Patent Publication Number: US-2023148002-A1

Title: Method of Storing and Transporting Strips of Adhesive Material

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/276,919 filed on Nov. 8, 2021. The content of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/276,919 filed on Nov. 8, 2021 is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is in the technical field of packaging materials. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a novel structure and method for storing and dispensing strips of adhesive material such as packing tape. 
     (b) Background Art 
     Storing packing tape or other forms of adhesive material used for packaging presents certain difficulties. Traditionally, people that need to seal a package such as a cardboard box or tube, paper envelope or other form of container use strips of adhesive material that they pull away from a roll of the material, tearing or cutting off a strip that is the size they need and then they apply it to the container. However, this process requires the user to pull the adhesive material off a roll of the material which can be frustratingly difficult. It can be particularly difficult to separate the end of a strip of adhesive such as packing tape from the rest of the roll. Moreover, some adhesives such as packaging tape are notorious for being difficult to separate from the roll without tearing the strip in the wrong direction and/or getting the adhesive stuck to other surfaces. Strips of adhesive material are notoriously difficult to manipulate without a portion of the strip of adhesive material attaching to itself while being removed from the roll. 
     Furthermore, the user that needs to seal a container or otherwise apply strips of tape to another object is forced to purchase and or store a roll of tape, even when they only need one or two strips of tape for the job at hand. The user may well misplace the roll of tape in between uses requiring them to purchase additional tape when needed. In addition, the user may not find it convenient to carry something as bulky as a roll of tape with them when they know they will need to seal something. Rolls of tape are bulky and does not easily fit into a pocket. 
     There remains in the field a need for a novel way to store and transport strips of adhesive, such as packing tape, that does not require the user to obtain, store and transport a bulky roll of adhesive. In addition, there remains in the field a need for a method of storing strips of adhesive such that they are easy to remove from the device on which they are stored. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a method of storing, transporting and using strips of adhesive material, such as, but not limited to tape. The inventive method involves a single base layer, or release liner, that has been divided into sections with perforated lines and folds. To each section, a strip of adhesive or tape is applied. The single base layer, in preferred embodiments and the inventor&#39;s anticipated best mode, is divided into sections by small cuts or perforations that run along a length of the base layer. The perforations make it easy for the user to separate a section of the base layer, and thus a single strip of adhesive material, from the rest of the sections. In some embodiments, the single base layer is provided with a single strip of tape one side of which is entirely attached from end to end to the base layer, i.e. no portion of the strip of adhesive is attached to a surface other than the base layer. A single base layer and strip of adhesive material can then be sectioned by perforating the base layer with the adhesive strip attached thereto. 
     In preferred embodiments and the inventor&#39;s anticipated best mode, a single base layer is provided with a plurality of strips of adhesive material attached thereto side by side with a small amount of space between the strips. The area of the release liner or base layer between the strips of adhesive can be perforated to make separating the sections and strips of adhesive from each other and easy. 
     Perforating the portion of the release liner that is in between each of the strips of adhesive also has the advantage of making the device easy to fold and store. The base layer featuring strips of adhesive can be folded such that each section is in contact with at least one section that is next to it when the device is folded. The folded device can be stapled or glued temporarily to assist in packaging—fugitive glue may be applied to temporarily bind the sections to each other while the entire release liner is packaged in an overwrap film style package. Optionally, the tape can be packaged in a flow wrapper or other type of bag and closed either by heat sealing, stapes, glue or some other means while a hole (a “hanging hole”) placed in the wrapper makes the product easy to hang in a display case. Alternately, either before or after the sections of the release liner are folded over each other, a hanging hole can be placed in a portion of the release liner that extends past the point where adhesive is attached thereto thereby allowing the device to be hung for display purposes. This configuration allows the device to be displayed without the need for external packaging if desired. 
     In use, the user simply selects a strip of tape from a section of the release liner and either tears a section of the release liner away from the rest of the release liner and then removes the adhesive from the release liner or simply removes the strip of adhesive from the release liner without tearing the release liner along the perforations. The user is left removing tape from the release liner/base layer rather than from the back of another strip of adhesive as is necessarily the case when using a roll of tape. In addition, the device can be folded back up for easy storage. When folded the device can easily fit in a pocket or other small storage area. 
