Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6722501
-
Patent Number
6,722,501
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, February 26, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 20, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 206 460
- 206 425
- 206 449
- 206 494
- 206 813
- 206 831
- 156 313
- 156 598
- 248 2051
- 248 2053
- 248 207
- 248 683
- 220 476
- 220 480
- 220 481
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A package assembly including a housing that has an attachable portion and a manually removable portion. Also included is a length of attachment strip material having opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends. The length of attachment strip material has a first part adhered along the outer surface of the attachable portion of the housing, and a second part extending from one end of the first part; and that second part of the length of attachment strip material is disposed to restrict adhesion between it and a planar surface to which the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered to support the housing along that surface. The manually removable portion of the housing is manually removable from the attachable portion of the housing to afford stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by pulling its second part away from its first part, thereby removing the first part of the attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and that surface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to package assemblies including attachment strips comprising stretch release adhesive by which the package assemblies may be temporarily adhered to surfaces.
BACKGROUND
Package assemblies are known that include attachment strips comprising stretch release adhesive such as the attachment strips commercially available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., under the trade designation “Command (trade mark) Adhesive”, and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,206 (Bries et al) filed Sep. 20, 1994, or the corresponding International Published Application WO 95/06691. Using such an attachment strip a housing of one of the package assemblies can be adhered to a surface so that articles can then be removed from the package assembly. Then, when subsequently desired, the attachment strip can be stretched to remove it from between the housing and the surface. Generally, that attachment strip comprises a stretchable laminate including a central layer of polymeric foam (e.g., polyolefin foam), and two layers of stretchable polymeric film (e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene film, with linear low density and ultra linear low density polyethylene film being preferred) bonded along opposite major surfaces of the layer of foam. The attachment strip also includes two layers of stretch release adhesive on opposite sides of that stretchable laminate, both of which layers are spaced from one end of the stretchable laminate so that the portion of the stretchable laminate extending beyond the two layers of adhesive forms a tab that can be manually engaged to stretch the attachment strip. One of the layers of stretch release adhesive can be adhered to the housing of the package assembly, and the other to a surface (e.g., a planar vertical surface of a wall) to which it is to be adhered so that the package assembly is supported along that surface by the attachment strip. When that attachment strip is then sequentially stretched by manually pulling on the tab portion, the layers of stretch release adhesive will release from both the housing and the surface so that the package assembly can be separated from the surface. While such attachment strips are very useful and effective for releasably adhering the package assembly along a surface, they are more expensive than may be desired for use on certain types of package assemblies, particularly those that are inexpensive and/or may be used for only a short time, such as package assemblies including discount coupons dispensed at the point of sale, such as in an isle of a grocery store, or including facial or cleaning tissues or the like. That expense of the attachment strips arises, at least in part, from the procedures needed during manufacturing of the attachment strips to leave the non-adhesive coated tab portion of the attachment strips and the manner (i.e., typically manual) by which such attachment strips are applied to the housing.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a package assembly including an attachment strip comprising stretch release adhesive that can have the attachment and release properties described above for the attachment strip commercially available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., under the trade designation “Command (trade mark) Adhesive”, but which attachment strip is significantly less expensive to manufacture and to apply to a housing of the package assembly than the prior art attachment strip described above.
The present invention also provides a method for forming a plurality of such package assemblies comprising the steps of (1) providing an elongate supply of the attachment strip material having opposite major surfaces entirely defined by stretch release adhesive (i.e., the elongate supply length of attachment strip material can be in a roll); (2) forming walls into a plurality of housings so that each of the housings has an attachable portion and a manually removable portion (e.g., by forming lines of weakness (score lines or rows of perforations) in each of the housings to define the portions); (4) applying a predetermined length of the attachment strip material to each of the housings by adhering a first part of the predetermined length along the outer surface of the attachable portion of the housing with a second part of the predetermined length extending from one end of the first part; and (5) providing for each of the package assemblies means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered along the planar support surface. The first part of the length of attachment strip material on each housing can be adhered to a planar support surface (e.g., typically a vertical surface) to support the housing along the surface. When, subsequently, it is desirable to remove the housing from that surface, the removable portion of the housing can be manually separated from the attachable portion of the housing to afford manual stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by engagement with the second part to remove the first part of the length of attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and the planar support surface.
The attachable portion of each housing can include a first wall (included in the walls forming the housing) to which the first part of the length of attachment strip material is attached, and can further include a portion of a second wall included in the walls forming the housing; and the second part of the length of attachment strip material can be adhered to the manually removable portion of the housing which can be formed from a portion of that second wall by providing the lines of weakness in the second wall between the manually removable and attachable portions of the housing. The first and second walls can be disposed at an angle (e.g., a right angle) with respect to each other to provide at least a portion of the means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered along the planar support surface. The second part of the length of attachment strip material can be adhered along an inner surface or along the outer surface of the manually removable portion of the housing. If it is adhered along the outer surface of the manually removable portion of the housing its adhesive surface can remain exposed, or can be covered by a protective layer. For example, a protective layer of thin flexible material can be applied around the housing and the applied length of attachment strip material, and a separable portion of that layer can be adhered to the second part of the length of attachment strip material on its surface opposite the manually removable portion of the housing. That separable portion will remain adhered to the second part of the length of attachment strip material after the rest of the protective layer of thin flexible material is removed.
