Adhesive Tapes And Bandages

Abstract

Adhesive tapes and bandages comprising a flexible backing with an adhesive portion distributed and adhered thereon in the form of adhesive layers alternately spaced with regions of lesser adhesiveness therebetween, each region of lesser adhesiveness generally of a width less than each adjacent layer of adhesive, with each region having a minimum width of about 0.02 inches.

Parent Case Text

REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 239,688, filed Mar. 30, 1972 now abandoned.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to adhesive tapes and bandages, and particularly to improved adhesive arrangements therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional adhesive tapes are available in many types, sizes and shapes, comprising a functional or decorative flexible backing of fabric, paper, plastic, or similar material generally with a somewhat smooth adhesive coating thereon which is typically pressure-sensitive. Other types may, however, include adhesives activated by solvent or heat. In adhesive bandages, an absorbent pad or dressing is provided, with marginal adhesive portions for securing the pad over the intended surface. Strip bandages are typically removed by pulling an edge of a marginal portion so that tape and then pad and then tape are successively removed. The removal of conventional tapes and bandages with a continuous somewhat smooth adhesive surface very often causes sudden pain or discomfort to the user.

Commercially available bandages and surgical dressings are normally packaged in disposable envelopes and are provided with protective release-coated facings which are removed so as to expose the adhesive prior to use. In adhesive tapes, protective facings are not generally used, except to permit the material to be printed, punched or otherwise manipulated.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,399,545 shows an adhesive tape characterized by equally spaced indents along the outer edges in order to tear the tape across such indents. This prior art patent also facilitates tape removal by reducing relative to conventional tapes up to fifty percent of the adhesive surface, and provides for various adhesive/no adhesive layers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide improved adhesive tapes and bandages which are readily removable with reduced pain or discomfort to the user.

Another object is to provide tapes and bandages with regions of lesser adhesiveness which improve air ventilation and circulation adjacent the skin, while still providing satisfactory adhesion. A further object is to provide a method of converting conventional adhesive tapes and bandages to the improved tapes and bandages of this invention.

The invention features an adhesive tape comprising a backing and a plurality of adhesive layers distributed and adhered to said backing. These layers are alternately spaced with regions of lesser adhesiveness therebetween for applications including the securing of an absorbent pad or dressing about a wound. The adhesive layers and regions of lesser adhesiveness alternate along the tape in the expected direction of removal from areas adjacent a wound. The criteria of design critical to this invention are chiefly that each region of lesser adhesiveness generally be of width less than each adjacent layer of adhesive and that the minimum width of each region of lesser adhesiveness be approximately 0.02 inches.

In a preferred strip bandage embodiment, the adhesive layers extend across the entire width of the tape as do the regions of lesser adhesiveness, the adhesive layers and regions of lesser adhesiveness being in the form of alternating parallel stripes. These stripes are preferably of rectangular shape and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the tape.

Additionally, tapes with striped layers of adhesive, as constructed according to the invention, may provide improved holding for particular combining or supporting applications. These tapes may be double-faced; i.e., adhesive on both sides.

Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings thereof, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a conventional adhesive strip bandage, with a portion of the somewhat smooth adhesive layer removed to display the backing strip;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of an adhesive strip bandage constructed in accordance with this invention, again with a portion of the adhesive removed to display the backing strip;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of an adhesive tape constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of another embodiment of an adhesive strip bandage constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a prior art adhesive tape drawn as a composite of the text and FIGS. 2 and 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,399,545 by B. E. Davis; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertically enlarged cross-sectional side view of a tape of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a prior art conventional adhesive strip bandage 10 which comprises an absorbent pad 12 (typically, a gauze material) secured to a tape backing strip 14 with opposed marginal portions 16 and thin edge portions 18 having a continuous somewhat smooth pressure-sensitive adhesive surface. This bandage is removed by grasping edge 20a of marginal portion 16 and stripping off the contacted bandage from edge 20a to opposing edge 20b.

