movable roller can be moved by a distance determined by the change in the outer diameters of the tape rolls held on the front and rear shafts during the rolling motion of the shafts, thus being maintained in close contact with the outer surface of the tape of the tape rolls. That is, when the tape is moved between the front and rear shafts such that the outer diameter of the tape roll on the front shaft is increased, the movable roller having the shafted wheels is moved backwards to the rear shaft by a distance equal to the increase in the diameter. On the contrary, when the tape is rewound onto the tube of the rear shaft so as to increase the outer diameter of the tape roll held on the rear shaft, the movable roller having the wheels is moved forwards to the front shaft by a distance equal to the increase in the diameter.

[13] The present invention is also intended to propose a tape cleaner, which is configured such that only the front shaft executes forward and backward rolling motion and the distances between three points on the central axes of the rear shaft, the shaft of the movable roller and the front shaft can be maintained constant regardless of variation in the outer diameters of the tape rolls held on the front and rear shafts, thus releasing the tape from the tape rolls and winding it thereon at the same speed and preventing the tape from loosening or sagging during the forward or backward movement of the tape. Technical Solution

[14] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape cleaner, comprising: a body provided with a handle on the rear end thereof and an opening in the lower surface thereof; a rear shaft rotatably held at opposite ends thereof in the rear section inside the body, with a tube having tape wound thereon and installed on the rear shaft such that the tape is spaced apart from an object surface; a front shaft rotatably held at opposite ends thereof in a front section inside the body at a location spaced apart from the rear shaft and rotated in a state in which the front shaft is in contact with the object surface, the front shaft holding thereon a tube having a locking piece for locking an end of the tape of the tube installed on the rear shaft; and a movable roller placed between the rear shaft and the front shaft, with a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on a shaft of the movable roller, the shaft of the movable roller being supported at opposite ends thereof by respective springs connected to the body or to a support bar mounted to the body parallel to the shaft of the movable roller, and the wheels being rotated in a state in which the wheels are in contact with the movable outer surface of the tape wound onto the tubes of the front and rear shafts, wherein the tape is released or wound by the tubes while passing beneath the wheels of the movable roller.

[15] Further, the wheels of the movable roller may have a toothed circular shape or a flat circular shape.

[16] Further, each of the tubes may be provided with a locking hole that is engaged with a retractable stopper provided on the outer surface of each of the front and rear shafts, so that, when the tubes are installed on the front and rear shafts and are rolled on an object surface, the tubes are prevented from being moved to the left or right on the shafts even if a shock or a force is applied to the tubes.

[17] Further, the locking piece may be axially and movably provided on the outer surface of the tube such that it is opened and closed to lock the end of the tape.

[18] The tape cleaner may further comprise a second movable roller placed below the movable roller.

Advantageous Effects

[19] As described above, according to the present invention, in the operation of the tape cleaner, the adhesive tape efficiently removes fine dust and/or hair from an object surface using its stickiness while only the front shaft is in contact with the object surface, so that the tape wound on the tube of the rear shaft can be maintained in a clean state. Further, the movable roller can be moved forwards or backwards in response to variation in the outer diameters of the tape rolls of the front and rear shafts, so that the front and rear shafts can be rotated to create the same circumferential velocity of respective tape rolls and the tape can be neatly released from and wound

onto the tubes of the two shafts without becoming loose or sagging.

[20] Due to the above-mentioned structure, the function of the tape cleaner of the present invention is accomplished. That is, in the operation of the tape cleaner according to the present invention, the adhesive tape can be released from and wound onto the tubes by the forward and rearward rolling motion of the shafts, so that the tape can be efficiently used to clean an object surface without being manually released or cut until the tape completely loses its stickiness. After the dirty tape has been completely wound onto the tube of the front shaft, the tube having the dirty tape is removed from the front shaft and thrown away. Thereafter, the empty tube is moved from the rear shaft to the empty front shaft, while a new tape roll having tape on a tube is installed on the empty rear shaft.

