Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Layer or component removable to expose adhesive – Protective layer
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-31
2004-06-29
Osele, Mark A. (Department: 1734)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
Protective layer
C428S041800, C428S343000, C156S159000, C156S187000, C242S532300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06756101
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to double-sided tapes and, in particular, to double-sided tapes for use with high speed webs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Web-splicing is a common process encountered in many industrial applications. The process is typically used in the printing or coating of paper or other substrates and other applications in the film and paper industry. These applications typically involve numerous web-splices, which are labor intensive and time consuming.
During the web-splicing process, the loose end or tail of a wound reel of material is adhered or otherwise attached to the web of reel already in use. Due to the depletion of the reel in use, a web-splice must be performed in order to allow for the continuation or the printing or coating application. In order to alleviate the time lost during the connection of the new reel to the depleted reel, it is known in the prior art to connect these reels while the printing or coating application is proceeding. This type of web-splice is referred to in the art as a flying reel splice.
Several problems are associated with flying reel splices. First, the loose end or tail of the new web must be kept in a tightly wound position on the reel, otherwise the reel could unwind. This problem was typically overcome in the prior art by placing tabs of adhesive tape over the loose end to adhere it to the reel. Typically, the adhesive tape was perforated along an axis where the tape was intended to break during the splice. This system required the reel handler to place the tabs onto the loose end individually, ensuring that the perforations were in line with the end of the reel. was contacted with the new reel, the double-sided tape adhered the two webs and the tabs separated along the perforations. This resulted in the presence of separated tabs on the loose end of the new reel and on the outer surface of the inner layer of the new reel. Due to the application and separation of the tabs, adhesive surfaces of the tab were exposed and could disrupt and damage the machinery of the industrial application. Even without exposure of adhesive, the presence of unadhered portions of tabs could disrupt and damage the machinery. In addition, air often entered into the reel between the tabs. The presence of air in the reel hinders the “bump” between the reels which results their adherence to each other. If air is trapped in the reel, adherence between the reels would be prevented. Thus, this prior art method of providing for high-speed web-splicing did not address all problems associated with the process.
Other prior art systems employed the use of adhesives with different adhesion strengths. For instance, a first adhesive was applied to adhere the inner surface of the loose end to the inner layer and a second adhesive was applied to the outer surface. The second adhesive was stronger than the first so that, upon application to the depleted reel, the second adhesive caused the loose end to adhere to the depleted reel and pull the first adhesive from the inner layer. This resulted in an exposed adhesive on either the inner surface of the loose end, the outer surface of the inner layer or both. Such exposed adhesive can disrupt and severely damage the expensive machinery involved in web handling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,555 to Caudal attempted to overcome the problems of the prior art. It relates to a tape with a cleavable central component that separates when subjected to a peeling force greater than its internal bond strength. Caudal addresses the problem of trapped air since it teaches the application of the adhesive continuously across the loose end of the reel.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,901,919 and 5,916,651 to Wienberg utilize a similar structure to Caudal. These patents also involve the application of a tape across the end of the loose reel to prevent the trapping of air in the reel. Paper is used since the patents seek to provide an adhesive which can be used in repulpable applications. Separation of the tape also occurs along a zone in a cleavable layer.
While these patents addressed some of the problems of the prior art, they present additional problems. Specifically, each of these patents utilizes a cleavable paper layer in the adhesive tape which separates randomly through its middle zone so that portions of its top and bottom halves remain attached to the surrounding adhesive layers. The method of separation is simply applying a force greater than the cleavable layer's internal bond strength which causes the layer to split.
These systems assume that the paper can repeatedly split along its middle. However, in practice the paper often does not cleave so perfectly resulting in exposed adhesive and damage to the machinery. Furthermore, the paper-backed tape is not strong enough to use in high-speed web-splices due to the inherent strength limitation of paper and the preferred use of paper which will split along its middle when normal splice force is applied. In addition, the ragged surface of the cleaved paper layer may cause disruptions in, and damage to, the expensive web handling machinery. Finally, the paper layers involved in these patents accept and reject moisture, are susceptible to humidity and encounter storage problems when experiencing high temperatures. These factors can lead to curling and wrinkling of the reel and problems in web handling.
Thus, there is still a need for an effective web-splice tape which can perform high-speed web-splices with separation at a specific engineered interface and leave no exposed adhesive anywhere on the new or depleted reels so that damage to machinery is avoided. An improved high-speed web-splicing tape which attains these purposes would be an important advance in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which releasably secures the loose end of a new reel to the new reel so that, upon attachment to a depleted reel, the tape separates along a specific engineered interface so no adhesive is exposed after the tape separates.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which releasably secures the wound end of the reel to the reel core so that, upon depletion of the reel, the tape separates along a specific engineered interface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which releasably secures the wound end of the reel to the reel core so that, upon depletion of the reel, the tape separates along a specific engineered interface so that the web does not wind back onto the core.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which releasably secures the wound end of the reel to the reel core so that, upon depletion of the reel, the tape separates along a specific engineered interface so that no adhesive is exposed after the tape separates.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which releasably secures the wound end of the reel to the reel core so that, upon depletion of the reel, the tape separates along a specific engineered interface so that the reel does not exert tension on the web which may damage machinery through which the web passes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which prevents damage to either reel or to the machinery involved in web handling.
Another object of the invention is to provide a thin tape which offers sufficient strength for use in high-speed web-splices.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which has a specific separation interface and separation force.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which splits into two smooth-surfaced parts after connection between web reels.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tape for use with high-speed web reels which allows for quick application to a reel and preparation for splicing.
Still another obje
Manteufel Todd
Starkey John
Jansson & Shupe & Munger Ltd.
Osele Mark A.
Specialty Tapes, division of RSW
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