Membrane edge sealing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958070-B2
Application number	US-201514974353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

An edge of a moisture barrier membrane, such as of a roof assembly, is attached and sealed using a moisture-impermeable sealing tape. The membrane has a fibrous surface and a non-fibrous surface. The tap is secured to a surface to which the edge of the membrane is to be attached, and positioned to underlie and extend along the edge of the membrane. The tape has a first edge width carrying a field of discrete touch fastener elements, and a second edge width carrying a layer of adhesive. The fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane is engaged against the field of touch fastener elements, such that the moisture barrier membrane overlaps the first edge width of the tape, and then the sealing tape is folded over the edge of the moisture barrier membrane, such that the adhesive engages the non-fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sealing tape comprising:
a flexible base film of greater length than width and impervious to moisture, the film having opposite broad faces including an upper face and a lower face;
a field of discrete touch fastener elements disposed on the upper face of the film, each touch fastener element shaped to releasably snag fibers, the field of discrete touch fasteners extending along a first edge width of the upper face, leaving a second edge width of the upper face void of touch fastener elements;
a first layer of adhesive disposed on the second edge width of the upper face of the film and spaced from the field of touch fastener elements, such that the upper face of the film has a longitudinal fold region spaced from edges of the film, between the field of fastener elements and the first layer of adhesive; and
a second layer of adhesive disposed on the lower face of the film, directly under the field of touch fastener elements.
wherein the sealing tape is configured as a roll of tape having overlapping courses.

2. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the second layer of adhesive directly underlies at least 80% of the field of fastener elements.

3. The sealing tape of claim 1 , further comprising a removable release liner covering the second layer of adhesive.

4. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the first and second edge widths each comprises more than 40% of an overall width of the upper face of the base film.

5. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the upper face of the film and the discrete touch fastener elements comprise respective portions of a single, contiguous mass of a resin.

6. The sealing tape of claim 1 , further comprising a removable release liner covering the first layer of adhesive.

7. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the first layer of adhesive comprises pressure-sensitive adhesive.

8. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the field of discrete fastener elements is continuous along the length of the film.

9. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the discrete fastener elements comprises stems extending from a base to a distal head having two oppositely directed crooks.

10. The sealing tape of claim 1 , wherein the discrete fastener elements are less than 0.4 mm in height.

11. A method of attaching and sealing an edge of a moisture barrier membrane having opposite surfaces including a fibrous surface and a non-fibrous surface, the method comprising:
securing a moisture-impermeable sealing tape to a surface to which the edge of the moisture barrier membrane is to be attached, the tape positioned to underlie and extend along the edge of the membrane when attached and having a first edge width in which a field of discrete touch fastener elements is disposed, and a second edge width carrying a layer of adhesive;
engaging the fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane against the field of touch fastener elements, such that the moisture barrier membrane overlaps the first edge width of the tape; and then
folding the sealing tape over the edge of the moisture barrier membrane, such that the adhesive engages the non-fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein engaging the fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane against the field of touch fastener elements leaves the second edge width exposed beyond the edge of the moisture barrier membrane.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after engaging the fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane against the field of touch fastener elements and before folding the sealing tape over the edge of the moisture barrier membrane, trimming the moisture barrier membrane to have an edge disposed between the first and second edge widths of the sealing tape.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein securing the sealing tape to a surface to which the edge of the moisture barrier membrane is to be attached comprises securing the sealing tape to a non-fibrous surface of another moisture barrier membrane.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein securing the sealing tape to a surface to which the edge of the moisture barrier membrane is to be attached comprises adhering the sealing tape to the surface to which the edge of the moisture barrier membrane is to be attached.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein securing the sealing tape to a surface to which the edge of the moisture barrier membrane is to be attached further comprises removing a release liner from a back side of the sealing tape to expose a second layer of adhesive.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after engaging the fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane against the field of touch fastener elements and before folding the sealing tape over the edge of the moisture barrier membrane, repositioning the moisture barrier membrane by disengaging the fibrous surface from the touch fastener elements and then reengaging the touch fastener elements with the fibrous surface in a different position.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after engaging the fibrous surface of the moisture barrier membrane against the field of touch fastener elements and before folding the sealing tape over the edge of the moisture barrier membrane, removing a release liner from the second edge width of the sealing tape to expose the layer of adhesive.

Assignees

• Velcro BVBA

Inventors

• Cornu Frederic
• Comet Carlos Sáez
• Longo Fabio Billa

Classifications

• F16J15/04 Primary

  without packing between the surfaces, e.g. with ground surfaces, with cutting edge · CPC title

• C09J7/38 Primary

  Pressure-sensitive adhesives [PSA] · CPC title

• C09J2301/204

  the adhesive coating being discontinuous · CPC title