Adhesive sheet pad with center tabbed leader strip

• US 5,798,159 A
• Filed: 05/17/1996
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Samuelson, Bruce E., Callahan, Joseph P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmad, Nasser
• Application Number:
  US08/649,310
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 428/40.1, 428/41.7, 428/41.8, 428/41.9, 428/42.1, 428/42.2, 428/42.3, 428/352, 428/354, 428/212, 283/81, 221/45, 221/51, 221/63
• US Class Current: 428/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/003 Note-pads
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 5/005 Supports for note-pads B42F9/00 takes precedence; underlays B43L3/00
• 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 428/1481 Dissimilar adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/149 Sectional layer removable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1495 Adhesive is on removable layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2839 with release or antistick coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 Three or more layers

Abstract

A dispenser package including a stack of flexible sheets adhered together by layers of pressure sensitive adhesive with first and second ends of successive sheets in the stack adjacent; and an enclosure in which the stack of sheets is positioned having top wall portions with spaced opposed surfaces that define a wide slot. The first end portion of the uppermost sheet on the stack projects through the slot and rests against the adjacent first abutment surface. As that uppermost sheet is pulled through the slot, successive portions of it will peel away from the first underlying sheet in the stack until it contacts the second abutment surface, whereupon the first end portion of the first underlying sheet separates from the second underlying sheet, the first end portion of the first underlying sheet folds and moves through the slot with the second end portion of the uppermost sheet to leave, after the uppermost sheet is fully peeled from the first portion of the first underlying sheet, the first end portion of the first underlying sheet in a position projecting through the slot and resting against the second abutment surface in a position where it too may be grasped for manual removal in a similar manner.

Claims

1. A pad comprising:

(a) a plurality of superimposed aligned sheets, wherein;

(1) each sheet includes;

(A) a backing having top and bottom major surfaces; and

(B) a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the bottom surface of the backing; and

(2) the plurality of superimposed sheets form a unitary pad having (i) a longitudinal length, (ii) a first longitudinal end, (iii) a second longitudinal end, (iv) an uppermost adhesive sheet with an exposed top surface, and (v) a lowermost adhesive sheet with an exposed adhesively coated bottom surface; and

(b) a leader strip having a shorter longitudinal length than the pad, a first longitudinal end, and a second longitudinal end;

the leader strip superimposed over the exposed top surface of the uppermost adhesive sheet, such that;

(1) a first end portion of the leader strip is positioned proximate the first end of the pad and adhesively bonded to the exposed top surface of the uppermost adhesive sheet, and

(2) a second end portion of the leader strip is positioned intermediate the first and second ends of the pad and forms a nontacky, intermediately positioned pull tab with the second end of the leader strip longitudinally offset from the second end of the pad towards the first end of the pad.

2. The pad of claim 1 wherein:

(a) each sheet is adhesively bonded to the top surface of an immediately underlying sheet with a first adhesive strength along a first end portion of the sheet and with a second adhesive strength along a second end portion of the sheet;

(b) the first end portions of each successive sheet in the pad are positioned so that the first end portion of successive sheets alternate between the first and second ends of the pad; and

(c) the second adhesive strength is sufficiently less than the first adhesive strength that the second end portion of each sheet will delaminate from the immediately underlying sheet when an immediately overlying sheet is peeled from the pad.

3. The pad of claim 2 wherein the difference in adhesive strength between the first and second end portions of each sheet is achieved by applying a coating of different release materials to the first and second end portions of the top surface of each sheet.

4. The pad of claim 2 wherein the difference in adhesive strength between the first and second end portions of each sheet is achieved by extending the adhesive layer over the first end portion only, whereby the second end portion is free of adhesive.