     Other, less commercially viable embodiments can include a strip of adhesive material that is attached to a single release liner both of which are perforated to divide the entire tape structure into sections. While preferred embodiments of the tape structure formed and used with the disclosed method have sections that are approximately equal in length and width, this is not always the case. Other embodiments can have strips of adhesive material and sections that vary in height and width and their orientation on the release liner. Preferred embodiments have vertically oriented sections that run up and down when the tape structure is hung vertically, in a display for example, but the orientation of the strips of adhesive and sections can vary as needed. They need not all be the same height or width. In addition, more than one strip of adhesive material can be attached to a single section of the release liner. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is top plan view of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is flow chart showing the device being placed into a wrapper; 
         FIG.  3    is a flow chart showing the folding of the device; and 
         FIG.  4    is a plan view of the fully packaged device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG.  1    shows an embodiment of the presently disclosed device used in the inventive method.  FIG.  1    shows a plurality of strips of adhesive material  10 , e.g. tape, attached to a single base layer or release liner  11 . Each strip of adhesive material  10  is releasably attached to the release liner  11  and the entire length of each strip of adhesive material  10  is attached to the release liner  11 . Each strip of adhesive material  10  is separated from the adjacent strip of adhesive material  10  by a perforated area  12 , i.e. perforated slits  13  in the release liner  11  separate each strip of adhesive material  10  and separate the base layer or release liner  11  into sections  14 . These perforations  13  allow for the base layer  11  featuring the strips of adhesive material  10  to be folded such that the strips of adhesive material  10  are aligned—a user can fold the base layer/release liner  11  along the perforations  13  such that the sections  14  are stacked one on top of the other while still being held together at the perforations  13  to form a folded product the structure of which is reminiscent of an accordion. In addition, the perforations  13  allow for easy separation of the different sections  14  of base layer  11  featuring the strips of adhesive material  10 . 
     In this embodiment, one or more of the sections  14  of release liner  11  have a second, shorter strip of adhesive material  10  sometimes referred to as a “tack down strip.” The user can peel the tack down strip  20  away from the release liner  11  first and use it to secure a flap on a box or other structure that needs to be taped down while the user pulls a longer strip of adhesive material away from the release liner and properly sets it where desired. This makes for a simpler and neater package closure. 
       FIG.  2    demonstrates the packaging of the release liner  11  to form a “booklet.” The release liner/base layer  11  is folded along the perforations  13  to create the partially folded structure  15  that is shown in  FIG.  3   . There are a number of different ways to fold the partially folded structure  15  into a completely folded structure  16 . One basic method is shown in  FIG.  3   . In this method the user starts with a section  14  that is at one end of the unfolded structure and either folds that section over on top of a second adjacent section  14  or, as is shown in  FIG.  3   , underneath a second, adjacent section  14 . Then the first and second sections  14  are folder over the next section, in top of the next, third section in this case. This process is repeated until the user has a completely folded structure  16 . The completely folded structure  16  is then inserted into a wrapper  18  (represented by the shading in the completely folded structure shown in  FIG.  2   ). 
     A preferred process of folding the sections is shown in  FIG.  3   . The inventor has determined that folding one or two sections  14  on top of the rest of the release liner  11  first, then continuing to fold sections  14  of the partially folded structure  15  underneath other sections  14  until the completely folded structure  16  results.  FIG.  4    shows that the first two sections  14  on the right side of the release liner  11  can be folded first over onto the adjacent second two sections  14  that are situated to the left of and adjacent to the first two sections  14 . This process is repeated until the partially folded structure  15  is three sections  14  wide and there is a single section  14  that has not been folded at the end opposite the end where the user started folding. That single section  14  is then folded underneath the rest of the partially folded structure  15  and the portion having two sections  14  folded repeatedly on top of each other is folded to form a completely folded structure  16  that is the width of and length of a single section of the release liner  11 . Preferred embodiments and the inventor&#39;s anticipated best mode of the method use a release liner  11  that is divided into sections  14  that are equal in length and width or approximately equal in length and width. Approximately in this context means within 1 centimeter of being equal in length or width. 
       FIG.  4    shows the finished folded product  16  packaged in its final form. Preferred embodiments and the inventor&#39;s anticipated best mode of this method include a folded product  16  that has a fastener  21  at either end attaching the sections to each other and an optional card  22  that is included with the completely folded structure  16 . The wrapper  18  itself has a hanging hole  19  punched into it, ideally at a point that extends away from the folded product  16 . If there is a card enclosed with the completely folded structure, then there will be a hanging hole  19  punched into that structure as well. 
     This configuration allows a single release liner, featuring a plurality of strips of adhesive material to be divided into separate release liners each featuring less than all of the strips of adhesive material attached to same. While the inventor anticipates that it will be more commercially practical for the perforations to separate each of the strips of adhesive material, a skilled artisan can appreciate that more than one strip of adhesive material can be attached to a single section of the base layer. This configuration allows the user to easily store the correct amount of packing material needed to seal a paper-based container without storing an entire roll of tape. In addition, it allows the user to place the strips of tape anywhere on the container that they desire. The design also helps the device lay flat which is more aesthetically pleasing as the sections of the folded “booklet” can be stapled or glued together. When the user opens the device, they have access to a booklet of tape strips and release liners. A hole punched in the top of the device allows the device to be folded and then hung from a hook, such as a in a point-of-sale display. 
     Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention. 
     It is understood that the above described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description. 
     While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above-described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.