SOLUBLE MARKING TAPE

Abstract

Various marking apparatuses are provided that incorporate a soluble component and a marking component. The soluble component dissolves in the presence of a solute and the marking component is left as a residue that can be used, for example, to designate a boundary for a recreational activity. In one example, the marking apparatus may be a marking tape that can be utilized to apply a temporary mark on a surface. The marking tape can be affixed to the surface by, for example, inserting a stake through one or more apertures of the marking tape. The user may also utilize measurement guides provided on the marking tape to accurately measure distances without the use of extra equipment. When exposed to a solute such as water, the soluble component of the marking tape dissolves and leaves behind the marking component. Both the soluble component and the marking component may be biodegradable and the marking tape may require little to no upkeep after deployment.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/406,149, filed Oct. 10, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

This specification relates generally to boundary markers. More particularly, the disclosure pertains to a tape having a marking agent adhered to or mixed with a soluble material.

Boundary markers are used to temporarily or semi-permanently delineate a region. Such markers are commonly used to set boundaries for sporting events such as a flag football field in a park or badminton in a backyard. Boundary markers can also be used to mark out territory, designate temporary parking spaces, or guide vehicular or pedestrian traffic. However, current marking solutions are typically expensive and not cost-effective for non-commercial use, create adverse environmental effects, are ill-suited for nonconventional environments, are unreliable when exposed to weather in the short or long term, are time consuming to remove, and/or are unsafe for use by children.

Using current solutions to create boundaries, such as a tennis court, leads to difficulties in orienting the boundaries or maintaining the orientation of the boundaries throughout the course of the activity. Furthermore, consistent measurements are difficult to make unless an additional measurement device is used. Also, current solutions may be non-ideal for irregular surfaces like grass and would need to be removed when the grass needs to be mowed. Some current solutions can introduce unsafe chemicals and create a safety risk and/or an environmental hazard. Furthermore, some current solutions can be dangerous to plant life, especially if used to create boundaries for sports activities in a consumer's backyard. Overall, application of the above solutions usually requires further devices such as a roller or other machine to ensure uniform application.

Thus there exists a need for an inexpensive boundary marking solutions that is cost effective for backyard or amateur sports enthusiasts, provides a lasting and reliable mark, is biodegradable, and is safe for use by children.

SUMMARY

Various marking apparatuses are disclosed herein that comprise a soluble component and a marking component. In one aspect, a marking apparatus comprises a soluble layer adapted to dissolve when exposed to a solvent. The soluble layer is coupled to a marking layer, which is left as a residue when the soluble layer dissolves. The marking layer residue may be used, for example, to temporarily mark the boundary for a recreational sport.

In some aspects, the marking apparatus comprises a tape comprising a soluble layer and a marking layer of uniform widths. The tape may be rolled into a spool and unrolled when the tape is applied to a surface. Additionally, the tape may comprise markings at predetermined lengths, which may allow a user to measure the length of tape being applied.

In another aspect, the marking apparatus comprises one or more sheets having predetermined shapes adapted for a specific application, such as a sport, activity, or event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a structure of an exemplary marking tape comprising a soluble layer coupled to a marking layer.

FIG. 1B shows a tape structure as in FIG. 1A additionally comprising a second soluble layer to facilitate rolling the tape.

FIG. 2 shows a process of dissolving a soluble layer of an exemplary marking tape, leaving behind only a marking layer.

FIG. 3 shows a sports activity in which the boundary is being marked by an exemplary marking tape.

FIG. 4 shows a sports activity having a boundary marked by an exemplary marking tape.

FIG. 5 shows a sports activity having a boundary created by the marking layer of an exemplary marking tape after the marking tape is exposed to a solvent.

FIG. 6A shows a top view of an exemplary marking tape having measuring guides, mounting holes, and perforations.

FIG. 6B shows a lateral view of an exemplary marking tape comprising pegs for fixing the tape to a surface of any kind.

FIGS. 6C-D show an exemplary marking tape perforated longitudinally.

FIG. 7A shows an exemplary marking tape having a square configuration.

FIG. 7B shows an exemplary marking tape having a diamond configuration.

