GB2588380A

GB2588380A - Tape for use in relation to seams and joints

Info

Publication number: GB2588380A
Application number: GB1914814.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Mullan William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-10-14
Filing date: 2019-10-14
Publication date: 2021-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-14
Also published as: GB201914814D0; GB2588380B

Abstract

A tape 100 for use in relation to a seam or joint with slots comprising cut-out slots 112, 114, 116 configured to guide the application of a coating of mastic, paint or other kinds of sealant to the joint. The slots may be oriented longitudinally along the tape. The tape may comprise alignment marks which allow longitudinal axes of the slots to be aligned against the seam or joint so as to apply the coating evenly along the seam and joint. The tape may have one or more films removable from the upper surface of the tape, wherein removal of the one or more films exposes at least a portion of the slots. The tape may comprise an adhesive layer disposed of on the back surface of the tape facing the seam or joint. The tape may have one or more films that are at least partially transparent. The tape may have strips that are spaced at regular predetermined intervals, which may be connected together along common edges which are perforated across the width of the tape. The tape is made from paper or a suitable material and has an adhesive backing.

Description

TAPE FOR USE IN RELATION TO SEAMS AND JOINTS

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a tape for use in relation to a pipe seam or joint. For example, in use, the tape provides a guide for applying a coating such as paint, sealant, and the like to the pipe seam or joint.

Background of the Invention

Insulation provides protection and prevents heat loss, which has become increasingly important for pipes intended for the transport of fluids. For example, thermal insulation of subsea pipes improves the safety of oil and gas transportation from offshore wells by preventing formation of waxes or hydrate plugs within the pipes due to cooling of oil or gas composition during transportation.

Specially constructed insulation jackets (e.g. insulation products from Rockwool®, 20 Armaflex0, Foam blassO, Arma-Check® and Ulva) can be applied to the pipes to provide thermal insulation. The insulation jackets may be made of metal (e.g. stainless steel, galvanised steel or aluminium) or pliable plastic.

When wrapping an insulation jacket around a pipe, the longitudinal edges of the 25 jacket are arranged to abut against each other or in an overlapping relationship to each other To prevent heat loss, gaps arising from the butting or overlapping edges must be sealed by filling the gaps with a sealant or the like.

Sealants are substances used to prevent ingress of fluids, gases or dust through openings in, or joints between, solid materials. They can also be used to suppress noise or vibrations and/or provide thermal or electrical insulation. Different types of sealants have different physical properties, including tensile strength, rigidity, flexibility and viscosity. Some sealants are designed to be temporary, whereas others are designed to be applied permanently and never removed. Although sealants generally have some adhesive properties, they are not adhesives and normally have lower strength than adhesives. They do however offer superior flexibility, resisting some degree of movement between the substrates to which they are applied.

It is desirable that sealants should not degrade easily, and therefore be insoluble and corrosion resistant. Sealants include silicone, acrylic, polysulphide, water-proof, fireproof and epoxy sealants, and can be in a liquid, solid, powder or foam form. Mastic sealant is an example of a sealant usually in liquid or paste form.

Different sealants have different curing mechanisms, wherein some are non-reactive, some cure in air and others require chemical curing. Non-reactive sealants include sealing tapes and putties. Air-cured sealants include bitumen and silicone emulsion. Air-cured sealants can take a very long time to cure, and since curing causes a skin to form, may never fully cure if the bead is too large. Chemically reactive sealants include different types of silicone, polyurethane and silane-modified polymers. The curing process of chemically reactive sealants may release toxic fumes or heat, potentially causing safety issues In most cases, sealing a seam involves tearing off strips of a tape such as masking tape or other suitable tape and covering areas at each side of the seam with separate strips judged to leave a reasonable amount of space therebetween within which a sealant can be applied. It is a very time-consuming and difficult procedure to accurately apply the tape to enable a bead to be formed neatly and evenly within the space, as the two separate strips must be applied at an equal distance from the seam and be kept parallel to each other for the entire length of the seam. If the tape is applied incorrectly, the sealant may be applied unevenly and therefore prone to gaps, and as a result, for example, the loss of heat.

Summary of invention

It is desirable to provide a simplified and convenient way of applying a coating such as a sealant or paint to a seam or joint. It is further desirable to enable the coating to be applied neatly and evenly along the seam or around the joint with less time and effort.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape comprising one or more strips for use in relation to a seam or joint, wherein the one or more strips are provided with slots configured to guide the application of a coating thereto.

Preferably, the slots are cut-out slots oriented longitudinally along the tape.

Preferably, the tape further comprises alignment marks which allow longitudinal axes of the slots to be aligned against the seam or joint so as to apply the coating evenly along the seam and joint.

