Adhesive mountable stack of removable layers

Abstract

An eye protector includes a lens configured to protect the wearer from projectiles, and an optically clear stack attached to the lens. The stack can have one or more removable layers. The eye protector also includes an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer attaching the stack to the lens. The dry mount adhesive may be self-wetting to attach the stack to the lens so that air between the stack and the lens can be removed after the stack is attached and/or adhered to the lens, for example, by applying pressure across the surface of the stack. The refractive indices of the lens, the dry mount adhesive, and each removable layer are matched to within about 0.2.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An optically transparent stack for affixing to a clear surface to form a surface protector, the stack comprising:
 at least one optically transparent removable layer; and   an optically transparent dry mount adhesive layer applied to a lower surface of the stack for attaching the stack to the clear surface, the dry mount adhesive layer forming a continuous and uninterrupted adhesive surface, the dry mount adhesive layer being capable of attaching the stack to the clear surface so that air between the stack and the clear surface can be removed after the stack is attached to the clear surface.   
     
     
         22 . The stack of  claim 21 , wherein the dry mount adhesive layer comprises a polymethyl methacrylate material. 
     
     
         23 . The stack of  claim 21 , wherein the stack comprises a plurality of removable layers, each of the removable layers attached to at least one other removable layer with an optically transparent stack adhesive layer, each stack adhesive layer having a stack adhesive refractive index, each removable layer having a removable layer refractive index, each removable layer refractive index and each stack adhesive refractive index are matched to within 0.2. 
     
     
         24 . The stack of  claim 23 , wherein opposed outer portions of each removable layer form a stepped configuration that facilitates gripping of an uppermost removable layer of the stack. 
     
     
         25 . The stack of  claim 23 , wherein the dry mount adhesive is capable of establishing a peel strength between the stack and the clear surface that is greater than a peel strength between each removable layer and the stack. 
     
     
         26 . The stack of  claim 21 , wherein the dry mount adhesive is self-wetting. 
     
     
         27 . A method of protecting a transparent surface formed without holes or pins, the method comprising:
 selecting an optically clear stack having a plurality of layers laminated to one another with a removable adhesive layer;   removing a protective liner from a bottom surface of the optically clear stack to expose an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer on the stack, the optically clear dry mount adhesive layer forming an outer periphery configured to correspond with the transparent surface, and   dry mounting, the optically clear stack to the transparent surface via the outer periphery of the dry mount adhesive layer,   wherein the dry mounting comprises positioning the optically clear stack so that it covers the transparent surface,   wherein the dry mounting establishes a dry mounting adhesive peel strength between the optically clear stack and the transparent surface that is greater than a peel strength between each removable layer of the optically clear stack,   wherein the outer periphery of the dry mount adhesive layer is configured to foil a physical barrier that prevents debris from accumulating between a lowermost layer of the optically clear stack and the transparent surface, and   wherein the dry mounting is performed without applying tension to the stack.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the dry mount adhesive layer forms a continuous and uninterrupted adhesive layer over the transparent surface. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the dry mounting adhesive layer is self-wetting. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising the step of breaking an adhesive bond between the stack and an uppermost removable layer of the stack to remove the uppermost removable layer, the breaking step further comprising gripping and pulling a tab on the uppermost layer of the stack to remove the uppermost layer and expose a lower layer of the stack. 
     
     
         31 . A surface protector for use on a clear surface, the surface protector comprising:
 a plurality of removeable layers arranged in a stack having a lower surface positionable adjacent the clear surface, each of the removable layers being optically transparent;   at least one intermediate adhesive layer being optically transparent and interposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of removeable layers;   a dry mount adhesive layer being optically transparent and applied to the lower surface of the stack to form a continuous and uninterrupted adhesive surface, the dry mount adhesive layer being capable of attaching the stack to the clear surface so that air between the stack and the clear surface can be removed after the stack is attached to the clear surface.   
     
     
         32 . The surface protector of  claim 31 , wherein the dry mount adhesive layer comprises a polymethyl methacrylate material. 
     
     
         33 . The surface protector of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one intermediate adhesive layer having a stack adhesive refractive index, each removable layer having a removable layer refractive index, each removable layer refractive index and each stack adhesive refractive index are matched to within 0.2. 
     
     
         34 . The surface protector of  claim 33 , wherein opposed outer portions of each removable layer form a stepped configuration that facilitates gripping of an uppermost removable layer of the stack. 
     
     
         35 . The surface protector of  claim 33 , wherein the dry mount adhesive is capable of establishing a peel strength between the stack and the clear surface that is greater than a peel strength between each removable layer and the at least one intermediate adhesive layer. 
     
     
         36 . The surface protector of  claim 31 , wherein the dry mount adhesive is self-wetting.