US 8,613,993 B2Granted

Expandable web material

AssigneeKucharco Corporation

InventorDavid M. Kuchar

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The Present Invention discloses a slit web material, substantially longer than it is wide, with specially shaped slits that permit relatively easy expansion upon deployment. The specially shaped slits are referred to in the Present Application as “tilde-slits,” because they resemble a tilde mark. The cuts are arranged in continuous rows of tilde-slits. In any given row, the tilde-slits follow one-after-the-other in a linear direction. Adjacent rows of slits are parallel to each other, but are offset from one another such that a line drawn between adjacent tilde-slits in adjacent rows is not perpendicular to the direction of the rows. The invention contemplates that the material dispenses from a continuous roll. If the slits are arranged in the longitudinal direction, then the web material expands in the width direction only upon deployment. However, if the slits are arranged such that the row direction is at some angle to the longitudinal direction, then the web material expands in both directions upon deployment. In this case, a special dispenser is not required, and the material expands in both directions as it is pulled off the roll prior to cutting a desired length of material from the roll.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A web material having a longitudinal direction and dimension, a width direction and dimension, a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least two edges that are boundaries of the width dimension, said web material comprising a plurality of rows of tilde-slits, wherein:

a) the tilde-slits are cut extending from the top surface to the bottom surface;
b) the tilde-slits are all congruent;
c) each tilde-slit when unexpanded is a slit that consists essentially of:
two essentially parallel end portions separated by a center portion transverse to the end portions,
the center portion further comprising a center point,
wherein when a tensile force is applied on the web material the tilde-slits expand to form voids within the web material,
d) each row of tilde-slits comprising a plurality of tilde slits wherein their center points all lie along a straight centerline;
e) the centerlines of the plurality of rows of tilde-slits being essentially parallel to each other;
f) the end portions of the tilde-slits in a row being not parallel to the centerlines;
g) the center point of any tilde-slit in a given row being positioned relative to the center point of the nearest tilde-slit in an adjacent row along a transversal intersecting the essentially parallel centerlines of the adjacent rows, wherein said transversal is not perpendicular to the essentially parallel centerlines;
h) a second transversal extending coincident to said center point of the tilde-slit in an adjacent row and intersecting said transversal at an angle α to the longitudinal direction (x-axis), wherein the second transversal is not parallel to the longitudinal direction (x-axis) so that the tilde slit rows are offset;
i) when said transversal is extended in any direction, and thus intersects the essentially parallel centerlines of the adjacent rows, the center point of a tilde-slit will coincide with the intersection of the transversal with every essentially parallel centerline;
j) wherein each unexpanded tilde-slit further consists essentially of two curves that each connect an end portion to the center portion, wherein the two curves are double reversed mirror images of one another, such that the tilde-slit becomes a continuous figure formed by joining one end portion to one curve, and that one curve to the center portion, and the center portion to the second curve, and the second curve to the second end portion.

10 more elements

a) the tilde-slits are cut extending from the top surface to the bottom surface;
b) the tilde-slits are all congruent;
c) each tilde-slit when unexpanded is a slit that consists essentially of:
two essentially parallel end portions separated by a center portion transverse to the end portions,
the center portion further comprising a center point,
wherein when a tensile force is applied on the web material the tilde-slits expand to form voids within the web material,
d) each row of tilde-slits comprising a plurality of tilde slits wherein their center points all lie along a straight centerline;
e) the centerlines of the plurality of rows of tilde-slits being essentially parallel to each other;
f) the end portions of the tilde-slits in a row being not parallel to the centerlines;
g) the center point of any tilde-slit in a given row being positioned relative to the center point of the nearest tilde-slit in an adjacent row along a transversal intersecting the essentially parallel centerlines of the adjacent rows, wherein said transversal is not perpendicular to the essentially parallel centerlines;
h) a second transversal extending coincident to said center point of the tilde-slit in an adjacent row and intersecting said transversal at an angle α to the longitudinal direction (x-axis), wherein the second transversal is not parallel to the longitudinal direction (x-axis) so that the tilde slit rows are offset;
i) when said transversal is extended in any direction, and thus intersects the essentially parallel centerlines of the adjacent rows, the center point of a tilde-slit will coincide with the intersection of the transversal with every essentially parallel centerline;
j) wherein the transversal of (g) forms an angle θ on the longitudinal direction (x axis), and said angle θ is greater than 90°.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/755,316Filed 6 Apr 2010 · us provisional application
Priority: 12 Nov 2009
Published: US 2010/0196633 A15 Aug 2010
Granted: 24 Dec 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

D04D 9/00
Ribbons, tapes, welts, bands, beadings, or other decorative or ornamental strips, not
Y10T 428/13
Stock material or miscellaneous articles: hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
Y10T 428/24273
Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]: including aperture
Y10T 428/24298
Including aperture: noncircular aperture [e.g., slit, diamond, rectangular, etc.]