Alternatively, the attachable portion of each of the housings can be a first portion of a first wall included in the walls forming the housing to which first portion the first part of the length of attachment strip material is attached, and that first wall can also include a second portion aligned with the first portion and included in the removable portion of the housing, with the first and second portions of the first one of the walls being joined along a line of weakness to afford, after the removable portion of the housing is manually removed from its attachable portion, manual stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by engagement with the second part to remove the first part of the length of attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and the planar support surface to remove the attachable portion of the housing from that surface. The second part of the length of attachment strip material can be adhered along an inner surface of the manually removable portion of the housing or along its outer surface where its adhesive surface can be covered by a protective layer to provide the means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered along the planar support surface. For example, a protective layer of thin flexible material with a separable portion can be adhered to the second part of the length of attachment strip material as was described above.
As a further option, the attachable portion of each of the housings can include a first part to which the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered, and that attachable portion of the housing can further include a second part co-extensive with the second part of the length of attachment strip material to which the second part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered, which second part of the attachable portion of the housing is separable from its first part to afford, after the removable portion of the housing is manually removed from its attachable portion, manual stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by engagement with its second part to remove the first part of the attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and the planar support surface.
As yet a further option the attachable portion of the housing can include a first wall having opposite front and rear surfaces, the first part of the length of attachment strip material can be adhered to the rear surface of the first wall; the manually removable portion of the housing can be a minor portion of the first wall along its front surface; and the second part of the length of attachment strip material can extend around an edge of the first wall be adhered to the manually removable portion of said housing, thereby providing at least a portion of the means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface to which it is attached.
Also optionally the attachable portion can be a first portion of a first wall included in the walls forming the housing to which first portion of the first wall the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered, a second portion of the first wall can be included in the removable portion of the housing, the second part of the length of attachment strip material can be adhered to a second wall included in the manually removable portion of the housing with the first and second walls being disposed at about a right angle with respect to each other to provide at least a portion of the means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface to which it is attached.
The attachment strip used in the package assembly according to the present invention can be a length of attachment strip material having the structure of the attachment strips described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,206 (Bries et al) described above, except that two layers of stretch release adhesive on opposite sides of that stretchable laminate extend entirely between the opposite ends of the length and the attachment strip includes no portions having surfaces not defined by adhesive that form a manually engagaeble tab. Such attachment strip material can be made in a long supply length for less cost than making the prior art attachment strips described above because there is no need to leave portions of the stretchable laminate without adhesive coating to provide the tab.
Alternatively, the attachment strip used could consist of two layers of adhesive that define the major adhesive surfaces adhered along opposite major surfaces of a single layer of stretchable polymeric film, or could be similar to the attachment strip described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,189 (Luhmann), which attachment strip would consist of a single layer of pressure sensitive adhesive that would define the two major adhesive surfaces, but would have no polymeric film covering over its end portion to provide non-sticky surfaces for its tab portion by which its layer of pressure sensitive adhesive could be stretched to cause it to release from surfaces between which it has been adhered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein, like parts are identified with like reference numerals in the several views, and wherein:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an enlarged fragmentary sectioned view taken approximately along line
2
—
2
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 4
is an enlarged fragmentary sectioned view taken approximately along line
4
—
4
of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a fragmentary sectioned view similar to
FIG. 4
that illustrates a modification of the package assembly illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4
;
FIG. 6
is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 7
is an enlarged fragmentary sectioned view taken approximately along line
7
—
7
of
FIG. 6
; and
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of the package assembly of
FIG. 6
illustrating a step used in removing the package assembly from a surface to which the package assembly has been attached;
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 10
is an enlarged fragmentary sectioned view taken approximately along line
10
—
10
of
FIG. 9
; and
FIG. 11
is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 12
is a perspective view of an attachable portion of the package assembly of
FIG. 11
after a removable portion of that package assembly has been removed, which view illustrates removing the attachable portion from a surface to which the package assembly has been attached;
FIG. 13
is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIGS. 14 and 15
are reduced perspective views of the package assembly of
FIG. 13
which illustrate sequential steps in removing the package assembly from a surface to which the package assembly has been attached;
FIG. 16
is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 17
is a rear view of the package assembly of
FIG. 16
;
FIG. 18
is a perspective view of the package assembly of
FIG. 16
which illustrates removing the package assembly from a surface to which the package assembly has been attached; and
FIG. 19
is a perspective view schematically illustrating a method according to the present invention for making an embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention that is similar to that illustrated in
FIGS. 6
,
7
, and
8
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the drawing there is illustrated a first embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
10
. Generally, the package assembly
10
comprises walls forming a housing
12
similar to the housing described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,699, the content whereof is incorporated herein by reference. The housing
12
has an outer surface
13
, and an inner surface
14
defining a cavity in which items
17
(e.g., discount coupons or sheets) may be stored and from which those items
17
may be removed through an opening
16
in the housing
12
. The housing
12
includes an attachable portion
18
, (which is a major portion of the housing
12
), and a manually removable portion
19
(which is a minor portion of the housing
12
). Also included in the package assembly
10
is a length
20
of attachment strip material having opposite ends
21
and
22
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
21
and
22
. The length
20
of attachment strip material has a first major part
24
adhered along the outer surface
13
of a first wall
25
included in the attachable portion
18
of the housing
12
, and a second minor part
26
extending from one end of the first part
24
, which second part
26
is positioned along and adhered to an inner surface of the manually removable portion
19
of the housing
12
. The manually removable portion
19
of the housing
12
is a minor portion of a second wall
27
included in the walls forming the housing
12
, with a major portion of that second wall
27
being included in the attachable portion
18
of the housing
12
. The manually removable portion
19
of the housing
12
is removeably attached to that major portion of the second wall
27
by lines of weakness
29
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations). The first and second walls
25
and
27
are disposed at an angle (i.e., about a right angle) with respect to each other. A release liner
28
extends along a major surface of the first part
24
of the length
20
of attachment strip material, which major surface is opposite the major surface of the first part
24
that is adhered to the attachable portion
18
of the housing
12
. That release liner
28
is removable to afford adhering the first part
24
of the length
20
of attachment strip material to a planar support surface (e.g., the vertical surface of a wall or display shelf) to support the housing
12
along that surface. When all of the items
17
have been removed from the housing
12
, or when it is otherwise desirable to remove the housing
12
from such a support surface to which it was adhered, the manually removable portion
19
of the housing
12
can be manually removed from the attachable portion
18
of the housing
12
by breaking the second wall
27
along the lines of weakness
29
around the manually removable portion
19
. Such removal affords manual stretching of the first part
24
of the length
20
of attachment strip material to remove it from between the attachable portion
18
of the housing
12
and that support surface to which it was adhered by pulling the removable portion
19
of the housing
12
(and thereby the second part
26
of the length
20
of attachment strip material that is adhered to the removable portion
19
of the housing
12
) away from the first part
24
of the length
20
of attachment strip material to stretch and thereby release the adhesion of that first part
24
from the support surface and from the attachable portion
18
of the housing
12
.