[21] Further, in the present invention, it is not necessary for a user to manually release or cut the dirty part of the tape by hand, so that the user can be protected from the unsanitary dirty part of the tape. Further, the tape cleaner of the present invention sets the user free from the requirement to collect or discard the cut dirty parts, thus being convenient to the user. Brief Description of the Drawings

[22] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a tape cleaner according to an embodiment of the prior art;

[23] FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a tape cleaner according to another embodiment of the prior art;

[24] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a tape cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[25] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the inner construction of the tape cleaner of the present invention;

[26] FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the relationship between the elements of the tape cleaner of the present invention;

[27] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the locking relationship between a tube and each of front and rear shafts of the tape cleaner of the present invention;

[28] FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the operation of a movable roller of the tape cleaner according to the movement of adhesive tape between the front and rear shafts;

[29] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the movable roller; and

[30] FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a tape cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[31] <Description of Reference Numbers of Main Parts in Drawings>

[32] 100: body 110: handle

[33] 120: bearing hole 150: support bar

[34] 200: rear shaft 300: front shaft

[35] 310: locking piece 400: movable roller

[36] 500: second movable roller t: tube

[37] k: stopper s: spring

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[38] Hereinafter, tape cleaners according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the embodiments shown in the drawings are provided for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[39] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a tape cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the inner construction of the tape cleaner. FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the relationship between the elements of the tape cleaner. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the locking relationship between a tube and each of front and rear shafts of the tape cleaner.

[40] As shown in the drawings, the tape cleaner of the present invention comprises a body 100 having a handle 110 on the rear end thereof. The body 100 is open on the lower surface thereof, thus defining a space therein. In the body 100, a rear shaft 200, a front shaft 300 and a movable roller 400 are installed.

[41] Described in detail, the rear shaft 200 is rotatably held at opposite ends thereof in the rear section inside the body 100, with a tube t fitted over the rear shaft 200 and adhesive tape wound on the tube t of the rear shaft 200. Each of the opposite sidewalls of the body 100 is provided with a bearing hole 120 for rotatably holding an associated end of the rear shaft 200.

[42] Further, the front shaft 300 is installed in the body 100 at a location spaced apart from and forward of the rear shaft 200 by a predetermined distance. In the same manner as that described for the rear shaft 200, the front shaft 300 is rotatably held at opposite ends thereof in bearing holes 120 formed in the opposite sidewalls of the body 100.

[43] To use the tape cleaner of the present invention, the adhesive tape P is unwound from the tube t, fitted over the rear shaft 200, and the free end of the tape P is locked to an empty tube t fitted over the front shaft 300. To lock the end of the released tape P to the empty tube t of the front shaft 300, the tube t of the front shaft 300 is provided with a locking piece 310, which is longitudinally formed on the tube t such that the locking piece 310 can be opened by moving inwards and closed by moving outwards. The structure and operation of the locking piece 310 will be described in detail later herein.

[44] The tube t, which is fitted over each of the front shaft 300 and the rear shaft 200, must be configured such that, like the play mode or the fast-winding mode operation of tape reels of a typical cassette tape, having a structure similar to that of the tape cleaner of the present invention, the tape P of the tape cleaner can be precisely wound onto and released from the tubes t without diverging from a desired path. Thus, the tubes t of the present invention have a structure that is different from that of a paper tube typically used in a conventional tape cleaner having a single shaft structure. The paper tube used in the conventional single shaft-type tape cleaner is configured such that it can be used in a tape cleaner if the inner diameter thereof corresponds to the outer diameter of the shaft. Thus, due to repeated use of the paper tube, the paper tube may become loose and the inner diameter thereof may be increased, so that the paper tube may be easily and undesirably removed from the shaft. This is because no locking structure, such as a stopper, is provided between the shaft and the paper tube.

[45] In the present invention, a stopper k, which is biased by an elastic member, such as a spring, is provided in each of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, while a hole h is provided in the tube t at a location corresponding to the stopper k such that the stopper k can be locked to the hole h.

