Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FLEXIBLE WRAP KIT AND METHODS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to flexible wrap lcits and methods for
adhering an
article with the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to
flexible wrap kits
comprising a flexible film and an adhesive component.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over a number of years, flexible plastic film wrappings have become
increasingly
popular with many consumers, particularly for preserving and storing food-
related
products. A substantial part of this popularity can be attributed to the
desirable properties
associated with the wrappings. More particularly, most flexible plastic film
wrappings
allow consumers to preserve or store products for extended periods of time
while
exhibiting low levels of water vapor transmission, high levels of oxygen
permeability,
and resistance to chemical and mechanical deterioration and temperature
fluctuation.
However, despite the above advantages, formulating flexible plastic film
wrappings
having superior adherence, clinging and/or sealing properties has been
difficult.
Accordingly, there is a desire for providing an improved adherence and/or seal
between flexible plastic film wrappings and storage articles. Additionally, it
is desirable
for these improvements to be applicable to the safe storage of food.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to plastic wrap kits
comprising: (a) a flexible plastic film; and (b) an adhesive component;
wherein the
adhesive component is adapted for application to the flexible plastic fihn or
an article for
adhering the flexible plastic film and the article upon contact therebetween.
In a further embodiment, the invention is directed to kits comprising: (a) an
adhesive component; and (b) instructions for applying the adhesive component
to a
flexible plastic film or an article for adhering the flexible plastic film and
the article upon
contact therebetween.
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In another embodiment, the invention is directed to plastic wrap bits
comprising
(a) a flexible plastic film; and (b) instructions for applying an adhesive
component to the
flexible plastic filin or an article for adhering the flexible plastic film
and an article upon
contact therebetween.
In still further embodiments, the invention is directed to methods for
adhering an
article with the plastic wrap kits described herein, the methods comprising
coating an area
of at least one of the article and the flexible plastic film with an adhesive
component; and
contacting the article with the flexible plastic film at the coated area to
form an adherence
between the flexible plastic film and the article.
Accordingly, the present invention provides novel plastic wrap kits and
methods
for adhering an article with such plastic wrap kits which overcome one or more
disadvantages of the prior art.
These and additional obj ects, advantages and novel features of the present
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following
detailed
description, which is simply, by way of illustration, various modes
contemplated for
carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of
other different
obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the
drawings and
specification are illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and
distinctly claiming the present invention, it is believed that the same will
be further
understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings in which:
Fig. 1 depicts a schematic view of a first embodiment of a packaged kit
according
to the invention and comprising a roll of flexible plastic film and an
adhesive component
stored within the core of the roll;
Fig. 2 depicts a schematic view of the roll and the adhesive component stored
therein, as shown in Fig. 1, removed from the paclcage shown in Fig. 1;
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Fig. 3 depicts a schematic view of an adhesive component provided in stick
form
according to the invention and provided with a first embodiment of an
application guiding
device in the form of a v-notch guide;
Fig. 4a depicts a schematic view of a tube of an adhesive component according
to
the invention and provided with a second embodiment of an application guiding
device in
the form of an edge guide;
Fig. 4b depicts a schematic view of a tube of an adhesive component according
to
the invention and provided with a third embodiment of an application guiding
device in
the form of a flexible tip grip guide;
Fig. 5a depicts a schematic view of a staclc of individually paclcaged
adhesive
wipes according to the invention;
Fig. 5b depicts a schematic view of a packaged adhesive wipe removed from a
stack as shown in Fig. 5a; and
Fig. 6 depicts a schematic view of a packaged press-on adhesive according to
the
invention and comprising a peelable backing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention is directed to plastic wrap kits and methods of using
such
kits. More particularly, the plastic wrap kits comprise a flexible plastic
filin, an adhesive
component and optionally instructions for use of the kit. W one embodiment,
the kits are
used for the storage of food products.'
As used herein, "comprising" means that other steps and ingredients can be
added.