Preferably, the tape further comprises one or more films removable from the upper surface of the tape, wherein removal of the one or more films exposes at least a portion of the slots.

Preferably, the tape comprises an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the tape facing the seam or joint.

Alternatively, the tape comprises one or more films disposed on the adhesive layer such that removal of the one or more films exposes at least a portion of the slots.

Preferably, the one or more films are at least partially transparent.

Preferably, the tape comprises length marks which provide indications of the length of the tape without using a rule.

Preferably, the strips are spaced at regular pre-determined intervals.

Preferably, the strips are connected together along common edges across the width of the tape.

Preferably, the common edges are perforated.

Preferably, the coating comprises sealants and paints.

Preferably, the tape is made from paper.

Preferably, the tape has an adhesive backing.

Preferably, the tape has a thickness greater than 0.15mm.

Brief description of drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape comprising one or more strips provided with slots, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape comprising one or more strips provided with cut-out slots, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape comprising a film removable from the upper surface of the tape, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape comprising a plurality of films removable from the upper surface of the tape, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape comprising a plurality of partially-transparent films removable from the upper surface of the tape, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape comprising one strip provided with one slot, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 7a shows an example of a tape in accordance with the present invention and figure 7b is a cross sectional view of the tape of figure 7a applied to the junction between a floor/ceiling and wall.

Description of embodiments

In the Figures, elements labelled with reference numerals found in the preceding Figures represent the same elements as described for the respective preceding Figure. For example, feature 118 in Figure 2 corresponds to the same feature 118 as described with reference to Figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tape 100 comprises strips 102, 104 and 106, which can be wrapped along a seam or around a joint. The strips (102, 104 and 106) are spaced at regular pre-determined intervals 108 across the width 110 of the tape 100. When in use, the length of the tape required to fully cover a seam or joint with a particular dimensions can be easily calculated. In an example, a pipe has a diameter of 114mm applied with a 50mm-thick layer of insulation. The total diameter of the pipe together with the applied insulation is 214mm given by 114mm + 2 x 50mm. The full circumference of the pipe and, therefore, the length of the tape required, is 672.38mm, given by 214mm x 3.142 (wherein 3.142 is the approximation for the constant pi). In this example, the strips (102, 104 and 106) of the tape 100 are spaced every 250mm. Dividing the circumference of the pipe by 250mm gives 2.689 and, therefore, three strips of the tape 100 are sufficient to cover the pipe with the length of 672.38mm.

With reference to Figure 1, a slot or channel is provided to each respective strip of the tape 100. For example, slots or channels 112, 114 and 116 are provided to the strips 102, 104 and 106, respectively. The slot or channel clearly and conveniently defines a space to guide the application of a coating thereto, allowing a neat and even finish of the applied coating. The coating may be a sealant (e.g. a silicon sealant or mastic) or paint. According to another embodiment of the present invention (not shown), the tape may comprise a strip to which a plurality of slots or channels are provided.

In more detail, the width 110 of the tape 100 is dependent upon the width of a sealant bead or paint bead required for sealing or painting a seam or joint. In one example, a 3mm bead requires a tape 12mm wide. In the following examples, a 6mm bead requires a tape 20mm wide, a 9 mm bead requires a tape 30mm wide and a 12mm bead requires a tape 36mm to 40mm wide. In another example, the required width of a sealant bead or paint bead determines the width of the slot or channel of the tape. The tape 100 is made from paper thicker than that which is normally used for masking tapes. In this example, the tape 100 has a thickness greater than 0.15mm. Furthermore, the tape 100 can be in different colours.

The tape 100 contains alignment marks 118 such as cross hairs on the front surface of the tape 100. In this example, the centre of the alignment marks 118 aligns to the centre of the slot (112, 114 or 116), so that when wrapping the strip (102, 104 or 106) along a seam, by aligning the alignment marks 118 against the seam, an even amount of space along the seam can be identified by the slot.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 2, a tape 200 comprises strips 210 and 212, wherein the strips are connected together along common edges 202 and 203 across the width of the tape 200. In this example, the common edges (202 and 203) are perforated, allowing the strips to be cut or torn off the tape with ease.

With reference to Figure 2, a slot 208 provided for the strip 210 and a slot 209 provided for the strip 212 are cut-out slots, which are oriented longitudinally along the tape 200. In this example, the cut-out slots 208 and 209 are located in the centre of the strips 210 and 212, respectively. For example, the distance between one end of the slot 209 and its nearest perforated common edge 202, indicated by 214, is 25mm, which is the same for the distance between the other end of the slot 209 and its nearest perforated common edge 203, indicated by 215. According to another embodiment of the present invention (not shown), the slots are located off-centre in the respective strips of the tape.

