Abstract:
The present invention is an improved method for applying masking tape, such as but not limited to painter&#39;s tape to surface areas wherein a 90 degree angle is encountered, such as window panes, door jambs, and corners of walls, ceilings and floors. The preferred embodiment and all alternative embodiments are comprised of easily accessed segments of material comprised of at least one 90 degree angle and releasable adhesive on part or all of the ventral aspect. The preferred embodiment and two alternative embodiments utilize a tape roll structure with the addition of perforation axes at regular intervals. The preferred embodiment and one alternative embodiment are also comprised of no adhesive zones on the ventral aspect of each tape segment. An alternative embodiment to the tape roll structure is comprised of containment of the releasable segments on a non-adhesive backing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSERED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX  
       [0003]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In 1929 Krug was issued a utility patent for masking tape that provided for paper to be applied on top of a double-sided tape, with the dorsal aspect having adhesive in a strip running the down the center of the length of tape. Masking tape is often referred to as painter&#39;s tape when used for painting a structure&#39;s interior surfaces such as walls, ceilings, window pane woodwork, and door jambs. It is used to prevent paint or another substance such as caulk or shellac from coming into contact with the surface beneath the tape. This is referred to as paint preparation work. It can be tedious work. It can require as much time and effort as applying the paint or other substance itself. The work often requires application of tape to a surface that terminates in a 90 degree angle. This presents a problem often encountered by users of the prior art in that the tape does not tear off with a straight edge. In 1988, a utility patent was issued to Brown and Sipinen for Easy-tear Masking Tape. This was a useful improvement in the art, but did not provide for a torn off segment to have a straight edge. The present invention addresses this problem. The classification of this invention is 428 masking tape. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention, Masking Tape for Corners, is an improvement in the field of preparation work before painting or applying a similar substance such as caulk or shellac to a surface where there is adjacent surface area that the user wants to protect from contact with the paint or other substance. The present invention provides for a quick, easy, and inexpensive method of obtaining a segment of masking tape, especially the kind of masking tape known as painter&#39;s tape, that is comprised of at least one 90 degree angle, so that the tape segment can be quickly and easily applied on a surface where a 90 degree angle is encountered such as window panes, door jambs, and corners of walls, ceilings, floors, and moulding. The desired result is a significant reduction in time and energy used by the user to obtain the same end result of preventing paint or other substances from coming in contact with adjacent surface area. The preferred embodiment is a modification of a prior art roll of masking tape, wherein axes of small perforations separate the segments and a no adhesive zone encompassing the perforation axis and a margin on either side of the perforation axis allow the user to manually tear off a segment of tape along the perforation axis. The result is a straight edge along the tear line of the perforation axis that was easy for the user to obtain. The user then manually applies the 90 degree angle of tape over the surface area with the 90 degree angle. The present invention does not replace the prior art masking tape because the user will need to utilize the prior art tape for the portions of the surface area that do not have 90 degree requirements such as the majority of a wall to be painted, between two corners or endpoints of the wall. The cost of manufacture is believed to be low because the modifications to the tape: the perforation axis and the no adhesive zone entail manufacturing procedures that are currently practiced and inventor believes to be uncomplicated. If the perforations are to be made through mechanical means, the inventor believes the two modifications and the application of adhesive to the ventral substrate outside of the no adhesive zone can be accomplished simultaneously. If the perforations are done by higher tech means, such as laser technology, the procedure is still believed to be inexpensive. 
         [0006]    Several alternative embodiments of the invention are provided. All are variations in form providing the same function. There is one alternative that has larger implications however. In the alternative embodiment entailing simply adding the perforation axis to the prior art of masking tape, without the no adhesive zone, there is the possibility of this form completely replacing the prior art for painter&#39;s tape. The reason that this embodiment is not the preferred embodiment is that the inventor is unsure of two considerations: the perforations must not leak paint through to the surface area, and the tape must tear with a straight edge which might not occur if adhesive is surrounding the perforation axis. The inventor has attempted to test these considerations, but without access to laser technology, this testing remains inconclusive. So, the choice of the embodiment to be offered to the user is a marketing decision. The alternative embodiments that use the non-adhesive backing have an appeal in that they do not present the obstacle of the perforations making the edge less than 100 percent straight, but they entail the added trash of the non-adhesive backing after use. The alternative embodiments that use the idicium to direct the user to the side or corner of the tape segment to be applied over the 90 degree surface area have the benefit of using less adhesive than the preferred embodiment, although this form requires the user to take an extra moment to ensure that he or she is following this procedure. If the cost of adhesive is a priority consideration for the manufacturer, this might be the most desirable embodiment for them. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW 
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  depicts an overhead perspective of a roll of masking tape of the prior art with exceptionalities which comprise the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one segment of tape separated from the roll depicted in  FIG. 1A . 