This term encompasses the teens "consisting of and "consisting essentially
of'. The
phrase "consisting essentially of means that the kits may include additional
ingredients,
but only if the additional ingredients do not materially alter the basic and
novel
characteristics of the claimed kits or methods.
As used herein, "kit" refers generally to a set of articles or implements
which may
be used in conjunction with one another to achieve a specific purpose. The
kits according
to the present invention are directed specifically to plastic wrap bits. In
one embodiment,
the plastic wrap kits comprise the combination of one or more of a variety of
conventional plastic wrap products and one or more of a variety of adhesives
wherein an
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improved adherence is desired between the flexible plastic film and an article
to be
adhered by such filins. As will be described in further detail below, in one
embodiment,
the plastic wrap lcits of the invention comprise a flexible plastic film and
an adhesive
component wherein the adhesive component is adapted for application to the
flexible
plastic film or an article for adhering the flexible plastic filin and the
article upon contact
therebetween. In an alternate embodiment, the plastic wrap kits of the
invention comprise
a flexible plastic film arranged on a roll; a food safe adhesive component
provided in
stick form; and instructions for use of the lit. These embodiments are
described in
further detail below.
Flexible Plastic Film
The plastic wrap kits of the present invention comprise a flexible plastic
film. As
used herein, "flexible plastic film" refers generally to a bendable, wrappable
plastic sheet
of material which is comparatively thin in relation to its breadth and width
and is used
primarily for packaging, preserving and/or storing articles in solid, semi-
solid and/or
liquid form.
Various materials and compositions, particularly polymeric compounds, are
useful
for the manufacture of the flexible plastic filins according to the present
invention. As
used herein, "polymer" refers generally to naturally occurring or synthetic
based
compounds consisting of large molecules made up of a linked series of repeated
simple
monomers. Furthermore, it should be understood that "polymer" is intended to
encompass any homopolyrners andlor copolymers of the indicated monomers or
compositions, and/or blends of such polymers. Specific polymers capable of
forming the
flexible plastic films include, but are not limited to, polymers selected from
the group
consisting of polyethylenes (PE), polypropylenes (PP), polystyrenes (PS),
polyvinyl
chlorides (PVC), polyvinylidene chlorides (PVDC), polyvinyl acetates (PVAC),
polyamides, including nylons, polyesters and mixtures thereof. In a specific
embodiment,
the plastic wrap is formed, at least in part, of a vinylidene chloride-vinyl
chloride
copolymer.
The flexible plastic films according to the present invention may further
comprise
one or more additional components to enhance the characteristics of the
product. For
instance, in a specific embodiment the flexible plastic film further comprises
an
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additional component selected from the group consisting of aliphatic
hydrocarbons,
olefinic hydrocarbons, plasticizers, antioxidants, mold release agents,
processing aids,
ultraviolet light stabilizers, additives, colorants, heat stabilizers, gel
scrubbing agents,
organic fillers, inorganic fillers and mixtures thereof.
Additionally, the flexible plastic films of the present invention may comprise
a
cling additive. There are numerous cling additives well known in the art to
provide the
cling characteristic of polymeric films. Some of these cling additives
include, but are not
limited to, glycerol, mono- or di-oleate, glycerol isostearate,
polyisobutylene,
polyethylene oil, low molecular weight polyethylene, low molecular weight
ethylene
vinyl acetate, polypropylene glycol, fatty esters and vegetable oils.
The flexible plastic filins will typically have an average thickness of from
about
0.1 mil to about 10 mil, although one skilled in the art will appreciate that
flexible plastic
films having a thickness outside of this range may also be suitable for
providing the
desired plastic wrap kits. In a more specific embodiment, the flexible plastic
films have a
thickness of from about 0.2 mil to about 3 mil, preferably from about 0.2 mil
to about 2
mil, more preferably from about 0.3 mil to about 2 mil.
