Removable adhesive tape

Abstract

A removable adhesive tape comprising a highly extensible and substantially inelastic backing and a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive. The backing has a high tensile strength, has a lengthwise elongation at break of at least about 150% with less than about 50% elastic recovery after stretching. The adhesive can be a normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive and is coated on at least one surface of the film backing. The adhesive is preferably highly extensible, does not separate from the backing during stretching, and has higher cohesion than adhesion to any suitable substrate. After being applied to a substrate, the adhesive tape of the present invention becomes firmly bonded, but can be easily removed without damaging the substrate by simply stretching it in a direction substantially parallel, i.e., less than about 35°, to the surface of the substrate.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
   
   
       32 . A method of removably adhesively bonding an object to a wall surface, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an extensible adhesive article having a non-adhesive grasping area;   (b) adhesively bonding the object to the wall surface with the adhesive article;   (c) grasping the non-adhesive grasping area; and   (d) stretching the adhesive article, whereby the adhesive article debonds from the wall surface to which the adhesive article has been adhered.   
   
   
       33 . A method as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the object is a wall hanging. 
   
   
       34 . A method as defined in  claim 33 , wherein the wall hanging is one of a hook, a calendar, a poster, and a sign. 
   
   
       34 . A method as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the wall surface is one of wood, metal, glass, and ceramic. 
   
   
       36 . A method as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the adhesive article is an adhesive tape comprising a highly extensible, substantially non-recoverable plastic backing having opposite first and second major surfaces, a first layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive along the first surface of said backing, and a second layer of adhesive along the second major surface of the backing. 
   
   
       37 . A method as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the adhesive article is an adhesive tape comprising a film backed, normally tacky and pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, wherein the film backing is formed from a composition comprising elastomeric and thermoplastic A-B-A block copolymers, and possesses a lengthwise elongation to break of at least about 200%, and a 50% rubber modulus of no greater than about 2,000 pounds/square inch. 
   
   
       38 . A method as defined in  claim 32 , wherein the adhesive article is an adhesive tape having a ratio of peel force to tear strength of about 1:2 or greater, and the adhesive bond can be released by pulling in the direction of the plane of the adhesive bond. 
   
   
       39 . A method of removably adhesively bonding an object to a surface, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an extensible adhesive article having a non-adhesive grasping area;   (b) arranging the adhesive article between the object and the surface to adhesively bond the object to the surface;   (c) grasping the non-adhesive grasping area; and   (d) stretching the adhesive article, whereby the adhesive article debonds from the surface to which the adhesive article has been adhered.   
   
   
       40 . A method of removably adhesively bonding an object to a surface, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an extensible double-sided adhesive article having a non-adhesive grasping area;   (b) adhesively bonding the object to the surface by attaching opposite sides of the adhesive article to the object and surface;   (c) grasping the non-adhesive grasping area; and   (d) stretching the adhesive article, whereby the adhesive article debonds from the surface to which the adhesive article has been adhered.