           [0009]      FIG. 1C  depicts the ventral aspect of the preferred embodiment of the invention while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown. A zone of no adhesion comprised of a perforation axis and a margin on each side of the perforation axis extending the width of the tape for an equal distance in opposing directions from the perforation axis is shown. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1D  depicts the ventral aspect of one segment of tape separated from the length of tape depicted in  FIG. 1C . 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  depicts the dorsal aspect of a length of masking tape while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown, of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Indicia are located on the dorsal aspect of the tape in order to identify for the user the side of the segment to be applied onto the surface area where the 90 degree angle requirement exists. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one segment of tape separated from the length of tape depicted in  FIG. 2A . 
           [0013]      FIG. 2C  depicts the ventral aspect of an alternative embodiment of the invention, the same as  2 A and  2 B, while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown. A zone of no adhesion is comprised of a perforation axis and two margins of unequal distance in opposing directions from the perforation axis.  FIG. 2D  depicts the ventral aspect of one segment of tape separated from the length of tape depicted in  FIG. 2C . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3A  depicts the dorsal aspect of a length of masking tape while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown, of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. A perforation axis which extends the width of the tape is utilized by the user to separate a segment of tape from the roll. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one segment of tape separated from the length of tape depicted in  FIG. 2A . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3C  depicts the ventral aspect of the embodiment of the invention in  FIG. 3A  while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3D  depicts the ventral aspect of one segment of tape separated from the length of tape depicted in  FIG. 3C . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4A  depicts an overhead perspective of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface to allow for release of the tape segments. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4B  depicts an overhead perspective of the dorsal aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 4A . 
           [0020]      FIG. 4C  depicts an overhead perspective of the ventral aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 4A  with the adhesive covering the entirety of the ventral stratum. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4D  and  FIG. 4E  are examples of adhesive patterns as possible alternatives to covering the entirety of the ventral stratum as depicted in  FIG. 4C . 
           [0022]      FIG. 5A  depicts an overhead perspective of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface to allow for release of the tape segments. An indicium is printed on the portion of the segment that will be fitted to the 90 degree surface area by the user. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5B  depicts an overhead perspective of the dorsal aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 5A . 
           [0024]      FIG. 5C  and  FIG. 5D  are examples of possible adhesive patterns for the ventral stratum of the alternative embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . 
           [0025]      FIG. 6A  depicts an overhead perspective of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface to allow for release of the tape segments. A tab is provided to facilitate tape segment removal from the backing surface as well as from the surface on which it was used. A tab recess is a design element to provide for adjacent formation on the backing. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6B  depicts an overhead perspective of the dorsal aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 6A . 
           [0027]      FIG. 6C  depicts an overhead perspective of the ventral aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 6A . 
           [0028]      FIG. 7A  depicts an overhead perspective of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments, each segment being comprised of a right triangle, mounted in adjacent formation on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface to allow for release of the tape segments. 
           [0029]      FIG. 7B  depicts an overhead perspective of the dorsal aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 7A . 
           [0030]      FIG. 7C  depicts an overhead perspective of the ventral aspect of one tape segment from  FIG. 7A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]      FIG. 1A  depicts a roll of masking tape  100  of the prior art with exceptionalities which comprise the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The composition of the materials used for the tape strata, the composition of the adhesive, and the composition of the inner core of the roll are prior art. The dorsal aspect of the tape while still attached to the body of tape is depicted by  101 . A perforation axis  102  which extends the width of the tape, is utilized by the user to separate a segment of tape from the roll, as depicted in  FIG. 1B  and  FIG. 1D . The 90 degree angles of the tape segment  103  enable the user to prepare for painting adjacent to a surface with multiple 90 degree angles such as multiple rooms comprised of corners at ceilings and floors, door jambs, moulding corners, and window pane corners with significant reduction in time, energy, and stress compared to the present method of tearing off tape that does not tear off with a straight edge.  FIG. 1C  depicts the ventral aspect of the preferred embodiment of the invention while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown. A zone of no adhesion  105  is comprised of a perforation axis  102  and a margin  106  on each side of the perforation extending the width of the tape. These margins  106  are of equal distance in opposing directions from the perforation axis  102 . An adhesion zone  107  is comprised of the length of tape between two margins that does not have a perforation axis  102 .  FIG. 1D  depicts a separated segment of tape of the same ventral aspect  104  as depicted in  FIG. 1C . 