[46] Thus, when the tube t having the tape P thereon is fitted over a shaft 200 or 300, the spring-biased stopper k is inserted into and locked to the hole h, so that the tube t can be prevented from moving to the left or right even if a shock or a force is applied to the tube t during the operation of the tape cleaner. Due to the above-mentioned structure, the tubes t, fitted over the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, can be steadily rotated without being moved to the left or right. Thus, during the operation of the tape cleaner, in which the tape P is repeatedly released from and wound onto the tubes t, the tape P does not diverge from the desired path.

[47] In the tape cleaner of the present invention, the tube t, which has new tape P thereon to form a tape roll and is fitted over the rear shaft 200, has the same shape and size as the empty tube t, which is fitted over the front shaft 300 and to which the end of the tape P, released from the tape roll of the rear shaft 200, is locked.

[48] Further, the tube t is provided with a locking piece 310. To easily lock the end of the tape P, released from the tape roll installed on the rear shaft 200, to the empty tube t, installed on the front shaft 300, and precisely lock the end of the tape P to the empty tube t of the front shaft 300 in a state in which the end of the tape P is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the empty tube t, the locking piece 310 is longitudinally formed on the tube t at a predetermined location such that the locking piece 310 can be opened by moving inwards and closed by moving outwards.

[49] To lock the end of the tape P released from the tube t of the rear shaft 200 to the empty tube t of the front shaft 300, the locking piece 310 is opened by moving inwards

and the end of the tape P is inserted into the opening, and then the locking piece 310 is closed by moving outwards. Thus, the end of the tape P can be easily and precisely locked to the empty tube t. Due to the locking piece 310, the end of the tape P can be easily locked to the front tube t at a precise location, rather than the case in which the end of the tape is manually locked to the tube by a user. If the end of the tape P is precisely locked to the empty tube t of the front shaft 300 such that the end of the tape P is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the empty tube t, the tape can be smoothly released from and wound onto the tubes without diverging from the desired path, as expected from the operation of a typical cassette tape. If the end of the tape P locked to the empty tube t is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the empty tube t, the tape P may gradually diverge from the desired path, or may wrinkle to be folded and adhered on the adhesive surface thereof.

[50] As shown in FIG. 6, the locking piece 310 is formed by longitudinally cutting a predetermined portion of the tube t such that the locking piece 310 can be folded inwards along a folding line. The edge of the locking piece 310 and the edge of the tube t facing the edge of the locking piece 310 are provided with a protrusion (not shown) and a slot (not shown), respectively. Thus, when the locking piece 310 is closed after being opened, the locking piece 310 can be maintained in the closed state thereof. To lock the end of the tape P to the empty tube t, the locking piece 310 is pressed down to be opened. Thereafter, the end of the released tape P is inserted into the opening formed by the opened locking piece 310, and then the locking piece 310 is closed outwards, thus firmly locking the end of the tape P. Of course, in the present invention, the end of the tape P may be locked to the empty tube t through another method.

[51] The adhesive tape P is a consumable article, and thus it is thrown away after being used. Further, the tape P is preferably used in a state in which the tape is wound on a tube t, which has both the hole h to be engaged with the stopper k and the locking piece 310.

[52] The present invention is to solve the problem experienced in the conventional tape cleaner using adhesive tape, in which a predetermined length of tape must be unwound from a tape roll several times during an operation of the tape cleaner. When the tape cleaner according to the present invention is operated to remove fine dust and/or hair from an object surface, such as the surface of a floor or woven goods, the tape is released from the tape roll of the rear shaft 200 and is moved forwards to the tube t of the front shaft 300 due to the rotation of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, thus being wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300. Of course, the tape P may be moved forwards and backwards several times during the cleaning operation. Thus, the dirty tape, which has collected dust and/or hair from the object surface, is wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300.

