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Ideas

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Perforated Tape

Submitted by: JNHF
Created: Jun 9, 2008, 2:23 pm

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The Idea

Adding perforated lines to various types of tapes (scotch, masking, painter's, etc..). The spaced perforated lines would assure the user a quick, hassle-free and clean tear, making anything from hanging posters to wrapping gifts a breeze.

I thought of this idea when I was...

While hanging a poster high on the wall and having to fumble around with the not-so-functional tape dispener's built-in cutter.

Dealing with pre-cut tape strips which tend to stick together, or to an undesired surface.

Comments Posted

Selise Posted: June 20, 2008, 3:18 pm

well, I think this could work, but I'm not sure how you'd sell it? What's your plan? I can see some benefit, but would it really sell?

submodified Posted: June 25, 2008, 10:05 am

Would it make tape weaker at the perforated points? Is that perhaps why it hasn't been done?

TheGuru Posted: June 26, 2008, 1:26 pm

imagine if you try to unroll a large bit of tape, as if you're masking something for painting - the perforations will weaken the tape, and it will break where you don't want it. Submodified is completely right. Don't people think before they post hairbrained ideas?

JNHF Posted: June 28, 2008, 9:55 am

sorry, i'm not quite a guru or anything. was just an idea. isn't that what this place is for?!

thanks to the constructive criticism to all who gave some. much appreciated

muunkky Posted: July 10, 2008, 9:25 am

Hey, this is a great idea.

There is no problem making perforated tape, it is a common manufacturing process.

The limited stress would just limit it's application, find the right application and you should have an easy sell. This is probably whatever you were doing when you thought of the idea.

The strength would not be as weakened as you might think. Once an adhesive is attached to a substrate, the stresses are translated from tensile to shear. Basically all of the strain is on the glue, not the tape.

superavit Posted: August 19, 2008, 7:24 pm

JNHF

How will you determine the optimum distance between perforations?

Jason

EuroRepNZ Posted: August 22, 2008, 2:56 am

3M market a product that is short pieces of tap in a rectangle canister. They even have one on a wrist band so that you can reach a strip while holding the poster with the hand that has the tap on it.

zenanthor Posted: September 8, 2008, 6:07 am

It would not be much weakened, good idea. Perhaps get a patent, and contact 3M or something

orokusaki Posted: September 9, 2008, 9:30 pm

If that was a viable idea, 3M would have done it already. If there were perforations, the tape would rip even worse when trying to pull it off, as well as losing it's tensile strength for larger projects.

wiseguy88 Posted: December 9, 2008, 9:09 pm

Wasn't it 3M who fired its engineer and the guy came back day after day and then cam up with the stick pads? So, it doesn't mean 3M know everything, right? Go on, JNHF, give it a try man, you never know!

Hello!

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