Cutting of Adhesive Materials with Water-Soluble Protective Layer

Abstract

A pre-assembled kit of cut shapes disposed upon a peelable or repositionable adhesive by means of an affixing adhesive protected by a water-soluble coating which is solubilised either prior to and/or on application of the kit to a surface which may be moistened prior to application. When the water-soluble coating is solubilised, in whole or in part, by placing in contact with the moistened surface, it will expose and/or activate, in whole or in part, the pressure-sensitive adhesive beneath the water-soluble coating to the surface to which it is to be applied and the pre-assembled kit will become affixed to the surface. Alternatively, solubilisation of the water-soluble coating may be provided by applying water, preferably warm water, to the water-soluble coating prior to applying the pre-assembled kit to the surface. A method of producing the pre-assembled kit of cut shapes is provided. In preferred embodiments the protective water-soluble coating is substantially a formulation of poly-vinyl alcohol or polyurethane polymers.

Claims

1. A pre-assembled kit of cut shapes comprising an array of cut shapes disposed upon a peelable or repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesive material by an affixing adhesive which becomes exposed and/or activated by removal in whole or in part of a water-soluble protective coating prior to or during application, the cut shapes remain affixed to a surface as an array once the peelable or repositionable adhesive material is removed.

2. The pre-assembled kit of cut shapes according to claim 1 wherein solubilisation of the water-soluble protective coating is provided by applying water to the water-soluble coating prior to applying the pre-assembled kit to the surface.

3. The pre-assembled kit of cut shapes according to claim 1 wherein solubilisation of the water-soluble protective coating is provided by applying water to the surface prior to applying the pre-assembled kit to the surface, wherein the water temperature is typically 20 C., and/or wherein optionally the water contains between 5% and 15% by volume of ethanol or iso-propyl alcohol.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. The pre-assembled kit of cut shapes according to claim 1 wherein the affixing adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

7. The pre-assembled kit of cut shapes according to claim 1 wherein the protective water-soluble coating is substantially a formulation of poly-vinyl alcohol polymers, or substantially a formulation of polyurethane polymers, or substantially an aqueous formulation.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. A material comprising a first substrate wherein a lower surface is coated with an affixing adhesive which is protected from blocking by a protective water-soluble coating, and a second substrate coated with a peelable or repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesive which is laminated to the upper surface of the first substrate against which second substrate, the first substrate can be cut to form shapes in the first substrate.

11. A material according to claim 10 wherein the first substrate is pre-coloured and/or wherein an upper surface is print receptive.

12. A material according to claim 10 wherein, in use, the first substrate is affixed to a surface and the second substrate is removable from the first substrate to expose an array of cut shapes affixed to the surface, wherein the water soluble protective coating is solubilised prior to or during application thereby providing the means to affix the array to the surface.

13. (canceled)

14. A method of providing a pre-assembled kit of cut shapes capable of being affixed to a surface by solubilisation of a protective water soluble coating applied to an affixing adhesive on a lower surface of a first substrate wherein the relative positions of each cut shape are retained within an array.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the affixing adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive wherein the temperature of the water used for solubilisation of the water-soluble coating is 20 C. or higher.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein a second substrate is affixed to an upper surface of the first substrate by a peelable or repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive material, wherein the second substrate provides a backing against which the cut shapes are formed in the first substrate.

17. (canceled)

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the upper surface of the first substrate is printed before the second substrate is affixed to its upper surface or wherein the second substrate is removed from the combined first and second substrates in order to allow the upper surface of the first substrate to be printed and the second substrate then replaced in its original position.

19. (canceled)

20. A method according to claim 16 wherein the second substrate is transparent or translucent and/or wherein the second substrate is embossed.

21. (canceled)

22. A method according to claim 14 wherein the first substrate is pre-coloured.

23. A method according to claim 14 wherein the cut shapes are selected from numbers, letters, logos, pictures, internationally recognised symbols, or any combination thereof and/or wherein the cut shapes are surrounded by a portion of the first substrate that is removed prior to affixing the cut shapes to a surface.

24. A method according to claim 14 wherein the water soluble protective coating is substantially based upon polyvinyl alcohol or polyurethane polymers and/or wherein the first substrate is selected from polymeric materials, non-woven fabrics, papers and metallic films, or a blend thereof.

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A method according to claim 14 wherein the cut shapes are laser cut or die cut.

28. A method according to claim 14 wherein the first substrate has a thickness of 25 to 250 m, preferably 50 to 150 m.

29. (canceled)

30. A method according to claim 14 wherein the water soluble protective coating contains 15 to 75% solids, preferably 20 to 40% solids.

31. (canceled)

32. A method according to claim 14 wherein the water soluble protective coating has a thickness corresponding to 1.0 to 10 gsm dry weight, preferably 3 to 7 gsm dry weight, most preferably 4 to 6 gsm dry weight.

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

Description

[0034] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6, of the accompanying drawings.

[0035] In the Figures, which are illustrative only, the layers may be identified as follows: [0036] (a) A polymeric preferably transparent substrate [0037] (b) A moisture resistant peelable or repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive [0038] (c) An optionally printed upper surface of layer (d) [0039] (d) A polymeric or paper substrate or lamination of both, preferably coloured and/or capable of receiving print on its upper surface [0040] (e) A moisture resistant affixing adhesive, preferably a pressure sensitive adhesive [0041] (f) A water-soluble coating [0042] (g) A surface, optionally moistened, to which the array of cut shapes is to be affixed

[0043] The layers may comprise any of the materials previously mentioned.

[0044] In FIG. 1, the combined material is illustrated. Layers (c), (d), (e) and (f) represent the first material and layers (a) and (b) represent the second material. The first material and the second material are laminated together as illustrated to provide a combined material.

[0045] In FIG. 2, the first material has been cut into shapes as illustrated by the thicker black lines. It will be noted that the second material has not been cut.

[0046] In FIG. 3, the skeleton surrounding the cut shapes has been removed leaving only the shapes cut from the first material still attached to the second material.

[0047] In FIG. 4, either following removal of a protective water-soluble coating prior to application, or by solubilisation during application, or a combination of both methods, the combined material, now with the affixing adhesive activated, is presented to a surface (g). In each case, the water-soluble coating (f) is solubilised by the presence of moisture. Residual solubilised water-soluble coating is moved away from beneath the shapes by downward pressure on layer (a) by manual means and/or by the action of a squeegee, the affixing adhesive (e) comes into contact with the surface (g) and the shapes adhere to the surface.

[0048] In FIG. 5, the second material, illustrated by layers (a) and (b) in FIG. 4, has been removed leaving the cut shapes attached to the surface (g). It will be noted that the pressure-sensitive adhesive (b), being a moisture resistant peelable or repositionable adhesive, remains unaffected by the presence of moisture and may be removed from the cut shapes without disturbing their attachment to the surface (g) due to affixing adhesive (e).

[0049] In FIG. 6, an array-of cut shapes, illustrated, by way of example only, as six letters D-G-2 and H-5-W, has been affixed to the surface (g). It is important to note that the relative position of each shape within the array has not been disturbed by the removal of the second material.