Multi-layered renewable sticky surface bulletin board

• US 6,899,934 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Beyer, Martin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmad, Nasser
• Application Number:
  US10/372,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 428/40.1, 428/192, 428/194, 428/202, 428/211, 428/212, 428/214, 428/354, 428/201, 406/57, 406/00, 406/15, 406/24, 156/247, 156/272.6
• US Class Current: 428/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 15/00 Boards, hoardings, pillars, or like structures for notices, placards, posters, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/12 the elements being secured or adapted to be secured by self-adhesion, moisture, suction, slow-drying adhesive or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1405 Capsule or particulate matter containing [e.g., sphere, flake, microballoon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24793 Comprising discontinuous or differential impregnation or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2486 with outer strippable or release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24959 of adhesive layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 Three or more layers

Abstract

A new and improved bulletin board comprises a rigid support or backing member, and a tablet comprising a stacked array of adhesive-coated sheets, mounted upon the rigid support or backing member, wherein each one of the adhesive-coated sheets is adapted to have various different objects, such as, for example, notices, memos, notes, bills, pens, pencils, coupons, or the like, adhered thereon. By forming the bulletin board so as to comprise the plurality of adhesive-coated sheets, an exposed adhesive-coated sheet, whose tack level has degraded with time, may simply be removed from the tablet or stacked array of adhesive-coated sheets so as to expose a new or fresh adhesive-coated sheet which can now be used to again securely adhere objects upon the bulletin board.

Claims

1. A bulletin board upon which objects are to be secured for display, comprising:

a support backing having a first predetermined length dimension as defined between an upper edge portion of said support backing and a lower edge portion of said support backing, and a first predetermined width dimension as defined between opposite side edge portions of said support backing; and

a tablet mounted upon said support backing and comprising a single stacked array of a plurality of sheets,

wherein each one of said plurality of sheets is substantially the same size as said support backing, except for at least one marginal area defined between at least one edge portion of each one of said plurality of sheets and at least one of said upper, lower, and opposite side edge portions of said support backing, in that each one of said plurality of sheets has a second predetermined length dimension which is substantially the same as said first predetermined length dimension of said support backing such that an upper edge portion of each one of said plurality of sheets is disposed within the vicinity of said upper edge portion of said support backing while a lower edge portion of each one of said plurality of sheets is disposed within the vicinity of said lower edge portion of said support backing, and a second predetermined width dimension which is substantially the same as said first predetermined width dimension of said support backing such that opposite side edge portions of each one of said plurality of sheets are disposed within the vicinity of said opposite side edge portions of said support backing; and

wherein further, each one of said plurality of sheets has adhesive material coated upon a first side thereof, a second side of each one of said plurality of sheets is non-coated, and said adhesive material is characterized by means of a predetermined tack level which is sufficiently strong such that objects can be adhered thereto, throughout the expanse of each one of said plurality of sheets as defined by said second predetermined length dimension and said second predetermined width dimension, so as to be displayed upon said bulletin board when the adhesive-coated side of an outermost one of said plurality of sheets is exposed, and yet said plurality of sheets can be individually separated from each other when a new sheet of said plurality of sheets is to be exposed so as to serve as a fresh outermost one of said plurality of sheets upon which objects are to be adhered for display upon said bulletin board.

2. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each one of said plurality of sheets is fabricated from a plastic material.

3. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said plastic material comprises high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

4. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said plastic material comprises linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE).

5. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said plastic material comprises non-linear low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

6. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

each one of said plurality of sheets has a thickness dimension which is within the range of 0.4-2.5 mils.

7. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said first adhesive-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets, and said second non-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets, are characterized by means of electronic corona discharge treatment levels, as measured in dynes, wherein said electronic corona discharge treatment level of said first adhesive-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets is approximately twice said electronic corona discharge treatment level of said second non-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets.

8. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 7, wherein:

said first adhesive-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets is characterized by means of an electronic corona discharge treatment level which is within the range of 40-50 dynes, while said second non-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets is characterized by means of an electronic corona discharge treatment level which is within the range of 10-30 dynes.

17. The bulletin board as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said at least one marginal area is defined between each one of said upper edge portions of said plurality of sheets and said upper edge portion of said support backing; and

means are provided upon said at least one marginal area for facilitating the suspended display of said bulletin board.

9. A method of making a bulletin board upon which objects are to be secured for display, comprising the steps of:

providing a support backing having a first predetermined length dimension as defined between an upper edge portion of said support backing and a lower edge portion of said support backing, and a first predetermined width dimension as defined between opposite side edge portions of said support backing; and

mounting a tablet upon said support backing wherein said tablet comprises a single stacked array of a plurality of sheets,

wherein each one of said plurality of sheets is substantially the same size as said support backing, except for at least one marginal area defined between at least one edge portion of each one of said plurality of sheets and at least one of said upper, lower, and opposite side edge portions of said support backing, in that each one of said plurality of sheets has a second predetermined length dimension which is substantially the same as said first predetermined length dimension of said support backing such that an upper edge portion of each one of said plurality of sheets is disposed within the vicinity of said upper edge portion of said support backing while a lower edge portion of each one of said plurality of sheets is disposed within the vicinity of said lower edge portion of said support backing, and a second predetermined width dimension which is substantially the same as said first predetermined width dimension of said support backing such that opposite side edge portions of each one of said plurality of sheets are disposed within the vicinity of said opposite side edge portions of said support backing; and

wherein further, each one of said plurality of sheets has adhesive material coated upon a first side thereof, a second side of each one of said plurality of sheets is non-coated, and said adhesive material is characterized by means of a predetermined tack level which is sufficiently strong such that objects can be adhered thereto, throughout the expanse of each one of said plurality of sheets as defined by said second predetermined length dimension and said second predetermined width dimension, so as to be displayed upon said bulletin board when the adhesive-coated side of an outermost one of said plurality of sheets is exposed, and yet said plurality of sheets can be individually separated from each other when a new sheet of said plurality of sheets is to be exposed so as to serve as a fresh outermost one of said plurality of sheets upon which objects are to be adhered for display upon said bulletin board.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

fabricating each one of said plurality of sheets from a plastic material.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said plastic material comprises high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said plastic material comprises linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE).

13. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said plastic material comprises non-linear low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

14. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

forming each one of said plurality of sheets so as to have a thickness dimension which is within the range of 0.4-2.5 mils.

15. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the step of:

respectively treating said first adhesive-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets, and said second non-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets, with an electronic corona discharge treatment such that the electronic corona discharge treatment level of said first adhesive-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets, as measured in dynes, is approximately twice the electronic corona discharge treatment level of said second non-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets, as measured in dynes.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

treating said first adhesive-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets by means of said electronic corona discharge treatment such that said electronic corona discharge treatment level is within the range of 40-50 dynes; and

treating said second non-coated side of each one of said plurality of sheets by means of said electronic corona discharge treatment such that said electronic corona discharge treatment level is within the range of 10-30 dynes.

18. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

defining said at least one marginal area between each one of said upper edge portions of said plurality of sheets and said upper edge portion of said support backing; and

providing means upon said at least one marginal area for facilitating the suspended display of said bulletin board.