MICRO-SUCTION REUSABLE AND REPOSITIONABLE WRITING SURFACES

Abstract

A re-useable writing surface reusably and removably coupled to exterior surfaces is disclosed. The re-useable writing surface may include a porous layer. The porous layer may define one or more cells. The re-usable writing surface may further include a non-adhesive coating applied to a side of the porous layer. The re-usable writing surface may further include a writeable layer coupled to a different side of the porous layer. The writeable layer may be configured to allow a user to draft and erase content. The non-adhesive coating can enable the re-useable writing surface to reusably and removably couple to exterior surfaces.

Claims

1. A re-useable writing surface, the re-useable writing surface comprising: a porous layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the porous layer defining one or more cells; a non-adhesive coating applied to the second surface of the porous layer; and a writeable layer coupled to the first surface of the porous layer, the writeable layer configured to allow a user to write and erase content, wherein the non-adhesive coating enables the re-useable writing surface to reusably and removably couple to exterior surfaces.

2. The re-useable writing surface of claim 1, wherein the non-adhesive coating seals at least a subset of cells of the one or more cells.

3. The re-useable writing surface of claim 2, wherein the non-adhesive coating establishes an airtight or watertight seal over the subset of cells.

4. The re-useable writing surface of claim 1, wherein the non-adhesive coating is defined as one or more of liquefied rubber sealants, rubberized sealants, silicone sealants, or polysiloxane coatings.

5. The re-useable writing surface of claim 1, wherein the porous layer comprises a closed-cell foam.

6. The re-useable writing surface of claim 5, wherein the closed-cell foam is defined as one or more of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride, vinyl foam, acrylic, or PVC foam.

7. The re-useable writing surface of claim 1, wherein the writeable layer defines a dry or wet erase surface.

8. The re-useable writing surface of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer positioned between the first surface of the porous layer and the writeable layer, the adhesive layer coupling the writeable layer to the porous layer.

9. A re-useable writing surface comprising: a coupling layer having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the coupling layer defining a plurality of cells; a non-adhesive coating applied to the second side of the coupling layer, sealing a subset of the plurality of cells; and a writeable layer, the writeable layer coupled to the first side of the coupling layer, the writeable layer allowing a user to draft and erase content, wherein the non-adhesively coated second side of the coupling layer removably and reusably couples the writing surface to an exterior surface.

10. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the subset of the plurality of cells are airtight or watertight based on a sealing property of the non-adhesive coating.

11. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the writeable layer defines a dry or wet erase surface.

12. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the coupling layer and the writeable layer are coextensive.

13. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the exterior surfaces include woods, metals, and walls.

14. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the non-adhesive coating comprises an elastomeric sealant.

15. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the re-useable writing surface is elastically deformable.

16. The re-useable writing surface of claim 9, wherein the material of the coupling layer is a defined as a vinyl closed-cell foam.

17. A method for creating a re-useable writing surface, the method comprising the steps of: coating a first surface of a porous layer with a non-adhesive coating, the porous layer including the first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the porous layer further defining a plurality of cells, and where the non-adhesive coating seals at least a subset of the plurality of cells of the first surface; and coupling a writeable layer to the porous layer, where the writeable layer is coupled to the second surface of the porous layer, and where the writeable layer allows a user to write and erase content, and where the coated first surface removably and reusably couples the re-usable writing surface to one or more exterior surfaces.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising rendering the plurality of cells airtight or watertight using the non-adhesive coating.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising arranging the writeable layer coextensive with the porous layer.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising coupling the writeable layer to the second surface of the porous layer using an adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a side exploded view of a writing board attached to a surface in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of the writing board in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of the writing board in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart for a method for creating a writing board in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] While this technology is illustrated and described in a preferred embodiment, a writing board may be produced in many different configurations, forms, shapes, color and sizes. This is depicted in the drawings and will be described in detail, as a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and the associated functional specifications for its construction. It is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. Those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations within the scope of the technology described herein.

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a side exploded view of a writing board 100 attached to a surface 102 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The writing board 100 includes a vinyl foam 104, a flexible coating 106, a temporary backing film 108, an erase film 112, and an adhesive layer 110. Examples of the surface 102 include but not limited to wooden, metal, walls etc.

[0031] The vinyl foam 104 includes: a top surface 104a and a microscopic cavernous surface 104b, 104c. In an embodiment, the microscopic caverns are only included on one side of the vinyl foam. In an embodiment, the microscopic cavernous surface 104b, 104c is intended to be coated with a flexible coating 106. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the description of the vinyl foam 104 is closed cell, black, glossy and polyvinyl chloride. Further the foam density is approximately 9.0 lbs/ft.sup.3, foam tensile strength is 50 psi and foam elongation is 250%.