Qne slcilled in the art will appreciate that the flexible plastic wraps of the
present
invention may comprise a monolayer, or, alternatively, may comprise multiple
layers.
Thus, for example, a first flexible plastic film layer comprising one or more
polymers
may be used together with a second flexible plastic film containing one or
more
polymers. Furthermore, these filins can be prepared by any conventional
process, and
their properties designed to accommodate any particular end use. Typically,
the plastic
films are provided in roll form on a cardboard tube. However, the plastic
wraps may
easily be provided in any of a variety of other forms, including precut sheet
form or the
like. Additionally, it should be understood that the flexible plastic films as
described are
exemplary only and those skilled in the art will recognize other films and
materials are
suitable for manufacturing the kits of the present invention. For instance,
one skilled in
the art will appreciate that similar food wrap materials including, but not
limited to, wax
papers, metallic foil wraps (such as aluminum foil) and other food wrap
materials may be
formulated according to ,the present invention without departing from the
spirit of the
invention.
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Adhesive Component
The plastic wrap kits of the present invention also comprise an adhesive
component in addition to the flexible plastic film. As used herein, "adhesive
component"
refers generally to a sticlcy, tenacious substance that unites, bonds or
adheres two surfaces
together. It should be understood that the adhesive components of the present
invention
may comprise natural or synthetic adhesives and may be prepackaged either
together or
independently from the flexible plastic film.
Adhesive components suitable for use in the present invention include, but are
not
limited to animal glue, casein glue, blood albumen glue, starch, dextrin,
natural gum or a
mixture thereof. Other useful adhesive components include, but are not limited
to contact
cement, structural adhesive, hot-melt adhesive, pressure-sensitive adhesive,
ultraviolet-
cured adhesive, permanent adhesive, temporary adhesive, semi-permanent
adhesive,
solvent-based adhesive, water-based adhesive, waterborne adhesive, electronic
beam (e-
beam) adhesive, two-part adhesive, two-part reactive adhesive, peelable
adhesive,
refastenable adhesive, resealable adhesive or mixtures thereof. Furthermore,
in specific
embodiments, the adhesive components may be provided in the form of a food
safe
adhesive component, particularly wherein the lit is a food storage wrap
product.
The adhesive components of the present invention are intended to be compatible
with both the flexible plastic film as well as the article desired to be
adhered by the film.
Accordingly, the adhesive components are not intended to be limited to any
given
adhering situation. For instance, one skilled in the art will appreciate that
the present
adhesive components may create either a temporary, pernanent or semi-permanent
adherence and that they may adhere to a variety of materials. Some of the
materials
appropriate for adherence according to the present invention include, but are
not limited
to, glass, wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, paper and any other materials
commonly used
around the kitchen and/or home. Furthermore, the adhesive components are
intended to
be applicable to a variety of environmental conditions and/or temperatures.
For instance,
the adhesive components are not limited to any given wet, dry, hot or cold
application.
Similarly, two or more adhesive components may also be applied together to
accommodate varying conditions.
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In one specific embodiment, an adhesive component comprises a flexible plastic
film, a first adhesive and a second adhesive. According to a further
embodiment, the first
adhesive is adapted for adhering under a first specific condition, and the
second adhesive
is adapted for adhering under a second specific condition. In one exemplary
embodiment,
for instance, the first adhesive is adapted for adhering under a hot condition
and the
second adhesive is adapted for adhering under a cold condition. In another
exemplary
embodiment, the first adhesive is adapted for adhering under a moist condition
and the
second adhesive is adapted for adhering under a dry condition. In yet another
exemplary
embodiment, the first adhesive is aqueous based and adapted for adhering under
conditions wherein an aqueous based adhesive is effective, while the second
adhesive is
oil based and adapted for adhering under conditions wherein an oil-based
adhesive is
effective. According to the present embodiments, the first adhesive and the
second
adhesive may be provided in a single composition, for example to form a
heterogeneous
mixture. As used herein, "single composition" is intended to encompass any
combination
of necessary parts or elements which together provide a whole substance and
which may
exist in a form such as, but not limited to, a mixture, a layering of
components, an
intermixing of ingredients and the like. Alternatively, the first adhesive and
the second
adhesive may be packaged apart from one another. Additionally, it is
envisioned that
color coding of the first adhesive and the second adhesive may be desired when
more
than one adhesive component is utilized according to the present invention.