[53] When the tape P of the tube t fitted over the rear shaft 200 has been completely released, so that the rube t becomes empty, the dirty tape has been completely wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300. In the above state, the tube t having the dirty tape P is removed and thrown away from the front shaft 300. Thereafter, the empty tube t is removed from the rear shaft 200 and is fitted over the empty front shaft 300, while a new tape roll having tape P on a tube t is installed on the empty rear shaft 200. In the tape cleaner of the present invention, the rear shaft 200 is installed in the body 100 such that the shaft 200 is not in contact with an object surface and, furthermore, the outer surface of the tape P of a new tape roll installed on the rear shaft 200 is not in contact with the object surface. In the tape cleaner of the present invention, the rear shaft 200 can be rotated by the rotating force of the front shaft 300, which is in contact with the object surface and is rolled thereon, because the rear shaft 200 is operated in conjunction with the front shaft 300 by the movable roller 400, which will be described in detail later herein.

[54] The stopper k comprises a plurality of stoppers k, which are formed on the outer surface of each of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300 such that the stoppers k protrude from the outer surface of the shaft. The tubes t, which are installed on the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, are rotated forwards or backwards by the forward or backward rotation of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. In the present invention, the tubes t are not fixedly mounted to the outer surfaces of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, and thus they may be moved to the left or right on respective shafts. If the tubes t are moved to the left or right on the shafts 200 and 300 during the rotation of the shafts, the tape P cannot be smoothly released from or smoothly rewound onto the tubes t, and the leftward or rightward moving distances of the tubes t on the shafts may gradually increase. Thus, in the present invention, each of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300 is provided with the spring-biased stoppers k thereon to prevent the tubes t from moving to the left or right on respective shafts.

[55] The stoppers k are placed at predetermined locations near the opposite ends of each of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Further, the locations of the stoppers k on each shaft are determined according to the length of the standardized tube t. Here, the shape of the stoppers k and the spring force of the elastic member of each stopper k are determined such that the tubes t can be easily installed on and easily removed from respective shafts.

[56] Particularly, the tape cleaner according to the present invention is provided with the movable roller 400 at a location between the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. The movable roller 400 is movably installed inside the body 100 and comprises a longitudinal shaft 410, with a plurality of wheels 420 mounted on the outer surface of the shaft 410 such that the wheels 420 are in rotatable contact with the outer surface of the

tape P passing between the tubes t fitted over the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300.

[57] In other words, the wheels 420 are configured such that they are in rotatable contact with the outer surface of the tape P passing between the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Here, the tape P, released from the tube t of the rear shaft 200, passes beneath the wheels 420 and is wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300, as shown in FIG. 5.

[58] In the operation of the tape cleaner according to the present invention, the tape P is moved from the rear shaft 200 to the front shaft 300, so that the outer diameters of the tape P, wound on the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, continuously vary. In the above state, it is necessary to maintain desired tension of the tape P passing between the two shafts 200 and 300 and to cause the wheels 420 to remain in contact with the outer surface of the tape P. Thus, the shaft 410 of the movable roller 400 is configured to be movable. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the operation of the movable roller 400 of the tape cleaner in response to movement of the adhesive tape t between the front and rear shafts.

[59] Described in detail, the opposite ends of the shaft 410 are connected to respective springs S, which are suspended from upper portions inside the body 100, so that the shaft 410 is suspended in the body 100. In the above state, the springs S, which are connected to the upper portions of the body 100 at the upper ends thereof, are connected to the shaft 410 at the lower ends thereof.

[60] Because the tape P is released from and wound onto the tubes t, installed on the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, the outer diameters of the tape wound on the tubes vary. In the above state, the shaft 410 may be smoothly moved forwards, rearwards, upwards or downwards by the biasing force of the springs S. Further, the springs S normally bias the shaft 410 downwards, so that the wheels 420 of the shaft 410 can be in close contact with the tape P passing between the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Thus, during the rolling motion of the front shaft 300, the movable roller 400 transmits the rotating force of the front shaft 300 to the rear shaft 200, thus causing the two shafts 200 and 300 to rotate to create the same circumferential velocity of the tape rolls held thereon. Because the shaft 410 of the movable roller 400 is not fixed but is movable forwards, backwards, upwards and downwards, the wheels 420 of the movable roller 400 are in contact with the outer surface of the tape P, passing between the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, regardless of the variation in the outer diameters of the tape P on the tubes t.