As is seen in
FIG. 2
, the second part
26
of the length
20
of attachment strip material is positioned and adhered between two layers of material (e.g., two layers of chipboard) that form the second wall
27
including the manually removable portion
19
of the housing
12
so that those layers of material prevent contact with the second part
26
of the length
20
of attachment strip material either by the items
17
in the housing
12
or by a person contacting the outer surface
13
of the housing
12
. Also, the housing
12
has a slit
23
between the end of the manually removable portion
19
and the first wall
25
which facilitates removing the removable portion
19
from the rest of the second wall
27
so that the manually removable part
19
can be pulled away from the first part
24
of the length
20
of attachment strip material.
Referring now to
FIGS. 3 and 4
of the drawing there is illustrated a second embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
30
. Generally, the package assembly
30
comprises walls forming a housing
32
having an outer surface
33
, and an inner surface
34
defining a cavity in which items
37
(e.g., cleaning tissues) may be stored and from which those items
37
may be removed through an opening
36
in the housing
32
. The housing
32
includes an attachable portion
38
, (which is a major portion of the housing
32
), and a manually removable portion
39
(which is a minor portion of the housing
32
). Also included in the package assembly
30
is a length
40
of attachment strip material having opposite ends
41
and
42
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
41
and
42
. The length
40
of attachment strip material has a first major part
44
adhered along the outer surface
33
on a first wall
45
included in the attachable portion
38
of the housing
32
, and a second minor part
46
extending along and adhered along the outer surface
33
on the manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
. The manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
is a minor portion of a second wall
47
included in the walls forming the housing
32
, with a major portion of that second wall
47
being included in the attachable portion
38
of the housing
32
. The manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
is attached to that major portion of the second wall
47
by lines of weakness
49
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations). The housing
32
can have a slit between the end of the manually removable portion
39
and the first wall
45
to facilitate removing the removable portion
39
from the rest of the second wall
47
. The first and second walls
45
and
47
are disposed at an angle (i.e., about a right angle) with respect to each other which provides at least a part of means for restricting adhesion between the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material is adhered along that planar support surface. A release liner
48
extends along a major surface of the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material, which major surface is opposite the major surface of the first part
44
that is adhered to the attachable portion
38
of the housing
32
. That release liner
48
is removable to afford adhering the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to a support surface (e.g., the planer vertical surface of a wall or cabinet) to support the housing
32
along that surface. When all of the items
37
have been removed from the housing
32
, or when it is otherwise desirable to remove the housing
32
from a support surface to which it has been adhered by the length
40
of attachment strip material, the manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
can be manually removed from the attachable portion
38
of the housing
32
by breaking the second wall
47
along the lines of weakness
49
around the manually removable portion
39
. Such removal affords manual stretching of the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to remove it from between the attachable portion
38
of the housing
32
and that support surface to which it was adhered by pulling the removable portion
39
of the housing
32
and the second part
46
adhered to it away from the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to stretch and thereby release the adhesion of that first part
44
from the support surface and from the attachable portion
38
of the housing.
As is seen in
FIG. 4
, the housing
32
can be of corrugated cardboard, and the manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
can be only a portion of the outer layer of that cardboard that is attached to the major portion of the outer layer of that second wall
47
along lines of weakness
49
around the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material. That portion of the outer layer of the cardboard within the lines of weakness
49
can be pealed away from the rest of the cardboard (including portions of the cardboard underlying it) with the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to afford manual engagement of the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material and thereby stretching of the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to remove the attachable portion
40
of the housing
32
from that surface to which it was adhered. Alternatively, the housing
32
can be of chip board which is embossed, cut, or perforated partially through its thickness to form lines of weakness
49
around the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material so that the manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
is only the portion of the outer clay coated layer of that chipboard within the lines of weakness
49
. That outer layer of the chipboard within the lines of weakness
49
can be pealed away from the underlying fibrous layer or layers of the housing with the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to afford manual engagement of the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material and thereby stretching of the first part
44
of the length
40
of attachment strip material to remove the attachable portion
40
of the housing
32
from that surface to which it was adhered.
As illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, the outer adhesive surface of the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material can be exposed. Alternatively, a layer of material can be adhered over that outer adhesive surface of the second portion
46
, or, as illustrated in
FIG. 5
, the package assembly
30
can further include a removable protective layer
50
of flexible polymeric material (e.g., PVC, polyethylene, or cellophane) around the housing
32
and the length
40
of attachment strip material. That removable protective layer
50
of flexible material can include a separable portion
52
adhered along the surface of the second part
46
of the length
40
of attachment strip material opposite the manually removable portion
39
of the housing
32
.