For instance,
it may be desirable to individually assign the first and second adhesive
component, andlor
their respective packages, a specific color designation which the user cam
identify prior to
using such component. According to this embodiment, the user will be able to
easily
identify which given adhesive is appropriate for the specific adhering
activity by
matching the color of the component and/or package with a predetermined color
coding
instruction guide or other similar identification device.
In one embodiment, the adhesive component is adapted to provide the flexible
plastic film with a semi-permanent adherence and/or bond to a surface. In this
embodiment, the adhesive component is adapted to adhere the flexible plastic
film to, for
example, a glass surface such as the rim of a glass bowl, with a bond
sufficiently strong to
resist unsealing of the flexible plastic film and to prevent the contents of
the bowl from
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breaking the adherence if the bowl is tipped or overturned, yet sufficiently
weak to allow
removal of the flexible plastic film from the surface by firm pulling by the
consumer
when so desired. More particularly, the flexible plastic films of the present
invention are
designed to exhibit an adhesion property sufficient to survive the likely
degree of
handling the adhered article or enclosed container is lilcely to encounter in
use while
maintaining the desired level of adherence with the item, with itself, or with
the
accompanying semi-permanently enclosed container such that preservation or
storage of
the targeted item is ensured.
~ne way to measure or quantify this adhesion property is in terms of an
adhesion
peel force value which is preferably measured by Pressure Sensitive Tape
Council
Method PSTC-1. According to this method, a 12-inch (30.5 cm) by 1-inch (2.5
cm) strip
of film is rolled once against a smooth stainless steel surface at a rate of
12 inches (30.5
cm) per minute using a 4.5 pound (2.04 kg) roller and then tested as having a
peak
adhesion peel force value ranging from about 1 to about 50 ounces/inch (0.012
to 0.600
kg/cm), more preferably from about 1 to about 2.5 ounces/inch (0.012 to 0.027
lcg/cm) of
strip width. In general, minimum adhesion which maintains an adherence is
desired for a
flexible plastic wrap, so that the wrap is easily peeled open for access to
the stored
item(s).
In one embodiment, at least one of the flexible plastic film and the adhesive
component comprises a colorant adapted to provide a visible color expression
upon
adhering the flexible plastic filin to an article. As used herein, "colorant"
generally refers
to a substance that colors or modifies the hue of another substance. According
to this
embodiment, a color expression is provided by the adhesive component once the
flexible
plastic film is adhered to an article thereby confirming to the user whether a
sufficient
adherence has been established. Moreover, in further embodiments, the flexible
plastic
film and the adhesive component may each individually comprise a color
component
which together are adapted to provide a color expression upon adhering the
flexible
plastic wrap to an article.
In another embodiment, the adhesive component comprises an encapsulated
pigment adapted to provide a visible color expression upon application of
pressure to the
adhesive component. As used herein, "encapsulated pigment" generally refers to
an
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encased or enclosed substance of color. More particularly, it is envisioned
that upon
applying pressure to the adhesive component, the casing or enclosure is
ruptured or
otherwise altered and a visible color expression will be provided thereby
confirming the
sufficiency of the adherence between the article and the flexible plastic
filin. After such
application, the user can visually identify which portions, if any, of the
resultant
adherence are lacking sufficient bondage by comparing the areas exemplifying a
positive
color expression to the areas lacking such a color expression. As used herein,
"application of pressure" refers generally to the exertion of force to the
desired material.
