Hinged end wound dressing

Claim 2

A wound dressing or like applique having a surface covering layer adhesively coated on one side, said adhesive coating being covered with a release liner, wherein the improvement comprises: said release liner comprising a main body and an edge strip, said edge strip having an outside edge generally aligned with an edge of said covering layer and an inside edge spaced inwardly from said outside edge; said main body and said edge strip being hingedly joined by flexible hinge means, said flexible hinge means overlying said main body and said edge strip whereby as one peels said main body of said release liner away from said covering layer, said main body folds back with respect to said edge strip at said hinge means, thereby minimizing the peeling force exerted along said inside edge of said edge strip and enabling a user to control said covering layer by manipulating said main body of said release liner until said covering layer is applied to the desired surface, at which time force can be applied against said edge strip in the direction of said covering layer to thereby fold said edge strip over and increase its tendency to peel away from said covering layer as a continuing pulling force is applied to said main body of said release liner.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 in which said hinge means is secured to said edge strip along a line spaced outwardly from said inside edge of said edge strip whereby said hinge does not transmit force to said inside edge of said edge strip when one pulls on said main body of said release liner after it is peeled away from said covering layer.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein there are two of said edge strips, one located at each of two opposite edges of said main covering layer, and wherein said main body of said release liner is divided into two separate parts, one being hingedly joined to one of said edge strips and the other being hingedly joined to said opposite of said edge strips.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 in which said halves of said main body release liner overlap one another in a plow fold arrangement.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 in which said covering layer comprises a thin film of polymeric material.

Claim 7

The device of claim 2 in which said hinge means comprises a flexible adhesive tape, the adhesive bond between said tape and said release liner being substantially stronger than the adhesive bond between said covering layer and said release liner main body and edge strip.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1 in which said hinge means overlies and is secured to a portion of said main body and a portion of said edge strip at the juncture of said main body and said edge strip; said main body of said release liner overlapping at least a portion of said edge strip to cause said hinge means to be secured to said edge strip along a line spaced to the outside of said inside edge of said edge strip.

Claim 9

The device of claim 7 wherein there are two of said edge strips, one located at each of two opposite edges of said main covering layer, and wherein said main body of said release liner is divided into two separate parts, one being hingedly joined to one of said edge strips and the other being hingedly joined to said opposite of said edge strips.

Claim 10

The device of claim 8 in which said hinge means comprises a flexible adhesive tape, the adhesive bond between said tape and said release liner being substantially stronger than the adhesive bond between said covering layer and said release liner main body and edge strip.

Claim 11

The device of claim 7 in which said hinge means comprises a flexible adhesive tape, the adhesive bond between said tape and said release liner being substantially stronger than the adhesive bond between said covering layer and said release liner main body and edge strip.

Claim 12

The device of claim 1 wherein there are two of said edge strips, one located at each of two opposite edges of said main covering layer, and wherein said main body of said release liner is divided into two separate parts, one being hingedly joined to one of said edge strips and the other being hingedly joined to said opposite of said edge strips.

Claim 13

A wound dressing or like applique having a surface covering layer adhesively coated on one side, said adhesive coating being covered with a release liner, wherein the improvement comprises: said release liner comprising a main body and an edge strip, said edge strip having an outside edge generally aligned with an edge of said covering layer and an inside edge spaced inwardly from said outside edge; said main body and said edge strip being hingedly joined by flexible hinge means, said hinge means being secured to said edge strip along a line spaced outwardly from said inside edge of said edge strip whereby as one peels said main body of said release liner away from said covering layer, said main body folds back with respect to said edge strip at said hinge means, thereby minimizing the peeling force exerted along said inside edge of said edge strip and enabling a user to control said covering layer by manipulating said main body of said release liner until said covering layer is applied to the desired surface, at which time force can be applied against said edge strip in the direction of said covering layer to thereby fold said edge strip over and increase its tendency to peel away from said covering layer as a continuing pulling force is applied to said main body of said release liner, and said hinge does not transmit force to said inside edge of said edge strip when one pulls on said main body of said release liner after it is peeled away from said covering layer.

Claim 14

A wound dressing or like applique having a surface covering layer adhesively coated on one side, said adhesive coating being covered with a release liner, wherein the improvement comprises: said release liner comprising a main body and an edge strip, said edge strip having an outside edge generally aligned with an edge of said covering layer and an inside edge spaced inwardly from said outside edge; said main body and said edge strip being hingedly joined by flexible hinge means, said hinge means being secured to said edge strip along a line spaced outwardly from said inside edge of said edge strip whereby as one peels said main body of said release liner away from said covering layer, said main body folds back with respect to said edge strip at said hinge means, thereby minimizing the peeling force exerted along said inside edge of said edge strip and enabling a user to control said covering layer by manipulating said main body of said release liner until said covering layer is applied to the desired surface, at which time force can be applied against said edge strip in the direction of said covering layer to thereby fold said edge strip over and increase its tendency to peel away from said covering layer as a continuing pulling force is applied to said main body of said release liner, and said hinge does not transmit force to said inside edge of said edge strip when one pulls on said main body of said release liner after it is peeled away from said covering layer.

Claim 15

The device of claim 12 wherein there are two of said edge strips, one located at each of two opposite edges of said main covering layer, and wherein said main body of said release liner is divided into two separate parts, one being hingedly joined to one of said edge strips and the other being hingedly joined to said opposite of said edge strips.

Claim 16

The device of claim 12 in which said hinge means comprises a flexible adhesive tape, the adhesive bond between said tape and said release liner being substantially stronger than the adhesive bond between said covering layer and said release liner main body and edge strip.

Claim 17

The device of claim 12 in which said hinge means overlies and is secured to a portion of said main body and a portion of said edge strip at the juncture of said main body and said edge strip; said main body of said release liner overlapping at least a portion of said edge strip to cause said hinge means to be secured to said edge strip along a line spaced to the outside of said inside edge of said edge strip.

Claim 18

The device of claim 15 wherein there are two of said edge strips, one located at each of two opposite edges of said main covering layer, and wherein said main body of said release liner is divided into two separate parts, one being hingedly joined to one of said edge strips and the other being hingedly joined to said opposite of said edge strips.

Claim 19

The device of claim 15 in which said hinge means comprises a flexible adhesive tape, the adhesive bond between said tape and said release liner being substantially stronger than the adhesive bond between said covering layer and said release liner main body and edge strip.