Patent Application
20100310834
This application relates generally to fasteners, and more specifically to fasteners for securing lightweight decorations and objects to a variety of surfaces.
Lightweight decorations are used all over the world for celebrating various occasions including holidays, weddings, birthday parties, etc. These decorations come in all shapes and sizes from frilly garlands to flat banners. The surfaces being decorated consist of various materials, textures, and contours. Examples of these surfaces include: painted or papered drywall, paneling, window and door trim, brick veneer, ceilings, and glass.
Fasteners typically available to attach such decorations include: cellophane tapes, staples, hooks, tacks, and even nails. Cellophane tapes are adhesive based. Such tapes are a handy, temporary fastener and do not require penetration into the decorated surface. They are typically used by applying a length of tape that is long enough to go over the top of the decoration and have the ends of the tape adhere to the surface being decorated. This can be a quick, inexpensive way to apply decorations. However, they are applied so that the adhesive tape goes over the top of and comes into contact with the decoration.
When applied over a garland, the adhesive tape compresses the garland at each fastened point, detracting from its appearance. Also, the fringes from the garland usually get in the way when trying to apply the tape to the wall, causing poor adhesion. The tape also damages decorations such as garlands when removing. Cellophane tapes, when used, typically tape over a higher profile decoration, such as a light on a light-string, with the angle of the tape from the top of the light to the decorated surface being such that it is similar to the angle at which one would use to remove the tape when peeling tape from the surface. In this case the constant pull from gravity slowly peels the tape from the surface, causing the tape to fail and decoration to fall. This effect can also occur when the tape is going over the top of a wide decoration.
Nails, tacks, and staples hold well; however, when such fasteners are used they penetrate the decorated surface and therefore cause damage. Typically, they are designed for use as permanent fasteners.
In recent years, products such as 3M®'s Command™ line of fasteners including their Decorating Clips™ have been on the market. This fastener consists of a molded, rigid plastic base with a small hook and a pressure sensitive foam adhesive. The user places the foam adhesive on the base and applies the fastener to the surface being decorated. This fastener holds strong relative to its approximate one-half inch square base. It is designed so that the adhesive foam extends over the base on one side to provide a tab for the user to pull on for removal. This causes the foam to stretch laterally relative to the decorated surface so that the adhesive bond is broken without damage to the decorated surface. However, these semi-permanent fasteners are expensive.
In a typical application, hundreds of fasteners may be needed at considerable cost. Also, they require the user to combine the base and adhesive foam for every fastener used, which in a typical application can take up considerable time. Another drawback is that the base is rigid and therefore cannot be used on some applications or on tight contoured surfaces. Also, the hook is very small, limiting the types and quantity of decorations fastened at each point. Additionally, although the molded base and hook are made of clear plastic, the foam adhesive which is applied to the base and the extended tab are white and therefore are noticeable when applied to darker surfaces.
It is also known to affix a twist-tie to an object such as a ribbon bow with a staple. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,996, to Curry, the twist-tie is formed of a base layer covered with an adhesive with a wire disposed between the adhesive-bearing base layer and a peelable cover. The twist-tie has the peelable cover removed, and uses the adhesive on the base layer to secure the ribbon bow to a surface, without twisting. The twist-tie is not twisted about itself (the twist-tie lies flat on the surface). Such a configuration will work only if the ribbon bow is located on top of the surface, for example on the top of a package. Such a configuration will not effectively secure the ribbon bow in a hanging position, since the surface area of the adhesive layer on the twist-tie is too small to effectively do so.
The current choices of fasteners available for attaching lightweight decorations to a variety of surfaces do not adequately meet consumer needs. Such fasteners are either too expensive or time consuming when applying to be practical in many cases, or are the surface penetrating type which leave holes, or in the case of tapes, are applied over the decoration, detracting from the overall appearance of the decoration and typically having a high failure rate.
There is provided a fastener comprised of a twistable tie and a flexible adhesive base. The flexible base of an exemplary embodiment of a fastener can be adhesively attached to a variety of surface shapes or even over a corner when a release liner is first removed. The twistable ties each projecting outwardly in opposing directions from near or proximate the center of the base are used to clasp around the decoration when the decoration is first applied to the seat or center of the base and the ties are twisted together over the top of the decoration to secure it.
There is further provided a fastener which includes a base having a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion includes an adhesive layer portion. An elongated pliable core member is coupled to the base, with the core member having a first end and a second end, with the first end extending beyond an edge of the base. A top portion and a bottom portion of the fastener may further include separate member sheets configured to align contiguously with each other and securely coupled together. In another embodiment the base is configured to define a plurality of notches, with each notch configured to define an apex proximate the center of the base and extending with divergent edges toward an edge of the base and with two notches on each side of elongated pliable core member. The plurality of notches defines two sections of the base, with one section configured independently of the other section and with one section being located on each side of the elongated pliable core member.
There is further provided a fastener including a base having a top portion and a bottom portion, with the bottom portion including an adhesive layer portion. An elongated pliable core member is integral with the base as a single unit, with the core member having a first end and a second end, with the first end extending beyond the edge of the base. The base is further configured to define a plurality of notches, with each notch configured to define an apex proximate the center of the base and extending with divergent edges toward an edge of the base and with two notches on each side of the elongated pliable core member. A plurality of notches defines two sections of the base, with one section configured independently of the other section and with one section on each side of the elongated pliable core member.
