Abstract:
An adhesive tape includes a backing material and an adhesive material coupled to the backing material. A release liner is coupled to an exposed portion of the adhesive material.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/121,446, filed Dec. 10, 2008, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to adhesive tape, and particularly to laminate adhesive tape. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a foil-backed laminate tape. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    An adhesive tape in accordance with the present disclosure includes a backing sheet and an adhesive sheet. In illustrative embodiments, a release liner is coupled to the adhesive sheet. The adhesive sheet is arranged to couple the backing sheet to an article after removal of the release liner from the adhesive sheet. 
         [0004]    In illustrative embodiments, the backing sheet is defined by a three-ply laminated sheet that includes a first foil layer, a non-foil substrate layer, and a second foil layer. The first foil layer is coupled to a first side of the substrate layer and the second foil layer is coupled to an opposite second side of the substrate layer. In illustrative embodiments, each of the first and second foil layers is made of an aluminum alloy and there is no aluminum in the non-foil substrate layer. 
         [0005]    In illustrative embodiments, the substrate layer comprises a first binder stratum, a core stratum, and a second binder stratum. The first binder stratum is arranged to lie between the core stratum and the first foil layer. The second binder stratum is arranged to lie between the core stratum and the second foil layer. In one embodiment, the core stratum is made of a non-woven polymeric material such as polyester or polypropylene. In another embodiment, the core stratum is made of a non-polymeric material such as paper. In illustrative embodiments, each of the first and second foil layers is made of a polyethylene or a polypropylene material. 
         [0006]    Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of a foil laminate adhesive tape made in accordance with the present disclosure showing that the foil laminate adhesive tape includes a three-ply laminated layer including a first foil layer, a substrate layer comprising a binder stratum, and a second foil layer, an adhesive sheet, and a release liner; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of a foil laminate adhesive tape in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure showing that the substrate layer comprises a first binder stratum, a polymer stratum, and a second-binder stratum; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of a foil laminate adhesive tape in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure showing that the substrate layer comprises a first binder stratum, a paper stratum, and a second binder stratum; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of a foil laminate adhesive tape in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure showing that an illustrative substrate layer in combination with a particular adhesive sheet which does not require the use of a release liner. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    In accordance with the present disclosure, a pressure-sensitive tape comprises an adhesive sheet coupled to a three-ply laminated sheet comprising a non-foil substrate layer interposed between and coupled to first and second foil layers. In illustrative embodiments, the substrate layer comprises a non-woven material such as polyester or polypropylene. In illustrative embodiments, a release liner is mated to the adhesive sheet to locate the adhesive sheet between the three-ply laminated sheet and the release liner. The adhesive sheet is mated to the second foil layer and the release liner. Several embodiments of a pressure-sensitive tape in accordance with the present disclosure are shown diagrammatically in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0013]    A first embodiment of an adhesive tape  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . A second embodiment of an adhesive tape  100  is illustrated in  FIG. 2  while a third embodiment of an adhesive tape  200  is shown in  FIG. 3 . Adhesive tapes  10 ,  100 ,  200  are differentiated by the components included in substrate layers  20 ,  120 ,  220  of laminated sheets  12 ,  112 ,  212 . A fourth embodiment of an adhesive tape  300  is shown in  FIG. 4 . Adhesive tape  300  illustratively includes substrate layer  20 , but uses other substrate layers  120 ,  220  in combination with an adhesive sheet  314  which does not require the use of release liner  16 . 
         [0014]    An adhesive tape  10  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a three-ply laminated sheet  12 , an adhesive sheet  14 , and a release liner  16  as indicated in  FIG. 1 . Adhesive sheet  14  is positioned to lie between release liner  16  and three-ply laminated sheet  12  so that adhesive sheet  14  interconnects three-ply laminated sheet  12  and release liner  16 . Release liner  16  is configured to be removed from adhesive sheet  14  prior to application of adhesive tape  10  to an article  11  such as an air duct. 
         [0015]    Three-ply laminated sheet  12  comprises a first foil layer  18 , a substrate layer  20 , and a second foil layer  22  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Substrate layer  20  is positioned to lie between first foil layer  18  and second foil layer  22  and to interconnect first foil and second foil layers  18 ,  22 . Adhesive sheet  14  is positioned to lie between second foil layer  22  and release liner  16  and is configured to remain coupled to second foil layer  22  during removal of release liner  16  from adhesive sheet  14 . 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , substrate layer  20  illustratively is a single binder stratum  26 . Binder stratum  26  is coupled on a first side  261  thereof to first foil layer  18  and is coupled on an opposite second side  262  thereof to second foil layer  22 . Binder stratum  26  functions to provide means for bonding first foil layer  18  to second foil layer  22  and providing increased thickness to the resulting foil laminate layer  12 . In an illustrative embodiment, single binder stratum  26  is made of a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and has a thickness of about 1.0 mil. 
         [0017]    An adhesive tape  100  in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in  FIG. 2 . Adhesive tape  100  comprises a three-ply laminated sheet  112 , an adhesive sheet  14 , and a release liner  16 . Three-ply laminated sheet  112  comprises a first foil layer  18 , a substrate layer  120 , and a second foil layer  22 . 
