Patent Publication Number: US-2021187896-A1

Title: Adhesive Wrapping System

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/950,471 filed on Dec. 19, 2019. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to packing cushion devices. More particularly, the present invention provides for an adhesive wrapping system comprising a plurality of cushioning bubbles disposed on a sheet of material, wherein the sheet also includes a plurality of perforations and adhesive, such that a user can selectively choose the size and shape of the sheet of material to package a desired item. 
     Many people ship packages containing fragile items. These items must be carefully protected from impacts and jostling that may occur while in transit. Often bubble wrap is used to provide cushioning to prevent damage to the item by surround it with air-filled cushions. Such bubble wrap typically comes in large rolls, or pre-sized sheets, which then needs to be cut to size and secured about the item with tape. Sizing, cutting, and securing the bubble wrap can be very frustrating, as a user must pre-measure the amount of bubble wrap to be used, cut the bubble wrap to an appropriate size, and then wrap the item while holding it in place to retrieve tape to secure the bubble wrap about the item. Oftentimes, the tape can fail, and the bubble wrap can unravel and fall away from a portion of the item or fall off altogether. Additionally, many people have difficulty properly sizing and packing the item, resulting in wasted materials. 
     The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing packing cushion devices. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of packing cushion devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an adhesive wrapping system wherein a user can selectively choose the size and shape of a sheet of material comprising cushioning bubbles and secure the same about a desired item in order to protect the item. The present adhesive wrapping system has a flexible sheet of material which has a planar layer and an opposing padding layer. The padding layer comprises a plurality of concave recessions, which when mated with the planar layer, forms gas-filled bubbles that provide a cushioning surface. The sheet of material further comprises a plurality of perforations which are linearly disposed across the sheet to provide a user with the ability to select a size and shape of material to be used. An adhesive is also disposed along at least one length of the sheet of material which secures the material to a desired surface, such as the sheet of material itself. A removable adhesive covering is disposed over the adhesive to preserve the adhesive until the adhesive is exposed for use. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. 
         FIG. 2A  shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. 
         FIG. 2B  shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. 
         FIG. 2C  shows a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. 
         FIG. 3  shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system, in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the adhesive wrapping system. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for the adhesive wrapping system. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. The adhesive wrapping system  100  comprises a flexible sheet of material  110 . The flexible sheet of material  110  is configured to be bent, and in some embodiments folded, to surround a desired object such that a user can envelope and package the object to prevent it from becoming damaged or harmed. In one embodiment, the flexible sheet of material  110  is composed of a plastic material. In various embodiments, additional materials such as those used in packaging and shipping which provide benefits such as thermal absorption, insulation, anti-static characteristics, and the like may be also be used and are contemplated by the present disclosure. 
     The flexible sheet of material  110  is composed of at least one layer and in various embodiments the flexible sheet of material  110  is composed of multiple layers, It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the number of layers detailed in the embodiments discussed below, and the present disclosure contemplates a wide variety in the number of layers utilized. In one embodiment, the flexible sheet of material  110  has a planar layer and a padding layer (as more detailed in the discussion of  FIG. 2A , below). In an alternate embodiment, the flexible sheet of material  110  has a first planar layer, a padding layer, and a second planar layer (as more detailed in the discussion of  FIG. 2B , below). In yet another alternate embodiment, the flexible sheet of material  110  has a first planar layer, a second planar layer, a first padding layer, and a second padding layer (as more detailed in the discussion of  FIG. 2C , below). 
     The sheet of material  110  further comprises a plurality of perforations  120 , linearly disposed across the sheet  110 . Each of the perforations  120  transect each layer of the sheet  110  such that the sheet  110  can be divided along the perforations  120 . One of ordinary skill in the art will understand how the perforations  120  can be utilized to subdivide the sheet  110  and how such perforations  120  can be utilized to select a desired size and shape of a piece of the sheet  110 . In various embodiments, the perforations  120  are linearly disposed across the sheet  110  in a horizontal and a vertical orientation. Where the perforations  120  are linearly disposed across the sheet  110  in a horizontal orientation, the sheet  110  can be subdivided along a width of the sheet  110 . Where the perforations  120  are linearly disposed across the sheet  110  in a vertical orientation, the sheet  110  can be subdivided along a length of the sheet  110 . In one embodiment, each line of the plurality of perforations  120  is evenly spaced apart from each other. Such an even spacing allows a user to easily plan which perforations  120  to utilize to subdivide the sheet  110  for their desired use. In one embodiment, the plurality of perforations  120  is linearly disposed across the sheet  110  in both a horizontal and vertical direction, thereby forming and defining a grid of perforations  120 . Such a grid of perforations  120  provides a user with the ability to utilize a smaller subdivision of the sheet, for example a square that is only half of a width of the sheet  110 . 
