GB2069871A

GB2069871A - Paper web, and product made therefrom

Info

Publication number: GB2069871A
Application number: GB8100417A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hart P H V
Current assignee: Hart P H V
Priority date: 1980-02-23
Filing date: 1981-01-08
Publication date: 1981-09-03
Also published as: GB2069871B

Abstract

A paper web 10, coated on one side only with a layer 12 of dry latex adhesive which adheres only to itself, is applied around a steering wheel rim 14 with the adhesive layer 12 facing towards the rim 14. The longitudinal margins 16 of the web 10 are brought together, so they adhere together forming a flange 17, and retain the web around the rim 14 as a disposable protector for keeping the rim clean, e.g. when being handled with greasy hands. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Paper web, and product made therefrom This invention pertains to prepared paper webs, and to products made therefrom.

It is already known, in relation to the servicing of motor vehicles, for mechanics to be provided with disposable steering-wheel rim protectors intended to be fitted to the rims of steering wheels of motor cars to prevent soiling of the rims by contact therewith or greasy hands. As so far proposed, these protectors are of polythene, and suffer the disadvantages that they are relatively difficult to fit, so that mechanics are reluctant to go to the trouble of using them, and that they tend to slip readily relative to the steering wheels, thereby introducing a risk in relation to the driving of a vehicle with the protector fitted, e.g. in manoeuvring of the vehicle in a servicing area, or during road tests.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novei form of paper web that is particularly suitable for use in making steering wheel rim protectors which do not possess the disadvantages as above discussed.

Pursuant hereto, the present invention provides, as a first aspect thereof, a self-adhesive paper web characterised in that it comprises a crepe paper strip having, on one side only thereof, a layer of dry latex adhesive which will adhere to itself.

Such a paper web will, of course, be of utility in any environment where parts of the strip are required to stick to one another. For instance, it may be employed as a retaining bandage for holding a heat-insulating wrapper around a water or other pipe, a piece of the strip being taken around the wrapper and being secured by pressing together the ends of the piece with the adhesive faces thereof in contact with one another so as to adhere to one another.

The web is particularly suitable for use in forming, in situ, a disposable protector for a motor vehicle steering wheel rim. This can be effected using a web of appropriate width, by applying, around the rim of the wheel, one or more lengths or pieces of the web, with the adhesive layer facing towards the rim, with the longitudinal direction of web extending substantially circumferentially of the rim, and bringing together the adhesive-coated faces of the longitudinal margins of the web so that they adhere together and retain the web around the steering wheel rim.

This method of making a disposable steering wheel rim protector constitutes a second aspect of the present invention which, of course, also includes, as a further aspect, a disposable steering wheel rim protector made by such method.

For use in making the disposable steering wheel rim protectors, the web could, if desired, be supplied to the user in continuous lengths, e.g. on reels. Preferably, however, the web is supplied in predetermined lengths, for example approximately 10 cm (about 4 inches) in width, and approximately 60 cm (about 24 inches) in length; then, two of such lengths will normally be used for making one protector.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a steering wheel with a preferred paper web of the invention being applied to its rim, in the formation of a steering wheel rim protector; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

A preferred form of self-adhesive paper web 10 conforming to the present invention comprises a basic strong crepe paper strip 11 of thickness, for example, of the order of 0.1 mm. This strip 11, whilst in continuous form, is coated on one surface only, e.g. by a transfer roller coating technique, or by doctor blade coating, with a latex adhesive, to leave thereon an adhesive layer 12 (for example of the order of 0.01 mm in thickness).

An example of the latex adhesive is commercially available from Croda Glues Ltd., Park Works, Park Lane, Harefield, Uxbridge, under the designation Crodaseal 2231 00. This layer 1 2 is caused to dry by any suitable drying step, e.g. by passing through a drying oven.

The web so produced can be used in any environment where a strip is required to adhere to itself. One such use would be, for example, in forming securing bandages around heat insulation wrappers around pipes, appropriate lengths of the web being positioned around the wrapper and being secured in place by their ends being pressed together, adhesive-against-adhesive, so that they adhere together.

