Multiple releasable contact responsive fasteners

• US 5,888,335 A
• Filed: 12/18/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Freeman, Maurice E., Kobe, James J., Lu, Shih-Lai, Zinke, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gallagher, John J.
• Application Number:
  US08/769,103
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 156/152, 156/306.3, 428/99, 428/343, 24/304, 248/205.3
• US Class Current: 156/306.3
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4277 Caprolactone and/or substituted caprolactone
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/16 having terminal carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 151/003 grafted on to macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds C09J151/04, C09J151/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 153/00 Adhesives based on block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Adhesives based on derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 153/02 Vinyl aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 155/00 Adhesives based on homopolymers or copolymers, obtained by polymerisation reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, not provided for in groups C09J123/00 - C09J153/00
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/162 the carrier being a laminate constituted by plastic layers only
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2423/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2433/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2475/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/25 based on macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/33 having adhesive fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 including fastener for attaching to external surface
• 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 428/2848 Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2852 Adhesive compositions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2861 having readily strippable combined with readily readhearable properties [e.g., stick-ons, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2883 including addition polymer of diene monomer [e.g., SBR, SIS, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2896 : including nitrogen containing condensation polymer [e.g., polyurethane, polyisocyanate, etc.]

Abstract

A multi-cycle refastenable contact responsive non-tacky fastener system and method of use with a field of a contact responsive fastening layer having essentially no surface tack. The fastening layer is multiply releasable and refastenable against a non-tacky target surface, and has substantially constant 90° peel strength of less than about 5 kN/m when in contact with the target surface. A mounting layer comprises a field of a pressure sensitive adhesive onto which the field of the contact responsive layer is directly attached.

Claims

1. A method of applying a covering to a structure, in a manner that permits the covering to be multiply repositioned, the method comprising the step of:

a) providing a contact responsive fastener comprising (i) a connecting means, and (ii) a contact responsive fastening layer that has essentially no surface tack and a low 90°

peel strength of from at least 0.061 kN/m to about 5.0 kN/m to a glass target surface after a 2 minute dwell time at room temperature;

b) attaching the contact responsive fastener to the structure by means of the connecting means; and

c) contacting the contact responsive fastening layer with a target portion of the covering so that the covering is in repositionable attachment to the contact responsive fastening layer.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a layer of a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive on said contact responsive fastening layer.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the target portion of the covering has a different composition than the contact responsive fastening layer.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the contact responsive fastening layer is crosslinked.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the target portion of the covering comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a metal, glass, paper and enamel.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the solubility parameter of the contact responsive fastening layer and the solubility parameter of the target surface each are sufficiently different to prevent blocking of the contact responsive fastening layer to the target surface.

7. A method of applying a covering to a structure, in a manner that permits the covering to be multiply repositioned, the method comprising the step of:

providing a contact responsive fastener comprising (i) a connecting means, and (ii) a contact responsive fastening layer that has essentially no surface tack and a low 90°

peel strength of from at least 0.061 kN/m to about 5.0 kN/m to a glass target surface after a 2 minute dwell time at room temperature;

attaching the contact responsive fastener to the covering by means of the connecting means; and

contacting the contact responsive fastening layer with a target portion of the structure so that the covering is in repositionable attachment to the structure.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said connecting means comprises a layer of a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive interposed between said contact responsive fastener and said covering.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the target portion of the structure has a different composition than the contact responsive fastener.

10. A method according to claim 7 wherein the contact responsive fastening layer is crosslinking.

11. A method according to claim 7 wherein the target portion of the structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, metal, glass, paper or enamel.

12. A method according to claim 7 wherein the solubility parameter of the contact responsive fastening layer and the solubility parameter of the target surface each are sufficiently different to prevent blocking of the contact responsive fastener to the target.

13. A method of applying a covering to a structure, m a manner that permits the covering to be multiply repositioned, the method comprising the step of:

functionally attaching a contact responsive fastening layer to the structure, the contact responsive fastening layer having essentially no surface tack and a low 90°

peel strength of from at least 0.06 kN/m to about 5.0 kN/m to a glass target surface after a 2 minute dwell time at room temperature; and

contacting the contact responsive fastening layer with a target portion of the covering so that the covering is in repositionable attachment to the contact responsive fastening layer.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the step of functionally attaching the contact responsive fastening layer to the structure comprises the step of coating the contact responsive fastening layer onto the structure.

15. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of functionally attaching the target portion to the covering.

16. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of coating a target portion directly onto the covering.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the covering comprises the target portion.

18. A method of applying a covering to a structure, in a manner that permits the covering to be multiply repositioned, the method comprising the step of:

functionally attaching a contact responsive fastening layer to the covering, the contact responsive fastening layer having essentially no surface tack and a low 90°

peel strength of from at least 0.061 kN/m to about 5.0 kN/m to a glass target surface after a 2 minute dwell time at room temperature; and

contacting the contact responsive fastening layer with a target portion of the structure so that the covering is in repositionable attachment to the structure.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the step of functionally attaching the contact responsive fastening layer to the covering comprises the step of coating the contact responsive fastening layer directly onto the covering.

20. A method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of functionally attaching the target portion to the structure.

21. A method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of coating a target portion directly onto the structure.

22. A method according to claim 18 wherein at least a portion of the structure comprises the target portion.