There is additionally provided a method for securing an object to a surface. The method includes providing a fastener comprising a base including a top portion and a bottom portion, with the bottom portion including an adhesive layer portion covered with a release liner. The fastener also includes an elongated pliable core member coupled to the base, with the core member having a first end and a second end, with at least the first end extending beyond an edge of the base. The method includes exposing the adhesive by removing the release liner and placing the bottom portion of the base against the surface with the adhesive contacting the surface. The object is placed against the top portion of the base and secured the object against the base with the pliable core member by twisting the first end and second end of the core member about themselves, wherein the object is secured between the two ends of the core member.
There is also provided a method of making a fastener. The fastener includes a base composed of a top sheet of material and a bottom sheet of material, with the bottom sheet including an adhesive layer. The fastener further includes an elongated pliable member coupled to the top sheet of material with at least one end of the elongated pliable member extending beyond the edge of the base. The method comprises the steps of providing a roll of top sheet material, providing a roll of bottom sheet material aligned a spaced distance from the roll of top sheet material, and providing a spool of wire aligned to extend between the rolls of top and bottom sheet material. The rolls of sheet material are simultaneously unrolled together while unspooling the wire. The top and bottom sheet materials are laminated to each other and encase the wire between the top and bottom sheet materials defining a twist-tie. An adhesive layer is applied to the bottom sheet material. A die in a die cutting process die cuts the laminated sheet material and wire into predetermined fastener shapes. The fastener shapes are separated into individual fasteners. The method may also include applying a release liner to the adhesive layer.
There is additionally provided a method of making a fastener, with the fastener including a base composed of a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion includes an adhesive layer. The fastener further includes an elongated pliable member coupled to the base, with at least one end of the elongated pliable member extending beyond an edge of the base. The method comprises the steps of providing a roll of flexible sheet material and unrolling the roll of flexible sheet material. An adhesive layer is applied to the bottom portion of the flexible sheet material. The laminated sheet material and adhesive is die cut into predetermined fastener shapes. The method further includes providing a supply of twist-ties and coupling a twist-tie to each fastener shape. The method may also include separating the fastener shapes into individual fasteners. The method may further include applying a release liner to the adhesive layer. The method may provide the step of coupling a twist-tie to the base by an attachment process of one of an adhesive, a stitch, and a weld. The twist-tie may be coupled to the top portion of the base or to the bottom portion of the base.
Before describing exemplary embodiments of a fastener 20 having an adhesive layer 64 base and a twist-tie type elongated pliable member 36, a number of advantages of the fastener 20 with adhesive base become evident. One such advantage is it is inexpensive due to ease of manufacture. The base, twist-tie, adhesive, and release liner are die-cut out of the same continuous lamination of flexible sheet materials such as paper or polyethylene and wire. The flexible base conforms and adheres to a variety of surface texture and shapes. The adhesive does not come into contact with the decoration. The twist-tie is also very handy in its application. The fastener is easily handled during its application and is versatile in that it can be configured to conform to a variety of different size objects 22 and secures the objects 22 with a simple twist of the tie ends 38, 40. Such advantages of the fastener 20 are more fully discussed below.
The fastener 20 can be manufactured at a high rate of speed from wide webs of flexible sheet materials laminated together with a wire core encased within the lamination and die-cut into individual fasteners that each consist of a base and a twist-tie sharing the same lamination that also allow it to lay flat for packaging and be relatively inexpensive, both of which are important considerations for a temporary fastener.
The fastener 20 can be constructed with the twist-ties emanating from the center of the base so that the weight being held is concentrated to the center of the adhesive base fastener, whereby the weight forces are distributed across the entire base causing a shear force across the base rather than a peel force. This further allows the base to hold strong yet be relatively small. The lamination that encases the flexible core of the twist-tie also provides a large surface area that is conjoined or contacted with the base, minimizing tear out. The apex 56 of the notches 52, more fully described below, and composition of the lamination, also minimize tearout.
The flexible base is conformable to a variety of surface shapes and even over corners in a straddling fashion, allowing the consumer to attach decorations to surfaces not currently possible with other fastening devices, including ceilings, walls, trim, glass, furniture, as well as many other surfaces limited only by one's imagination.
The lamination for the base and the twist-tie can consist of different materials such as paper or polyethylene so that the paper can provide a printable surface or provide decorative color options. Alternately, the lamination can be made up of a clear polyethylene or of similar material to make the fastener nearly invisible in use.
The twist-ties allow the fastener 20 to hold varying sized objects because they are conformable and have the capacity to go around a single object or multiple objects. The twist-ties have a protective lamination, making them easy to find and handle even with one hand when removing or undoing. The protective lamination also provides safe handling for the user, and protects the decoration from damage. Also, color choices including clear can be offered. The twist-ties allow quick adjustments to be made to decorations that are not placed correctly by simply untwisting the ties, making the adjustments, and re-twisting the ties.
