Erasable product

• US 6,481,127 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Re-Mark-It Limited
• Original Assignee: Re-Mark-It Limited
• Inventors: Bilbie, Clive James, Tipper, Roy Beverly
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOP, ANDREA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US08/980,042
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 406/38, 402/990.1, 405/94, 283/81, 281/39, 434/410
• US Class Current: 40/299.01
• CPC Class Codes: B43L 1/123 Flexible writing surface or backing
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0202 printed before use
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0208 Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/021 Indicia behind the front foil
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0219 to keep record of the use of a product
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/023 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0257 Multilayer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0279 Card, e.g. plastic
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer

Abstract

An erasable product such as an erasable and rewritable label or an erasable sign comprises a base layer and a transparent or translucent upper sheet over the base layer which provides a smooth and wrinkle-free top surface to the product. The upper sheet and base layer are releasably adhesive together under pressure applied manually on the upper sheet such as writing pressure with a blunt stylus, to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere in the localized region of pressure to display the writing in the case of a label. The upper sheet can be moved sufficiently to separate it from the base layer when a user'"'"'s finger or thumb is wiped across the top surface of the upper sheet. The upper sheet also extends over a wipe-start region where the upper sheet and the base layer are not adhesive together, over which wipe-start region a user'"'"'s finger or thumb may be placed from which to begin the movement to separate the upper sheet from the base layer.

Claims

1. An erasable product comprising a base layer and an upper sheet extending over the base layer and fixed to a backing sheet carrying the base layer about the periphery of the upper sheet, the upper sheet and the base layer being sufficiently releasably adhesive together under pressure applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere in a localized region of said pressure, the upper sheet also extending over a wipe-start region adjacent the base layer in which said wipe-start region, the upper sheet material, and the base layer are not adhesive together, wherein a user'"'"'s finger or thumb can be wiped across a top surface of the upper sheet from said wipe-start region to create a wrinkle in the non-adhesive wipe start region and then move the wrinkle from the wipe-start region across the top surface of the upper sheet from a first side to a second side of the upper sheet to separate the upper sheet from the base layer.

2. An erasable product according to claim 1, wherein material comprising the base layer is not provided beneath the upper sheet in said wipe-start region to form the wipe-start region in which the upper sheet and base layer are not adhesive together.

3. An erasable product according to claim 1, wherein the base layer extends beneath the upper sheet in said wipe-start region and a release coating is applied to an under surface of said upper sheet or to a top surface of the base layer in the wipe-start region to form the wipe-start region in which the upper sheet material and the base layer are not adhesive together.

4. An erasable product according to claim 1, wherein the base layer has a color which is visible through the upper sheet in said localized region when pressure is applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere in said localized region.

5. An erasable product according to claim 4, wherein the upper sheet comprises a material selected from the group consisting of transparent and translucent materials.

6. An erasable product according to claim 5, wherein the base layer is continuous over the area beneath the upper sheet where the upper sheet and base layer are releasably adhesive together.

7. An erasable product according to claim 6, wherein the base layer and upper sheet over the base layer are longer than they are wide, and said wipe-start region is provided at one end of the base layer.

8. An erasable product according to claim 7, wherein the width of the base layer and upper sheet are such that the full width of the upper sheet may be separated from the base layer by a single wipe of a user'"'"'s finger or thumb over the upper sheet.

9. An erasable product according to claim 1, comprising a contrasting icon or indicia which is visible through the upper sheet when pressure is applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere and which is substantially less visible when the upper sheet is wiped from said wipe-start region to separate the upper sheet from the base layer.

10. An erasable product according to claim 9, wherein the base layer is formed in the shape of said icon or indicia.

11. An erasable product according to claim 9, wherein the icon or indicia is printed on a surface beneath the base layer and the base layer is applied over said surface as a substantially clear coating.

12. An erasable product according to claim 9, wherein the icon or indicia is printed on the upper sheet as a negative image.

13. An erasable product according to claim 1, comprising an icon or indicia printed on the upper sheet in a color such that when pressure is applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere said icon or indicia is made substantially less visible and such that when the top surface of the upper sheet is wiped from said wipe-start region to separate the upper sheet from the base layer said icon or indicia becomes visible.

14. An erasable product according to claim 13, wherein said icon or indicia is printed on an underside of the upper sheet.

15. An erasable product according to claim 14, wherein said icon or indicia is printed as a positive image.

16. An erasable product according to claim 14, wherein said icon or indicia is printed as a negative image.

17. An erasable product according to claim 1 wherein a rear surface of the backing sheet is coated with a contact adhesive.

18. An erasable product according to claim 17, wherein the product is an erasable label.

19. An erasable product according to claim 17, wherein the product is a video cassette label.

20. An erasable product according to claim 17, wherein the product is a computer disk label.

21. An erasable product according to claim 1, further comprising a book having a page, and wherein the base layer is carried by the page and the upper sheet is fixed to the page of the book.

22. An erasable and rewritable label comprising a base layer comprising a releasable adhesive material and an upper sheet extending over the base layer and also over a wipe-start region at one side of the base layer in which wipe-start region the base layer is non-adhesive, which upper sheet is fixed to a backing sheet carrying the base layer about peripheral sides of the upper sheet and the upper sheet providing a smooth and substantially wrinkle free top surface, the upper sheet and base layer being sufficiently releasably adhesive together, other than in said wipe-start region, under pressure applied to the upper sheet by a writing implement to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere in a localized region of said pressure so that color of the base layer is visible through the upper sheet in said localized region, and the upper sheet being movable relative to the base layer to separate the upper sheet and the base layer in the localized region to erase the label when a user'"'"'s finger or thumb is wiped across the upper sheet to create a wrinkle in the non-adhesive wipe-start region and then move the wrinkle from said wipe-start region to the other side of the label.

23. An erasable and rewritable label according to claim 22, wherein a part of the base layer of the label comprises a contrasting icon or indicia which is visible through the upper sheet when pressure is applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere and which is substantially less visible when the upper sheet is wiped to separate the upper sheet from the base layer.

24. An erasable and rewritable label according to claim 22 comprising an icon or indicia printed on the upper sheet as a negative image such that the icon or indicia is visible through the upper sheet when pressure is applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere and which is substantially less visible when the upper sheet is wiped to separate the upper sheet from the base layer.

25. An erasable label according to claim 22 comprising an icon or indicia printed on the upper sheet in a color such that when pressure is applied manually on the upper sheet to cause the upper sheet and the base layer to adhere said icon or indicia is substantially less visible and when the top surface of the upper sheet is wiped to separate the upper sheet from the base layer said icon or indicia becomes visible.