GB2465357A - Label attachment aide - Google Patents

Abstract

An application aide is the form of a stick 5 which presents a relatively small upper edge to contact an adhesive coated side of a substrate 6, so as to hold a portion of that substrate 6 clear of a surface to which the substrate 6 is to be adhered. This may permit easier smoothing of portions of the substrate 6 which are in contact with the surface. The aide may be used in the application of labels, or wallpaper, to a surface. The aide may be of circular, polygonal, t-shaped, or u-shaped cross section, or similar, and may have a magnetic base to allow it to temporarily be mounted to metal surfaces.

Description

Title: Self adhesive sheet material application aid Background: This invention relates to the problems that can occur when applying any adhesive backed material to a substrate, whether it be a wall, a vehicle or a sign board.

A certain degree of skill is required to squeegee or flatten the material to the substrate without creating pockets of trapped air or creases in the material as you burnish it on.

Despite there being many solutions that help you apply the material (wet), ideally it would be better to apply the material dry, so you do not have to wait for the solution to dry off before removing pre-mask, or carrier tape.

You may also have creases that would need cut and re-burnished, or you may have air pockets that need burst with a pin and then flattened.

All these problems are caused because you are trying to hold the material away from the substrate as you burnish it, and the ends can curl if you are holding the material in the centre, or if you are using the burnisher (squeegee) the wrong way and applying the top of the material too fast and the bottom is becoming harder to apply you will have a crease forming. You need to have good skills and training to perform this type of application with perfect results.

With sheet vinyl you have an often large sheet of vinyl that needs to be held taught as you apply it, If you pull it too tight it can become stretched and if you do not have it stretched at the right angle you can apply the top faster than the bottom which means you end up with wrinkles appearing.

If you leave it sitting on the substrate then burnish over it you will create bubbles as it has made contact before the air was expelled.

Statement of invention: The self adhesive material application aid eases these application process as it is a bridge device, in the form of a rod or stick extrusion, that holds the adhesive material away from the substrate in a uniform way, making it easier to apply the material in smaller sections and to apply with longer straight sweeps of the burnisher.

It has also been designed so it does not become stuck to the adhesive side of the material making it easy to move again arid again or remove completely when the application is finished.

Advantages: The self adhesive material application aid will save time in any application process, as it will also let you achieve better results without as much skill and knowledge, regarding these application process.

The self adhesive material application aid allows you to position and reposition to a desired point, knowing you have not made contact with the whole sheet to the substrate.

This allows you more of a margin for error when aligning self adhesive material.

Because the material is held away from the substrate, the user will find it easier to apply the material using wider longer strokes of the brush or burnisher, meaning they can cut down the time it takes to apply the adhesive sheet.

Introduction to Drawings: An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 Shows how the self adhesive material application aid will be attached to a substrate, in this case the steel side of a vehicle 1/ The aid, which can also be a wholly magnetic object 2/the magnetic backing adhered to the back of the aid 3/ The steel side of the vehicle 4/ The self adhesive material Figure 2 Shows how the self adhesive material application aid will be attached to a stone wall, as it is the version of the device -designed for this type of wallpaper hanging application.

1/ The aid which in this case is a hollow triangle of lightweight material 2/the side of the aid that has had wallpaper paste manually applied to it, allowing it to stick to the wall.

3/ The interior wall of a house 4/the wallpaper with the wallpaper paste on the rear Figure 3 Shows how you apply pre spaced vinyl lettering with premask attached to the face off them, using the traditional method.

a! is a masking tape hinge b/is the substrate c/the vinyl letters dI the premask layer e/ the centre hinge again making tape f/the silicone release liner or backing paper g/ once the backing paper has been removed with a knife the direction you would burnish with a squeegee.

The final illustration shows the process of removing the carrier film to reveal the letters.

Figure 4 Shows how the aid will work with vinyl lettering on the side of a van. As the aid can be manufactured as a magnetic rod or stick extrusion. After stage 3 where you have pulled the self adhesive vinyl back to cut the backing paper, you can apply the application aid to act as a bridge or spacer device, that keeps the vinyl off the substrate, yet allowing you to still position the vinyl up to the registered masking tape mark on the other side to keep the lettering straight.

The next illustration shows the aid after you have moved it further along, which is possible because it has not stuck to the adhesive because of its shape. The applicator can now apply the next section with longer wider sweeps of the squeegee, from left to right, or right to left.