Referring now to
FIGS. 6
,
7
, and
8
of the drawing there is illustrated a third embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
60
. Generally, the package assembly
60
comprises walls forming a housing
62
having an outer surface
63
, and an inner surface
64
defining a cavity in which items
67
(e.g., facial tissues) may be stored and from which those items
67
may be removed through an opening
66
in the housing
62
. The housing
62
includes an attachable portion
68
which is a minor portion of the housing
62
and a first portion of a first wall
75
included in the walls forming the housing
62
. The housing also includes a manually removable portion
69
which is a major portion of the housing
62
and includes, together with all the walls forming the housing
62
other than the first wall
75
, a second portion of the first wall
75
that is aligned with the portion of the first wall
75
forming the attachable portion
68
of the housing
62
. That second portion of the first wall
75
is attached to the attachable portion
68
of the housing along a line of weakness
79
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations) in the first wall
75
to afford manual removal of the removable portion
69
of the housing
62
from the attachable portion
68
of the housing
62
by breaking the first wall
75
along that line of weakness
79
. Also included in the package assembly
60
is a length
70
of attachment strip material having opposite ends
71
and
72
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
71
and
72
. The length
70
of attachment strip material has a first major part
74
adhered along the outer surface
63
of the attachable portion
68
of the housing
62
that extends through a slot
73
in the first wall
75
, and has a second minor part
76
extending along and adhered to an inner surface of the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
to provide means for restricting adhesion between the second part
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part
74
of the length
70
of attachment strip material is adhered along that planar support surface. A release liner
78
extends along a major surface of the first part
74
of the length
70
of attachment strip material, which major surface is opposite the major surface of the first part
74
that is adhered to the attachable portion
68
of the housing
62
. That release liner
78
is removable to afford adhering the first part
74
of the length
70
of attachment strip material to a surface (e.g., the planar vertical surface of a wall or cabinet, such as the surface
77
illustrated in
FIG. 8
) to support the housing
62
along that surface. When all of the items
67
have been removed from the housing
62
, or when it is otherwise desirable to remove the housing
62
from a support surface such as the support surface
77
to which it has been adhered by the length
70
of attachment strip material, the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
can be manually removed from the attachable portion
68
of the housing
62
by breaking the first wall
75
along the lines of weakness
79
a
around the attachable portion
68
, and along the lines of weakness
79
b
extending from the attachable portion
68
to the edge of the first wall
75
on opposite sides of the second part
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material. This allows movement of the major part of the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
away from the support surface
77
as illustrated in FIG.
8
and manual engagement with the part of the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
to which the second part
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material is adhered to pull that second part
76
away from the first part
74
, thereby stretching and releasing the adhesion of that first part
74
from the support surface
77
and the attachable portion
68
so that the attachable portion
68
can be removed from the support surface
77
.
As is seen in
FIG. 7
, the second portion
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material is positioned between two layers of material (e.g., two layers of chipboard) that form a portion of the first wall
75
included in the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
so that those layers of material prevent contact with the second portion
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material either by the items
67
in the housing
62
or by a person contacting the outer surface
63
of the housing
62
.
Alternately, the second part
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material could be adhered to the outer surface of the portion of the first wall
75
included in the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
, and a layer of material could be adhered over that outer adhesive surface of the second part
76
, or, as was illustrated in FIG.
5
and described above for the package assembly
30
, the package assembly
60
could further include a removable protective layer of flexible material (e.g., PVC, polyethylene, or cellophane) around the housing
62
and the length
70
of attachment strip material (not illustrated), which removable layer of flexible material could include a separable portion adhered along the surface of the second part
76
of the length
70
of attachment strip material opposite the manually removable portion
69
of the housing
62
.
Referring now to
FIGS. 9 and 10
of the drawing there is illustrated a fourth embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
80
. Generally, the package assembly
80
comprises first and second or front and rear walls
95
and
97
joined along one edge
93
to form a housing
82
having an outer surface
83
, and an inner surface
84
defining a cavity. End portions of items or sheets
86
of paper in a stack are positioned and held in that cavity as by adhesive and/or staples
87
so that portions of those sheets
86
of paper projecting from the housing
82
can be removed from the stack (e.g., a calendar or the large “Post it” brand note pad commercially available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., under the trade designation “Post-it (trade mark) EASEL PAD # 556). The housing
82
includes an attachable portion
88
, (which is a major portion of the housing
82
), and two manually removable portions
89
(which are minor portions of the housing
82
). Also included in the package assembly
80
are two lengths
90
of attachment strip material each having opposite ends
91
and
92
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
91
and
92
. Each length
90
of attachment strip material has a first major part
94
adhered along the outer surface
83
of the portion of the rear or second wall
97
included in the attachable portion
88
of the housing
82
, and a second minor part
96
extending along and adhered to the inner surfaces of one of the manually removable portions
89
of the housing
82
. That adhesion to those inner surfaces provides at least a part of means for restricting adhesion between the second parts
96
of the lengths
90
of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first parts
94
of the lengths
90
of attachment strip material are adhered along that planar support surface. Each manually removable portion
89
of the housing
82
includes minor portions of the first and second walls
95
and
97
adhered to opposite surfaces of one of the minor parts
96
. The manually removable portions
89
of the housing
82
are removeably attached to the major portion of the housing
82
by lines of weakness
99
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations) therebetween. L-shaped slots
85
can be formed in the second or rear wall
97
so that the portions thereof included in the manually removable portions
89
of the housing
82
can be lifted out of the plane of that rear wall
95
during manufacture of the package assembly
80
to facilitate applying the lengths
90
of attachment strip material to the housing
82
, after which those portions of the rear wall
95
can be pressed against and adhered to the minor parts
96
of the lengths
90
of attachment strip material. A release liner
98
extends along a major surface of the first part
94
of each of the lengths
90
of attachment strip material opposite the major surface of that first part
94
adhered to the attachable portion
88
of the housing
82
. That release liner
98
is removable to afford adhering the first part
94
of the length
90
of attachment strip material to a surface (e.g., the vertical surface of a wall or cabinet) to support the housing
82
along that surface. When all of the major portions of the sheets
86
have been removed from the portions of the sheets
86
retained in the housing
82
, or when it is otherwise desirable to remove the housing
82
from a support surface to which it has been adhered by the lengths
80
of attachment strip material, the manually removable portions
89
of the housing
82
can be manually removed from the attachable portion
88
of the housing
82
by breaking the first and second walls
95
and
97
along the lines of weakness
99
around the manually removable portions
89
. The manually removable portions
89
of the housing
82
to which the second parts
76
of the lengths
70
of attachment strip material are adhered can then be pulled away from the first parts
74
, thereby stretching and releasing the adhesion of those first parts
74
from the support surface and the attachable portion
88
so that the attachable portion
88
can be removed from the support surface.
