Perforated tab and tabbed tape rolls

• US 5,878,971 A
• Filed: 05/22/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Minnema, Peter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIVERA, WILLIAM ARAUZ
• Application Number:
  US08/861,444
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 242/160.1, 242/160.4, 242/580, 242/582
• US Class Current: 242/160.4
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/18 characterized by perforations in the adhesive tape
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/22 Plastics; Metallised plastics

Abstract

A tab for placement on one end of a length of tape has at least one perforation. The tape can have a first end, a second end, a first side, and a second side. Adhesive is on the first side, and the tab is located at the first end of the tape and adhered to the first side of the tape. The tab has at least one perforation such that when the tape is wound into a roll, the adhesive accessible through the perforation adheres the tab to the tape to prevent the tab from protruding from the roll while permitting the tab to be grabbed easily to begin unwinding the roll of tape.

Claims

1. A package containing at least one roll of tape, the package comprising a tape having a first end and a second end, a first side and a second side, adhesive on the first side, and a non-reusable tab at the first end adhered to the first side of the tape, wherein the tab has at least one perforation such that when the tape is wound into a roll with the first end of the tape on an outermost portion of the roll the adhesive accessible through the at least one perforation adheres the tab to the tape to form a tabbed tape roll and to prevent the tab from protruding from the roll while permitting the tab to be grabbed easily to begin unwinding the roll of tape;

and wherein the tabbed tape roll is contained in the package.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein the tab is a single flat sheet adherable to only one side of the tape.

3. The package of claim 2 wherein each perforation has a diameter that ranges from 0.1 cm to 1.0 cm and wherein the series of perforations extends for substantially the entire tab width.

4. The package of claim 1 wherein the tab has a series of circular perforations formed in two rows.

5. The package of claim 1 wherein after the tab is placed on the tape it is not removable from the tape, and wherein the length of the tab is less than 1% of the length of the tape.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein the tab has a width equal to width of the tape.

7. The package of claim 5 wherein the tape is a type of adhesive tape.

8. The package of claim 7 wherein the package contains multiple tape rolls.

9. The package of claim 1 wherein the package is a shrink-wrapped plastic sleeve.

10. The package of claim 1 wherein the package contains multiple tape rolls.