Patent Publication Number: US-2005129968-A1

Title: Embossed film with adhesive or without adhesive or laminated to bottom non-slip surface to simulate a leather or linen texture for lining shelves and drawers

Description:
This invention relates to embossed films, with adhesive, without adhesive or bonded to a non-slip bottom surface used as a covering, for example, as shelf liners.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Currently available coverings or liners are often adhesive sheets which are adhered with a contact-type adhesive directly to the surface to be covered. These liner products are generally offered in roll form and must be cut to proper size to fit the dimensions of a surface, such as a shelf. Once cut, the product is either adhered with the adhesive or with tacks to the shelf surface or it is simply positioned on top of the shelf, otherwise unsecured.  
      The benefits of using any covering such as shelf paper reside primarily in offering a decorative surface to the shelf while simultaneously providing a protective layer which will prevent damage, such as, for example, water damage to the shelf structure itself. Among the problems of present cover or liner products that do not include an adhesive backing or non slip bottom is that the cover or liner shifts and lifts from the surface of the article to be covered while items stored on the shelf are positioned or removed therefrom. Cover or liner products that include a pressure sensitive adhesive are difficult to position correctly on the shelf and are difficult to remove. The adhesive discourages removal of the cover liner when replacement is desired, or upon removal, a portion of the adhesive is left on the surface of the shelf. Additionally, present adhesive backed shelf coverings that are labeled removable may lose their removable characteristics after repeated applications and gather dirt and lint on their adhesive surfaces.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is the principle object of the invention to provide a covering or liner which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a shelf liner material which is easy to install onto a shelf, yet includes a non-slip backing.  
      Still another object of the invention is to provide a shelf liner material which is thick enough to emboss a decorative texture while, at the same time, providing a durable surface.  
      In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a removable non-slip, non-adhesive covering for a supporting surface. The covering includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface comprises a non-slip, non-adhesive surface. The covering also includes a thick embossed vinyl film having a texture and color on one side resembling leather or linen, adhered (on the opposite side) to the top surface of the substrate, wherein when the non-slip bottom surface of the substrate is in contact with the supporting surface, the covering resists slipping laterally relative to the supporting surface.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adhesive covering for a supporting surface. The covering includes a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface comprises an adhesive surface. The covering also includes a thick embossed vinyl film having a texture and color on one side resembling leather or linen, adhered (on the opposite side) to the top surface of the substrate, wherein when the adhesive bottom surface of the substrate is in contact with the supporting surface, the covering is fixed to the supporting surface. The adhesive surface can have either a permanent type adhesive or a removable type adhesive. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:  
       FIG. 1A  is a partially sectional plan view of a portion of a removable, non-slip, non-adhesive covering with a leather-like texture in accordance with the invention;  
       FIG. 1B  is a top plan view, partially cut away to reveal layers of a portion of a removable, non-slip, non-adhesive covering with a linen-like texture in accordance with the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a sectional side view of the shelf covering of  FIG. 1 , showing details of the laminated elements, in accordance with the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view, partially cut away to reveal layers of a portion of an alternate adhesive covering in accordance with the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of the shelf covering of  FIG. 3 , showing details of the laminated elements, in accordance with the invention; and  
       FIG. 5  is a schematic depicting a manufacturing process in accordance with the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Reference is now made to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting same. The present invention comprises an embossed film, with adhesive or without adhesive or laminated to a bottom non-slip surface, that simulates a leather or linen texture for lining shelves and drawers.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1A , the decoratively embossed, removable, non-slip, non-adhesive covering  10  of a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an embossed film  12 , embossed to simulate a leather texture as shown in the FIG., adhered to a substrate  14 . In the preferred embodiment, the surface finish is applied to the bottom of the film. The film is transparent and the top of the film is smooth. The body of the film protects the embossed leather-like or linen-like look. The substrate  14  preferably is made from a woven scrim, shown in  FIGS. 1A-1B , or a non-woven scrim. A preferred substrate is a plastic scrim and may have a plurality of apertures. The substrate has a top and bottom surface and at least an effective portion of the bottom surface is a non-slip, non-adhesive surface. That is to say, the bottom surface of the substrate  14  inhibits, but does not completely prevent, slipping or sliding on a supporting surface. Since the substrate  14  is non-adhesive, the cover  10  will not adhere to the supporting surface on which it is placed and may be lifted from the surface with little effort. The non-slip nature of the substrate  14 , while inhibiting lateral movement along the supporting surface, does not completely prevent such movement so that the cover  10  may be repositioned as desired. Thus, the non-slip effective portion is sufficient to inhibit or hinder undesired slipping or sliding of the covering tangentially along the supporting surface during normal use.  
      Typically, the scrim is made non-slip by coating at least a portion of, and preferably the entire bottom surface, with a non-slip material or a material which can become non-slip upon subsequent treatment such as, for example, curing. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the substrate  14  includes a non-slip coating  16  The non-slip coating  16  is preferably made from a cured polyvinyl chloride resin and is applied to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the substrate  14  in a conventional manner to provide an exposed outer surface  18  having a high coefficient of friction. The non-slip coating can be applied to the entire substrate surface or to any appropriate portion(s) thereof, as well. It is this high friction coated bottom surface  18  which will contact a support surface  20  and help to inhibit or hinder lateral displacement of the cover  10  with respect to the support surface  20 . The non-slip coating may be applied in a continuous conformation or may be discontinuous such as, for example, in spaced or random strips, discrete islands, or the like.  
      Alternately, the non-slip layer may be a continuous flat sheet layer.  