Referring now to
FIGS. 11 and 12
of the drawing there is illustrated a fifth embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
100
. Generally, the package assembly
100
comprises walls forming a housing
102
having an outer surface
103
, and an inner surface
104
defining a cavity in which items
107
(e.g., facial tissues) may be stored and from which those items
107
may be removed through an opening
106
in the housing
102
. The housing
102
includes an attachable portion
108
which is a minor portion of the housing
102
and as illustrated is a first portion of a first wall
115
included in the walls forming the housing
102
(alternatively the attachable portion
108
could be the entire first wall
115
). The housing
102
also includes a manually removable portion
109
which is a major portion of the housing
102
and includes, together with all the walls forming the housing
102
other than the first wall
115
, a second portion of the first wall
115
that is aligned with the portion of the first wall
115
forming the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
. That second portion of the first wall
115
is attached to the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
along a line of weakness
119
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations) in the first wall
115
to afford manual removal of the removable portion
109
of the housing
102
from the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
by breaking the first wall
115
along that line of weakness
119
. The attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
is separated into a first major part
108
a
and a second minor part
108
b
by a line of weakness
113
that includes a central slot
118
. Also included in the package assembly
100
is a length
110
of attachment strip material having opposite ends
111
and
112
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
111
and
112
. The length
110
of attachment strip material includes a first major part
114
adhered along the outer surface
103
of the first part
108
a
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
, extends through the slot
118
in the line of weakness
113
, and includes a second minor part
116
extending along and adhered to an inner surface of the second part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
to provide means for restricting adhesion between the second part
116
of the length
110
of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part
114
of the length
110
of attachment strip material is adhered along that planar support surface. A release liner (not shown) can extend along a major surface of the first part
114
of the length
110
of attachment strip material opposite the major surface of the first part
114
that is adhered to attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
. That release liner would be removable to afford adhering the first part
114
of the length
110
of attachment strip material to a surface (e.g., the planar vertical surface of a wall or cabinet) to support the housing
102
along that surface. When all of the items
107
have been removed from the housing
102
, or when it is otherwise desirable to remove the housing
102
from a support surface such as the support surface
105
to which it has been adhered by the length
110
of attachment strip material, the manually removable portion
109
of the housing
102
can be manually removed or pulled away from the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
to break the first wall
115
along the lines of weakness
119
around the attachable portion
108
. This then allows manual engagement with the part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
to which the second part
116
of the length
110
of attachment strip material is adhered to pull that second part
108
b
away from the first part
108
a
, thereby stretching and releasing the adhesion of the first part
114
of the length
110
of attachment strip material from between the support surface
105
and the second part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
so that the attachable portion
108
is removed from the support surface
105
.
The second part
116
of the length
110
of attachment strip material can be positioned along the inner surface of the second part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
as illustrated, or alternatively can be positioned between two layers of material (e.g., two layers of chipboard) that form the second part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
so that those layers of material prevent contact with the second part
116
of the length
110
of attachment strip material either by the items
107
in the housing
102
or by a person contacting the outer surface
103
of the housing
102
.
Also alternately, the second part
116
of the length
110
of attachment strip material could be adhered to the outer surface of the second part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
, and a layer of material could be adhered over that outer adhesive surface of the second part
116
, or, as was illustrated in FIG.
5
and described above for the package assembly
30
, the package assembly
100
could further include a removable protective layer of flexible material (e.g., PVC, polyethylene, or cellophane) around the housing
102
and the length
110
of attachment strip material (not illustrated), which removable layer of flexible material could include a separable portion adhered along the surface of the second part
116
of the length
110
of attachment strip material opposite the second part
108
b
of the attachable portion
108
of the housing
102
.
