Adhesive-backed articles

• US 20060188704A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Mikami, Haruyuki, Mazurek, Mieczyslaw H., Fleming, Patrick R.
• Application Number:
  US11/410,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20060188704A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/214
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/243 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2405/00 Adhesive articles, e.g. adhesive tapes labels B32B2519/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/08 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1284 Application of adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/24 with at least one layer not being coherent before laminating, e.g. made up from granular material sprinkled onto a substrate B32B37/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0012 Mechanical treatment, e.g. roughening, deforming, stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/105 comprising an adhesive layer decalcomania B44C1/16; adhesive tapes C09J7/20
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/204 the adhesive coating being discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/38 Pressure-sensitive adhesives [PSA]
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/403 characterised by the structure of the release feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1023 Surface deformation only [e.g., embossing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1471 Protective layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1476 Release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24562 Interlaminar spaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24959 of adhesive layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2843 : including a primer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2902 : Channel shape

Abstract

Methods of preparing adhesive-backed articles and methods of applying adhesives backed articles are described. The adhesive-backed articles include a compliant film and a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a microstructured surface opposite the compliant film.

Claims

1. An adhesive-backed article, comprising:

a compliant polymeric film having an upper surface and a lower surface, said compliant film having an inelastic deformation of at least 5 percent after being stretched once to 115 percent of its original length; and

a pressure sensitive adhesive permanently bonded to the lower surface of said compliant polymeric film, said pressure sensitive adhesive having a microstructured surface that can be bonded to a substrate, opposite said film, with a pattern of channels being formed in said surface that define a volume of at least 1×

10³ μ

m³ per any 500 μ

m diameter circular area of said pattern so that, after final application of said article onto the substrate, the upper surface of said compliant film has an appearance with substantially no periodicity and substantially no surface roughness beyond the surface roughness of the film by itself in accordance with the surface roughness test procedure,

wherein said channels define exit pathways that provide a fluid egress from behind said article when said article is applied to the substrate.

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein after final application of said article onto the substrate, the pattern of said channels is prevented from appearing on the surface of said compliant film.

3. The article according to claim 1, wherein said compliant film has a thickness of 300 μ

m or less.

4. The article according to claim 1, wherein said compliant film has a thickness of about 25 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

5. The article according to claim 1, wherein said compliant film comprises at least one of the plastic materials from the group consisting of vinyl, polyvinyl chloride, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, fluororesin or the like.

6. The article according to claim 1, wherein the average distance between adjacent channels in said pattern is up to 400 μ

m.

7. The article according to claim 1, wherein said channels have an aspect ratio in the range of about 0.1 to about 20.

8. The article according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive-backed article is sealable as indicated by an initial wet out test result of at least 85%.

9. The article according to claim 1, wherein said channels define exit pathways that provide a fluid egress to a periphery of said article, when said article is applied to the substrate.

10. The article according to claim 1, wherein the article is a decorative article.

11. The article according to claim 1 in combination with a motor vehicle.

12. A method of preparing an adhesive-backed article, said method comprising:

providing a microstructured release surface and a pressure-sensitive adhesive;

using the microstructured release surface to form a microstructured surface in the pressure-sensitive adhesive, where the microstructured surface can be bonded to a substrate and a pattern of channels is formed in the microstructured surface that define a volume of at least 1×

10³ μ

m³ per any 500 μ

m diameter circular area of the pattern; and

permanently bonding a compliant film to a surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive that is opposite the microstructured surface,

wherein channels formed in the microstructured surface of the pressure sensitive adhesive define exit pathways providing fluid egress from behind the article.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said using the microstructured release surface comprises forming the microstructured surface into a layer of the pressure sensitive adhesive, and said permanently bonding comprises bonding the compliant film to a surface of the layer that is opposite the microstructured surface.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the microstructured surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive is formed by (a) coating the pressure-sensitive adhesive onto the microstructured release surface or (b) embossing the pattern into the pressure-sensitive adhesive with the microstructured release surface.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the channels that define exit pathways provide fluid egress to a periphery of the article.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the article is a decorative article.

17. A method of applying an adhesive-backed article to a substrate, said method comprising:

providing an adhesive-backed article comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a microstructured surface and an opposite surface bonded to a compliant film, the microstructured surface having channels that define exit pathways providing a continuous fluid egress from behind the microstructured surface, with the channels having a volume of at least 1×

10³ μ

m³ per any 500 μ

m diameter circular area of the microstructured surface and having an aspect ratio of about 0.1 to about 20;

adhering the microstructured surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the surface of a substrate,

wherein after final application of said article onto the substrate, the upper surface of the compliant film has an appearance with substantially no periodicity and substantially no surface roughness beyond the surface roughness of the film by itself in accordance with the surface roughness test procedure

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive has an initial wet out test result of at least 85 percent, after said adhering.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the substrate is part of a motor vehicle 7

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the article is a decorative article.