Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Adhesive outermost layer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2004-12-28
Morris, Terrel (Department: 1771)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Adhesive outermost layer
C428S040100, C428S208000, C428S354000, C248S205300, C248S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06835452
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an adhesive article with a failure mode that minimizes damage to the substrate surface and a method of using the same. The present invention also relates to an adhesive article that can be removed in a reverse peel mode without damaging the substrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Adhesives provide a convenient and low cost way of mounting various structures, such as picture hangers or utility hooks, to walls and other substrates. The nature of adhesives is such that there is often a possibility of damage to the substrate (wall) when a substantial load is applied to the structure. If the load that is applied to the structure exceeds the weight rating of the structure, or adhesion to the substrate is weak, there is a high probability that a peel mode failure will occur. During a peel mode failure, there is a likelihood of wall damage, typically at the bottom of the structure.
While not being bound by theory, it appears that
FIGS. 1-3
illustrate the failure mode, as best understood, of conventional adhesives used to attach articles to walls. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, hook
20
is attached to substrate
22
by an adhesive layer
24
. Load
26
creates a tensile load that produces a peel force
28
near the top of the hook
20
and a compressive load
30
near the bottom of the hook
20
. That is, the load
26
creates peel or cleavage de-bonding at the top of the hook
20
. As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, peel force
28
causes the hook
20
to separate slowly from the substrate
22
near the top of the hook
20
. As the hook
20
separates from the substrate
22
, a pivot point is created generally in the region
32
near the bottom of the hook
20
, increasing the compressive load
30
and the adhesion in the region
32
. At some point during the delamination process, the hook
20
makes a transition from compression to peel/cleavage in the region
32
. Since the surface area of the interface between the adhesive layer
24
and the substrate surface
34
in the region
32
is relatively small, there is a high probability of failure at the surface
34
.
As a result of the increased adhesion in the region
32
, damage
36
can be caused to the substrate surface
34
, as illustrated in FIG.
3
. Portion
38
of the substrate surface
34
typically remains bonded to the adhesive layer
24
. Where the substrate surface
34
is paint, wallpaper, wallboard, or a variety of other interior surfaces, the cost of repairing the damaged area can be considerable. In some situations, even a small amount of damage may require the entire wall or room to be repainted.
It is therefore desirable to provide an adhesive article with a failure mode that minimizes damage to the substrate surface. It is also desirable to provide an adhesive article that can be removed from the substrate in reverse peel mode without damaging the substrate.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an adhesive article adapted to attach structures to substrates and a method of using the same. The present invention also relates to a mounting system for a substrate using the present adhesive article.
The present adhesive article permits the use of a high-strength adhesive to attach structures to substrates, with a failure mode that minimizes damage to the substrate surface. The present adhesive article can either be peel removable or stretch releasing. In some embodiments, the peel removable nature of the adhesive article flows from reduced adhesive properties arranged in the desired direction of peel. In these embodiments, the properties that provide the peel removable nature of the adhesive article also minimize the damage to the substrate surface.
In one embodiment, the adhesive article comprises an adhesive layer having a first adhesive region and a second adhesive region. The first adhesive region is adapted to attach a top portion of the structure to the substrate. The second adhesive region is adapted to attach a bottom portion of the structure to the substrate. The second adhesive region comprises reduced adhesive properties.
In one embodiment, the adhesive article comprises a stretch releasing adhesive tape. The stretch releasing adhesive tape includes a pull-tab adjacent to the second adhesive region.
In another embodiment, the adhesive layer comprises a plurality of adhesive regions with progressively reduced adhesive properties. In another embodiment, a single adhesive region comprises progressively reduced adhesive properties, such as by changing the surface area of the adhesive regions.
In one embodiment, the second adhesive region comprises a surface area greater than or equal to about 22% of a surface area of the adhesive layer. In another embodiment, the second adhesive region comprises a surface area more than about 22% of a surface area of the adhesive layer. The second adhesive region can be selected from the group consisting of release liner material, repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive, polymeric film, paper, scrims, nonwoven fabrics, powder, ink, and low adhesion backsize material.
The present invention is also directed to a mounting system for a substrate. The structure may be a variety of articles, such as hooks, picture mounting tabs and the like.
The present invention is also directed to a method of attaching a structure to a substrate. An adhesive article is prepared comprising an adhesive layer having a first adhesive region and a second adhesive region. The second adhesive region comprises reduced adhesive properties. The adhesive article is attached to the structure so that the first adhesive region extends distally from a top portion of the structure and the second adhesive region extends distally from a bottom portion of the structure. The first and second adhesive regions are attached with the substrate.
In one embodiment, the adhesive layer comprises a plurality of adhesive regions with progressively reduced adhesive properties. The structure can be removed from the substrate by delaminating the adhesive article in the direction from the adhesive region with the lowest adhesive properties toward the adhesive region with the greatest adhesive properties. In another embodiment, the adhesive layer is a stretch releasing adhesive article with a pull tab adjacent to the second adhesive region.
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patent: 4024312 (1977-05-01), Korpman
patent: 4472480 (1984-09-01), Olson
patent: 5468231 (1995-11-01), Newman et al.
patent: 5516581 (1996-05-01), Kreckel et al.
patent: 5626931 (1997-05-01), Luhmann
patent: 6001471 (1999-12-01), Bries et al.
patent: 6191338 (2001-02-01), Haller
patent: 33 31 016 (1984-11-01), None
patent: WO 95/06691 (1995-03-01), None
patent: WO 98/21285 (1998-05-01), None
patent: WO 99/31193 (1999-06-01), None
patent: WO 99/63018 (1999-12-01), None
patent: WO 00/12644 (2000-03-01), None
Derwent Abstract of DE 3340598A.*
Abstract and English translation of JP 2001-279198.
3M Innovative Properties Company
Chang Victor S.
Morris Terrel
Patchett David B.
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