Referring now to
FIGS. 13
,
14
, and
15
of the drawing there is illustrated a sixth embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
120
. Generally, the package assembly
120
comprises walls forming a housing
122
having an outer surface
123
, and an inner surface
124
defining a cavity in which items
127
(e.g., tissues) may be stored and from which those items
127
may be removed through an opening
126
in the housing
122
. The housing
122
includes an attachable portion
128
, (which is a minor portion of a first wall
135
of the housing
122
), and a manually removable portion
129
(which is the major portion of the first wall
135
together with the other walls forming the housing
122
). Also included in the package assembly
120
is a length
130
of attachment strip material having opposite ends
131
and
132
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
131
and
132
. The length
130
of attachment strip material has a first major part
134
adhered along the outer surface of the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
, extends through a slot
121
in the housing
122
, and has a second minor part
136
adhered along an inner surface on a second wall
137
included in the manually removable portion
129
of the housing
122
. The attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
is attached to that major portion of the first wall
135
included in the manually removable portion
129
of the housing
122
by lines of weakness
139
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations). The second minor part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material being attached along an inner surface of the second wall
137
and/or the first and second walls
135
and
137
being disposed at an angle (i.e., about a right angle) with respect to each other provide means for restricting adhesion between the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part
134
of the length
130
of attachment strip material is adhered along that planar support surface. A release liner
138
extends along a major surface of the first part
134
of the length
130
of attachment strip material opposite its major surface adhered to the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
. That release liner
138
is removable to afford adhering the first part
134
of the length
130
of attachment strip material to a support surface (e.g., the planer vertical surface of a wall or cabinet) to support the housing
122
along that surface. When all of the items
127
have been removed from the housing
122
, or when it is otherwise desirable to remove the housing
122
from a support surface to which it has been adhered by the length
130
of attachment strip material, the manually removable portion
129
of the housing
122
can be manually removed or separated from the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
by pivoting the removable portion
129
of the housing
122
around the intersection between the first and second walls
135
and
137
(as is illustrated in
FIG. 14
which, like
FIG. 15
, illustrates the package assembly
120
as though it were adhered to a sheet of glass through which the package assembly is viewed) to thereby break the second wall
137
along the lines of weakness
139
around the manually removable portion
129
. Then, as is illustrated in
FIG. 15
, the removable portion
129
of the housing
122
to which the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material is adhered can be manually lifted away from the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
to stretch the first part
134
of the length
130
of attachment strip material, thereby releasing the adhesion of the first part
134
of the length
130
of attachment strip material from between the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
and the support surface to which it was adhered. Stretching of the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material while it is being pulled with the removable portion
149
of the housing
122
to thus stretch and release its first part
134
can be restricted by the user pinching that second part
136
and removable portion
129
together. Alternatively, the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material could be caused to remain adhered to the housing
122
during such stretching of the first part
134
by means such as making the second part
136
wider than the first part
134
, or causing the second part
136
to adhere more firmly to the housing
142
than the first part
134
by providing a layer of an appropriate adhesive between the second part
136
and the housing
122
or providing a special surface texture on the part of the housing
122
to which the second part
136
is adhered. If the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material is stretched and released from the housing
122
before the first part
134
is completely stretched and released from the substrate and the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
when the removable portion
129
of the housing
122
is pulled away from the attachable portion
128
of the housing
122
, that stretched second part
136
can then be manually grasped and pulled to complete stretching and releasing the first part
124
to remove the attachable portion
128
from the substrate.
The second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material can be positioned along the inner surface of the second wall
137
or can be positioned between two layers of material (e.g., two layers of chipboard) that form the second wall
137
so that those layers of material prevent contact with the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material either by the items
127
in the housing
122
or by a person contacting the outer surface
123
of the housing
122
. Also alternately, the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material could be adhered to the outer surface of the wall
137
and a layer of material could be adhered over that outer adhesive surface of the second part
136
, or, as was illustrated in FIG.
5
and described above for the package assembly
30
, the package assembly
120
could further include a removable protective layer of flexible material (e.g., PVC, polyethylene, or cellophane) around the housing
122
and the length
130
of attachment strip material (not illustrated), which removable layer of flexible material could include a separable portion adhered along the surface of the second part
136
of the length
130
of attachment strip material opposite the second wall
137
.
Referring now to
FIGS. 16
,
17
, and
18
of the drawing there is illustrated a seventh embodiment of a package assembly according to the present invention generally designated by the reference numeral
140
. Generally, the package assembly
140
comprises walls forming a housing
142
having an outer surface
143
, and an inner surface
144
defining a cavity in which items may be stored. All of the walls could be of pasteboard, or, alternatively, some of the walls forming the housing may be of transparent polymeric material to form a housing of the type sometimes called a “blister pack” which holds products for sale and is typically hung from a commercial display rack. The housing
142
includes an attachable portion
148
(which is the major portion of the housing
142
), and a manually removable portion
149
(which is a minor portion of the housing
142
). Also included in the package assembly
140
is a length
150
of attachment strip material having opposite ends
151
and
152
, and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between its opposite ends
151
and
152
. The length
150
of attachment strip material has a first major part
154
adhered along a first or rear portion
143
a
of the outer surface
143
on a first wall
155
included in the housing, and has a second minor part
156
extending from one end of the first part
154
. That second part
156
extends around an edge
157
of that first wall
155
and extends along and is adhered to a second or front outer portion
143
b
of the surface
143
on the first wall
155
that is opposite the rear portion
143
a
of the surface
143
. The manually removable portion
149
of the housing
142
is a minor portion of an outer layer of the first wall
155
of the housing
142
, with a major portion of that first wall
155
being included in the attachable portion
148
of the housing
142
. The first wall
155
could be formed from a single layer of pasteboard, or could be formed by two layers of pasteboard joined or folded along the edge
157
. The manually removable portion
149
of the housing
142
can be partially separated from that major portion of the first wall
155
by lines of weakness
159
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations), and, if needed, a cut or slot can be provided across the end of the manually removable portion of the housing at the edge
157
. The edge
157
and the second or front portion
143
b
of the outer surface
143
on the first wall
155
are disposed at angles (i.e., about
90
degree and
180
degree angles respectively) with respect to the rear portion
143
a
of the surface
143
on the first wall
155
which provides means for restricting adhesion between the second part
156
of the length
150
of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part
154
of the length
150
of attachment strip material is adhered along that planar support surface. A release liner
147
extends along a major surface of the first part
154
of the length
150
of attachment strip material, which major surface is opposite the major surface of the first part
154
that is adhered to the attachable portion
148
of the housing
142
. That release liner
147
is removable to afford adhering the first part
154
of the length
150
of attachment strip material to a planar support surface (e.g., the vertical surface of a wall or display shelf) to support the housing
142
along that surface. When it is desirable to remove the housing
142
from such a support surface to which it was adhered, the second part
156
of the length
150
of attachment strip material and the manually removable portion
149
of the housing to which it is adhered can be manually pulled away from the rest or major portion of the first wall
155
, causing the first wall
155
to break along the lines of weakness
159
. If the first wall
155
is a single layer of pasteboard, it can delaminate. If the first wall
155
is formed from two layers of pasteboard the manually removable portion can be part of only one of the layers. Such pulling away of the second part
156
and removable portion
149
affords manual pulling of the second part
156
of the length
150
of attachment strip material and the removable portion
149
of the housing
142
adhered to it away from the first part
154
of the length
150
of attachment strip material (see
FIG. 18
) to stretch and thereby release the adhesion of that first part
154
from the support surface and from the attachable portion
148
of the housing
142
.
