Adhesively mounted lever device

A lever device includes an elongated body and a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive attached to the body, whereby the body can be firmly adhesively bonded to a surface and cleanly removed from the surface without damaging the surface by stretching the adhesive. The device may include a base, a body member pivotally connected with the base, and stretch releasing adhesive arranged to attach the base and/or body member to a surface or object. The base may be pivotally connected with an end of the body member or to the middle of the body member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to levers, and more particularly to a lever device attached to a surface using stretch releasing adhesive, whereby the device can be firmly attached to the surface and used to apply a force to a surface or object but may be easily and cleanly removed from the surface without damaging the surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stretch releasing adhesive tapes are a class of high performance pressure-sensitive adhesives that combine strong holding power with clean removal and no surface damage. Stretch releasing adhesive tapes are characterized by their ability to be cleanly removed from a surface without damaging the surface by stretching the tape. A commercially available double-sided stretch releasing adhesive is the product sold under the trade designation COMMAND adhesive by 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. This product is currently manufactured as discrete strips with one end of the strip including a non-adhesive pull tab to facilitate stretching of the strip during removal. Stretch releasing adhesives are useful in a wide variety of assembling, joining, attaching, and mounting applications.

Levers are simple machines capable of producing a mechanical advantage which find application in many well known devices. Common examples of levers include scissors, nut crackers, and tweezers. For certain lever devices, it is desirable to attach the lever to a surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,277 (Leopoldi) discloses a lever adapter for a door knob for aiding arthritic patients in rotating the door knob. The lever adapter is attached to the door knob by a concave, arcuate member having a layer of adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,476 (Meeks) discloses a cable clamp including a lever. The cable clamp includes a double-sided adhesive tape for attaching the clamp to a work piece. These devices, however, have limited uses and suffer from other limitations and drawbacks.

There is therefore a need for a versatile lever device that can be easily attached to and removed from a surface or work piece and can be used to generate tensile or compressive forces or torque depending on the particular end use application. It would therefore be desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive lever device that can be used to produce tension, compression, or torque and that can be securely fastened to a surface and readily removed therefrom without damaging the surface or leaving unwanted residue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above-identified limitations in the field by providing a simple, inexpensive, and versatile lever device that can be applied to a surface to provide a mechanical advantage or disadvantage, and can be used to generate tensile or compressive forces or torque. The present invention also provides a device that can be affixed to a wide variety of surfaces including metal, glass, paper, wood, and masonry.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a lever device comprising an elongated body and a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive attached to the body, whereby the body can be firmly adhesively bonded to a surface and cleanly removed from the surface without damaging the surface by stretching the adhesive.

In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides a lever device including a base, a body member pivotally connected with the base, and stretch releasing adhesive arranged to attach the base and/or body member to a surface or object. The base may be pivotally connected with an end of the body member or to the middle of the body member. The device may include a head pivotally connected with the body member. In another embodiment, the device may include biasing means, such as a spring, to urge the lever device toward or away from a surface or object.

In another specific embodiment, the device includes an elongated body member including a first portion having stretch releasing adhesive affixed transversely to the side thereof, and an end portion which serves as a handle, whereby the device can be attached to an item, such as the lid on ajar, and rotated to impart torque to the item.

For certain end use applications, it is necessary to attach the lever to a surface to generate the required force. For example, to use a first class lever to generate a tensile load on a surface or object, it is necessary to attach one end of the lever to the surface or object. In addition, it is often desirable to attach a lever to a surface or work piece to increase the versatility of a lever or to facilitate its use.

The present invention can be used for a wide variety of uses and applications such as holding an object in place while an adhesive, such as a hot melt adhesive, glue, or epoxy sets, dries, or otherwise cures. In addition, the device may be used to removably mount one or more items on a surface such as decorations, a banner, or a flag, whereby the item may be readily and repeatably removed and/or replaced by simply releasing the lever device to remove the item without removing the device itself from the surface. The present invention may also be used to generate torque which may be useful, for example, in replacing a light bulb or loosening and removing the lid on ajar. The present invention may also find use in woodworking, crafts, or other uses in the home, office, or in industrial applications. For example, the present invention may be used to remove a dent from a surface such as, for example, automotive vehicles including automobiles, boats, and RV's, or from aluminum siding, without damaging the surface and without leaving any adhesive residue on the surface. The devices according to the present invention are versatile and may be used to provide a compressive (i.e. clamping) force, a tensile (i.e. pulling) force, or torque (i.e. a rotational or twisting force).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings,FIG. 1shows a lever device2in the form of a simple first class lever including an elongated, preferably rigid, body member4and a pair of double-sided stretch releasing adhesive strips6,8attached to the body member4for attaching the body member4to a surface10. Throughout the description and the accompanying figures, functionally similar features are referred to with like reference numerals incremented by 100.

The double-sided adhesive strips6,8may be any conventionally known stretch releasing adhesive tape including a stretch releasing adhesive tape with an elastic backing, a stretch releasing adhesive tape with a highly extensible and substantially inelastic backing, or a stretch releasing adhesive tape comprising a solid elastic pressure sensitive adhesive.