FIG. 8A shows a configuration of an exemplary marking tape in which multiple portions of marking tape overlap to create a shape.

FIG. 8B shows a configuration of an exemplary marking tape in which multiple portions of marking tape overlap to create a boundary for a sports activity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various marking tapes are disclosed herein that comprise one or more soluble layers and a marking agent. The marking agent may comprise a separate layer adhered to the one or more soluble layers or may be suspended within the one or more soluble layers. Upon exposure to a solvent, e.g. water or any other fluid or that may dissolve the soluble layer(s), the soluble layer dissolves and the marking agent is left intact. Alternately or in addition, the soluble layer(s) may dissolve or melt when exposed to heat. When the soluble layer(s) are dissolved, the marking agent may remain as a temporary or semi-permanent residue or stain. The marking agent may also dissolve or be otherwise biodegradable. Throughout the life of the marking tape and its constituents, the marking tape may be used to measure and delineate a boundary or create a message or graphic on a surface.

In general, the soluble layer provides support to the marking layer. The soluble layer may ease deployment of the marking, provide indicators for user reference (e.g., measurement) or user interaction (perforation), and reduce or eliminate the amount of user effort needed to clean up the marking layer.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a tape structure of an exemplary marking tape 100 is shown. In one embodiment, the marking tape 100 comprises a soluble layer 110 and a marking layer 120. In one embodiment, the soluble layer 110 may dissolve upon contact with any kind of solvent, but preferably when in contact with water. For example, a water soluble and biodegradable soluble layer may be made of cellulose fibers that dissolve in the presence of water or may be used as a carbon source for composting. Additionally or alternatively, the soluble layer 110 may dissolve when exposed to heat (e.g. from sunlight or a heat lamp). The soluble layer 110 is coupled to the marking layer 120. The marking layer 120 may constitute any kind of marking agent and may be paint-based, starch-based, mineral-based, ink-based, dye-based or be made of any material and any color and that may be left as a residue when the soluble layer 110 dissolves. For example, the marking agent may be a mineral-based agent made of talcum powder or limestone and may leave a distinguishable mark.

Though the marking layer 120 is shown as a separate layer from the soluble layer 110 in FIG. 1A, the marking agent of the marking layer 120 may alternately be suspended or mixed in with the soluble layer 110 to create a singular layer comprising a marking component and a soluble component. The marking component remains for a period of time after the soluble component dissolves. This period of time may change based on the concentration of the marking agent in the marking layer 120.

In another embodiment, the marking tape 100 may comprise a soluble layer 110 having a plurality of seeds adhered to it such that when the soluble layer 110 dissolves, the seeds may be sown and when watered, may grow and create a natural boundary. The seeds may be seeds for any plant, such as grasses, vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit trees, etc. This embodiment may be used to quickly and easily deploy plants in a particular location. For example, a series of flower beds or vegetable patches may be sown using the marking tape 100. Marking tapes of different seeds may be used to create customized gardens according to the user's wishes.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the tape structure of FIG. 1A is shown additionally comprising a third layer to facilitate rolling the tape. In one embodiment, the third layer 130 may be coupled to the marking layer 120. The purpose of the third layer 130 may be to prevent adhesion or interference between the top of the soluble layer 110 as shown and the bottom of the marking layer 120 as shown. In another embodiment, the third layer 130 may be an additional soluble layer. In another embodiment, the third layer 130 may be a strip of paper. In yet another embodiment, the third layer 130 may remain after the soluble layer 110 dissolves and may allow the marking tape 100 to be rewound and the marking tape 100 to be reusable after reapplying the soluble layer 110. In another embodiment, the marking layer 120 and the third layer 130 may be combined and may comprise a porous membrane to which is applied a marking agent. The marking agent may be viewable with the naked eyes or at least distinguishable from its surroundings after the soluble layer 110 dissolves. The third layer 130 may be positioned in any composition with the soluble layer 110 and the marking layer 120

