Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-11
2004-09-28
Mayes, Melvin C. (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S248000, C156S267000, C156S345420
Reexamination Certificate
active
06797103
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related generally to decal laminate technology, such as is involved in the preparation of one or more decals (e.g., “graphic areas” or “product areas”) which are formed as part of a removable layer of a laminate for later removal and application onto various surfaces. More particularly, the invention relates to the field involving prior removal of waste portions of removable laminate layers, leaving the removable decal in place on the laminate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many if not most decals are graphics-image-bearing portions (sometimes referred to herein as “product areas,” whether or not they have graphics images thereon) of a removable layer (sometimes referred to herein as a “face layer”) of a laminate. Each such decal laminate typically includes the face layer and a backing layer (or “liner”), the face layer being removably secured to the backing layer by an adhesive. The adhesive is preferential to the face layer, and is used, after removal of the product area(s) from the backing layer, for the adhesive attachment of the product area(s) of the face layer onto the surface intended to be covered—for decorative, signage or any of a multitude of other purposes.
To facilitate production of product areas (decals) in a form ready for use, it is frequently necessary or desirable to pre-remove the area or areas of the face layer which is/are not product areas from the backing layer of the decal laminate. (These non-product areas of the face layer are often referred to herein as “waste areas.”) Such pre-removal of waste areas leaves the product area(s) on the backing layer—ready to be easily peeled away from the backing layer just prior to use. The pre-removal of waste areas of a face layer, sometimes referred to “sheet-weeding,” greatly facilitates the subsequent removal of product areas (decals) just prior to use.
(The pre-removal of waste areas, of course, follows slitting or other severing of the product areas from the waste areas, which occurs while the removable layer to be slit or severed is in place on the backing layer. A highly preferred and advantageous method and apparatus for accurate severing around the product area or areas of the face layer of a decal laminate is disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/678,594, filed Oct. 4, 2000, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Precision Cutting and the Like of Graphics Areas from Sheets.”)
Sheet-weeding is typically carried out by nimble-fingered workers who delicately lift and peel away unused portions of the image-bearing face layer of a decal laminate. This is tedious and time-consuming work. Progress has been made toward automating the sheet-weeding process; despite such efforts, there remains a need for an improved automatic waste-area removal method and apparatus.
Various automated systems have been devised over the years for facilitating sheet-weeding operations. Among these are the systems and concepts disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,576 (Logan); U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,736 (Logan); U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,584 (Logan); U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,058 (Reed); U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,537 (Sasaki); U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,600 (Goin); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,781 (Meulenberg). These prior systems each have certain disadvantages or problems, some of which are set forth below.
The computer-controlled systems of the Logan patents use complex adhesive materials including microspheres or microcapsules which, when broken by force application, release strong adhesive to allow an overlay sheet to engage and remove portions of a sheet. Such adhesives can be very expensive, and force-activation can be problematic and difficult in high-speed operations.
The Reed disclosure involves an embossing of areas to be removed in order to weaken their adhesive attachment to the base layer and facilitate removal. However, such embossing tends to be a step which, among other things, may be unacceptable for removal of intricate waste areas or patterns around irregularly shaped decals or product areas.
The Sasaki disclosure involves removal of an overlayer after a separation is caused by radiation treatment of a radiation-responsive composition. This system is complex and believed not to be suitable for many high-speed production operations.
The prior systems and disclosures fall short of offering and delivering simple, effective sheet-weeding which is fully suitable for high-speed decal production and similar waste-area removal operations.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention, in the field of decal laminate technology, to provide an improved sheet-weeding method and apparatus for prior removal of waste portions of removable laminate layers which overcomes some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a sheet-weeder and sheet-weeding method which can operate at high speeds.
Another object is to provide a sheet-weeder which can operate with little or no detrimental effects to the product areas remaining on the laminate.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet-weeding method which more reliably removes all or nearly all of the waste areas of the face layer from the backing layer while more reliably not removing all or nearly all of the product areas.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet-weeding which allows reliable removal of waste areas of the face layer from the backing layer around delicate products areas.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a sheet-weeder which is simple, efficient and cost-effective.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for removal of select areas of less-than-all layers of a laminate which are useful in a wide variety of contexts and applications.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following descriptions and from the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a method and apparatus for removing waste area(s) of a face layer from a laminate composed of a backing layer with the face layer sheet removably adhering thereto, while leaving at least one product area of the face layer in place on the backing layer. The sheet-weeding method of this invention includes applying an adhesive on portions of the waste area(s), temporarily adhering the laminate to a carrier surface (of a carrier-surface member) using the adhesive, and separating the laminate from the carrier surface with the waste area(s) remaining on the carrier surface.
A number of terms used herein are defined at the end of this “Summary” section. Such definitions should be referred to for clarity of understanding.
In certain highly preferred embodiments, the carrier-surface member is a carrier sheet—most preferably a carrier web. In such embodiments, the adhering step, in which the laminate is adhered to the carrier web or other carrier sheet, such combination is sometimes referred to herein as a “carrier lamination.” In some embodiments, such carrier lamination is discarded with the waste area(s) remaining on it. Suitable carrier web materials include unused newsprint. Embodiments using a carrier web facilitate continuous or nearly continuous sheet-weeding.
In preferred embodiments of the invention utilizing a carrier web, the process of separating the laminate from the carrier web while leaving the waste areas on the carrier web involves peeling the carrier web away from the laminate. In certain preferred embodiments, it is most preferred that the separating step include the step of pulling the carrier web over a separator edge in tension to initiate separation of the laminate from the carrier web.
As already indicated, the carrier-surface member is preferably in the form of a carrier web; however, in some embodiments it can be in the form of a fairly large cylindrical roller—sufficient to accommodate various operations therearound. When in the form of a carrier web, the carrier web may be a long continuous two-ended web, such as the newsprint mentioned above, or may be an endless web each portion of
Mikkelsen Steen B.
Potebnya Sergey
Jansson & Shupe & Munger Ltd.
Mayes Melvin C.
Mikkelsen Graphic Engineering Inc.
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