Specific tapes suitable for use in the various embodiments of the present invention include the pressure sensitive adhesive tapes with elastic backings described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,312 (Korpman), the pressure sensitive adhesive tapes with highly extensible and substantially inelastic backings described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,581 (Kreckel et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,962 (Bries et al.), and the solid elastic pressure sensitive adhesive described in German Patent No. 33 31 016.

A suitable double-sided commercially available stretch releasing adhesive tape is the product sold under the trade designation COMMAND adhesive by 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn. This product is currently manufactured as discrete strips with one end of the strip including a non-adhesive pull tab to facilitate stretching of the strip during removal.

In the illustrated embodiment, the body member4includes an elongated main portion4aincluding first and second ends12,14, and a support extension4bextending downwardly from the body member4intermediate the first and second ends12,14toward the surface10. The main portion4afurther comprises a first end portion4a′, a middle portion4a″ from which the support extension4bextends, and a second end portion4a′″. The second end portion4a′″ is provided with a handle16which facilities manual actuation of the device2. The body member4is sufficiently rigid to allow the body member to withstand or transmit the force required for a particular end use application.

An optional head18is connected with the first end12of the body member main portion4a. The head18is provided with stretch releasing adhesive strip6to allow the head18to be affixed to the surface10or an object (not shown) arranged between the head18and the surface10. To allow the head18and, consequently, the adhesive strip6to fully engage the surface10or an object, the head18is preferably pivotally attached to the first end portion4a′ of the body member4. In this manner, as the head18initially contacts the surface10, it will automatically pivot to align itself with the surface10in a manner that maximizes the contact surface area between the adhesive strip6and the associated surface10or object.

The terminal end of the support extension4bis pivotally attached to a base20to allow the body member4to pivot relative to the surface10. Stretch releasing adhesive strip8is provided on the bottom surface of the base20to temporarily affix the base20to the surface10.

To use the device2to apply a compression force to surface10, the base20is attached to the surface with adhesive strip8. An upward force F1is then applied to the handle16, thereby causing the head18to pivot downwardly toward surface10. As the head18moves toward and engages the surface10, a compressive force will be exerted on the surface10. It will be recognized that when the device2is used in this manner (i.e. as a clamp or to generate a compressive force on a surface), adhesive strip8is needed to maintain the device2in engagement with surface10, but that adhesive strip6is not needed because the head18is maintained in contact with surface10via compression. Stated another way, when the device2is used as a clamp, the head18is forced against the surface10which, in turn, forces the base20away from the surface10, and adhesive strip8serves to hold the base20in contact with the surface10to allow the head18to exert a compressive force on the surface10. To remove the device2from the surface10, adhesive strip8is stretched in the known manner to simultaneously debond the adhesive strip from the device and surface.

Conversely, to use the device2to impart a pulling or stretching force on surface10or on an object (not shown) arranged between the surface10and head18, the head18is attached to the surface10with stretch releasing adhesive strip6, thereby adhesively bonding the head18to surface10or the object. When secured in this fashion, when the head18is pivoted such that the head18moves away from the surface10or the object, a tensile force will be exerted on the surface10or the object. When the device is used in this manner (i.e. as a pulling device to generate a tensile force relative to the surface), adhesive strip6is needed to attach the head18to the surface10or the object, but it will be recognized that adhesive strip8may be omitted because the device2is maintained in contact with the surface10via compression.

FIG. 2shows a device102in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention. The device102is similar to the device2shown and described inFIG. 1above except device102shown inFIG. 2is provided with a spring122which generates the requisite forces, and thereby eliminates the need for a user to manually actuate the device to apply a force after the device is set.

The lever device102includes an elongated, preferably rigid, body member104and a pair of double-sided stretch releasing adhesive strips106,108attached to the body member104for attaching the body member104to a surface110.

The body member104includes an elongated main portion104aincluding first and second ends112,114, and a support extension104bextending downwardly from the body member104intermediate the first and second ends112,114toward the surface110. The main portion104afurther comprises a first end portion104a′, a middle portion104a″ from which the support extension104bextends, and a second end portion104a′″. The second end portion104a′″ is provided with a handle116which facilities manual actuation of the device102during initial installation.

As with the device2shown inFIG. 1, a head118is pivotally connected with the first end112of the body member main portion104a. The head118is provided with stretch releasing adhesive strip106to allow the head118to be affixed to the surface110or an object124arranged between the head118and the surface110. The terminal end of the support extension104bis pivotally attached to a base120to allow the body member104to pivot relative to the surface110. Stretch releasing adhesive strip108is provided on the bottom surface of the base120to temporarily affix the base120to the surface110. The base120may include an abutment portion120aextending outwardly from the bottom of the base120along the surface110which serves as a support, an attachment surface, and as an abutment for the spring122.