FIG. 2 shows my improved adhesive strip bandage which similarly contains an absorbent pad 12 and a tape backing strip 14 with opposed marginal portions 26 and edge portions 27 having pressure-sensitive adhesive. Each marginal portion 26, and edge portions 27, however, contain a plurality of generally parallel layers 28 of adhesive and a plurality of generally parallel regions 30 of lesser adhesiveness alternating therebetween, so that layers 28 and regions 30 form a segmented adhesive portion. The regions 30 may be uncoated regions of the tape backing strip, or an adhesive mixture of lesser adhesiveness than that in layers 28, or an adhesive, such as that in layers 28, covered with a coating which renders it substantially inert, or permanent facings of lesser adhesiveness overlying and adhering to a somewhat smooth adhesive surface beneath. In all of these constructions, the resultant adhesive portion consists of adhesive layers alternately spaced with regions of lesser adhesiveness therebetween. My adhesive bandage comprising a tape of segmented adhesive portions as in FIG. 2 is removed by pulling an edge 32 of a marginal portion 26 where removal, in fact, is segmented between each successive layer 28 and region 30. The frequencies of "stripping" in removal are determined by selected adhesive layers which may be of equal, as shown, or of varied dimensions and the selected regions of lesser adhesiveness which may also be of equal, as shown, or of varied dimensions. Strain upon the contacted skin during removal is thus relieved between each successive adhesive layer and region of lesser adhesiveness, resulting in reduced pain or discomfort to the user.

Satisfactory results are obtained using a width equal to 0.04 inches for each region of lesser adhesiveness with widths of adjacent layers of adhesive equal to 0.10 inches. With such a construction wherein one stripping cycle extends in the direction of removal, from the leading edge of one region of lesser adhesiveness to the corresponding edge of the following region of lesser adhesiveness, one obtains a spatial frequency of stripping equal to approximately 7 cycles per inch. It should be noted that these spatial frequencies of stripping need not be constant over any interval greater than one cycle. An expected minimum width for any region of lesser adhesiveness is 0.02 inches and the width of any layer of adhesive should not generally exceed 0.25 inches. A region can have one or more subdivisions having varying degrees of lesser adhesiveness; i.e., the region need not be uniform in lesser adhesiveness; e.g., a region may have no adhesive in part, and also in part, lesser adhesiveness than an adjacent layer in part.

For providing removal as according to the present invention, the lower limit for a constant spatial frequency of stripping over a 1-inch interval is approximately 4 cycles per inch, the upper limit being approximately 25 cycles per inch. Of course, the invention is not limited to spatial frequencies less than 25 cycles per inch and may also comprise several different frequencies or ranges of frequencies as already indicated.

A plurality of ventilation zones across the width of the tape is inherently provided at the regions of lesser adhesiveness, allowing air to circulate more freely about the skin. In prior art conventional bandages, perforations provided through the adhesive and tape backing for such purposes are not interconnected to allow a flow of air between them. Such perforations may, however, also be provided in the embodiment of my invention to provide more effective ventilation. Adhesive bandages and adhesive tapes constructed according to the invention will additionally provide better body contouring with less strain during movement by gathering of some of the backing material within the regions of lesser adhesiveness.

FIG. 3 shows an adhesive tape constructed in accordance with the present invention with regions of lesser adhesiveness 40 alternately spaced with adhesive layers 42 therebetween. It will be seen that removal of this tape offers the same advantages as stated for the bandage 20 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of an adhesive strip bandage 44 with an absorbent pad 12 and marginal adhesive portions 46, each of which comprises a series of shortened stripes 48 of lesser adhesiveness. Such bandages offer many of the advantages of the bandage of FIG. 2, particularly ease of removal.

FIG. 5 shows a prior art adhesive tape drawn as a composite of the text and FIGS. 2 and 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,399,545 by B. E. Davis, wherein removal is facilitated by reducing up to 50% of the adhesive surface relative to conventional tapes. This prior art adhesive tape has regions of no adhesive with edge indents for tearing across the tape at prescribed lengths generally indicated aside the indents on the tape backing. Indents are uniformly staggered along opposite edges at approximately 1/2 inch intervals. Davis only considered tapes having reduced adhesive with the tape shown in FIG. 5 resulting in a constant low spatial frequency of approximately 2 cycles per linear inch. Davis was not aware of the phenomenon of higher frequencies of stripping with associated narrow regions of lesser adhesiveness which is the basis of this invention. The unique removal characteristics of my tape are achieved only at higher frequencies of stripping with regions of lesser adhesiveness contributing to narrow stripping "pulses" where each region is generally of width less than each adjacent layer of adhesive, with each region having a minimum width of about 0.02 inches.