The second part
156
of the length
150
of attachment strip material can have a layer of material (e.g., polymeric material or paper) adhered along its outer surface to prevent contact with the second part
156
of the length
150
of attachment strip material by a person contacting the outer surface
143
of the housing
142
. That layer of material could, optionally, be printed with instructions for attaching the package assembly to and/or removing the package assembly from a support surface.
When the first wall
155
is made from some types of pasteboard the perforations
159
may not be needed as the outer layer will delaminate and tear around the second part
156
of the length
150
of attachment strip material when it is lifted away from the first wall
155
.
FIG. 19
schematically illustrates a method according to the present invention for forming a plurality of package assemblies
200
according to the present invention, each of which package assemblies
200
is similar to the package assembly
60
described above with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7
. That method comprises the following steps. An elongate supply
201
of the attachment strip material is provided that has opposite major surfaces entirely defined by stretch release adhesive. The elongate supply of attachment strip material can, as illustrated, be provided in a roll
203
, and has a length of release liner
204
extending along one major surface. Walls (e.g., of chipboard or cardboard are formed into a plurality of housings
202
using conventional housing or box forming machinery (not illustrated). Lines of weakness
217
(e.g., score lines or rows of perforations) are formed in each of the housings
202
to define an attachable portion
208
(which is a minor portion of the housing
202
and of one wall
205
of the housing
202
) and a major manually removable portion
209
of the housing
202
. The housings are positioned end to end and move along a path by a suitable conveying device
206
. A predetermined length
210
of the elongate supply
201
of attachment strip material is applied to each of the moving housings
202
and pressed against that housing
202
by a roller
207
. A first major part
214
of the predetermined length
210
is adhered along the outer surface of the attachable portion
208
of the housing
202
, and a second minor part
216
of the predetermined length
210
extends and is adhered along the manually removable portion
209
of the housing
202
. The housings
202
are initially formed with upstanding tabs
218
attached only along one side, and the second minor part
216
of the predetermined length
210
is adhered to an inner layer of each housing
202
beside its tab
218
. The housings
202
then pass through a mechanism
219
that severs the elongate supply
201
of attachment strip material and the release liner
204
between the housings
202
to separate the predetermined lengths
210
between the housings
202
, lifts the leading end of the release liner
204
on each predetermined length
210
, presses the tab
218
against the then exposed surface of the second minor part
216
of the predetermined length
210
, and then allows the leading end of the release liner
204
on each predetermined length to return to a position along the outer surface of the tab
218
where it can be grasped to manually remove the release liner
204
. The tab
218
thereafter provides means for restricting adhesion between the second minor portion
216
of the predetermined length
210
of attachment strip material and a surface aligned with the first major part
214
of the predetermined length
210
of attachment strip material.
After the release liner
204
is removed, the first major part
214
of the length
210
of attachment strip material on each housing
202
can be adhered to a surface (e.g., typically a vertical surface) to support the housing
202
along that surface. When, subsequently, it is desirable to remove the housing
202
from that surface, the removable portion
209
of the housing
202
can be manually separated from the minor attachable portion
208
of the housing
202
along the lines of weakness
217
to afford manual engagement of the second minor part
216
of the length
210
of attachment strip material to stretch the first part
214
of the length
210
of attachment strip material, thereby removing the first part
214
of the length
210
of attachment strip material from between the surface and the attachable portion
208
of the housing
202
.
The present invention has now been described with reference to several embodiments and modifications thereof. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the present invention, and that many different types of structures or housings could be advantageously provided with one or more of the attachment strips described above. For example, boxes or housings filled with Pop-up Post-it (trade mark) notes could be provided with attachment strips in a manner similar to that described with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
. Picture frames made with backings of cardboard or similar materials could be provided with attachment strips in a manner similar to that described with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7
. Calendars, signs, or store point of purchase displays could be provided with attachment strips in a manner similar to that described with reference to
FIGS. 8 and 9
. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structures described in this application, but only by the structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents thereof
Claims
- 1. A package assembly comprising:walls forming a housing having inner and outer surfaces; said walls including means for affording manual separation of said housing into an attachable portion and a manually removable portion; a length of attachment strip material having opposite ends and opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive extending between said opposite ends, said length of attachment strip material having a first part adhered along the outer surface of said attachable portion of said housing which first part can be adhered to a planar support surface to support said housing along said support surface, and said length of attachment strip material further including a second part extending from one end of said first part; and means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface when said first part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered along the planar support surface; said manually removable portion of said housing being manually removable from said attachable portion of said housing to afford manual stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by engagement with said second part to remove the first part of the attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and the planar support surface.