Depending on the desired use, the adhesive components of the present invention
may be dispensed from a variety of devices. These devices include, but are not
limited to,
sticks, tubes, spray devices, bottles, pens, brushes, sponges and combinations
thereof.
In another embodiment, the plastic wrap kits further comprise instructions for
use
of the kit, for example, for achieving an adherence between the flexible
plastic film and
an article. The instructions may comprise written instructions and/or one or
more
illustrated nonverbal cues. As used herein, "nonverbal cue" generally refers
to a
communication signal without the use of vocabulary. Furthermore, it should be
understood that the instructions are not limited to uses associated with
adhering the
flexible plastic film and the article. Alternatively, the instructions may
provide optional
uses for the plastic film and/or the adhesive component in other embodiments.
It should
be understood that use of the plastic wrap kits disclosed herein are not
limited to any one
application. For instance, an adhesive component may be applied to only a
portion of an
article desired to be covered. Alternatively, a complete application of
adhesive may be
necessary. In still other embodiments, the application of an adhesive
component may be
unnecessary altogether. As a result, it should be understood that the plastic
wrap kits
according to the present invention are intended to be flexible in their nature
of
application, wherein the individual user will decide the exact method of
application
necessary for each given situation.
hl one specific embodiment, the plastic wrap kit comprises (a) a flexible
plastic
film arranged on a roll; (b) a food safe adhesive component provided in stick
form; and
(c) instructions for use of the kit. This embodiment provides for consumer
convenience.
In those embodiments wherein the adhesive component and the flexible plastic
film are
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prepaclcaged together, the packaging can be of any conventional arrangement.
For
instance, the adhesive component could be independently placed within the
container
housing the flexible plastic film. Similarly, the adhesive component could be
located
within the core of a roll type product or placed within any other void space
surrounding or
witlun the roll. For instance, the flexible plastic film and adhesive
component can be
packaged together in a kit such as depicted by Figs. 1 and 2. In accordance
with these
embodiments, a container 10 made of any suitable packaging material, for
example
cardboard, includes a roll 15 wrapped with a flexible plastic film 40 (not
shown in Fig. 1).
A core 35 of the roll 15 is adapted to house a stick 20 of an adhesive
component. The
stick 20 is arranged within the core 35 by a holding piece 25. The container
10 may
optionally be provided with instructions 30 to explain the use of the
components.
Furthermore, as depicted in Fig. 2, the adhesive component stick 20, together
with the
holding piece 25, may be easily inserted into and removed from the core 35 of
the roll 15.
One skilled in the art, however, will appreciate that other arrangements of
the
plastic wrap kit in accordance with the present invention may be formulated,
as Figs. 1
and 2 are not intended to be limiting thereof. For instance, the adhesive
component may
be attached to the outside of a container housing the flexible plastic film
or, alternatively,
independently packaged altogether. Additionally, the individual components of
the
plastic wrap lcits according to the present invention may also exist in a
variety of product
forms. For instance, in one exemplary embodiment, the adhesive component is in
the
form of a ribbon or chain-like structure which may be stored or located within
the core of
the plastic wrap roll. The ribbon or chain may, for example, comprise a
plurality of
individually packaged adhesive portions. In yet another embodiment, a
heterogeneous
adhesive bar, or an adhesive bar comprising one or more adhesive strips, is
located within
the plastic wrap kit in a position such that removal of the flexible plastic
film causes the
film to be coated with the adhesive component. In further embodiments, a
reservoir of an
adhesive component, or a mixture of one or more adhesive components, is
provided and
may, for example, be located within the lid of the kit such that the adhesive
component is
sprayed upon the desired surface of the flexible plastic film upon dispensing.