Referring to FIG. 2, a process of dissolving a marking tape 200 is shown. When exposed to a solvent 250, the soluble layer 210 of the marking tape 200 may dissolve, leaving behind the marking layer 220 as a residue. The solvent 250 may be any solvent that may dissolve the soluble layer 210. The solvent 250 may be polar (such as water or acetone) or non-polar (such as any oil or hydrocarbon). The solvent 250 is preferably water, since the marking tape 200 may be more than likely exposed to water vapor or rainfall. In the case that the solvent 250 is a substance other than water, the soluble layer 210 may constitute one or more solutes that dissolve easily when exposed to the solvent 250. However, a water soluble, biodegradable solute is preferred in order to improve the safety of the marking tape 200 and reduce the carbon footprint of the marking tape 200.

Referring to FIG. 3, a sports activity 360 in which the boundary 362 is being marked by a marking tape 300 is shown. The boundary 362 for the sports activity 360 may be created using the marking tape 300, by positioning either the soluble layer or the marking layer of the marking tape 300 against the surface. The sports activity 360 may be badminton, volleyball, football, soccer, tennis, ultimate frisbee, or any other sports activity, especially in which the rules of the sports activity require or recommend a boundary to facilitate a determination of whether a score should be attributed to one team or the other.

As described in the embodiments herein, sports boundaries represent one of many applications in which the marking tape 300 may be used. As such, the use of marking tape 300 to delineate a sports boundary should be interpreted in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. In another embodiment, the boundary 362 may mark the edge of a flower bed or may constitute the required squares for playing hopscotch. Thus, the boundary 362 may be any marking for any area, activity, or event and thus all such applications are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein. Beyond mere boundaries, the marking tape 300 may be used to create temporary parking space, road markers, crime scene markers, or any other application where a distinct marking is desired.

The marking tape 300 may be wound into a roll that may be unrolled and placed along any regular or irregular surface. As such, the surface may comprise grass, turf, concrete, asphalt, clay, anywhere a boundary 362 is to be placed, or any surface on which the marking layer 220 (or marking agent) may leave a visible stain, residue, or marking. Though the tape may preferably be placed on a regular, flat surface, it may be applied to any surface and the marking layer 220 may leave a residue that is noticeable even on irregular surfaces such as grass.

In one embodiment, the marking tape 300 may be used in a user's backyard to create a boundary for a variety of backyard sports. Referring to FIG. 4, a sports activity 460 where the boundary 462 is marked by the marking tape 400. In one embodiment, the marking tape 400 itself can be used to mark a boundary and may be rewound and reused at a later time. As such, the marking tape 400 may be used for a one-time sports activity where the boundary 462 is desired for a short term.

Referring to FIG. 5, a sports activity 560 having a boundary 562 created by a marking layer 520 of a marking tape is shown after the marking tape is exposed to a solvent 550. In one embodiment, the marking tape may be used to mark the boundary 562 and is left in place until the soluble layer of the marking tape dissolves and the marking layer 520 is left as a residue that constitutes the boundary 562. In one embodiment, the solvent 550 may be precipitation or condensation. In another embodiment, heat radiation from the sun or any heat-producing object or device may cause the soluble layer of the marking tape to dissolve. When left as a residue, the marking layer 520 creates a boundary for a longer term than the marking tape 400, which may be ideal when the sports activity 560 is a regular activity, such as backyard sports or intramural sports.

Referring to FIG. 6A, a top view of a marking tape 600 having a number of marking, including but not limited to measuring guides 602, mounting holes 604, and perforations 606. In one embodiment, the marking tape 600 may comprise one or more features that provide a means for measuring out the marking tape, fixing the marking tape to a surface, and/or perforating the tape.

In one embodiment, the marking tape 600 comprises measuring guides 602, allowing a user of the marking tape 600 to measure out a length of the marking tape 600 to be used as the boundary. The distance between measuring guides 602 may be a defined length 608. As such, the measuring guides 602 may aid in ensuring that the boundary complies with any applicable rules and/or regulations of the sports activity. The measuring guides 602 may include imperial and/or metric measurements and may be etched onto the soluble layer 610. Alternately or in addition to the previous embodiment, the measuring guides 602 may comprise any means for quantitatively marking distances on the marking tape 600. For example, the measuring guides 602 may comprise dots, tally marks, roman numerals, or any other shapes or symbols that can inherently or collectively represent numbers. Alternately or in addition to the previous embodiment, the measuring guides 602 may constitute portions of the marking layer (not shown in FIG. 6A) that do not comprise any marking agent. As such, when the soluble layer 610 dissolves and the marking layer is left as a residue, the measuring guides may be left as empty regions (i.e. where there is no marking agent) that can still be read by a user of the marking tape 600.