[61] Hereinbelow, the reason that the shaft 410 of the movable roller 400 must be continuously moved to appropriate locations due to the biasing force of the springs S according to the variation in the outer diameters of the tape P on the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300 will be described.

[62] As shown in FIG. 7, when the tape P is released from the tube of the rear shaft 200 and is wound onto the tube of the front shaft 300, which increases the outer diameter of the tape wound on the tube of the front shaft 300, the movable roller 400 having the wheels 420 is moved backwards to the rear shaft 200 by a distance equal to the increase in diameter. Conversely, when the tape P is released from the tube of the front shaft 300 and is rewound onto the tube of the rear shaft 200, which increases the outer diameter of the tape wound on the tube of the rear shaft 200, the movable roller 400 having the wheels 420 is moved forwards to the front shaft 300 by a distance equal to the increase in diameter. Further, the outer diameter of the tape P wound on the tube t of a shaft is determined by the length of the rolled tape, so that the outer diameter of the rolled tape in a case in which 10 M of tape has been wound is different from that of the rolled tape in a case in which 5 M of tape has been wound. When 5 M of tape has been wound onto the tube t of a shaft, the movable roller 400 having the wheels 420 is further moved downwards by the biasing force of the springs S, compared to the case in which 10 M of tape has been wound onto the tube of the shaft. Due to the above- mentioned structure, in the operation of the tape cleaner, in which only the front shaft 300 executes forward or backward rolling motion, the distances between three points on the central axes of the rear shaft 200, the shaft 410 of the movable roller 400 and the front shaft 300 can be maintained constant regardless of variation in the outer diameters of the tape P on the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Thus, the present invention can provide a tape cleaner which maintains desired tension of the tape passing between the front and rear shafts, thus preventing the tape from being loosened or sagging during the forward or backward rolling motion of the front shaft.

[63] In the present invention, the second ends of the springs S, coupled at the first ends thereof to the opposite ends of the shaft 410 of the movable roller 400, are coupled to the body 100. The second ends of the springs S may be coupled to the opposite sidewalls of the body 100, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8, the second ends of the springs S may be coupled to a support bar 150 that is installed in the body 100. Described in detail, the support bar 150 is installed in the body 100 such that it is parallel to the shaft 410 of the movable roller 400. The springs S are coupled to the support bar 150 at predetermined locations near the opposite ends of the bar 150. The support bar 150, which is used for holding the springs S, also functions as means for increasing the structural strength of the body 100.

[64] As described above, in the present invention, when the tape P is released from the tube t of the rear shaft 200 and is wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300, or when the tape P is released from the tube t of the front shaft 300 and is rewound onto the tube t of the rear shaft 200, the tape P passes beneath the plurality of wheels 420, so

that it is possible to prevent the tape P from sagging. Further, the wheels 420 are rotated in a state in which they are in contact with the outer surface of the tape P, so that the rotating force of the front shaft 300 can be transmitted to the rear shaft 200 through the wheels 420. In the above state, all of the wheels 420 are in contact with the outer surface of the tape P passing between the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, and only the tape wound on the tube t of the front shaft 300 is in contact with the object surface thus generating a drive force, so that the front shaft 300 and the rear shaft 200 can be rotated to create the same circumferential velocity of the tape rolls held on the two shafts 200 and 300, and the tape cleaner can be smoothly operated.

[65] Further, because the shaft 410 having the wheels 420 is elastically supported by the springs S mounted either to the body 100 or to the support bar 150, the shaft 410 can be easily moved to an appropriate location. Described in brief, the springs S function to smoothly move the movable roller 400 upwards, downwards, forwards or backwards in response to variation in the outer diameters of the tape rolls held on the front and rear shafts. In the present invention, another type of elastic member or another type of elastic mechanism capable of executing the above-mentioned function may be used instead of the springs.