The spatial frequency exhibited in the Davis tapes (FIG. 5) is low, while conventional tapes and bandages (FIG. 1) are of zero frequency. My invention comprises an adhesive tape or bandage having high spatial frequencies; e.g., about 4 to 25 cycles per inch, but preferably, 5 to 12 cycles per inch, and in addition, my tapes are characterized by narrow pulse widths. I have found that the combination of higher frequencies with narrow pulse widths provides a remarkable degree of diminution of pain or discomfort to a subject removing such adhesive tapes.

FIG. 6 is a schematic vertically enlarged cross-sectional side view of a tape of this invention wherein a conventional tape has been overprinted or coated with a material of lesser adhesiveness. By this technique, conventional tapes may be converted to tapes having high spatial frequencies according to my invention. As shown, 14 is a tape backing, 62 a continuous somewhat smooth adhesive layer typically employed on tapes, a thin stripe of flexible facing material 66, such as backing 14, and an adhesive layer 64. Of course, if desired, the facing material may be secured to backing 14 through adhesive 62.

A conventional adhesive tape is converted to a tape of this invention by employing thin stripes of conventional tapes; i.e., tape having a continuous adhesive layer, and adhering them in an adhesive-to-adhesive manner as illustrated in FIG. 6. The tapes of this embodiment comprise a flexible backing with a somewhat smooth adhesive portion or layer with permanent facings; e.g., of thin backing or sheet material of no or lesser adhesiveness overlying and adhering to the adhesive portion.

My invention has been described in connection with adhesive tape; however, the inventive concepts herein may be employed on any flexible backing having an adhesive coating, and the term "adhesive tape" comprises adhesive bandages, gauze rolls and elastic bandages coated with an adhesive coating, etc..

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An adhesive tape comprising a backing and a plurality of adhesive layers and a plurality of regions of adhesive of lesser adhesiveness distributed and adhered to said backing, the layers adhered with the regions of lesser adhesiveness between such layers, the regions and layers successively alternating along the backing and positioned approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the tape, each layer and each region characterized generally by a uniform width and having a minimum width of about 0.02 inches.

2. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein the width of each or said layers of adhesive does not exceed 0.25 inches.

3. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein said regions extend across the entire width of said backing.

4. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein said regions extend less than across the entire width of said backing.

5. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein said regions of lesser adhesiveness comprise permanent facings adhering to adhesive on said backing.

6. The adhesive tape of claim 1 which comprises an absorbent body portion secured thereon.

7. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein the number of said layers per linear inch varies from about 5 to 12.

8. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein said regions include a flexible facing adhered to an underlying continuous somewhat smooth adhesive layer.

9. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein said regions include a flexible facing composed of the backing material adhered by adhesive-to-adhesive contact with an underlying somewhat smooth adhesive layer.

10. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein the width of each of said regions of lesser adhesiveness is about 0.04 inches.

11. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein the regions of lesser adhesiveness vary in adhesiveness within each of the regions.

12. The adhesive tape of claim 1 wherein the regions and layers extend across the entire width of the tape, and the regions and layers are in the form of alternating, parallel and generally rectangular shapes, all regions and layers being of the same width.

13. An adhesive tape comprising a backing and a plurality of adhesive layers and a plurality of regions of lesser adhesiveness distributed and adhered to said backing, the layers adhered with the regions of lesser adhesiveness between such layers, the regions and layers successively alternating along the backing and positioned approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the tape, each layer and each region characterized generally by a uniform width and having a minimum width of about 0.02 inches, the number of said layers or regions per linear inch of tape being from 4 to about 25, the regions extending across the entire width of said backing, and wherein said regions of lesser adhesiveness comprise an adhesive of lesser adhesiveness than the adhesive of said layers, the tape including an absorbent body portion secured thereon.