In another embodiment, the marking layer may be applied to the soluble layer 610 as a predetermined pattern such that when the soluble layer 610 dissolves, the predetermined pattern is left as a residue or stain. For example, the marking layer may exist as a zig-zag pattern applied to the soluble layer 610. In another embodiment, the marking layer may be applied intermittently to create e.g. a dashed line. Other designs or patterns may be achieved by modifying the application of the marking layer to the soluble layer and are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein. As such, the marking tape 600 may be used anywhere a specific type of marker may be needed.

In one embodiment, the marking tape 600 comprises mounting holes 604 in which an object (such as a pole or mounting peg) may be inserted to fix the marking tape 600 in one position. As such, multiple mounting holes 604 may be overlapped to fix the marking tape 600 in any number of unique configurations for any activity or application.

Referring to FIG. 6B, a lateral view of the marking tape 600 is shown comprising pegs 609 for fixing the marking tape 600 to a surface of any kind. To fix the marking tape 600 to a surface, the pegs 609 may be inserted through the mounting holes 604 and may puncture a surface (such as grass, dirt, turf, etc.) to maintain the position of the marking tape 600. The top of the pegs 609 may be substantially flat in order to prevent injury in case one or more pegs 609 are stepped on.

In one embodiment, the pegs 609 may be made of a biodegradable material, such as cellulose fibers. In another embodiment, the pegs 609 may be made of plastic, metal, or any other reusable material. When deployed to fix the marking tape 600, the pegs 609 may remain after the soluble layer 610 dissolves and the pegs 609 may be removed from the surface to be reused. Any other type of fixing means may be used to maintain the position of the marking tape 600 such as a stake or a pole. For example, the mounting holes 604 may be large enough to accommodate any pole used in a sports activity.

In another embodiment, the pegs 609 may be made of a solid structure comprising seeds that dissolve over time when in contact with water. For example, the pegs 609 may be a hardened structure made of grass seed and when dissolved using water or other aqueous solvent, may replenish grass wherever the pegs 609 are placed. This may be preferable in case the pegs 609 cause some damage to grass in the area where the pegs 609 are fixed. Alternately, the pegs 609 may be made of any type and number of seeds. Alternately, the pegs 609 may comprise bird seed and may thus be removed over time by feeding birds as the pegs 609 deteriorate.

In another embodiment, the pegs 609 themselves may comprise a marking agent. In this embodiment, the marking tape 600 may comprise only the soluble layer 610. When the soluble layer 610 dissolves, the marking agent of the pegs 609 may remain as a distinguishable marker. This may be preferable to incorporating a marking layer due to the reduced cost of manufacturing and/or due to the high degree of configurability by the user of the marking tape (i.e. the user may choose where the pegs 609 and thus, the markers get left behind after the soluble layer 610 dissolves). In another embodiment, the pegs 609 with marking agent may be used in addition to a marking layer in order to provide an added layer of redundancy and provide for a longer-term boundary in case either the marking agent of the pegs 609 or the marking agent of the marking layer outlast each other.

In one embodiment, the marking tape 600 comprises one or more perforations. The perforations may be lateral perforations 606A (along the width of the marking tape 600) or longitudinal perforations 606B (along the length of the marking tape 600). The lateral perforations 606A may be wherever the measuring guides 602 are, allowing a user to perforate the marking tape 600 to create portions of the marking tape 600 of a defined length (one or more units of defined length 608). In another embodiment, the perforations may be diagonal or at any other angle that may be preferable for any specific application.