The aid is allowing him to do this and he does not have to apply up -down up -down letter by letter, which is the way you have to apply when the material has made slight contact with the substrate.

Figure 5 Shows the same principles and use of the aid as seen in figure two and figure 4, only this time the illustration is depicting the use of the lighter hollow aid in a triangular ( or t bar) format.

1/is the last strip of wallpaper hung 2/is the part of the wallpaper at the top you have aligned and burnished 3/is the wallpaper brush 4/is the application aid in the centre of the wallpaper 5/ shows the hollow aid with wallpaper paste manually applied to one side.

6/ shows the wallpaper lined up at the bottom which is easier to do, because the majority of the paper has not made contact with the wall.

If it is not aligning you only have to reposition a small part at the top Figure 6 Shows the new position of the aid now that 2/3rds of the wallpaper has been applied in a quicker singular stroke of the brush. Now the aid is re-positioned the remaining wallpaper can be lifted again, till the next section is applied up to the aid. Then the aid can be removed completely and the final small piece of wallpaper applied.

I / is the last strip of wallpaper hung 2/is the part of the wallpaper at the top you have aligned and burnished 3/is the wallpaper brush 4/is the application aid in the centre of the wallpaper 5/ shows the hollow aid with wallpaper paste manually applied to one side.

6/ shows the wallpaper released at the bottom Figure 7 Illustrates the various shapes and options available to manufacture and design the basic application aid as an extrusion, rod or stick length.

aJ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in the shape of a triangle b/ Shows a rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in the shape of a half round c/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in the shape of a square d/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in the shape of a rectangle e/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in the shape of a polygon, circular or elliptical shape f/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in the shape of a singular, double or triple I bar section.

g/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, maybe constructed from all magnetised material in the shape of a triangle h/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, maybe constructed from all magnetised material in the shape of a half round II Shows rod or stick as a solid material, maybe constructed from all magnetised material in the shape of a square j/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, maybe constructed from all magnetised material in the shape of a rectangle k/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, maybe constructed from all magnetised material in the shape of a polygon, circular or elliptical shape 1/ Shows rod or stick as a solid material, maybe constructed from all magnetised material in the shape of a singular, double or triple T bar section.

mI Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a triangle, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it nl Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a half round, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it 0/ Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a square, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it p/ Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a rectangle, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it q/ Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a polygon shape, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it r/ Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a T bar, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it s/ Shows rod or stick as an alternative design, that is hollow, in the shape of a U bar, that can either be all made from magnetised material or have magnetic sheeting bonded to it tI Shows rod or stick as a solid material, with a magnetic sheet of material bonded to it, in a u shape u / Shows rod or stick made from a material that can bend into Shape to fit the contours of a vehicle.

A plastic material with rubber in it or a material that can be heated enough to bend intom shape, that retracts to its origianl rod like shape hen cool.

Claims (1)

1. What is claimed is: First Claim 1/ A bridging or spacing device in the fonn of a stick or rod, that stops the adhesive side of adhesive material adhering to the mount surface until ready to be applied, made in a form that has very little surface asea of the device contacting against the underside, self adhesive side of the adhesive material being applied, making it easier to move to the next section or remove completely.

   Dependant Claims 2/ A bridging or spacing device as defined in claim 1 that has and option to be sold with or without magnetic qualities, so it can attached to steel surfaces, with two options of formed material, solid or hollow in either a triangular, square, rectangular. hexagonal, star, circular, T bar or U shaped rod! stick or extrusion length.

   3/ An extrusion as defined in claim 2 that can be made as a singular or a set of shaped rods or sticks that can be packaged as a set of different lengths and shapes of rod or stick or sold separately.

   4/ Extrusion as defined in claim 2 that has magnetic qualities on one side via a bonded magnetic strip or via the use of magnetic material, or in the wallpaper version, non magnetic 5/ As defined in claim 1 an extrusion rod or stick devise that is constructed from a material that will take and hold to its surface, applied wallpaper paste. and constructed from materials that are light enough to stay stuck to the wall via the wallpaper paste for a few minutes.6/ A bridging or spacing device as defined in claim 1 and further characterised in that said device may be constructed in a triangular, rectangular, square, half round, polygon, hexagonal, circular, T shaped or U shaped rods! sticks or extrusions from a material like rubber that can be bent into the shape of the contour of the vehicle.