Thermoplastic adhesive dispensing method and apparatus

Abstract

Hot melt thermoplastic adhesive is predeposited on a carrier strip having front and back release surfaces. The carrier strip is rolled into a coil compressing the thermoplastic hot melt into disks which may later be removed for use. The disks are spaced so that the carrier strip may be deformed to expose a single disk to a planar surface permitting simplified dispensing of the disks.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An adhesive dispensing tape comprising: 
 a flexible carrier tape having a transverse width defined by first and second edges and a longitudinal length; and    a row of adhesive segments spaced apart along said longitudinal length of said carrier tape, each of said adhesive segments in said row of adhesive segments being disposed between said first and said second edges of said transverse width of said carrier tape;    whereby a portion of said carrier tape may be transversely flexed to expose a single adhesive segment to an abutting planar surface.    
     
     
         2 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive segments comprise hot melt adhesive segments, pressure-sensitive adhesive segments, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said carrier tape has first and second release surfaces, and wherein said adhesive segments adhere less strongly to said second release surface than they do to said first release surface, whereby said carrier tape may be unwound from a coil with said adhesive segments being retained on said first release surface.  
     
     
         4 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of said adhesive segments are disposed at a point that is centered along said transverse width of said carrier tape, wherein said adhesive segments form a substantially straight line in a longitudinal direction along said carrier tape.  
     
     
         5 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive segments are disk-shaped.  
     
     
         6 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive segments are disposed in a single row in a longitudinal direction along said carrier tape.  
     
     
         7 . An adhesive dispensing tape comprising: 
 a flexible carrier tape having a width dimension extending in a transverse direction and a length dimension extending in a longitudinal direction; and    a series of adhesive segments non-contiguously staggered along said length of said carrier tape in the longitudinal direction, wherein a portion of said carrier tape may be transversely flexed to expose a single adhesive segment to an abutting planar surface.    
     
     
         8 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said adhesive segments comprise hot melt adhesive segments, pressure-sensitive adhesive segments, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said series of said adhesive segments are substantially linearly disposed on said carrier tape along the length of said carrier tape.  
     
     
         10 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said width of said carrier tape is defined by first and second edges and wherein said series of adhesive segments is located along said length of said carrier tape between said first and second edges of said width of said carrier tape.  
     
     
         11 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said carrier tape has first and second release surfaces, and wherein said adhesive segments adhere less strongly to said second release surface than they do to said first release surface, whereby said carrier tape may be unwound from a coil with said adhesive segments being retained on said first release surface.  
     
     
         12 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said adhesive disks have a diameter measured along said first release surface and are separated in the longitudinal direction by a margin at least equal to the diameter.  
     
     
         13 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said adhesive disks have a diameter measured along said first release surface and are separated in the longitudinal direction by a margin at least three times the diameter of the circular disks.  
     
     
         14 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said adhesive segments are each disks having a generally circular configuration.  
     
     
         15 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said adhesive segments are disposed in a single row in said longitudinal direction along said carrier tape.  
     
     
         16 . An adhesive dispensing tape comprising: 
 a flexible carrier tape having a transverse width defined by first and second edges and a longitudinal length comprising a plurality of adjoining longitudinal segments extending along the entire longitudinal length of said carrier tape, each of said longitudinal segments extending the entire transverse width of said flexible carrier tape; and    a plurality of spaced-apart adhesive segments distributed on said carrier tape along the longitudinal length of said carrier tape, wherein at least one adhesive segment is disposed within each of said longitudinal segments on said carrier tape.    
     
     
         17 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said adhesive segments comprise hot melt adhesive segments, pressure-sensitive adhesive segments, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said adhesive segments are disposed on said carrier tape along the longitudinal length of said carrier tape in a substantially straight line.  
     
     
         19 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 16 , wherein each of said adhesive segments is disposed within one of said longitudinal segments at a point between said first and second edges of said transverse width of said carrier tape.  
     
     
         20 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said carrier tape has first and second release surfaces, and wherein said adhesive segments adhere less strongly to said second release surface than they do to said first release surface, whereby said carrier tape may be unwound from a coil with said adhesive segments being retained on said first release surface.  
     
     
         21 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 16 , wherein only a single one of said adhesive segments is disposed within each of said longitudinal segments on said carrier tape.  
     
     
         22 . An adhesive dispensing tape as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said adhesive segments are disposed in a single row in said longitudinal direction along said carrier tape.