Tape system with a longitudinal filament for slitting film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751232-B2
Application number	US-201514612479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2015
Priority date	Feb 3, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle is wrapped by an adhesive film which is then slit by applying first tape to the vehicle having a longitudinally extending filament carried by the tape at a position spaced from the side edges. A second tape is applied over the film at the first tape body so as to bridge to each side of the filament and pulling the filament so as to tear through the film and the first ad second tapes body with the second tape applying a force to the film acting to reduce tendency of the film to pull away from the object during the cutting by the filament as the filament is pulled.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tape system for cutting a film comprising:
a first tape body of an extensible material having a front surface, a rear surface, a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge;
the first tape body having an adhesive on the rear surface for attachment to an object;
the front surface of the first tape body being free from adhesive and having a release characteristic relative to pressure sensitive adhesive such that the pressure sensitive adhesive can be contacted onto the front surface of the tape and pulled away;
the first tape body having a longitudinally extending filament carried thereby;
a second tape body of an extensible material having a front surface, a rear surface, a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge;
the second tape body having an adhesive on the rear surface for attachment to the film when applied over the first tape body;
the second tape body having a width arranged such that the second tape body when applied over the film at the first tape body bridges to each side of the filament on the first tape body underneath the film;
wherein the filament and the second tape body are arranged such that the filament when pulled tears through the second tape body along the length of the second tape body at its position at the second tape body spaced from both side edges.

2. The tape system according to claim 1 wherein the filament comprises a metal wire having a diameter less than 0.005 inch.

3. The tape system according to claim 1 wherein the filament comprises a metal wire having a diameter in the range 0.0025 to 0.005 inch.

4. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the filament is attached to the first tape body at a position thereon spaced from both the first and second side edges which allows bending of the first tape body while the first tape body remains flat in a first side to side direction by extension of the first tape body along the second longitudinal side edge relative to the filament and to the first longitudinal side edge and in a second side to side direction by extension of the tape along the first longitudinal side edge relative to the filament and to the second longitudinal side edge.

5. The tape according to claim 2 wherein the filament and the first tape body are arranged such that, with the rear surface of the first tape body attached to the object, the filament when pulled tears through the first tape body along the length of the first tape body at its position on the first tape body spaced from both side edges rather than pulling out from one side edge of the tape body.

6. The tape according to claim 1 wherein each tape body has a width less than 0.25 inches.

7. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the first tape body carries a single filament.

8. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the filament is located in the adhesive on the rear surface.

9. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive is arranged to hold the filament in place on the first tape body during bending of the first tape body while the first tape body is applied to the surface and while the filament is being pulled to tear through the first tape body.

10. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the first tape body has a first substrate layer overlying and laminated by an adhesive to a second substrate layer and the longitudinally extending filament is located between the first and second substrate layers.

11. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the first tape body is arranged for use in wrapping a surface of an object with a film carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface by which the film is to be attached to the object such that the filament can be pulled from the first tape body though that part of the film over the first tape body so as to cut the film and to form a cut edge of the film.

12. The tape according to claim 1 wherein the filament is attached to the first tape body at one of said first and second side edges.

13. The tape system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second tape bodies are formed of the same material.

14. The tape system according to claim 1 wherein the second tape body has a length so that an end thereof extends beyond the first tape body and the film to engage the object and hold the film onto the object.

15. A method for cutting a film when applied by an adhesive to an object comprising:
applying first tape body to the object;
the first tape body comprising an extensible material having a front surface, a rear surface, a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge;
the first tape body having an adhesive on the rear surface for attachment to the object;
the front surface of the first tape body being free from adhesive and having a release characteristic relative to the adhesive;
the first tape body having a longitudinally extending filament carried thereby;
applying a second tape body over the film at the first tape body so as to bridge to each side of the filament of the first tape body underneath the film;
the second tape body comprising an extensible material having a front surface, a rear surface, a second longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge;
the second tape body having an adhesive on the rear surface for attachment to the film;
and pulling the filament so as to tear through the film and the second tape body along the length of the second tape body at its position on the second tape body spaced from both side edges.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the second tape body applies a force to the film acting to reduce tendency of the film to pull away from the object during the cutting by the filament as the filament is pulled.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the film is applied with an application of water to the object.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the film is a stone guard film.

19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the second tape body is laid so as to extend beyond an end of the first tape body and an edge of the film to engage the object and hold the film onto the object.

20. The method according to claim 15 wherein the filament comprises a metal wire having a diameter less than 0.005 inch.

21. The method according to claim 15 wherein the filament comprises a metal wire having a diameter in the range 0.0025 to 0.005 inch.

22. The method according to claim 15 wherein the filament is attached to the first tape body at a position thereon spaced from both the first and second side edges which allows bending of the first tape body while the first tape body remains flat in a first side to side direction by extension of the first tape body along the second longitudinal side edge relative to the filament and to the first longitudinal side edge and in a second side to side direction by extension of the tape along the first longitudinal side edge relative to the filament and to the second longitudinal side edge.

23. The method according to claim 15 wherein the filament and the first tape body are arranged such that, with the rear surface of the first tape body attached to the object, the filament when pulled tears through the first tape body along the length of the first tape body at its position on the first tape body spaced from both side edges rather than pulling out from one side edge of the tape body.

24. The method according to claim 15 wherein each tape body has a width less than 0.25 inche

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Vandenberghe Garry Cyrille Alfred

Classifications

• B44C1/105

  comprising an adhesive layer (decalcomania B44C1/16; adhesive tapes C09J7/20) · CPC title

• B26D1/5475 Primary

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title

• Y10T156/1052

  with cutting, punching, tearing or severing · CPC title

• B32B3/08

  characterised by added members at particular parts {(layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18)} · CPC title

• C09J7/29 Primary

  Laminated material (metallised plastics C09J7/22) · CPC title