The adhesive is on the bottom side of the base only and does not come into contact with the decorating materials, so as not to damage them so that they can be used again and again.
Fasteners can be first applied in a series without any decorations being attached until all of the fasteners have been applied. The decoration can then be attached to each fastener and secured by twisting each tie. This is especially helpful when having to work near ceiling heights and holding on to the decoration with one hand and twisting the ties with the other.
Referring now to the figures,
In an exemplary embodiment the overall size of the fastener 20 is approximately one inch square for the base with a twist-tie 36 length of about four inches from one end 38 to the other end 40. However, the fastener 20 is not limited to this size or proportion, and can be made larger or smaller depending upon application or consumer need. The two components, the base 26 and the twist-tie 36 of this embodiment, share the same lamination, namely a top sheet 30 and a bottom sheet 34, with a pliable core 37 such as wire 46 shown in
Many types of flexible sheet material are available, such as paper or polyethylene, and can be used in the lamination singularly such as paper bonded to paper or in combination such as paper bonded to polyethylene. The lamination process can begin with the flexible sheet material in wide web rolls, one for the top sheet of the lamination and another for the bottom sheet of the lamination. A pliable core such as the core member 37, for example a wire 46 in
A method of making a fastener 20 is illustrated in
The manufacturing process 80 illustrated in
The laminated structure of the top and bottom sheet materials 30, 34 encasing the wire 46 is moved to an adhesive station 84, where an adhesive layer 64 is applied to the bottom sheet material 34. After the adhesive layer 64 and release liner 68 is applied to the laminated structure, a die at a die-cutting station 86 cuts the laminated sheet material and wire into a predetermined fastener shape as illustrated in
The method of making the fastener 20 may also include the application of a release liner 68 to the adhesive layer 64. Such application of the release liner 68 can either be done in a separate station or it can be done simultaneously as illustrated in
A method of manufacturing 92 a fastener 20 is also provided where the base 26 is formed and the elongated pliable member 36 or twist-tie is coupled to the base in a separate operation, as illustrated in
A supply 98 of twist-ties 36 are provided along the manufacturing line, and a twist tie 36 is coupled to each fastener shape (see
It should be understood that other die-cut configurations can be used within the scope of the appended claims. The manufacturing process may also provide that the twist-ties 36 are applied to each individual base 26 when the bases 26 are coupled together, or when they are separated. The manufacturing process also includes applying a release liner 68 to the adhesive layer 64, which may be done simultaneously as illustrated in
The method of making a fastener also includes coupling the twist-tie 36 to the base 26 by an attachment process such as using an adhesive, a stitch 70, or a weld. If an adhesive is used, it should be an adhesive that is compatible with the types of flexible sheet material and twist-tie material being used, and one that has sufficient strength for its intended use. If a stitch is used (see
It should also be understood that the manufacturing process in any of the processes described above may include a station where printed material is applied to the base 26. Such printed material may include directions and/or warnings. It should also be understood that various color coatings may be applied to the fastener as selected by the manufacturer or the user.
The method of securing an object 22 to a surface 24 with the fastener 20 having a twist-tie 36 with adhesive can be easiest understood when describing its use in attaching lightweight decorations, for example a garland, to a variety of surfaces, for example ceilings, window and door trim, glass, paneling, painted or papered drywall, etc. The fastener 20 is especially suited for linear type decorations utilizing the twist-ties 36 to secure the decoration.
The user would begin by removing the release liner 68 from the bottom portion 32 of the base 26 of the fastener 20 as shown in
The four notches 52 defined in the base 26 serve two purposes. First, the apex 56 of each notch provides hinge points for the elongated pliable member 36 to be set deep within the perimeter of or proximate the center 58 of the base 26, as shown in
The notches 52 further configure the base 26 into two sections 60 and 62, as shown in
Additional exemplary embodiments are illustrated in
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature moveable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or the two components and any additional member being attached to one another. Such adjoining may be permanent in nature or alternatively be removable or releasable in nature.
Accordingly, the fastener provides a simple, inexpensive, and more versatile alternative to currently available methods for temporarily securing lightweight decorations to a surface. The fasteners lay flat for packaging, yet when used the twist-ties hinge vertically upwardly from the base and provide for an adjustable carrying capacity. The fasteners hold strong relative to their size, yet remove cleanly and safely without damaging the decorations or the surfaces being decorated. The fasteners allow for quick adjustments of the decorations by simply untwisting the twist-ties, making the adjustments and re-twisting the ties. The fasteners provide the consumer with greater flexibility in where they decorate and how they decorate, allowing them much more freedom with regard to creativity and design choices then was previously possible. It should be understood that by changing the size, strength of materials, and adhesive used the fastener can be made for permanent use.
Although the foregoing description of a fastener has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments and applications thereof, it has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments and applications disclosed. It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, variations, or alterations to the fastener as described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The particular embodiments and applications were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the fastener and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the fastener in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such changes, modifications, variations, and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
This patent application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/268,127 entitled “Twist-Tie With Adhesive Base and Method of Making Same,” and which was filed on Jun. 8, 2009, the entirety of which patent application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61268127 | Jun 2009 | US |
