Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Stretched or tensioned
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2001-04-17
Davis, Cassandra H. (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Stretched or tensioned
C040S611050, C040S776000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216374
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to thermoplastic sheets or banners, desirably made from polyethylene, which contain thermoplastic pouches or bags such as polyethylene, heat bonded thereto. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of heat-bonding thermoplastic pouches or bags to a banner or sign preferably only in a selected area such as the perimeter of the pouch or bag through the use of radio frequency energy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to indoor and outdoor thermoplastic advertising banners, sheets and signs.
Advertising banners known in the art are typically made from a thermoplastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester. In addition to the usual descriptive printing, banners of the prior art have polyvinyl chlorine pouches, pinch type bags or stick-on letters adhesively adhered or taped to the banner on the front side thereof. Numbers or letters are inserted into the pouch or adhered directly to the banner in order to convey to an observer a price or special message about the advertisement on the banner.
It is a problem with the prior art to simply print the desired letters or numbers onto a banner because the prices or other aspects of goods and services constantly fluctuate and can often make the banner obsolete before it can even be hung.
A failing of the prior art vinyl pouches and pinch bags is that the adhesive bond between the pouch and the banner weakens when cold wind hits the thermoplastic banner causing flexing which eventually separates the two components. Vinyl hardens and stiffens in cold, whereas polyethylene does so only minimally and tends to remain softer and more pliable.
Another failing of the prior art is the weakening of the adhesive bond due to differing expansion and contraction rates of the polyvinyl chloride pouch or pinch bag and the banner. Plasticizers used in thermoplastics attack and weaken adhesives used in tape. Also, moisture, dirt, dust or the like is collected in the bond area further hastening separation between adhered layers.
Furthermore, stick-on or taped pouches, pinch bags, lettering or numbering often contains solvents or plasticizers as ingredients of the adhesive which attack the pockets and banners, causing puckering between the two adhered components. This separation allows dust or moisture an entry point to further work at breaking down the adhesive and ultimately can separate the components.
Heretofore, pinch bags, pouches, and the like, have not been heat-sealed to a thermoplastic banner using RF electric energy in order to overcome and avoid the above noted difficulties present in the prior art.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3339303 (1967-09-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4937962 (1990-07-01), Hornblad
patent: 5898962 (1999-05-01), McNeal
patent: 948165 (1974-05-01), None
Davis Cassandra H.
Hudak & Shunk Co. L.P.A.
Lawrence Gary L.
LandOfFree
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