[0032] It would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various other foam description, foam density, foam tensile strength and foam elongation may be envisioned without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Examples of the vinyl foam 104 include but not limited to acrylic or PVC foam with microscopic crevasses.

[0033] The flexible coating 106 is coated on the microscopic cavernous surface 104b, 104c to render the vinyl foam 104 air-tight. Examples of the flexible coating 106 include but not limited to liquified rubber sealants, rubberized sealants, silicone sealants, and polysiloxane coatings etc.

[0034] The temporary backing film 108 covers the microscopic cavernous surface 104b, 104c coated with the flexible coating 106. A user peels off the temporary backing film 108 to firmly attach the vinyl foam 104 to the surface 102. Examples of the temporary backing film 108 include but are not limited to wax-coated paper, silicone coated paper, super, calendered kraft paper, glassine, clay coated kraft paper, machine finished kraft paper, machine glazed paper. The temporary backing film 108 and the microscopic end vinyl foam 104 is shown and explained in detail in conjunction with FIG. 3 of the present invention.

[0035] The erase film 112 is attached to the top surface 104a of the vinyl foam 104. The erase film 112 allows the user to write and erase content. Examples of the erase film 112 include but are not limited to PET or polyethylene, or any other similar dry erase film, wet erase film etc. The erase film 112 is shown and explained in detail in conjunction with FIG. 2 of the present invention.

[0036] The adhesive layer 110 attaches the erase film 112 to the top surface 104a of the vinyl foam 104. Examples of the adhesive layer 110 include but are not limited to solvent-synthetic resins, cyanoacrylates, acrylics, anarobics, silicones, or urethanes.

[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of the writing board 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The erase film 110 allows the user to write or erase content such as notes or instructions. The notes or instructions may be either images or text. The length and width of the erase film 110 matches with the length and width of the vinyl foam 104. The combined size of the vinyl foam 104 and the erase film 110 ranges between 5″ and 45″ in length.

[0038] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the writing board 100 further includes a secondary temporary backing film 202 to laminate the adhesive layer. Examples of the temporary backing film (108, shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3) and the second temporary backing film 202 include but not limited to wax-coated paper, silicone coated paper, super, calendered kraft paper, glassine, clay coated kraft paper, machine finished kraft paper, machine glazed paper.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of the writing board 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The temporary backing film 108 is peeled off by the user to attach the vinyl foam 104 to a surface 102. The microscopic caverns contain tiny pockets with a specially formulated laminated skin that creates suction coupling the vinyl foam 104 to a surface 102.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the width and the length of the writing board 100 is 56″ and 150″ respectively. It would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various shapes and sizes of the writing board 100 may be envisioned without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

[0041] The thickness of the writing board 100 in some embodiments must be at least 0.05″ to allow for usability, die cut and creation of custom shapes. Examples of the shapes of the writing board 100 include but are not limited to arrows, human figures for anatomy, custom cut to fit a specific wall space, geometrical shapes etc.

[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart for a method 400 for creating a writing board in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method 400 initiates with a step 402 of coating rear end of a vinyl foam with a flexible coating to create air-tight microscopic caverns. The step 402 is followed by a step 404 of laminating the rear end of the vinyl foam with a temporary backing film.

[0043] The step 404 is followed by a step 406 of coating top end of the vinyl foam with an adhesive. The step 406 is followed by a step 408 of pasting a erase film on the adhesive matching the size of the vinyl foam. The adhesive should be suitable to use with the erase film.

[0044] The step 408 is followed by a step 410 of cutting the vinyl foam and the erase film to a desired width. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the desired width is 5.25″, 11″, 22″ and 44″. The step 410 is followed by a step 412 of peeling away the temporary backing film to attach the vinyl foam to an object.

[0045] The vinyl foam, the flexible coating, the temporary backing film, the adhesive and the erase film are explained in detail in with conjunction with FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 of the present invention. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method 400 further includes a step of laminating the adhesive between the erase film and the vinyl foam with another temporary backing film.

[0046] The writing board is cut into a desired length. The writing board is then die-cut into the desired shape. The shape of the writing board is generally a square or rectangular in ratio of 4:3, 16:9 and 2:1. Finally, the writing board is a clean-edged sticker with at least 1 mm thickness and exhibits a balanced mix of rigidity and flexibility similar to that of a 2 mm thickness.

[0047] The present invention offers various advantages such as durability of the writing board to be reused multiple times. The present invention further provides the writing board with zero-adhesive attaching to a surface. The zero-adhesive results in providing excellent sticking power even when the material is washed with water. The present invention provides a portable writing board to be attached to any surface and to be used for longer time.

[0048] Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is to be limited only by the claims which follow.