The web is, however, particularly suitable for making disposable steering wheel rim protectors.

Fig. 1 illustrates a steering wheel 1 3 with a paper web 10 being applied to its rim 14 to form a steering wheel rim protector. For this purpose a length 1 5 of the web 10, of approximately 10 cm in width, is used for making one said protector. As apparent from Fig. 1, the protector is formed in situ, on the steering wheel rim 14 it is required to protect, by taking the length 1 5 of the paper web 10 and arranging it around the rim 14 with its adhesive layer 12 towards the surface of the rim 14, with the longitudinal direction of the web extending substantially circumferentially of the rim with its ends overlapping.The length 1 5 is then folded or wrapped around the rim 14 by taking the longitudinal margins 1 6 inwards of the rim 14, one behind the rim 14 and the other in front, and then bringing them into contact with one another, adhesive face to adhesive face as will readily be understood from Fig. 2. The margins 16, which adhere together, form what is effectively an inwardly-directed flange 1 7 inside the steering wheel rim 14. These margins 16, of course, traverse the spokes 1 8 of the steering wheel 1 3.

The resultant protector (sometimes known as a steering wheel "muff" or "glove") can be formed to lie close and snugly against the steering wheel rim surface by pressing it with the fingers. This, coupled with the fact that the adhesive has a relatively high co-efficient of friction, even though it does not adhere to the rim 14, ensures that the protector will not slip relative to the rim 14.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the protector can be formed very quickly and conveniently as and when required by cutting lengths from a reel, or using pre-cut lengths, in which case two or three said lengths may be used to form one protector. Because it is formed in situ, the protector will fit any size of steering wheel, and it is not necessary to make available a range of different sizes of protector for different sizes of steering wheels, as has been necessary with the prior known proposals.

After it has been used for its intended purpose, i.e. to protect the steering wheel against soiling by grease from a mechanic's hands in connection with servicing and/or repair of the vehicle of which the steering wheel forms part, the protector can be removed very easily. The adhered together faces can be separated quite easily if desired, to release the web length or lengths intact, but of course the protector can readily be torn off.

The foregoing describes only a preferred method of making the web and only one use for it.

In making the adhesive web the adhesive can be dissolved in a suitable solvent and sprayed on to the paper strip. The width of the web need not be limited to 10 cm.

Not only is the web suitable for making disposable steering wheel rim protectors but it can also be used as a disposable protective wrapper for finished products such as hand rails or lengths of chromed copper pipe or lengths of pictureframe and similar where surface scratches should be kept to a minimum before delivery.

The web, supplied in appropriate widths, can be used to wrap small fairly flat components by placing the components on the web with suitable space between them and applying a second web over the top so the adhesive layers stick together, enclosing the components. Such a wrapper is easy to remove and it is to some extent reusable.

Claims

1. A seif-adhesive paper web comprising a crepe paper strip, having on one side only, a layer of dry latex adhesive which will adhere to itself.

2. A self-adhesive paper web as claimed in claim 1 wherein the web in the form of a continuous web is wound on a reel.

3. A self-adhesive paper web substantially hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

4. A method of making a disposable protector for a steering wheel rim which comprises applying, around the rim of the wheel, one or more lengths or pieces of the paper web claimed in claim 1, with the adhesive layer facing towards the steering wheel rim, with the longitudinal direction of the web extending substantially circumferentially to the rim, and bringing together the coated faces of the longitudinal margins of the web so that they adhere together and retain the web around the steering wheel rim.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lengths or pieces of the web are cut from a reel.

6. A method of making a disposable protector for a steering wheel rim substantially hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

7. A disposable protector for a steering wheel rim comprising a self-adhesive paper web as claimed in claim 1 wrapped around a steering wheel rim in such a way that its longitudinal margins adhere together to retain the protector around the rim.

8. A disposable protector for a steering wheel rim made by the method claimed in any of claims 4, 5 and 6.

9. A disposable protector for a steering wheel rim substantially hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.