As a 'result,
the physical arrangement, as well as the product form of the components,
namely the
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flexible plastic filin, adhesive component and optionally instructions,
according to the
invention, can exist in any arrangement within the kit.
hl still other embodiments, the food wrap lcit comprises a flexible food wrap
material arranged on a roll, a container housing the flexible food wrap
material, and an
adhesive component located on a surface of the container. For instance, in one
specific
embodiment, the adhesive component may be located under a removable opening
tab
located on the surface of the container. Upon a user removing the opening tab
during the
initial opening of the container, the adhesive component will be exposed and
thereby
available for application onto flexible food wrap materials. According to this
embodiment, the user may drape the flexible food wrap material over the
adhesive
component and subsequently apply pressure (such as with the user's finger) to
the wrap
material such that the material comes into contact with the adhesive component
and is
coated with such adhesive.
In similar embodiments, it is envisioned that one or more adhesive component
may be positioned at various locations upon the surface of the container such
that during
the dispensing of the flexible food wrap material, the one or more adhesive
component is
applied to predetermined and specifically targeted locations of the wrap
material. For
instance, in one specific embodiment, at least two adhesive components may be
positioned parallel to each other and at opposite ends of the container. Upon
dispensing
the flexible food wrap material from the container, the adhesive components
will
independently come into contact with the wrap material at the corresponding
locations
positioned adjacent to such components so that the surface of the wrap
material is coated
with adhesive. Further according to this embodiment, the application of the
one or more
adhesive component may be applied either uniformly or intermittently to the
wrap
material during the coating stages, as it should be understood that the
physical
arrangement of the adhesives on the surface of the container is not intended
to be limiting
herein. Accordingly, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these
arrangements are
exemplary and other arrangements may be formulated and utilized while still
keeping
with the spirit of the present invention.
Moreover, the device for dispensing the adhesive component may further
comprise an application guiding device, such as depicted by Figs. 3, 4a and
4b, for
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allowing easy and/or controlled application of adhesive to a surface.
According to Fig. 3,
for instance, a dispensing device for an adhesive component provided in stick
form may
comprise a notch application guiding device to assist the user in placing the
adhesive
component on the article to be adhered or on the flexible plastic film. More
particularly,
an adhesive stick 50 comprises an adhesive component 45 together) with an
application
guiding device 55 in the form of a v-notch located in a rim of the stick
container. The v-
notch application guiding device 55 is adapted to provide easy application of
the adhesive
component onto a desired surface of an article to be adhered or onto the
flexible plastic
film. According to this embodiment, a user can adjust the amount of adhesive
component
45 to be applied to the desired surface by turning a dispenser dial 60 and
then placing the
v-notch shaped application guiding device 55 against the surface of the
desired article to
be adhered or the flexible plastic film and subsequently guiding the
application guiding
device 55 along such.
Similarly, Figs. 4a and 4b depict tubes 65a, 65b of an adhesive component
comprising differing types of application guiding devices 70a, 70b attached to
a
dispensing tip 75a, 75b. Upon applying pressure to the tube, the adhesive
component will
exit a dispensing hole 80a, 80b in the dispensing tip such that the
application guiding
device 70a, 70b can be placed against the article to be adhered or the
flexible plastic film
for assisting and guiding application of the adhesive component. In the
embodiment of
Fig. 4a, application guiding device 70a comprises a protrusion on the
dispensing tip 75a,
which protrusion will act as a guide for contacting the tip along a surface to
be coated. In
the embodiment of Fig. 4b, the application guiding device 70b comprises a pair
of
flexible tips which form a grip adapted to grip an edge to which the adhesive
is to be
applied. The application guiding devices of Figs. 3, 4a and 4b, respectively,
may exist in
various forms, as the figures are not intended to be limiting thereof.
Suitable application
guiding devices include, but are not limited to, edge guides, v-notches,
tracking devices,
ball devices, flexible tip gripping devices and other guiding devices adapted
to provide
easy application of an adhesive component.