      The preferred substrate  14  is a woven plastic scrim having a cured polyvinyl chloride resin non-slip coating  16 . Such a substrate is commercially available from Henkel Consumer Adhesives, Inc., 32150 Just Imagine Drive, Avon, Ohio.  
      The embossed film  12  includes a back surface  22  which is adhered to the top surface  18  of the substrate as shown in  FIG. 2 . Preferably, the embossed film is adhered with an adhesive  24  such as, for example, a PVC adhesive. Examples of suitable adhesives include, but are not limited to, Henkel Nos. 3A-5416, 3B-5416, and 3C-5416 which are available from Henkel Adhesives, 1347 Gasket Drive, Elgin, Ill. 60120.  
      With reference to  FIG. 1B , an alternate cover  10  is shown where the embossed film  12  has been impressed with a linen-like texture. The textured, embossed film  12  of  FIGS. 1A-1B  is preferably made of a vinyl material that is thick enough for embossing a realistic leather or linen texture and simultaneously suitable for covering a supporting surface such as, for example, a shelf surface. For example, prior art shelf coverings typically use a 3-5 mil sheets, whereas embodiments described herein may utilize a much thicker 0.5 mm (20 mils) embossed vinyl sheet. The embossed film can be other suitable materials known in the art provided the material is non-porous, waterproof and thick enough to be embossed with the leather or linen texture. The embossed pattern is a combination of coloring and texturing which makes a non-leather or non-linen surface look like a leather or linen surface respectively. Such surface finishes are commercially available. The preferred vinyl material is suitable for incidental food contact while also providing a convenient surface for sliding articles such as, for example, dishware and china.  
      The covering  10  is preferably flexible and can be rolled or folded, although a rolled configuration is preferable. The covering can also be cut to the desired dimensions, such as, for example, those of the supporting surface without losing its non-slip, non-adhesive properties and without destroying the integrity of the cover.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an alternate embodiment of the decoratively embossed, removable, non-slip, non-adhesive covering is shown. In the alternate embodiment, like numerals are used with a prime to refer to like features of the preferred embodiment. Thus, covering  10 ′ of the alternate embodiment of the present invention includes an embossed film  12 ′, likewise embossed to simulate a leather or linen texture, adhered to a substrate  14 ′. The substrate  14 ′, however, comprises an adhesive backing including a removable protective covering  26  as shown in further detail in  FIG. 4 . The protective covering  26  is preferably a paper material that may be peeled back from the adhesive  24 ′ as shown in the FIG. The top surface  28  of the protective covering that is in contact with the adhesive  24 ′ is preferably coated so that it does not adhere permanently to the adhesive  24 ′ and may be easily peeled back from the adhesive. Because of the relative thickness of the embossed film  12 ′, the adhesive  24 ′ is preferably an aggressive adhesive to prevent the protective covering  26  from bubbling or rippling when the covering  10 ′ is bent or packaged in a rolled configuration. The cover is cut to a desired size and shape, if necessary, the protective covering is removed and the cover is placed on a supporting surface to which it adheres.  
       FIG. 5  illustrates in schematic form a manufacturing process for securing the embossed film  12  to the substrate  14  using an adhesive  24  for the preferred embodiment as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 . The embossed film  12  is provided on a first feed roll  30  with the decorative embossed finish facing away from the roll  30 , facing toward the top side of the figure as the embossed film is drawn from the roll  30 . The substrate  14  is provided on a second feed roll  32 . The adhesive  24  is coated onto one side of the embossed film  12  by means of a transfer roll  34  or other conventional means. The thickness of the adhesive can be controlled by the viscosity of the adhesive  24  applied to the roll  34  or other known means such as a doctor bar or doctor roll. The adhesive coated embossed film  12  and the substrate  14  are joined at pinch rollers  36 ,  38  where the layers are pressed together. The combined layers are pulled through a drying oven  40  where the adhesive is cured and the finished cover  10  is taken up on a take-up roll  42 .  
      It may be desirable to coat the adhesive  24  onto the substrate  14  rather than the embossed film  12 . In such a case, the substrate  14  is placed on the first feed roll  30 . The decorative embossed film  12  is placed on the second feed roll  32  with the embossed finish placed facing the roll  32 , facing toward the bottom side of the figure as the embossed film is drawn from the roll  32 . In this setup, the drying oven  40  may be moved to a position between the transfer roll  34  and the feed roll  32  so that the adhesive may dry prior to the substrate  14  and the embossed film being pinched together at the pinch rollers  36 ,  38 . Also, in this setup, the adhesive  24  can replace the anti-slip coating  16  provided that the adhesive has the desired anti-slip properties after curing in the drying oven  40 .  
      The above-described manufacturing process can also be used to manufacture the alternate embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 3-4 , however, in the first-described setup, the substrate  14 ′ should be placed on the roll  32  with the top surface  28  of the removable protective covering  26  facing up, away from the roll  32 . In the second setup which is preferred for the alternate embodiment, as described in the previous paragraph, the substrate  14 ′ is placed on the roll  30  with the top surface  28  of the removable protective covering  26  placed facing down, toward the roll  30 .  
      The embossed film  12  may be treated using any conventional machine to emboss a pattern or design, such as the leather-like texture for example, on a surface of the film. Such embossed film can be purchased or manufactured as part of making the subject product. This can occur before, during or after the joining process at the pinch rollers  36 ,  38 .  
      The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. The invention has also been described with respect to several alternate embodiments. These and other variations and modifications of the invention will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended that all such variations, alterations and modifications, be included insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.