Reclosure Tape With Modified Adhesive Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closure systems for packaging, such as pressure sensitive adhesive-based and mechanical closures, face challenges in allowing repeated opening and resealing without careful alignment and are prone to contamination, which affects their adhesion and longevity.
Innovation Solution
A two-part adhesive-based closure system with modified surface topography, featuring a pressure sensitive adhesive with a reduced tack surface that allows for easy sealing and unsealing, using additives like ink, fillers, or polymeric materials to create a low or non-tacky surface, enabling repeated use and resistance to contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If pressure sensitive adhesive-based closure systems are used to allow repeated opening and resealing, then the closure can be opened and closed multiple times, but the adhesive surfaces are prone to contamination which affects adhesion and longevity
Solution Approach 1:
A protective liner is introduced as an intermediary layer between the adhesive surface and the external environment. This liner prevents direct contact between contaminants and the adhesive, while still allowing the adhesive to function when the closure is activated. The liner acts as a barrier that protects the adhesive surface from fouling during storage and handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive surface is extracted from direct exposure to the environment by placing it on a protective liner. This separates the adhesive function from the contamination risk, allowing the adhesive to remain clean and effective while the liner handles the exposure to external factors during package storage and transport.
2Duration of action of moving object
If mechanical closures such as zippers and Velcro are used for repeated opening and resealing, then the closure can be opened and closed multiple times, but careful alignment is required and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical closure system (zippers, Velcro) is replaced with a pressure-sensitive adhesive-based closure system. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical components and precise alignment, as the adhesive forms a bond simply through contact and pressure, allowing for easier and more reliable repeated closures.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure mechanism changes from a mechanical interlocking system to an adhesive bonding system. By changing the fundamental parameter of closure from mechanical engagement to adhesive adhesion, the system achieves simpler operation without alignment requirements while maintaining the ability for repeated opening and closing.
3Ease of operation
If the adhesive surface is modified to reduce tack for easy separation, then the closure can be opened easily and repeated use is enabled, but the adhesion strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive surface is modified with local variations in tackiness - areas with different adhesive properties are created to provide both strong bonding where needed and easy separation where required. This local differentiation allows the adhesive to maintain sufficient strength for closure while enabling easy opening when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive surface is designed to be dynamic in its bonding characteristics, allowing the adhesion strength to change based on the application state. The modified surface provides strong adhesion during closure but enables easy separation during opening, creating a dynamic bonding behavior that adapts to the operational requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a cost-effective, easy-to-use alternative to zippers and Velcro, allowing for repeated closure and opening without alignment, while minimizing contamination and maintaining adhesion over multiple reclosures.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensitive adhesive with a reduced tack surface that allows for easy sealing and unsealing
Implementation Method 2
using additives like ink, fillers, or polymeric materials to create a low or non-tacky surface
Data Source
AI summary
A tape closure system is shown and described herein. The tape closure system includes a first tape component having a pressure sensitive adhesive and a second tape component having a pressure sensitive adhesive, where at least one of the pressure sensitive adhesives has a modified surface to reduce the tack of the surface such that when the first and second pressure adhesives are brought into contact with one another they may sufficiently adhere to one another to form a seal but are still separable from one another and able to be repeatedly opened and sealed. Such a tape may be manufactured through high speed manufacturing processes and wound into large master rolls. In the roll configuration, the modified surface contacts the backside of the liner and experiences compressive forces in the roll. Due to the compressive forces, a part of the modified surface may get pushed into the PSA, thereby affecting the properties of the modified adhesive. An embodiment of this invention provides an embossed liner with spacers that nest the modified adhesive surface when it is self-wound, thereby preventing the deterioration of the adhesive properties. An embodiment of the invention is a method by which the adhesive-based closure system can be applied on to a flexible packaging material on a Form Fill Seal packaging machine in one of three ways: (1) In a form of a tape from a spool. (2) In a form of an adhesive dispensed directly on to flexible packaging material. (3) In form of a tape dispensed from a roll of pressure sensitive adhesive. Another embodiment of the invention is a double sided tape with the detack layer on both sides. An embodiment of the present invention can also be used for temporary closure with no damage done to the underlying system.