Double-sided tape dispenser

This is a functional, fully 3D-printable dispenser designed for thin double-sided tape. Using this kind of tape manually is annoying because of the adhesive backing; this design automates the peeling and collection of that backing onto a take-up reel as you use the tape.

The core of this design is managing the changing diameters of the supply and take-up reels. The mechanism incorporates a specific slip-clutch system to keep the backing paper taut without snapping it or jamming the gears. The design uses gears with teeth that are designed to slip, as opposed to standard involute gears. The take-up reel features an internal torsional spring to ensure the backing remains under constant tension, preventing loops or tangles inside the housing. The middle (idler) gear is pushed against the other gears with a spring that regulates when it will slip.

I printed the gears and hubs with PETG (recommended for flexibility). The frame material is less important; I used HT-GF-PLA because I happened to have some on hand. Print 2x of the small gear, all other parts just 1.

It fits the usual 12mm x 15m and 12mm x 33m rolls that I have access to. The general design should be adaptable to other roll sizes.

Note that this is somewhat of a work in progress. Some parts of the design and the spring stiffnesses need refinement but it works ok enough for me. It also doesn't have a tape cutter, but a future design might incorporate them.