In another embodiment, the adhesive component is provided in the form of a
plurality of single use portions. Without being limited by theory herein, it
is envisioned
that during some adhesion applications it may be possible to contaminate the
adhesive
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component with bacteria andlor other similar pathogenic material. For
instance, during
the adhering of meat-related products, it is envisioned that the meat may come
into
contact with the surface and/or rim of the container or article to be adhered
thereby
contaminating the item's surface with bacteria. During the application of the
adhesive
component to the now contaminated surface and/or rim, the bacteria or similar
pathogenic
material may transfer onto the adhesive component thereby placing subsequent
adhesion
applications at risk of also becoming contaminated. As a result, it may be
desirable to use
single use portions of the adhesive component during these or similar
applications.
According to this embodiment, the single use portions may comprise a separated
layer
portion or an individually wrapped portion.
As depicted by Fig. 5a, for instance, stacked adhesive wipes 85 are provided.
The
stack may be positioned inside or attached to a container comprising the
flexible plastic
wrap for individual application of an adhesive component according to the
invention. As
can be seen from Fig. 5b, an individual packaged adhesive wipe 90 may be
removed from
the stack 85 and an adhesive component layer 100 can be exposed by peeling
away a
backing material 95. Once the adhesive layer is exposed, the adhesive
component may
be wiped upon the desired surface of the article to be adhered or the flexible
plastic film
thereby layering the item with the adhesive component 100 for easy adhesion.
In still other embodiments, a press-on adhesive pack, such as a blister pack,
may
be included with the plastic wrap kits of the present invention. For instance,
Fig. 6
depicts an individually packaged press-on adhesive in accordance with the
present
invention. An adhesive component 110 is housed within an adhesive pocket 105
and may
be exposed upon peeling away a backing material 115 attached to the adhesive
pack.
Upon removing such backing material 115, the adhesive component 110 is
available to
apply to a desired article to be adhered or the flexible plastic film by
applying pressure or
force to the back of the adhesive pocket 105 and thereby forcing the adhesive
component
110 to exit the adhesive pack and onto the desired item.
The invention is further directed to additional lcits. For instance, in one
embodiment the plastic wrap kits comprise (a) a flexible plastic film, and (b)
instructions
for applying an adhesive component to the flexible plastic film or an article
for adhering
the flexible plastic film and the article upon contact therebetween. In
another
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embodiment, a kit comprises (a) an adhesive component, and (b) instructions
for applying
the adhesive component to a flexible plastic filin or an article for adhering
the flexible
plastic film and the article upon contact therebetween. Still other
embodiments comprise
a food wrap kit comprising (a) a flexible food wrap material; and (b) an
adhesive
component wherein the adhesive component is adapted for application to the
flexible food
wrap material or an article for adhering the flexible food wrap material and
the article
upon contact therebetween. It should be understood, however, that the
embodiments
described above are not intended to be limiting thereof.
Methods for Adhering an Article with a Flexible Plastic Film
The present invention also relates to methods for adhering an article with a
flexible plastic film. As used herein, "article" refers generally to any
substrate to which is
desirable to adhere or seal a flexible film, and can include a portion of the
flexible film
itself. In one specific embodiment, article refers to a container suitable for
storage. As
used herein, "adhere" refers generally to the formation of a temporary, semi-
permanent or
permanent barrier, seal andlor barncade that combines or otherwise attaches
the surfaces
of two respective objects. It should be understood, however, that the kits
according to the
present invention can be used to form devices such as pouches, envelops, or
bags.
In one embodiment, methods for adhering an article with a flexible plastic
film
comprise: (a) coating an area of at least one of the article and the flexible
plastic film with
an adhesive component; and (b) contacting the article with the flexible
plastic film at the
coated area to form an adherence between the flexible plastic film and the
article.
According to this embodiment, the flexible plastic film and the adhesive
component are
prepackaged together in a kit.
The examples and specific embodiments set forth herein are for illustrative
purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the methods and kits
of the
invention. Additional methods and kits within the scope of the claimed
invention will be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings set
forth herein.
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