         [0018]    Substrate layer  120  comprises a first binder stratum  131 , a core stratum such as a polymer stratum  132 , and a second binder stratum  133  as suggested in  FIG. 2 . First binder stratum  131  is positioned to lie between and to interconnect polymer stratum  132  and first foil layer  18 . Second binder stratum  133  is positioned to lie between and to interconnect polymer stratum  132  and second foil layer  22 . In illustrative embodiments, polymer stratum  132  includes a non-woven material such as polyester or polypropylene. 
         [0019]    An adhesive tape  200  in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a three-ply laminated sheet  212 , an adhesive sheet  14 , and a release liner  16 . Foil laminate layer  212  comprises a first foil layer  18 , a substrate layer  220 , and a second foil layer  22 . 
         [0020]    As suggested in  FIG. 3 , substrate layer  220  comprises a first binder stratum  131 , a core stratum such as a paper stratum  24 , and a second binder stratum  133 . First binder stratum  131  is positioned to lie between and to interconnect paper stratum  24  and first foil layer. Second binder stratum  133  is positioned to lie between and to interconnect paper stratum  24  and second foil layer  22 . 
         [0021]    An adhesive tape  300  in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a three-ply laminated sheet  12  and an adhesive sheet  314  applied to one side of three-ply laminated sheet  12  as suggested in  FIG. 4 . Three-ply laminated sheet  12  comprises a first foil layer  18 , a substrate layer  320 , and a second foil layer  22 . Substrate layer  320  is defined either by substrate layer  20  or substrate layer  120  or substrate layer  220  in accordance with the present disclosure. In an illustrative embodiment, adhesive sheet  314  is a heat-activated adhesive that does not require release liner  16 . 
         [0022]    In illustrative embodiments, first foil layer  18  is, for example, a metallic sheet made of an aluminum alloy and is formed to have a thickness of about 0.5 mil. Second foil layer  22 , for example, is a metallic sheet made of an aluminum alloy and is formed to have a thickness of about 0.285 mil. 
         [0023]    Each of substrate layers  20 ,  120 ,  220  is configured to provide means for reducing the amount of aluminum alloy required to manufacture adhesive tapes  10 ,  100 ,  200 ,  300 , thereby resulting in reduced manufacturing costs. In an illustrative embodiment, binder stratum  26  included in substrate layer  20 , is made of a polyethylene material formed to have a thickness of about 1.0 mil. In another illustrative embodiment, binder stratum  26  is made of a polypropylene material. Three-ply laminated sheet  12  is formed to have an overall thickness of about 1.5 mil to about 3.0 mil in illustrative embodiments. 
         [0024]    Substrate layer  120  comprises first binder stratum  131 , polymer stratum  132 , and second binder stratum  133 . In illustrative embodiments, first and second binder stratums  131 ,  133  are made of a polyethylene material, but may be of a polypropylene material or any suitable alternative. Polymer stratum  132 , for example, is made of a non-woven material such as polyester or polypropylene. Polymer stratum  132  is used to increase the strength of the resulting adhesive tape  100 , while allowing laminated sheet  112  to retain a thickness in the range of about 1.5 mil to about 3.0 mil. 
         [0025]    Substrate layer  220  includes first binder stratum  131 , paper stratum  24 , and second binder stratum  133 . In illustrative embodiments, paper stratum  24  is made from virgin 20-point paper but may be any suitable alternative. Three-ply laminated sheet  212  includes paper stratum  24  so as to provide three-ply laminated sheet  112  with an overall thickness of about 5.0 mil to about 6.0 in an illustrative embodiment. Paper stratum  24  is used to achieve the greater thickness because paper illustratively is a more cost-effective filler than a polymer filler. 
         [0026]    Adhesive sheet  14  is applied to foil laminate layer  12 ,  112 ,  212  and is configured to adhere substantially to three-ply laminated sheet  12 ,  112 ,  212  when release liner  16  is removed or otherwise separated from adhesive sheet  14 . In illustrative embodiments, adhesive sheet  14  is an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive suitable for use in cold temperatures. In another illustrative embodiment, adhesive sheet  14  may also be a hot melt SIS, a natural rubber, a rubber blend, or a silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
         [0027]    Adhesive sheet  314  is applied to three-ply laminated sheet  12  as suggested in  FIG. 4 . Adhesive sheet  314  in illustrative embodiments is a heat-activated adhesive, but in other illustrative embodiments may be a water-activated adhesive. 
         [0028]    Release liner  16  is coupled to adhesive sheet  14  and configured so that it may be removed by a user (not shown) prior to application of foil laminate adhesive tape  10 ,  100 ,  200  to an article. In illustrative embodiments, release liner  16  comprises a release substrate (not shown) and a silicone coating (not shown), but may be any suitable alternative. The silicone coating is arranged to lie between the release substrate and adhesive sheet  14  facilitating removal of release substrate. 
         [0029]    Illustratively, adhesive tape  10 ,  100 ,  200 ,  300  is adapted for use with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and is configured to mate with articles  11  included in such systems. In illustrative embodiments, adhesive tape in accordance with the present disclosure is suited for non-UL and UL 181A-P and UL 181B-FX applications. After manufacture, adhesive tape  10 ,  100 ,  200 , 300  may be wound to form a roll (not shown) so as to facilitate storage, shipment, and application.