         [0032]      FIG. 2A  depicts the dorsal aspect  200  of a length of masking tape while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown, of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Indicia  201 , comprised of any identifying mark such as a trademark or a simple dot is located on the dorsal aspect of the tape, near the trailing edge  204  of the length of tape, in order to identify for the user the side of the segment to be applied onto the surface area where the 90 degree angle requirement exists. The leading edge  205  of the length of tape is the side of the segment which has the larger margin of no adhesive on the ventral aspect as depicted in  FIG. 2C  and  FIG. 2D . A perforation axis  202  which extends the width of the tape, is utilized by the user to separate a segment of tape from the roll, as depicted in  FIG. 2B  and  FIG. 2D . The 90 degree angles of the tape segment  203  enable the user to prepare for painting adjacent to a surface with multiple 90 degree angles such as multiple rooms comprised of corners at ceilings and floors, door jambs, moulding corners, and window pane corners with significant reduction in time, energy, and stress compared to the present method of tearing off tape that does not tear off with a straight leading edge.  FIG. 2B  depicts a separated segment of tape of the same dorsal aspect as depicted in  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 2C  depicts the ventral aspect  206  of the same embodiment of the invention as  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown. A zone of no adhesion  207  is comprised of a perforation axis  202  and a margin on each side of the perforation  208  and  210  extending the width of the tape. These margins are of unequal distance in opposing directions from the perforation axis  102 .  208  indicates the proximal margin. It is close to the trailing edge  204  perforation  202 .  210  indicates the distal margin. It is closer to the leading edge  205  of the tape. An adhesion zone  209  is comprised of the length of tape between two margins that does not have a perforation axis  202 .  FIG. 2D  depicts a separated segment of tape of the same ventral aspect  206  as depicted in  FIG. 2C . 
         [0033]      FIG. 3A  depicts the dorsal aspect  300  of a length of masking tape while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown, of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The composition of the materials used for the tape strata, the composition of the adhesive, and the composition of the inner core of the roll are prior art. A perforation axis  301  extends the width of the tape and is utilized by the user to separate a segment of tape from the roll, as depicted in  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 3D . The 90 degree angles of the tape segment  302  enable the user to prepare for painting adjacent to a surface with multiple 90 degree angles such as multiple rooms comprised of corners at ceilings and floors, door jambs, moulding corners, and window pane corners with significant reduction in time, energy, and stress compared to the present method of tearing off tape that does not tear off with a straight leading edge as well as tear off tape with more than one segment along its length for use on surfaces where a 90 degree angle is not required. This is not the preferred embodiment of the invention at this time because there are two requirements to meet for this embodiment to be usable: an effort by the user to tear off a portion of tape along a perforated axis must result in a clean, easy tear; and the substance to be blocked by the tape must not be able to seep through the perforations of the axes. This inventor believes that the perforations must be made to the tape after the adhesive has been applied to the ventral substrate and dried if the perforations are to fully penetrate the tape. The inventor believes that the perforations could be done by mechanical means by puncturing the tape or by more high tech means such as precise lasers. If the latter method is used by the manufacturer, the laser might be calibrated to not fully penetrate the ventral substrate. This might be sufficient to meet the previously stated requirements: a clean tear, and blocking of substances to the surface beneath the tape. Inventor has no means of testing tape with lasers. Inventor has attempted to test puncturing tape via a homemade tool comprising an array of needles, but test results have been inconclusive.  FIG. 3C  depicts the ventral aspect of the embodiment of the invention in  FIG. 3A  while still attached to the roll, with roll not shown.  FIG. 3D  depicts a separated segment of tape of the same ventral aspect  303  as depicted in  FIG. 3C . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4A  depicts an overhead perspective  400  of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation  402  on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface  401  to allow for release of the tape segments.  FIG. 4B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one tape segment.  FIG. 4C  depicts the ventral aspect of one tape segment with adhesive on the entirety of this surface  403 .  FIG. 4D  and  FIG. 4E  are examples of adhesive patterns as possible alternatives to covering the entirety of the ventral stratum as depicted in  FIG. 4C .  FIG. 4D  is comprised of a stripe pattern  404  and  FIG. 4E  is comprised of a dot pattern  405 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 5A  depicts an overhead perspective  500  of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation  502  on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface  501  to allow for release of the tape segments. An indicium  503  is printed on the portion of the segment that will be fitted to the 90 degree surface area by the user.  FIG. 5B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one tape segment.  FIG. 5C  depicts the ventral aspect of one tape segment with adhesive on a portion of the tape, in this example, forming a right angle triangle in a stripe pattern  504  correspondent with the indicium on the dorsal side of the segment  503 , as depicted in  FIG. 5B .  FIG. 5D  depicts the ventral aspect of one tape segment with adhesive on a portion of the tape, in this example, forming a right angle comprised of two bands of adhesive  505 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 6A  depicts an overhead perspective  600  of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation  602  on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface  601  to allow for release of the tape segments. A tab  604  is provided to facilitate tape segment removal from the backing surface as well as from the surface on which it was used. A tab recess  603  is a design element to provide for adjacent formation  602  on the non-adhesive backing.  FIG. 6B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one tape segment.  FIG. 6C  depicts the ventral aspect  605  of one tape segment with adhesive on a portion of the tape, in this example forming a right angle triangle  606 . A no-adhesive zone  607  on the tab portion of the segment provides ease of removal from the backing or other surface for the user. 
         [0037]      FIG. 7A  depicts an overhead perspective  700  of an alternative embodiment of the present invention comprised of a plurality of separate tape segments mounted in adjacent formation  702  on a backing paper with a non-adhesive dorsal surface  701  to allow for release of the tape segments.  FIG. 7B  depicts the dorsal aspect of one tape segment.  FIG. 7C  depicts the ventral aspect of one tape segment  703  with adhesive on the entirety of this surface.