Spiral-shaped adhesive notepads and methods and devices for making them

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718121-B2
Application number	US-201917294515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A notepad includes multiple sheets that are arranged into a stack. Each sheet has a first major face, a second major face, and a perimeter edge at which each of the first and second major faces terminate. The notepad also includes an adhesive disposed on a portion of the second major face of each sheet such that the portion of the second major face of each sheet releasably adheres to a corresponding portion of the first major face of an underlying sheet. The portion being disposed with the adhesive lies adjacent to a portion of the perimeter edge of a corresponding sheet for forming a releasably bonded side of the stack. Also, the stack is twisted about a common central axis of the sheets present therein such that the notepad has a spiral shape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A notepad comprising:
a plurality of sheets arranged into a stack, each sheet having a first major face and a second major face, each of the first and second major faces terminating at a perimeter edge; and
an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the second major face of each sheet such that the portion of the second major face of each sheet releasably adheres to a corresponding portion of the first major face of an underlying sheet, wherein the adhesive on the portion of the second major face lies at least partially adjacent to a portion of the perimeter edge of a corresponding sheet, the portion of the perimeter edge of each sheet forming a releasably bonded side of the stack; and
wherein the stack is twisted about a common central axis of the plurality of sheets present therein such that the notepad has a spiral shape.

2. The notepad of claim 1 , wherein the stack is twisted about the central axis such that distally located sheets are rotated relative to each other by a predetermined angle.

3. The notepad of claim 1 , further comprising:
a padding compound on the plurality of sheets of the stack, wherein the padding compound is on at least the portion of the perimeter edge of each sheet forming the releasably bonded side of the stack.

4. The notepad of claim 3 , wherein the stack is maintained in its twisted state for a pre-determined amount of time, the pre-determined amount of time corresponding to at least a time duration sufficient to allow the padding compound to cure and subsequently retain the spiral shape of the notepad.

5. The notepad of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is disposed on 10% to 75% of a total surface area of the second major face of the sheet.

6. A device for holding a spiral-shaped notepad of claim 1 , comprising:
a first holding portion that is configured to hold a first distal portion of the stack; and
a second holding portion that is configured to hold a second distal portion of the stack, wherein the second holding portion is at least one of integrally formed with and capable of being connected to the first holding portion; and
wherein the device is used in packaging the spiral-shaped notepad for sale to a user.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first holding portion and/or the second holding portion are rotated relative to one another about the central axis for twisting the stack about the central axis and forming the spiral-shaped notepad.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first holding portion and/or the second holding portion are rotatable relative to one another by at least 1 degree to 359 degrees.

9. The device of claim 6 , wherein a padding compound is applied to a side of the stack extending transversely between the first and second holding portions prior to twisting the stack about the central axis.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein an inner surface of the first holding portion includes a receptacle that is configured to hold the first distal portion of the stack therein, and an inner surface of the second holding portion includes another receptacle that is configured to hold the second distal portion of the stack therein, and wherein the first and second holding portions, once connected to one another, are capable of maintaining the notepad in its spiral shape.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein:
each receptacle is bound by at least one protrusion located on the inner surface of a respective holding portion.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first holding portion and the second holding portion are together configured to form a container having:
a base for forming the first holding portion;
a cylindrical wall extending upwardly from the base; and
a lid having:
an end wall for forming the second holding portion; and
a cylindrical lip depending downwardly from the end wall; the cylindrical lip configured to releasably engage with the cylindrical wall of the container; and wherein the lid is rotatable in relation to the cylindrical wall to twist the stack about the central axis for obtaining the spiral-shaped notepad.

13. The device of claim 6 further comprising:
a pair of first flaps extending laterally from a pair of opposite edges of the first holding portion; and
a pair of second flaps extending laterally from a pair of opposite edges of the second holding portion; wherein corresponding ends of the first and second flaps are adapted to releasably secure the first holding portion and the second holding portion with each other.

14. The device of claim 6 further comprising:
an interconnecting member extending between proximal edges of the first and second holding portions, the interconnecting member foldable relative to the first and second holding portions along the proximal edges for moving the first and second holding portions in one of inwardly and outwardly relative to each other.

15. The device of claim 6 further comprising:
a pair of overhangs extending from distal edges of the first and second holding portions, the pair of overhangs configured to releasably couple with each other via a fastening mechanism.

16. A method for producing a spiral-shaped notepad of claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing a notepad having a plurality of sheets arranged in a stack, the stack having a first distal portion and a second distal portion;
providing a device comprising a first holding portion and a second holding portion such that the first holding portion and the second holding portion are located along a common central axis;
positioning the first distal portion of the stack such that the first distal portion is held by the first holding portion of the device;
positioning the second distal portion of the stack such that the second distal portion is held by the second holding portion of the device; and
twisting the stack about the central axis for forming the spiral-shaped notepad.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising performing the step of positioning the second distal portion of the stack such that the second distal portion is held by the second holding portion prior to twisting the stack about the central axis.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising twisting the stack about the central axis by rotating the first holding portion and/or the second holding portion relative to one another.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Nash James E
• Bodziak Douglas P

Classifications

• B42D5/005 Primary

  Supports for note-pads (B42F9/00 takes precedence; underlays B43L3/00) · CPC title

• B42D5/003 Primary

  Note-pads · CPC title