     An adhesive  130  is disposed along at least one external portion of the sheet of material  110 . The adhesive  130  is configured to secure the sheet  110  to a desired surface, including the sheet of material  110  itself. Similar to the plurality of perforations  120 , the adhesive  130  can be disposed linearly across the length or width of the sheet  110 . In one embodiment, the adhesive  130  is disposed across the sheet of material  110  in both a horizontal and vertical direction thereby forming and defining a grid of adhesive  130 . In another embodiment, the adhesive  130  is disposed along a perimeter of the sheet of material  110 . In some embodiments, the adhesive  130  does not continue uninterrupted across the sheet  110  in order to minimize the amount of adhesive  130  needed. In a further embodiment, each length of adhesive  130  is evenly spaced apart from another length of adhesive  130 . 
     A removable adhesive covering  135  is disposed over the adhesive  130 . The adhesive covering  135  is configured to preserve and protect the adhesive  130  from debris until such time as the adhesive covering  135  is removed. The adhesive covering  135  enables the adhesive  130  to retain its adhering qualities. In one embodiment, the adhesive covering  135  extends beyond the adhesive  130  in order to provide the user with an easy way to grip and remove the adhesive covering  135 . In use, the object desired to be packaged can be placed on the sheet of material  110 . Once the sheet  110  is sized appropriately, each of the adhesive coverings  135  can be removed to expose the adhesive  130 . In some circumstances a user may elect to remove all of the adhesive coverings  135  to expose all of the adhesive  130  on the sheet  110  to provide a maximized number of points of contact between the adhesive  130  and the desired surface. In some circumstances a user may elect to remove only a subset of the adhesive coverings  135 , such as to enable reuse of the sheet  110  with the unexposed adhesive  130  at a later date. In embodiments, the perforations  120  extend through the adhesive coverings  135  along with the adhesive  130  and the sheet  110  such that a user is able to tear the sheet  110  into smaller sections with unexposed adhesive  130 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2A , there is shown a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. In the shown embodiment, the sheet of material is composed of a single planar layer  200  and a single padding layer  210 . The padding layer  210  comprises a plurality of concave recessions  220 . The planar layer  200  is mated to the padding layer  210  such that a gas is trapped between the planar layer  200  and the concave recessions  220  of the padding layer  210  forming bubbles  230 . One of ordinary skill in the art will understand how the bubbles  230  can act as a cushion to protect an item surrounded by said bubbles  230 . In some embodiments, the gas is air, however, the present disclosure also contemplates other gases that may have desirable qualities. Although the sheet of material in the shown embodiment is composed of two layers, a single planar layer  200  and a single padding layer  210 , the present disclosure also contemplates that the sheet of material is composed of a single layer, and that the bubbles  230  are formed within the single layer. 
