US4249226A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Grounding strap
Assignee: 3M Co
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Filing: 1979-02-22
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Granted: 1981-02-03
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Expires: 1999-02-22
Abstract
Abstract An electrically conductive strap to be secured to a shoe to ground static electricity accumulated on the body of the person wearing the shoe. The strap consists of an electrically conductive backing, a metallic strip that hooks over the upper edge of a shoe to secure one end of the strap, a pressure-sensitive adhesive coated over the backing and an open mesh scrim applied onto the adhesive which, prior to the application of pressure on the strap, has one surface extending above the adhesive to form a tack-free surface to permit ease of handling prior to use and positioning along the sides and across the bottom of the shoe. The strap adheres to the bottom of the shoe upon pressing the shoe against the floor. The scrim prevents the adhesive from adhering to the side of the shoe as no pressure is applied in this area. Additionally, the strap has a series of transverse rows of perforations so that segments of the strap can be removed to permit the strap to fit various sizes of shoes. Further, the need for a segmented liner is eliminated as the strap adheres to the shoe surface only in those areas where pressure is applied.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter M. Westberg
- 👤 Daniel J. Newes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 21:06
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B7/00; B32B7/04; B32B7/12; A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/14; B32B15/00; B32B15/02; H; H01; H01B; H01B5/00; H01B5/14; H01B5/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
194 words
A grounding strap adhesively attached to a shoe comprising: (a) a flexible conductive backing, (b) a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on one surface of the backing extending from one end of the backing but terminating short of the opposite end so that the backing extends beyond the adhesive, (c) an open mesh scrim, the scrim forming a series of interstices, one surface of the scrim secured to the adhesive and the opposite surface extending above the plane of the surface of the adhesive forming a shield to provide a tack-free surface over the adhesive and upon pressure applied to said backing, the backing indents forcing the adhesive through the interstices for adhesive contact to a surface of said shoe, (d) flexible metallic means secured to the backing at the end of the backing extending beyond the adhesive for fastening one end of the strap to the upper edge of a shoe, and (e) rows of perforations transversely disposed at longitudinally spaced intervals along the adhesive coated surface of the backing, the perforations extending through the backing and adhesive for removing segments of the strap to correlate the strap length to the dimensions of a shoe.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
194 words
A grounding strap adhesively attached to a shoe comprising: (a) a flexible conductive backing, (b) a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on one surface of the backing extending from one end of the backing but terminating short of the opposite end so that the backing extends beyond the adhesive, (c) an open mesh scrim, the scrim forming a series of interstices, one surface of the scrim secured to the adhesive and the opposite surface extending above the plane of the surface of the adhesive forming a shield to provide a tack-free surface over the adhesive and upon pressure applied to said backing, the backing indents forcing the adhesive through the interstices for adhesive contact to a surface of said shoe, (d) flexible metallic means secured to the backing at the end of the backing extending beyond the adhesive for fastening one end of the strap to the upper edge of a shoe, and (e) rows of perforations transversely disposed at longitudinally spaced intervals along the adhesive coated surface of the backing, the perforations extending through the backing and adhesive for removing segments of the strap to correlate the strap length to the dimensions of a shoe.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A grounding strap according to claim 1 wherein said rows of perforations are spaced apart from each other in the range of 1.27 cm to 5.1 cm, the lateral spacing of the individual perforations from each other in a given row providing a breaking strength in the range of 2.3 Kg to 6.8 Kg.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
120 words
A grounding strap for adhering to the bottom of a shoe comprising: (1) a flexible electrically conductive polymeric backing, (2) an adhesive coating onto one side of said backing, and (3) an open mesh scrim disposed above the surface of said adhesive to form a shield thereover, said grounding strap being characterized in that: (A) upon pressure supplied to said backing or scrim, adhesive is forced through the interstices of said scrim for adhesive contact with said shoe, the peel strength resulting from said contact of the adhesive with the bottom of the shoe being in the range of 113.5 to 177.1 grams when the strap is applied to the shoe bottom at a pressure of 2.3 Kg/cm 2 .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
120 words
A grounding strap for adhering to the bottom of a shoe comprising: (1) a flexible electrically conductive polymeric backing, (2) an adhesive coating onto one side of said backing, and (3) an open mesh scrim disposed above the surface of said adhesive to form a shield thereover, said grounding strap being characterized in that: (A) upon pressure supplied to said backing or scrim, adhesive is forced through the interstices of said scrim for adhesive contact with said shoe, the peel strength resulting from said contact of the adhesive with the bottom of the shoe being in the range of 113.5 to 177.1 grams when the strap is applied to the shoe bottom at a pressure of 2.3 Kg/cm 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
212 words
A grounding strap for adhering to the bottom of a shoe comprising: (1) a flexible electrically conductive polymeric backing having a maximum caliper of 0.02 cm, (2) a pressure sensitive adhesive coated onto one side of said backing, and (3) a scrim having about 6 to 8 interstices per cm and a caliper of about 0.008 cm disposed over said adhesive to form a shield thereover, said grounding strap being characterized in that: (A) the polymeric backing has an elastic modulus of about 1056 Kg/cm 2 as measured by ASTM No. D882, (B) the adhesive has a weight of about 0.004 gm/cm 2 , (C) the interstices provided by said scrim are of a size sufficient to permit the backing to indent and the adhesive to extend therethrough and adhere to the bottom of said shoe upon application of pressure to said scrim or backing, and (D) said strap has an electrical resistance in the range of 2.2×10 4 to 2×10 9 ohms and a peel strength in the range of 113.5 to 177.1 grams at the interface of the bottom of said shoe and the adhesive when the adhesive is extended through said interstices and the strap is applied to said shoe bottom at a pressure of 2.3 Kg/cm 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
212 words
A grounding strap for adhering to the bottom of a shoe comprising: (1) a flexible electrically conductive polymeric backing having a maximum caliper of 0.02 cm, (2) a pressure sensitive adhesive coated onto one side of said backing, and (3) a scrim having about 6 to 8 interstices per cm and a caliper of about 0.008 cm disposed over said adhesive to form a shield thereover, said grounding strap being characterized in that: (A) the polymeric backing has an elastic modulus of about 1056 Kg/cm 2 as measured by ASTM No. D882, (B) the adhesive has a weight of about 0.004 gm/cm 2 , (C) the interstices provided by said scrim are of a size sufficient to permit the backing to indent and the adhesive to extend therethrough and adhere to the bottom of said shoe upon application of pressure to said scrim or backing, and (D) said strap has an electrical resistance in the range of 2.2×10 4 to 2×10 9 ohms and a peel strength in the range of 113.5 to 177.1 grams at the interface of the bottom of said shoe and the adhesive when the adhesive is extended through said interstices and the strap is applied to said shoe bottom at a pressure of 2.3 Kg/cm 2 .
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-02-03 | 1984-08-04 | 1985-02-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-02-03 | 1988-08-04 | 1989-02-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-02-03 | 1992-08-04 | 1993-02-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |