Adhesive articles with improved air egress and methods of making the same

• US 7,344,618 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Iyer, Pradeep, Hannington, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Goff; John L
• Application Number:
  US10/953,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 156/87, 156/277, 156/290, 428/201, 428/202
• US Class Current: 156/277
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/00 Methods or apparatus for laminating, e.g. by curing or by ultrasonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/00 Layered products comprising a layer of a particular substance not covered by groups B32B11/00 - B32B29/00
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/204 the adhesive coating being discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/206 the adhesive layer comprising non-adhesive protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/10 without carriers
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/35 Heat-activated
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/38 Pressure-sensitive adhesives [PSA]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1476 Release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24826 Spot bonds connect components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2486 with outer strippable or release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles

Abstract

This invention relates to an adhesive article which provides air egress. Air egress is provided by supplying a route, such as areas of no initial adhesion for the air to flow out from under the construction. The invention relates to an adhesive article comprising a facestock having a front surface and a back surface, a continuous layer of adhesive having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the upper surface of the adhesive layer is adhered to the back surface of the facestock, and a plurality of spaced-apart non-adhesive material which is in contact with the lower surface of the adhesive layer wherein the lower surface of the adhesive layer has a Sheffield roughness of at least about 10 and the adhesive article provides air egress. The invention also relates to methods of preparing the adhesive articles. These articles have usefulness as industrial graphics images, as well as decorative coverings, etc. The articles provide air egress and optionally repositionability and slideability.

Claims

1. A method of making an adhesive article comprising the steps of:

providing a release liner comprising a moldable polyolefin layer, a release surface and a back surface, the release surface having an embossed pattern of three-dimensional microstructures thereon;

printing a pattern of non-adhesive ink on to the release surface of the release liner by applying heat to soften the release liner and pressing the non-adhesive ink into the softened release liner;

embedding the non-adhesive ink into the release liner while retaining the pattern of three-dimensional microstructure of the release surface; and

transferring an adhesive layer having a front and back surface and end edges onto the release liner, wherein the front surface of the adhesive layer is adhered to the release surface of the release liner.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a facestock to the back surface of the adhesive layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer has a facestock adhered to the its back surface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern of ink comprises a plurality of dots, lines or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern of ink comprises a plurality of closely spaced parallel lines.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the printing step comprises flexographic printing.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the printing step comprises gravure printing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the release surface of the release liner has a Sheffield roughness of greater than about 50.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the release surface of the release liner has a matte finish.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the printing step and the embedding step occur simultaneously.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the embedding step comprises applying heat and pressure to the non-adhesive material and the release liner with a textured roller.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-adhesive ink comprises a UV curable ink.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-adhesive ink comprises coalescing ink.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-adhesive ink comprises a porous non-adhesive ink.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the porous non-adhesive ink comprises an elastomer.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying randomly distributed non-adhesive particulate material onto the release surface of the release liner prior to the embedding step.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a second pattern of non-adhesive material to the release surface of the release liner, wherein said second pattern of non-adhesive material has a thickness greater than that of the first pattern of non-adhesive ink.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is a heat-activated adhesive.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern of ink comprises a plurality of lines, wherein at least 50% of the lines intersect the end edges of the adhesive layer.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a second release liner to the back surface of the adhesive layer.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the back surface of the release liner has a release coating thereon.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising applying a second adhesive layer to the back surface of said release liner, said front surface of said second adhesive layer in contact with the back surface of the release liner.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising applying a facestock to the back surface of one of said adhesive layers.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said second adhesive layer has a facestock adhered to its back surface.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the embossed pattern of microstructures is selected from circles, ovals, diamonds, squares, rectangles, triangles, polygons, lines and irregular shapes.

27. A method of making an adhesive article comprising the steps of:

providing a release liner comprising a moldable polyolefin layer, a release surface and a back surface;

printing a pattern of non-adhesive ink on to the release surface of the release liner;

embedding the non-adhesive ink into the release liner by applying heat and pressure to the non-adhesive ink and the release liner using a roller or platen having an incised pattern in its surface such that the roller or platen concurrently embeds the non-adhesive ink into the release liner and developes a raised pattern corresponding to the incised pattern on the release liner; and

transferring an adhesive layer having a front and back surface and end edges onto the release liner, wherein the front surface of the adhesive layer is adhered to the release surface of the release liner.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising applying a facestock to the back surface of the adhesive layer.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the adhesive layer has a facestock adhered to the its back surface.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the pattern of ink comprises a plurality of dots, lines or combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the pattern of ink comprises a plurality of closely spaced parallel lines.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the printing step comprises flexographic printing.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the printing step comprises gravure printing.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the release surface of the release liner has a Sheffield roughness of greater than about 50.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the release surface of the release liner has a matte finish.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the non-adhesive ink comprises a UV curable ink.

37. The method of claim 27 wherein the non-adhesive ink comprises coalescing ink.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein the non-adhesive ink comprises a porous non-adhesive ink.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the porous non-adhesive ink comprises an elastomer.

40. The method of claim 27 further comprising applying randomly distributed non-adhesive particulate material onto the release surface of the release liner prior to the embedding step.

41. The method of claim 27 further comprising applying a second pattern of non-adhesive material to the release surface of the release liner, wherein said second pattern of non-adhesive material has a thickness greater than that of the first pattern of non-adhesive ink.

42. The method of claim 27 wherein said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

43. The method of claim 27 wherein said adhesive is a heat-activated adhesive.

44. The method of claim 27 wherein the pattern of ink comprises a plurality of lines, wherein at least 50% of the lines intersect the end edges of the adhesive layer.

45. The method of claim 27 wherein the incised pattern is selected from a plurality of dots, lines, diamonds and any geometric figure such that the roller or platen concurrently embeds the non-adhesive ink into the release liner and provides the front surface of the adhesive layer with.