     In the shown embodiment, the bubbles  230  are linearly disposed, wherein each line of bubbles  230  is offset from an adjacent line. In some embodiments, each line of bubbles  230  is aligned with those bubbles  230  in the adjacent line. As previously discussed, the sheet of material comprises perforations  120  and adhesive  130 . In the shown embodiment, each line of bubbles  230  is offset from the adjacent line, and the plurality of perforations  120  bisect both the bubbles  230  and each valley  240  defined between the bubbles  230 . In some embodiments, the perforations  120  only bisect the valleys  240 , thereby eliminating open bubbles  230  and wasted excess materials. In some further embodiments, wherein each line of bubbles  230  is offset from an adjacent line, and the perforations  120  only bisect the valleys  240 , the perforations  120  do not extend across the sheet  110  linearly and can zigzag between the bubbles  230 . Such an embodiment enables a user to select a subsection of the sheet  110  in a nonlinear fashion thereby providing the user with the ability to select and create a subsection of the sheet  110  in a wide variety of shapes. Further, in the shown embodiment, the adhesive  130  is disposed both on an exterior surface of the bubbles  230  and on an exterior surface of the valleys  240 . In various embodiments, the adhesive is also disposed on a surface of the planar layer  200  opposing that surface of the planar layer  200  which is mated to the padding layer  210 . In the shown embodiment, the linear perforations  120  are separated from the adhesive  130  by a width of a bubble  230 . In such an embodiment, a layer of bubbles  230  provides cushioning on either side of the adhesive  130  and greater protection when the adhesive  130  is utilized to adhere to a desired surface. In some embodiments, the adhesive  130  is disposed over multiple lines of bubbles  230  and valleys  240  to provide a wider area of adhesive and a greater surface are. In other embodiments, the adhesive  130  is disposed over a planar section of the sheet  110  which is devoid of bubbles  230  and valleys  240 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2B , there is shown a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. In the shown embodiment, the sheet of material is composed of a first planar layer  201 , a first padding layer  211 , and a second planar layer  202 . In such an embodiment, the first padding layer  211  comprises a plurality of concave recessions  220  and the first planar layer  211  is mated to the first padding layer  211  such that a gas is trapped between the first planer layer  211  and the concave recessions  220  of the first padding layer  211 . Further, the second planar layer  202  is mated to the first padding layer  211  on an opposing surface of the first padding layer  211  being mated to the first planar layer  211 . In such an embodiment, the second planar layer  202  provides additional protection to the bubbles  230  such that they are not as easily penetrated. The second planar layer  202  also provides the benefit of planar surfaces being on either side of the sheet of material. In the shown embodiment, the adhesive  130  is disposed on an exterior surface of the second planar layer  202 . In other embodiments, the adhesive  130  is disposed on an exterior surface of the first planar layer  201 , and an exterior surface of both the first and second planar layers  201 ,  202 . Further, in the shown embodiment, the adhesive  130  is disposed directly adjacent to the plurality of perforations  120 . The plurality of perforations  120  also traverse the first and second planar layers  201 ,  202  as well as the first padding layer  211 . In such an embodiment, the adhesive  130  is utilized to seal a terminal edge of the sheet of material when the sheet of material is separated at the perforations  120 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2C , there is shown a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system. In the shown embodiment, the sheet of material is composed of the first planar layer  201 , the second planar layer  202 , the first padding layer  211 , and a second padding layer  212 , Further, in the shown embodiment, both the first padding layer  211  and the second padding layer  212  comprise a plurality of concave recessions  220 . The first padding layer  211  is mated to the second padding layer  212  such that a gas is trapped between the first padding layer  211  and the second padding layer  212 . In one embodiment, the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the first padding layer  21 . 1  are aligned with the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the second padding layer  212  forming bubbles  230 . In other embodiments, the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the first padding layer  211  are not aligned with the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the second padding layer  212 , but gas is still trapped between the two layers  211 ,  212 . For example, in one embodiment the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the first padding layer  211  partially overlap with the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the second padding layer  212 . In another embodiment, the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the first padding layer  211  do not overlap at all with the plurality of concave recessions  220  of the second padding layer  212 . In the shown embodiment, the first planar layer  201  is mated to the first padding layer  211  on an opposing surface of the first padding layer  211  being mated to the second padding layer  212 . Additionally, the second planar layer  202  is mated to the second padding layer  212  on an opposing surface of the second padding layer  202  being mated to the first padding layer  211 . In such an arrangement the first and second planar layers  201 ,  202  provides protection to the bubbles  230  formed by the first and second padding layers  211 ,  212 . Additionally, the bubbles  230  formed can be larger and have different shapes and characteristics as desired. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a front perspective view of an embodiment of the adhesive wrapping system, in use. In use, a length of a flexible sheet of material  110  can be laid out. A desired object  300  can be lain on top of the sheet  110  and the sheet  110  can be bent and folded such that the object  300  is enveloped by the sheet  110 . A user can then separate the used portion of the sheet  110  from the remainder of the sheet  110  through utilization of a plurality of perforations  120  disposed through the sheet  110 . A user can then remove desired removable adhesive coverings  135  to expose an adhesive. The adhesive can then be used to adhere the sheet  110  to a desired surface, such as another portion of the sheet  110  itself. In this manner, a user can surround the desired object  300  with bubbles  230  that are disposed throughout the sheet  110 . The bubbles  230  can protect the desired object  300  from impacts and damage. In this manner, a user can selectively choose the size and shape of a sheet of material  110  comprising cushioning bubbles  230  and secure the same about a desired object  300  in order to protect the object  300 . 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.