Adhesive-backed articles

• US 9,085,121 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Mikami, Haruyuki, Fleming, Patrick R., Mazurek, Mieczyslaw H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Musser, Barbara J
• Application Number:
  US13/675,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20130068367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/243 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2405/00 Adhesive articles, e.g. adhesive tapes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/08 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1284 Application of adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/24 with at least one layer not being coherent before laminating, e.g. made up from granular material sprinkled onto a substrate B32B37/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0012 Mechanical treatment, e.g. roughening, deforming, stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/105 comprising an adhesive layer decalcomania B44C1/16; adhesive tapes C09J7/20
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/204 the adhesive coating being discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/38 Pressure-sensitive adhesives [PSA]
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/403 characterised by the structure of the release feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1023 Surface deformation only [e.g., embossing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1471 Protective layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1476 Release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24562 Interlaminar spaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24959 of adhesive layers
• 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 428/2843 : including a primer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2902 : Channel shape

Abstract

Methods of preparing adhesive-backed articles and methods of applying adhesives backed articles are described. The adhesive-backed articles include a compliant film and a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a microstructured surface opposite the compliant film.

Claims

1. An adhesive-backed film comprising:

a compliant pigmented polymeric film having an upper surface and a lower surface, said compliant film having an inelastic deformation of at least 5 percent after being stretched once to 115 percent of its original length wherein the compliant film is solid; and

a pressure sensitive adhesive permanently bonded to the planar lower surface of said compliant polymeric film, said pressure sensitive adhesive having a microstructured surface, opposite said film, that can be bonded to a surface of a motor vehicle, with a pattern of channels being formed in said microstructured surface that define a volume ranging from at least 1×

10³ μ

m³ up to about 1×

10⁷ μ

m³ per any 500 μ

m diameter circular area of said pattern so that, after final application of said article onto the surface of a motor vehicle, the upper surface of said compliant film has an appearance with substantially no periodicity and substantially no surface roughness beyond the periodicity and surface roughness of the film by itself in accordance with the Surface Roughness Test,

wherein channels formed on the microstructured surface define exit pathways that provide a fluid egress from behind said article when said article is applied to the surface of a motor vehicle and wherein the adhesive-backed film is suitable for being adhered to a surface of a motor vehicle.

2. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein after final application of said adhesive-backed film onto the surface of a motor vehicle, the pattern of said channels is prevented from appearing on the surface of said compliant film.

3. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said compliant film has a thickness of 300 μ

m or less.

4. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said compliant film has a thickness of about 25 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

5. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said compliant film comprises at least one of the plastic materials from the group consisting of vinyl, polyvinyl chloride, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, or fluororesin.

6. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein the average distance between adjacent channels in said pattern is up to 400 μ

m.

7. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said channels have an aspect ratio in the range of about 0.1 to about 20.

8. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive-backed article is sealable as indicated by an initial wet out test result of at least 85%.

9. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said channels define exit pathways that provide a fluid egress to a periphery of said adhesive-backed film, when said adhesive-backed film is applied to the surface of a motor vehicle.

10. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive-backed film is operatively adapted for being adhered to a contoured surface of a motor vehicle.

11. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive has a microstructured surface that can be bonded to a contoured surface of a motor vehicle.

12. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said adhesive-backed film has an appearance with substantially no periodicity and substantially no surface roughness beyond the surface roughness of the compliant film by itself in accordance with the Surface Roughness Test, after final application of said adhesive-backed film onto the contoured surface of a motor vehicle.

13. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein channels formed on the microstructured surface define exit pathways that provide a fluid egress from behind said adhesive-backed film when said adhesive-backed film is applied to the contoured surface of a motor vehicle.

14. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein after final application of said adhesive-backed film onto a contoured surface of a motor vehicle, the pattern of said channels is prevented from appearing on the surface of said compliant film.

15. The adhesive-backed film according to claim 1, wherein said channels define exit pathways that provide a fluid egress to a periphery of said adhesive-backed film, when said adhesive-backed film is applied to the contoured surface of a motor vehicle.

16. The adhesive-backed film of claim 1,

wherein the adhesive-backed film has a wet out test result of at least 85%.

17. A method of applying an adhesive-backed film to a surface of a motor vehicle, said method comprising:

providing the adhesive-backed film of claim 1;

adhering the microstructured surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the surface of a motor vehicle,

wherein after final application of said adhesive-backed film onto the surface of a motor vehicle, the upper surface of the compliant film has an appearance with substantially no periodicity and substantially no surface roughness beyond the surface roughness of the compliant film by itself in accordance with the Surface Roughness Test.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive has an initial wet out test result of at least 85 percent, after said adhering.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein said adhesive-backed film is adhered to a contoured surface of a motor vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the upper surface of the compliant film has an appearance with substantially no periodicity and substantially no surface roughness beyond the surface roughness of the compliant film by itself in accordance with the Surface Roughness Test, after final application of said adhesive-backed film onto the contoured surface of a motor vehicle.