[66] Further, the wheels 420 mounted on the shaft 410 may have a toothed circular shape or a flat circular shape, as shown in FIG. 4. When the wheels 420 of the shaft 410 are configured to have a flat circular shape, the wheels 420 must be produced using a material that is not affected by the stickiness of the tape. In the present invention, the wheels 420 are preferably configured as toothed wheels, which can reliably transmit the rotating force from the front shaft 300 to the rear shaft 200 when they are in contact with the outer surface of the tape passing between the tubes of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300.

[67] Hereinbelow, a tape cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the tape cleaner according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[68] As shown in the drawing, the tape cleaner according to the second embodiment comprises a body 100, a rear shaft 200, a front shaft 300 and a first movable roller 400. The tape cleaner further comprises a second movable roller 500.

[69] In the second embodiment, the first movable roller 400 is suspended by the springs

S in the upper portion of the space between the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. The second movable roller 500 is installed at a location below the first movable roller 400. The second movable roller 500 has a construction similar to that of the first movable roller 400. Described in detail, if the first movable roller 400 is placed in the upper portion of the space between the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, the

second movable roller 500 is placed in the lower portion of the space between the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Further, a plurality of wheels 520 is mounted on the longitudinal shaft 510 of the second movable roller 500 and rotated while being in contact with the outer surface of the tape wound around the respective tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300.

[70] The opposite ends of the shaft 510 of the second movable roller 500 are supported by respective springs S such that the shaft 510 can be moved according to variation in the amounts of the tape wound around the tubes of the rear shaft and the front shaft. In the embodiment, the springs S of the second movable roller 500 may be mounted to the body 100 in the same manner as that described for the springs of the first movable roller 400.

[71] Particularly, when the tape cleaner is operated while being rolled rearwards, the second movable roller 500 performs its intended function. During forward movement of the tape cleaner on an object surface, the tape P is moved from the tube t of the rear shaft 200 to the tube t of the front shaft 300, so that the tape P can be easily and neatly wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300 by the operation only of the first movable roller 400. However, during rearward movement of the tape cleaner on an object surface, the first movable roller 400 may fail to transmit the rotating force of the front shaft 300 to the rear shaft 200 because the rear shaft 200 is not in contact with the object surface. Thus, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the second movable roller 500, in addition to the first movable roller 400, is provided in the tape cleaner in an effort to reliably transmit the rotating force of the front shaft to the rear shaft during the rearward movement of the tape cleaner.

[72] The operation of the tape cleaner according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow.

[73] In the body 100 of the tape cleaner, both the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300 are installed. The tape P, wound on the tube t of the rear shaft 200, is not in contact with an object surface, while the tape P, wound on the tube t of the front shaft 300, is in contact with the object surface, so that only the front shaft 300 can be rolled on the object surface. The movable roller 400 is placed between the front shaft 300 and the rear shaft 200 such that the tape released from the tube t of the rear shaft 200 can be wound onto the tube t of the front shaft 300 after passing beneath the wheels 420 of the movable roller 400.

[74] Further, the movable roller 400 is movably supported by the springs S suspended from upper portions inside the body 100, so that the location of the movable roller 400 can be continuously and naturally changed according to variation in the outer diameters of the tape on the tubes of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Further, the wheels 420 of the movable roller 400 are in direct contact with the outer surface of

the tape P passing between the tubes t of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300, thus transmitting the rotating force of the front shaft 300 to the rear shaft 200. [75] As described above, in the tape cleaner according to the present invention, the movable roller 400 is installed such that it is in contact with the outer surface of the tape P passing between the tubes t fitted over the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300. Thus, although the amounts of the tape wound on the tubes of the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300 continuously vary such that the outer diameters of the tape wound on the tubes of the two shafts continuously change, the two shafts 200 and 300 can be rotated to realize the same circumferential velocity of the two tape rolls held on the two shafts 200 and 300. Because the rear shaft 200 and the front shaft 300 are rotated at the same circumferential velocity, the tape can be smoothly and tensely moved between the two shafts without loosening. Further, if a second movable roller 500 is added to the tape cleaner, the releasing and winding of the tape can be more smoothly executed, so that a user can easily remove fine dust and/or hair from an object surface while moving the tape cleaner forwards and backwards on the object surface without difficulty.