Spring122is arranged between the base abutment portion120aand the body member second end portion104a″′. Arranged in this manner, when handle116is urged toward surface110, the spring122is compressed and generates a force F1that urges head118downwardly in the direction of the surface110. When the device102is used in this manner (i.e. as a clamp to generate a compressive force), adhesive strip108is preferably provided to attach the device102to surface110, but adhesive strip106is not needed because the head118is maintained in contact with the object124via compression. Because the spring122is arranged between the abutment portion120aand the second end portion104aof the body member, however, it will be recognized that adhesive strip108is not required regardless of whether the device is used to generate a tensile or compressive force. To separate the device102from the surface110and object124, the adhesive strips106,108are stretched in the known manner to debond the adhesive strips from the associated device, surface, and object.

Alternatively, the spring122can be a tension spring that is attached to the base abutment portion120aand the body member second end portion104a′″, such that when the handle116is urged upwardly away from base abutment portion120a, the spring122is put in tension. When the spring122is in tension and the head118is adhesively bonded to object124via adhesive strip106, a tensile force is exerted on the object124.

Device102may be used as a clamp to apply a force to surface110or object124in the same manner as the device ofFIG. 1except the spring122generates the force associated with head118. The device102may also be used to impart a pulling or stretching force on the surface110or object124by attaching stretch releasing adhesive strip106to head118, thereby adhesively bonding the head118to the surface110or object124. In this manner, when the head118is urged away from the surface110or object124by the force imparted by spring122, a tensile force will be exerted on the surface110or object124.

FIG. 3shows a device202in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The device202is similar to the device2shown and described inFIG. 1above except the positions of the head218and the base220have been switched to form a second class lever.

The lever device202includes an elongated, preferably rigid, body member204and a double-sided stretch releasing adhesive strip206attached to the body member204for attaching the body member204to a surface210.

The body member204includes an elongated main portion204aincluding first and second ends212,214, and a force applying extension portion204bextending downwardly from the body member204intermediate the first and second ends212,214toward the surface210. The main portion204afurther comprises a first end portion204a′, a middle portion204a″ from which the force applying extension204bextends, and a second end portion204a′″. The second end portion204a′″ is provided with a handle216which facilitates manual actuation of the device202.

The base220is pivotally connected with the first end212of the body member main portion204ato allow the body member204to pivot relative to the surface210. Stretch releasing adhesive strip206is provided on the bottom surface of the base220to temporarily affix the base220to the surface210.

The device202is used to produce a compression force on the surface210by first adhesively bonding the base220to the surface via adhesive strip206and them simply moving the handle216downwardly in the direction of the surface210until the force applying extension204bcontacts the surface210. When used to produce such a compressive force, adhesive strip208may be omitted. To produce a tensile force, the force applying extension204bis first adhesively bonded to the surface210via stretch releasing adhesive strip208, and the handle is moved upwardly away from the surface until a tensile force is produced. When used to produce such a tensile force, adhesive strip206may be omitted.

FIG. 4shows a device302in accordance with another embodiment of the invention that is particularly suited for producing torque. Device302is similar to the device202ofFIG. 3in that they both represent second class levers. The lever device302includes an elongated, preferably rigid, body member304and a pair of spaced double-sided stretch releasing adhesive strips330,332attached to the body member304for adhesively bonding the body member304to an item326, which inFIG. 4is a lid secured to the top of a jar328.

The body member304includes first and second ends312,314, a first end portion304a′ to which the adhesive strips330,332are affixed, and a second end portion304a″ comprising a handle316which facilitates manual actuation of the device302. The body member304is sufficiently rigid to allow the body member to withstand or transmit the force required for a particular end use application. The body member304first end portion304a′ preferably includes a planar surface to which the adhesive strips330,332may be securely adhered. To allow the adhesive strips to more effectively withstand and transmit the forces generated during the rotation of the device (i.e. to minimize the possibility that the strips will tear or be removed by twisting), it is desirable to provide at least two adhesive strips, to space them along the longitudinal axis of the body member304, and the arrange the strips330,332transversely (i.e. perpendicular) to the longitudinal axis of the body member304as shown. For certain end use applications, it may be desirable to provide the device304with a second handle (not shown) extending from the first end312of the body member304opposite the first handle316.

To use the device302to generate torque, the body member304is first adhesively bonded to the item326via double-sided adhesive strips330,332. A force perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body member304is then applied to the body member304to produce a moment, thereby imparting rotation to the item326. To remove the device302from the item326, adhesive strips330,332are stretched in the known manner to simultaneously debond the adhesive strips from the device and the item.

The lever device of any of the preceding embodiments, including the body member, the base, and the head, may be formed of a variety of materials depending on the particular intended end use application of the device. Suitable materials include metals such as steel, synthetic plastic materials such as polycarbonate and polyvinyl chloride, and wood. The particular material selected is not significant to the invention hereof, so long as it provides the desired combination of properties such as adequate strength, low cost, and ease of manufacture.

It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without deviating from the inventive concept set forth above. For example, it will be recognized that the size and shape of the device may be modified to adapt the device for certain specific end use applications, that the number, size, shape, and arrangement of the stretch releasing adhesive strips may be varied, and that the device may be provided with an implement, such as an embossing stamp, depending on the specific end use application intended for the device. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structures described in this application, but only by the structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures.