Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-05-29
Ball, Michael W. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238510
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention broadly relates to pads of adhesive tape strips and adhesive tape flags. More specifically, the invention relates to leader strips used to initiate dispensing of individual adhesive tape strips and adhesive tape flags from such pads.
BACKGROUND
Rolls of adhesive tape and pads of adhesive tape flags are widely used throughout the world. The most widely used variety of adhesive tape flags are those which utilize a repositionable adhesive.
Rolls of repositionable tape, such as the “Post-It®” brand rolls of repositionable tape sold by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing of Saint Paul, Minn., have a variety of uses, including the mounting of customized signage sheets to a window (e.g. “Dog Lost Poster”) and mounting easel pad pages to a wall after they have been removed from the easel pad.
Pads of repositionable tape flags, such as the widely used “Post-It®” brand tape flags sold by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing of Saint Paul, Minn. have become a staple office supply product throughout the world.
A variety of dispensers have been developed for the pads of adhesive tape flags. These dispensers include (i) disposable and refillable dispensers, (ii) shuttling and nonshuttling dispensers, (iii) high volume/high profile and low volume/low profile dispensers, (iv) single pad and multiple pad dispensers, (v) hand held and mountable dispensers, etc.
One common feature found on most pads of adhesive tape flags, regardless of the type of dispenser used, is the presence of some type of leader strip used to initiate dispensing of individual flags from the pad. While a variety of useful leader strip configurations have been developed, a continuing need exists for a leader strip configuration which is simple and expensive to manufacture and install, usefull with a variety of different types of dispensers, reliable, and easy for consumers to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have discovered a unique leader tape configuration for use in connection with pads of adhesive tape strips and adhesive tape flags.
ADHESIVE TAPE STRIP PAD
The adhesive tape strip embodiment of our invention comprises a leader strip attached to a pad of adhesive tape strips. The pad comprises a plurality of superimposed individual tape strips.
The first major surface of each tape strip is coated with a low adhesion backsize to facilitate separation of the individual strips, while the second major surface of each tape strip is coated with an adhesive. The pad includes an uppermost tape strip with an exposed first major surface of the uppermost tape strip, and a lowermost tape strip with an exposed second major surface of the lowermost tape strip.
The leader strip is aligned with and superimposed over a portion of the exposed first major surface of the uppermost tape strip. A tacky first longitudinal end portion of the leader strip is positioned proximate the first longitudinal edge of the pad and adhesively bonded to the exposed first major surface of the uppermost tape strip, while a nontacky second longitudinal end portion of the leader strip is positioned intermediate the first and second longitudinal edges of the pad so as to form a nontacky centrally positioned pull tab portion.
The pull tab portion does not bond to the pad and can be readily grasped for initiating dispensing of individual tape strips from the pad. The pull tab portion is preferably positioned so that the free longitudinal end of the pull tab portion is longitudinally spaced less than about one fifth the complete longitudinal length of the pad away from the lateral axis of the pad.
Continued dispensing of the individual tape strips is achieved by (i) adhering the second major surface of each individual tape strip in the pad to the first major surface of an immediately underlying tape strip at a first adhesive strength, except for a selected area proximate one of the longitudinal edges of the strip where the tape strip is adhered to the first major surface of the immediately underlying strip at a lower adhesive strength, and (ii) configuring the individual tape strips in the pad so that successive strips in the pad are positioned with the lower adhesive strength area of each strip alternating between the first and second longitudinal edges of the pad. The difference in adhesive strengths is selected so that the lower adhesive strength portion of each strip will delaminate from the immediately underlying strip when an immediately overlying strip is peeled from the pad.
The change in adhesive strength can be achieved by several mechanisms including (i) coating only a portion of the second surface of each tape strip with adhesive, (ii) pattern coating the adhesive onto the second surface of each tape strip so as to coat less adhesive onto a portion of the second surface of each tape strip, (iii) pattern coating a low adhesion backsize onto the first surface of each tape strip so as to coat less backsize onto a portion of the first surface of each tape strip, etc.
ADHESIVE TAPE FLAG PAD
The adhesive tape flag embodiment of our invention is substantially similar to the adhesive tape strip embodiment, and comprises a leader strip attached to a pad of adhesive tape flags. The pad of flexible adhesive tape flags comprises a plurality of superimposed individual tape flags which form a unitary pad having an uppermost tape flag with an exposed first major surface, and a lowermost tape flag with an exposed second major surface. The first major surface of each tape flag has (i) a first tacky area proximate a fit longitudinal end of the flag which is coated with a repositionable adhesive, and (ii) a second nontacky area proximate a second longitudinal end of the sheet.
The leader strip is aligned with and superimposed over a portion of the exposed first major surface of the uppermost tape strip. A tacky first longitudinal end portion of the leader strip is positioned proximate the first longitudinal edge of the pad and adhesively bonded to the exposed first major surface of the uppermost tape flag proximate the nontacky second longitudinal end of the uppermost tape flag. A nontacky second longitudinal end portion of the leader strip is positioned intermediate the first and second longitudinal edges of the pad so as to form a nontacky centrally positioned pull tab portion.
The pull tab portion does not bond to the pad and can be readily grasped for initiating dispensing of individual tape flags from the pad. The pull tab portion is preferably positioned so that the free longitudinal end of the pull tab portion is longitudinally spaced less than about one fifth the complete longitudinal length of the pad away from the lateral axis of the pad.
Continued dispensing of the individual tape flags is achieved by (i) adhering the tacky first longitudinal end of the second major surface of each individual tape flag in the pad to the first major surface of an immediately underlying tape flag, and (ii) configuring the individual tape flags in the pad so that successive flags in the pad are positioned with the first longitudinal end of each flag alternating between the first and second longitudinal edges of the pad.
DISPENSER
The adhesive tape strip pads and adhesive tape flag pads can be conveniently dispensed from a dispenser comprising an enclosure defining a retention chamber into which the pad is inserted. The enclosure has a base, side walls, and a top with a centrally positioned opening having a width which typically extends substantially the entire width of the retention chamber and a length which is large enough to permit the passage of a tape strip or flag through the opening yet small enough to prevent the fill length of a tape strip or flag from falling back into the retention chamber once a portion of the tape strip has been pulled through the opening.
A cover may optionally be provided for purposes of sealing the opening through the top of the enclosure and exposing the leader strip when the cover is removed.
The dispenser may be constructed as a single use dispenser to be discarded when the pad of tape strips or tape flags with
Callahan, Jr. Joseph P.
Samuelson Bruce E.
3M Innovative Properties Company
Ball Michael W.
Patchett David B.
Piazza Gladys
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