When applying a strip of the tape 200, for example the strip 210, to seal a seam 220, users are able to observe the seam 220 through the cut-out slot 208 of the strip 210 and align the longitudinal axis of the cut-out slot 208 against the longitudinal axis of the seam 220 so that an even amount of space is defined at each side of the seam 220 to avoid leaving gaps. This makes coating a seam or joint more accurate and efficient.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 3, a tape 300 comprises strips 308 and 310 and a removable film 302. Removal of the film 302 from the front surface of the tape 300 exposes at least a portion of slots 304 and 306 provided to the respective strips 308 and 310. In this example, the width of the film 302 is wider than the width of the slots 304 or 306. According to another embodiment of the present invention (not shown), the width of the film is configured to fit the width of the slots of the tape.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 4, the tape 400 comprises strips 410 and 412 and a plurality of films 402 and 404. Removal of the films 402 and 404 from the front surface of the tape 400 exposes at least a portion of slots 406 and 408 provided to the respective strips 410 and 412. In this example, the films 402 and 404 are configured to fit the width of the tape 400. The tape 400 comprises an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the tape facing a seam or joint. The tape according to another embodiment (not shown) comprises one or more films disposed on the adhesive layer such that removal of the one or more films exposes adhesive agents disposed on the adhesive layer and at least a portion of the slots.

An example of use of the tape 400 for sealing a seam involves cutting off, or tearing from, the tape one or more strips required to fully cover the length of the seam, aligning the strips against the seam guided by the alignment marks 118, wrapping the strips along the seam, removing the films to expose the slots provided to the strips, and applying a sealant to the space defined by the slots.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5, the tape 500 comprises strips 510 and 512 and a plurality of films 502 and 504. Removal of the films 502 and 504 from the front surface of the tape 500 exposes at least a portion of slots 506 and 508 provided to the respective strips 510 and 512. In this example, the films 502 and 504 of the tape 500 are at least partially transparent so that outlines of the slots (506 and 508) can be seen through the films. An example of use of the tape 500 for sealing a seam involves cutting off, or tearing from, the tape 500 one or more strips required to fully cover the length of the seam, aligning the strips against the seam guided by the slots which are visible through the partially-transparent films, wrapping the strips along the seam, removing the films to expose the slots provided to the strips, and applying a sealant to the space defined by the slots.

In another example of use of the tape 500 for sealing a seam involves cutting off, or tearing from, the tape 500 one or more strips required to fully cover the length of the seam, removing the films to expose the slots provided to the strips, aligning the strips against the seam guided by the slots, wrapping the strips along the seam, and applying a sealant to the space defined by the slots.

Figure 6 illustrates, in schematic form, a tape 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tape 600 comprises one strip 602 provided with one slot or channel 604. The tape 600 contains length marks 606 at regular intervals across the length of the tape 600 (e.g. 100mm), which provide indications of the length of the tape without using a rule. In an example, the tape 600 has an adhesive backing.

Figure 6 a shows a section of tape 700. Figure 7b shows the section of tape folded at 900 to allow a sealant to be applied to seal a wall 702 at the junction with a ceiling or floor 704.

Improvements and modifications may be incorporated herein without deviating from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A tape comprising one or more strips for use in relation to a seam or joint, wherein the one or more strips are provided with slots configured to guide the application of a coating thereto.
2. The tape of claim 1, wherein the slots are cut-out slots oriented longitudinally along the tape.
3. The tape of claim 1, comprising alignment marks which allow longitudinal axes of the slots to be aligned against the seam or joint so as to apply the coating evenly along the seam and joint.
4. The tape of claim 1, comprising one or more films removable from the upper surface of the tape, wherein removal of the one or more films exposes at least a portion of the slots.
5. The tape of claim 1, comprising an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the tape facing the seam or joint.
6. The tape of claim 5, comprising one or more films disposed on the adhesive layer such that removal of the one or more films exposes at least a portion of the slots.
7. The tape of claims 4 or 6, wherein the one or more films are at least partially transparent.
8. The tape of claim 1, comprising length marks which provide indications of the length of the tape without using a rule.
9. The tape of claim 1, wherein the strips are spaced at regular pre-determined intervals.
10. The tape of claim 9, wherein the strips are connected together along common edges across the width of the tape.
11. The tape of claim 10, wherein the common edges are perforated.
12. The tape of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises sealants and paints.
13. The tape of claim 1, the tape is made from paper.
14 The tape of claim 1, the tape has an adhesive backing.The tape of claim 1, the tape has a thickness greater than 0.15mm.