Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Sheet – web – or layer weakened to permit separation through...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-05-29
Thomas, Alexander S. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through...
C428S167000, C428S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238762
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a self adhesive decorative covering sheet adapted to conveniently facilitate hand-tearing to a predetermined reduced size. In particular, the covering sheet has been modified with reticulated through-cut microperforations and embossed prescores which are positioned to facilitate cross-tearing along the main, the transverse and diagonal axes of the sheet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Widespread efforts have previously been made in the provision of sheet coverings, for application to selected surfaces in overlying protective or decorative relation. Much of this effort has been directed to covering sheets incorporating a first layer having a decorative first face, an intermediate layer of adhesive, and a reverse layer comprising a removable siliconized release liner.
Another provision known in the art includes a sheet having a siliconized decorative first face with an adhesive coated reverse face permitting the sheet to be rolled upon itself and readily unrolled without the need for a separable release liner.
This prior art includes the provision of hand-tearable sheets, having predetermined weakness characteristics to facilitate the ready downsizing of a standard sheet, in order to fit and cover a surface of predetermined size.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,564 Cancio et al, discloses decorative plastic sheet material intended for shelf liner and other uses, and provides for transverse and longitudinal hand tearing by use of transverse and longitudinal embossed intersecting tear lines, the tearing thereof being facilitated by the use of a dispersed phase of calcium carbonate (chalk) at about 15% of the mix, the plastic being low density polyethylene. In this patent, and their U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,729 the same inventors provide pressure sensitive adhesive protected by a removable liner. Installation of the materials disclosed in both of these patents is frequently cumbersome since the protective release liner backing the adhesive does not incorporate any tear assisting provision. Thus, in order to take advantage of their disclosed sheet tearing capability the prior removal of the release liner is virtually imperative. This can lead to severe problems, since the exposed adhesive surface tends to fold in upon itself, with extreme mutual adherence, the separation of which frequently leads to a permanently wrinkled covering sheet. Covering sheets having a dispersed chalk phase show a propensity to form a white fold line or break-through when creased, which is particularly noticeable in the case of sheets that are decoratively overprinted. Removal after long-term usage may be extremely difficult, due to sheet fragmentation into miniscule pieces, caused by aging embrittlement of the plastic by the calcium carbonate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,546 Nash, discloses linerless labels, having the sheet of label material through-slit laterally and through-cut intermittently, longitudinally, with two sizes of cut, and with intermediate uncut tie portions, to define the individual labels. The slits and cuts are positioned such that the lateral slits each intersects a respective longer one of the longitudinal cuts, so as to provide a clean release of the respective label corners upon tearing. Adhesive and release backing are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,976 Popat et al, discloses laminated cards, for use with ink jet and laser printers, having a face sheet to receive printed material, a backing sheet and an adhesive over portions of the backing sheet, with microperforations that define the individual cards extending through the face sheet and the backing sheet. A release coating is provided over at least a portion of the adhesive.
In the prior art use of self adhesive covering sheets for shelves and the like it has usually been the practice to measure the surface to be covered, transfer the measurements to the outer face of the siliconized release liner along its preprinted gridlines, and cut along those gridlines, using scissors or a razor blade. It is troublesome to accurately achieve straight cuts and right angles along the length and width, in trimming a decorative covering sheet. The resultant inexactitude in sheet size and fit compounds the installation problem in fitting within a cabinet or drawer. Non-conforming or oversized material does not readily adhere precisely in its required location, having an increased tendency for sheet edges to cling to and seal to adjacent side walls of cabinets or drawers, and forming air pockets beneath the impermeable vinyl material. Such air pockets eventually collapse under load, forming unsightly and permanent creases and wrinkles.
The foregoing problems are intensified in the case of self wound liner material having the release coating applied to the decorative upper face. Such coverings frequently become unmanageable, when unrolled, since they are prone to folding upon themselves, with two adherent surface portions mutually engaging, and strongly adhering, leading to sheet deformation, with permanent creases being formed. Installation of this typo of liner requires the application of an oversized covering sheet to the surface to be covered, with folding up of the unrequired edge portions, and subsequent trimming away of the surplus with a razor blade. Since self-wound coverings are more difficult to position, especially within poorly accessed locations such as drawers and cabinets, the formation of air pockets and subsequent wrinkling becomes exacerbated. On occasion, users of both separable release lined and self wound covering sheets are known to puncture the decorative and/or protective impermeable outer layer to release entrapped air, thus mutilating the covering sheet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a covering sheet for applying to a selected surface in substantially fitted, covering relation therewith, and consisting of a flexible sheet of predetermined size and thickness and having a rectangular grid of lines to provide rectilinear yield lines (lines of weakness) extending in a first direction and in a second direction at right angles to the first direction, to enable tearing by hand along selected ones of the grid lines as a tear in a first direction, the sheet having individual perforations extending through the thickness thereof at the points of intersection of the axes of the lines of weakness, the perforations facilitating changes in the direction of a tear at a selected point of intersection, to extend the tear in the second direction, to achieve a desired size of sheet.
The covering sheet according to the invention may have through-cut reticulated microperforation, the network of which is oriented in relation to the edges of the sheet. The lines of weakness may further include lines extending diagonally between perforations, to facilitate changes in the direction of tearing, and to provide relieved corners to better fit into locations such as the corners of drawers, enclosed shelves, etc.
The covering sheet may have an adhesive layer, such as a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the reverse surface thereof, and with the perforations extending also through the adhesive layer.
The covering sheet in most instances includes a release medium covering one face of the sheet, for engagement by the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
In one embodiment the covering sheet has the release medium applied as a removable sheet to the reverse face, in covering relation with the pressure sensitive adhesive layer. In another embodiment the covering sheet has the release medium applied in covering relation with the obverse face of the sheet, in use to receive the pressure sensitive layer in self-wrapped, releasably secured overlying relation with the release medium, such as when the covering sheet is supplied in rolled form, usually upon a cardboard cylinder, wherein the adhesive reverse face adheres to the adjoining, underlying surface of release medium. The covering sheet lines of weakness are relieved into the surface of the flexible sheet.
Calkins Mark A.
Friedland Robert J.
Eggins D. W.
Kittrich Corp
Thomas Alexander S.
LandOfFree
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