Apparatus and tab-forming process for adhesive backed products
AssigneesJerry Chern, Detlef Schmidt
InventorsJerry Chern, Detlef Schmidt
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Abstract
The present invention relates to apparatuses and processes for forming tabs on adhesive backed products. Specifically, the apparatus of the present invention provides a sequential series of mechanisms to form a tab on an adhesive-backed product, such as adhesive tape, so that the same may be easy to remove from an article at a later date. More specifically, the apparatus of the present invention provides a sequential series of mechanisms to form a tab that is formed solely of the adhesive-backed product itself, which may be utilized for the subsequent removal thereof after placement on an article.
Claims28
An apparatus for forming a tab on an adhesive-backed strip comprising:
- a base housing and an upper arm assembly comprising a moving tab-forming element, the base housing having a first guide for positioning an adhesive-backed strip in proximity to the moving tab-forming element, wherein movement of the upper arm assembly towards the base housing causes the tab-forming element to move, wherein movement of the tab-forming element causes an end of the adhesive-backed strip to seal upon itself to form a tab on the adhesive-backed strip,
- wherein the upper arm assembly is hingedly connected to the base housing and biased away from the base housing via a spring,
- wherein the upper arm assembly comprises a first arm and a second arm, the first arm hingedly connected to the second arm on first ends of the first arm and the second arm, whereby moving the second arm relative to the first arm at the second ends of the first arm and the second arm causes the moving tab-forming element to rotate.
A method of forming a tab on an adhesive-backed strip comprising:
- providing an apparatus for forming a tab on an adhesive-backed strip comprising a base housing and an upper arm assembly comprising a moving tab-forming element, the base housing having a first guide for positioning an adhesive-backed strip in proximity to the moving tab-forming element, wherein movement of the upper arm assembly towards the base housing causes the tab-forming element to move, wherein movement of the tab-forming element causes an end of the adhesive-backed strip to seal upon itself to form a tab on the adhesive-backed strip, wherein the upper arm assembly is hingedly connected to the base housing and biased away from the base housing via a spring, wherein the upper arm assembly comprises a first arm and a second arm, the first arm hingedly connected to the second arm on first ends of the first arm and the second arm, whereby moving the second arm relative to the first arm at the second ends of the first arm and the second arm causes the moving tab-forming element to rotate;
- providing the adhesive-backed strip extending from the housing, wherein the adhesive-backed strip has a leading edge, the adhesive-backed strip further having a portion immediately adjacent to the leading edge;
- engaging the leading edge of the adhesive-backed strip with the tab-forming element;
- and
- moving the tab-forming element to form a tab in the adhesive-backed strip by forming a loop formed by positioning the leading edge of the adhesive-backed strip under the portion of the adhesive-backed strip immediately adjacent to the leading edge thereof and sealing the leading edge of the adhesive-backed strip against itself to the portion immediately adjacent to the leading edge thereof to form the tab in the adhesive-backed strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.