Article dispensing – Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article – Deformation by non-coextensive outlet opening
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-22
2003-11-18
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article
Deformation by non-coextensive outlet opening
C206S449000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648173
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to dispensers for tape strip pads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous types of pressure sensitive adhesive tapes capable of connecting or joining two surfaces (e.g., adhering a sheet of paper onto a tabletop) are well known. For example, #810 Scotch™ Magic™ brand transparent tape, manufactured by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn. is readily available from numerous retail outlets. Such pressure sensitive adhesive tapes, including #810 Scotch™ Magic™ brand transparent tape, are generally available as a continuous roll of tape capable of being conveniently dispensed from any of a number of manually-operated roll-type tape dispensers, such as those disclosed in Walker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,864 and Reinecke, U.S. Des. Pat. No. 116,599, having a cutting edge located on the dispenser for cutting the tape into strips of the desired length. While effective for quickly and efficiently dispensing most pressure sensitive adhesive tapes, it is difficult to create tape strips of uniform length due to the natural variations in the length of tape unwound from the roll of adhesive tape between cuttings. Hence, such dispensers are not suitable for those situations requiring the quick and efficient dispensing of uniform lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive tape.
It is also known to dispense pressure sensitive adhesive tape, such as Scotch™ Magic™ brand transparent tape, from a stacked pad of tape strips. Such pads of adhesive tape strips are disclosed in Emmel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,706, and Mertens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,746. Both Emmel and Mertens disclose stacked pads of adhesive tape strips wherein a first end portion of each individual strip is treated so as to provide a nonadhesive end tab (Emmel) or an area of reduced adhesion to an adjacent tape strip (Mertens) at a first end of the pad. The nonadhesive end tab or area of reduced adhesion facilitates initial separation of the first end of an uppermost tape strip from the first end of an immediately underlying tape strip, allowing the uppermost tape strip to be peeled off the pad. While generally effective for dispensing uniform lengths of pressure sensitive adhesive tape, such pads are somewhat cumbersome to use and are not well suited for use in those situations where only one hand is available for dispensing the tape, such as gift-wrapping.
Post-it® brand notes and Post-it® brand flags, available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minn., require a coating of releasable pressure sensitive adhesive only along one end of the substrate, and can therefore be conveniently dispensed from a container by alternating the adhesive end of the stacked sheets/flags between opposed first and second ends of the stack (e.g., forming a Z-stack of sheets). Such a stack of Post-it® brand flags and associated shuttling dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,320 to Miles et al. Similarly, a pad of W-stacked sheets and associated dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,416,392 to Smith, 4,562,938 to Loder, 4,586,629 to Loder, and 4,653,666 to Mertens. This alternating style of stacking the sheets/flags is effective because the sheets/flags are adhesively bonded together with a relatively weak repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive on only one end of the sheet/flag. Such sheets are not suitable for joining or connecting surfaces together because of the relatively small percentages of such sheets coated with adhesive and the relatively weak nature of the pressure sensitive adhesive used with such sheets/flags.
A significant advance in the construction and dispensing of pads of adhesive tape strips is disclosed in Blackwell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,547. Blackwell et al. discloses a pad of superimposed adhesive tape strips wherein the adhesive layer of each tape strip is releasably adhered to an adjacent tape strip at a first adhesion level at a first end and a second adhesion level at a second end (i.e., differential release), and sequential tape strips are longitudinally reversed so as to align the first end of each tape strip with the second end of an immediately overlaying and an immediately underlying tape strip. A preferred manner of achieving such differential release disclosed by Blackwell et al. is to coat the entire surface area of a first major surface of each strip with a pressure sensitive adhesive and coat the second end portion of the second major surface of each tape strip with a low adhesion backsize. Such an alternately stacked pad of differential release tape strips can be conveniently dispensed from an associated dispenser with a single hand while maintaining a continuous coating of an aggressive pressure sensitive adhesive on the substrate.
While constituting a significant improvement, the pads disclosed by Blackwell et al. comply with narrow quality control standards in order to achieve the sliding action required between adjacent tape strips for proper dispensing while preventing fanning of the stacked strips (i.e., preventing the tape strips from accidentally and unintentionally sliding relative to one another before each strip is dispensed). Furthermore, as described in Blackwell et al., when the necessary differential release requirement is achieved by the application of a premium low adhesion backsize on one end of the tape strips and a basic adhesion backsize on the other end, that portion of the tape strip coated with the premium low adhesion backsize does not consistently maintain any written indicia.
A variety of dispensers have been developed for dispensing individual tape strips from such pads of adhesive tape strips. Exemplary dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,086,946; 5,518,144; 5,299,712; 5,358,141; 5,755,356; Des. 348,690; Des. 348,484; Des. 359,513; Des. 387,806 and PCT Publication WO 97/48561.
Unfortunately, the tape strip pad dispensers and dispensing techniques taught by Blackwell et al. and others are not suited for dispensing individual tape strips from tape strip pads wherein the tape strips are attached by high adhesion (unwind) forces. Dispensing of such high adhesion tape strips from a tape strip pad requires a high peel force to dispense the individual tape strips, which consumers find objectionable, and tends to cause the individual tape strips to “walk-off” the pad during dispensing.
Accordingly, a substantial need exists for a dispenser capable of easily and reliably dispensing high adhesion tape strips from tape strips pads with the same convenience and reliability of dispensing low adhesion tape strips from tape strip pads as provided by Blackwell et al.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of the invention is a tape strip dispenser having an angled opening through which the tape strips are dispensed. A first aspect of the first embodiment comprises a housing wherein (a) the housing has a top, a longitudinally centralized opening through the top, and an internal retention chamber accessible through the opening, (b) the retention chamber defines a central lateral axis, and (c) the longitudinally centralized opening has longitudinally spaced first and second linear boundaries which are laterally angled relative to the central lateral axis. The first and second linear boundaries are preferably (i) parallel to one another, and/or (ii) independently laterally angled relative to the central lateral axis at an angle of between about 10° to about 30°.
A second aspect of the first embodiment comprises a housing wherein (a) the housing has transversely spaced top and bottom surfaces, longitudinally spaced first and second ends, and laterally spaced first and second sides, (b) the housing defines a retention chamber and a longitudinally centralized opening through the top, (c) the retention chamber defines a longitudinal central axis and a lateral central axis, and (d) the opening is longitudinally bounded along a first end by a first linear edge, and longitudinally bounded along a second end by a second liner edge, wherein the first and second linear edges are laterally ang
3M Innovative Properties Company
Noland Kenneth W.
Peters Carolyn V.
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