- 2. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said attachable portion includes a first wall included in the walls forming the housing to which first wall the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered, and said attachable portion further includes a portion of a second wall included in the walls forming the housing; said manually removable portion of said housing is a portion of said second wall; said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered to said manually removable portion of said housing, and said first and second walls are disposed at about a right angle with respect to each other to provide at least a portion of said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 3. A package assembly according to claim 2 wherein said second wall has lines of weakness between said major portion of said second wall and said manually removable portion of the housing to provide said means for affording manual separation of said housing into an attachable portion and a manually removable portion.
- 4. A package assembly according to claim 2 wherein said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered along the outer surface of said manually removable portion of the housing.
- 5. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered along the outer surface of said manually removable portion of the housing, and said package assembly further includes a removable layer of flexible material around said housing and said length of attachment strip material, said removable layer of flexible material including a separable portion adhered to the major surface along the second part of said length of attachment strip material opposite said manually removable portion of the housing to provide at least a portion of said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 6. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered along the outer surface of said manually removable portion of the housing, and said package assembly further includes a layer of flexible material comprising a portion adhered to the major surface along the second part of said length of attachment strip material opposite said manually removable portion of the housing to provide at least a portion of said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 7. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered along an inner surface of said manually removable portion of the housing to provide at least a portion of said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 8. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said attachable portion of said housing is a first portion of a first wall included in the walls forming the housing; said first wall also includes a second portion aligned with said first portion of said first wall and included in said removable portion of said housing, said second portion of said first wall is attached to said first portion of said first wall along a line of weakness in said first wall to provide said means for affording manual separation of said housing into an attachable portion and a manually removable portion and after said manual separation to afford manual stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by engagement with said second part to remove the first part of the attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and the planar support surface.
- 9. A package assembly according to claim 8 wherein said second part of said length of attachment strip material is positioned along an inner surface of said removable portion of said housing to provide said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 10. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said attachable portion includes a first wall having opposite front and rear surfaces included in the walls forming the housing, the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered to the rear surface of the first wall; said manually removable portion of said housing is a portion of said first wall along said front surface; and said second part of said length of attachment strip material extends around an edge of said first wall and is adhered to said manually removable portion of said housing, thereby providing at least a portion of said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 11. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said attachable portion of said housing includes a first part to which said first part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered, and said attachable portion of said housing further includes a second part co-extensive with said second part of said length of attachment strip material, said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered to said second part of said attachable portion of said housing, and said second part of said attachable portion of said housing is separable from said first part of said attachable portion of said housing to afford, upon removal of said removable portion of said housing from said attachable portion of said housing, a manual stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by engagement with said second part to remove the first part of the attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and a said planar support surface.
- 12. A package assembly according to claim 1 wherein said attachable portion is a first portion of a first wall included in the walls forming the housing to which first portion of the first wall the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered, a second portion of said first wall is included in said removable portion of the housing, said second part of said length of attachment strip material is adhered to a second wall included in said manually removable portion of said housing, and said first and second walls are disposed at about a right angle with respect to each other to provide at least a portion of said means for restricting adhesion between said second part of said length of attachment strip material and a said planar support surface.
- 13. A method for forming a plurality of package assemblies comprising the steps of:providing an elongate supply of attachment strip material having opposite major surfaces defined by stretch release adhesive; forming walls into a plurality of housings so that each of the housings has inner and outer surfaces and includes an attachable portion and a manually removable portion; applying a predetermined length of the attachment strip material to each of the housings by adhering a first part of the predetermined length along the outer surface of the attachable portion of the housing with a second part of the predetermined length extending from one end of the first part; and providing for each of the package assemblies means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface when the first part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered along the planar support surface so that for each of the package assemblies the first part of the length of attachment strip material can be adhered to a said planar support surface to support the housing along the surface; and, subsequently, the removable portion of the housing can be manually removed from the attachable portion of housing to afford stretching of the first part of the length of attachment strip material by manual engagement with the second part to remove the first part of the attachment strip material from between the attachable portion of the housing and the planar support surface.
- 14. A method according to claim 13 wherein in said forming step each of the housings is formed to have lines of weakness between the attachable portion of the housing and the manually removable portion of the housing.
- 15. A method according to claim 13 wherein in said applying step the second part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered along an inner surface of the manually removable portion of the housing to provide the means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a planar support surface.
- 16. A method according to claim 13 wherein in said forming step each of the housings is formed so that the attachable portion of the housing is a first portion of a first wall included in the walls from which the housing was formed; the first wall also includes a second portion aligned with the first portion of the first wall and included in the removable portion of the housing; and the second portion of the first wall is attached to the first portion of the first wall along a line of weakness in the first wall to afford manual removal of the removable portion of the housing from the attachable portion of the housing and manual engagement of the second part of the length of attachment strip material to stretch the first part of the length of attachment strip material, thereby removing the attachable portion of the housing from the surface.
- 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein in said applying step the second part of the length of attachment strip material is adhered along an inner surface of the manually removable portion of the housing to provide the means for restricting adhesion between the second part of the length of attachment strip material and a surface aligned with the first part of the length of attachment strip material.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
36 33 522 |
Apr 1988 |
DE |
299 19 243 |
Feb 2000 |
DE |
0 997 512 |
May 2000 |
EP |
1.601.230 |
Aug 1970 |
FR |
WO 9506691 |
Mar 1995 |
WO |
WO 9821285 |
May 1998 |
WO |