EP0336639A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Refastenable adhesive tape closure
Assignee: 3M Co
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Filing: 1989-03-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-03-30
Abstract
Abstract A refastenable adhesive closure is provided. The closure has a pressure-sensitive adhesive-bearing fastening tab and a target portion, or target strip, having a working face for contact with the adhesive-bearing fastening tab. The working face of the target strip is formed with peaks and valleys, the height of the peaks above the valleys being substantially uniform and from about 40 to 300 µm, the spacing between adjacent peaks being from about 50 to 500 µm, the back face of the target portion being substantially flat, and the thickness of the adhesive layer of the tab being no more than about 90% of the height of the peaks above the valleys. The closure is resistant to contamination by dust and other fine particulate matter and is especially useful for refastenable disposable diaper closures and refastenable envelope closures.
Inventors
- 👤 Allen L. Noreen
- 👤 Dean R. Crissinger
- 👤 William L. Melbye
- 👤 Eric G. Rodgers
- 👤 Alan J. Sipinen
- 👤 Leigh E. Wood
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 14:32
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/56; A61F13/58
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
A refastenable closure comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive-bearing fastening tab and a target portion having a working face for contact with said adhesive-bearing fastening tab, wherein said working face of said target strip is formed with peaks and valleys, the height of said peaks above said valleys being substantially uniform and from about 40 to 300µm, the spacing between adjacent peaks being from about 50 to 500µm, the back face of said target portion is substantially flat, and the thickness of the adhesive layer of said tab is no more than about 90% of the height of said peaks above said valleys.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
101 words
A refastenable closure comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive-bearing fastening tab and a target portion having a working face for contact with said adhesive-bearing fastening tab, wherein said working face of said target strip is formed with peaks and valleys, the height of said peaks above said valleys being substantially uniform and from about 40 to 300µm, the spacing between adjacent peaks being from about 50 to 500µm, the back face of said target portion is substantially flat, and the thickness of the adhesive layer of said tab is no more than about 90% of the height of said peaks above said valleys.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein said target portion is thermoplastic material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The refastenable closure of claim 2 wherein said target portion is polyolefin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The refastenable closure of claim 3 wherein said polyolefin is polypropylene, polyethylene, copolymers thereof or blends thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The refastenable closure of claim 4 wherein said polyolefin is a blend of an ethylene/propylene copolymer and low density polyethylene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The refastenable closure of claim 5 wherein said blend comprises about 50 to 80 weight percent ethylene/propylene copolymer having a melt flow index of about 10 to 100 g/10 min and 20 to 50 weight percent low density polyethylene having a melt index of about 1 to 50 g/10 min.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein the crowns of said peaks are sharp.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein said peaks have first and second faces transverse to the direction of removal of said fastening tab from said target portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The refastenable closure of claim 8 wherein said first transverse face is substantially orthogonal to said direction of removal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The refastenable closure of claim 9 wherein said first transverse face faces away from said direction of removal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The refastenable closure of claim 8 wherein said second face slopes downward from said peak.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The refastenable closure of claim 8 wherein said faces form angles of less than 90° at said peak.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The refastenable closure of claim 8 wherein said peaks form saw-toothed ridges, each extending across substantially the full width of the strip transversely to the direction of removal of the fastener tab from the target portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The refastenable closure of claim 13 having protrusions in the valleys that extend from 30 to 100% of the height of the peaks and are spaced apart from 0.2 to 6 mm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein the surface area of said peaks and valleys is at least 35% more than that of a flat surface, disregarding asperities less than 10 µm in height.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein said target portion is permanently adhered to the body of an envelope and the fastening tab is permanently adhered to the flap of the envelope.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein said target portion is permanently adhered to the front of the cover sheet of a diaper and said fastening tab is permanently adhered to each ear of the cover sheet at the back of the diaper.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
53 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein said face of said target portion has a rough microstructure comprising closely spaced asperities that have a jagged appearance when viewed at a magnification of about 500x and are about 2 to 30µm in height and no more than 20% of the height of the peaks.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The refastenable closure of claim 1 wherein said target portion is a film strip sufficient in size that said portion covers said fastening tab and said back face of said target portion bears an adhesive.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The refastenable closure of claim 19 wherein said adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot melt adhesive.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
114 words
A roll of tape useful for preparing the target portion of the closure of claim 1, said tape comprising a flexible polymeric substrate having a working face and an adhesive-bearing face, said working face having saw-toothed ridges, the height of said ridges above said substrate being substantially uniform and from about 40 to 300 µm, the spacing between adjacent ridges being from about 50 to 500 µm, said ridges having first and second faces transverse to the direction in which the tape is rolled or parallel to the direction in which the tape is rolled, said first transverse face being substantially orthogonal to said substrate, and the face bearing said adhesive being substantially flat.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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