REMOVABLE ADHESIVE TAPE AND PULL TAB, AND METHOD OF FORMING

• US 20090000722A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bartusiak, Joseph T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,892,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/60
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/00 Layers arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/40 having particular optical properties light or UV resistant B32B2307/71
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/50 having particular mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/732 Dimensional properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/748 Releasability
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2405/00 Adhesive articles, e.g. adhesive tapes labels B32B2519/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/00 Layered products comprising a layer of synthetic resin fibrous or filamentary layer made of a synthetic resin B32B5/02; particulate layer made of a synthetic resin B32B5/16; foamed layer made of a synthetic resin B32B5/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/06 as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/045; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/046; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/12; next to a metal layer B32B15/08; next to a glass layer B32B17/10; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/045; next to a wood layer B32B21/08; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/08; next to a natural or synthetic rubber layer B32B25/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/00 Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/04 characterised by at least one layer folded at the edge, e.g. over another layer ; characterised by at least one layer enveloping or enclosing a material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/14 characterised by a face layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/16 secured to a flexible backing
• 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 7/00 Layered products characterised by the relation between layers; Layered products characterised by the relative orientation of features between layers, or by the relative values of a measurable parameter between layers, i.e. products comprising layers having different physical, chemical or physicochemical properties; Layered products characterised by the interconnection of layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 : using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/308 : the adhesive tape or sheet losing adhesive strength when being stretched, e.g. stretch adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/20 : characterised by their carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 : with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer

Abstract

A stretch releasing adhesive tape Keith an improved pull tab is disclosed. Methods are provided by which a single tab film may be adhered to an elongated strip of stretch releasing adhesive tape to form a manually engageable pull tab at a selected location. Such a pull tab may be foldable so as to comprise an unobtrusive visual appearance and may also be extendable so that the pull tab may be grasped to activate the stretch release.

Claims

1. A method of forming a non-adhesive protruding pull tab at an end of a length of stretch releasing adhesive tape, comprising:

providing an elongate length of stretch releasing adhesive tape having first and second oppositely facing major surfaces, both surfaces comprising adhesive;

providing a single piece of tab film having first and second oppositely facing major surfaces, at least one major surface being adherable;

contacting a first area of the adherable major surface of the tab film with an adhesive-containing area of the first major surface of the adhesive tape, said area being at a terminal end of the adhesive tape, to form a tab/tape bonded area;

wrapping the tab film around the terminal end of the adhesive tape such that a portion of the tab film protrudes past a terminal edge of the terminal end of the elongate length of stretch releasing adhesive tape; and

,

contacting a second area of the adherable major surface of the tab film with an adhesive-containing area of the second major surface of the adhesive tape, said area being at the terminal end of the adhesive tape, to form a tab/tape bonded area;

wherein a non-adhesive pull tab comprising a protruding tab portion is formed at the terminal end of the elongate length of adhesive tape.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the formed pull tab is movable into a folded position in which at least a part of the protruding tab portion is in overlapping relation with at least a part of a tab/tape bonded area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull tab is movable into an extended position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when in an extended position the pull tab protrudes at least 10 mm beyond the terminal edge of the elongate length of adhesive tape.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull tab is movable from a folded position into an extended position.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the tab has an extension ratio of at least 5.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull tab is movable into a Z-folded position.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pull tab comprises at least two creases.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the creases are oppositely biased.

10. The method of claim 19 wherein the formed pull tab is movable into a folded position in which at least a part of the protruding tab portion is in overlapping relation with at least a part of a first tab/tape bonded area, and another part of the protruding tab portion is in overlapping relation with at least a portion of a second tab/tape bonded area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the pull tab is movable into a dual Z-folded position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pull tab comprises at least four creases.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least two of the creases are oppositely biased

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tab has an extension ratio of at least 5.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the tab film is wrapped around the terminal end of the adhesive tape in a direction parallel to the elongate length of the tape.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongate length of adhesive tape is a discrete strip.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the elongate length of adhesive tape is part of a continuous roll, and further comprising the step of separating the elongate length of adhesive tape from the roll after formation of the tab.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the major surfaces of the adhesive tape comprises a liner, and wherein the method includes the step of removing at least a terminal portion of the liner from a terminal end of the adhesive tape to expose an adhesive-containing area of the first major surface of the adhesive tape.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein, from a multiplicity of tab film pieces of different color, the tab film piece is chosen which is the most similar in color to that of an object to be bonded.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the stretch releasing property of the stretch releasing adhesive tape may be activated by grasping and pulling the protruding portion of the pull tab without grasping any portion of the adhesive tape itself.