Referring to FIGS. 6C-D, a marking tape 600 perforated across a longitudinal perforation 606B is shown. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6C, the marking tape 600 may be perforated along the longitudinal perforation 606B such that unjoined ends may be used to tie around a pole 670. The pole 670 may instead be a stake or any other fixed object. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6D, the marking tape 600 may be perforated along the longitudinal perforation 606B such that the marking tape 600 may be used to position a pole 670 between the two sides of the marking tape 600. As such, the marking tape 600 may be pulled along its length to reposition the marking tape 600 longitudinally without having to remove any pegs 609 that may be used to fix the position of the marking tape 600.

The marking tape may be expanded to marking sheets of any shape and/or size. Referring to FIGS. 7A-B, a marking sheet 700A may be square-shaped and may comprise mounting holes 702A at the corners of the marking sheet 700A. For example, marking sheet 700A may be used as a baseball base. Another example may be marking sheet 700B which is diamond-shaped, which is preferable for use as a baseball diamond. Different shapes, sizes, form factors, number and placement of mounting holes, number and placement of perforations, number and type of measuring guides may be used and may thus be within the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein.

Referring to FIG. 8A, a configuration of a marking tape 800 in which multiple portions 803 of the marking tape 800 overlap to create a shape 870 is shown. The marking tape 800 may be perforated along lateral perforations to create a plurality of portions of marking tape 800. The mounting holes 804 of the plurality of portions of marking tape 800 may overlap. Once overlapped, one or more pegs (not shown in FIG. 8A) may be inserted into the mounting holes 804 to maintain the shape 870 of the plurality of portions of marking tape 800.

Referring to FIG. 8B, a configuration of a marking tape 800 in which multiple portions of marking tape 800 overlap to create a boundary 880 for a sports activity or any other reason. The marking tape 800 may be perforated along perforations to create a plurality of differently-sized portions of marking tape 800. Once the mounting holes 804 are overlapped, one or more pegs (not shown in FIG. 8B) may be extended through the overlapped mounting holes 804 to pierce the surface below and maintain the portions of marking tape 800 to ensure that the boundary 880 creates a suitable court for badminton, tennis, volleyball, or any other boundary. Furthermore, the net 890 may be held in place on either side by two poles, each pole of which may be inserted through a mounting hole 804. As such, the boundary 880 can be oriented correctly.

In one embodiment, a marking kit may comprise one or more predefined lengths of marking tape. The marking kit may be specifically configured to allow a user to mark a boundary for a particular event, activity, or marking application. For example, a baseball marking kit may comprise a plurality of marking sheets for the bases, the diamond, and the pitcher's mound as well as marking tape of a predefined length for connecting the above to create a regulation baseball field.

In another embodiment, a birthday marking kit may comprise a plurality of marking sheets leaving behind specific messages (e.g. Happy Birthday!). In addition, the birthday marking kit may comprise one or more sets of marking sheets that may leave behind specific alphanumeric characters, allowing a user to leave behind a custom message on a surface. In another embodiment, the marking sheet may leave behind a graphic, such as a balloon or a cartoon character or any other type of graphic.

In yet another embodiment, an herb garden kit may comprise a variety of marking sheets for growing any number and type of herbs. Any other type of garden kit may also be provided for planting any number and type of seed-borne plant.

Specified marking kits may be vastly preferable to spending inordinate amounts of time and/or money preparing a field e.g. for a local sports league that regularly practices and holds matches or tournaments at a particular park. The marking kit may also be customized before purchase or the marking kit may comprise a wealth of marking sheets and tape for a variety of applications. Customized marking kits for applying a sports mascot or company logo to a surface may also be provided.

Various embodiments are described in this specification, with reference to the detailed discussed above, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “above,” “below,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the drawing(s) being described. Because components of the embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting.

The embodiments described and claimed herein and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the embodiments. The subject matter of this specification is not to be limited in scope by the specific examples, as these examples are intended as illustrations of several aspects of the embodiments. Any equivalent examples are intended to be within the scope of the specification. Indeed, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

All references including patents, patent applications and publications cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Claims

1. A marking apparatus comprising:

a soluble layer adapted to dissolve when exposed to a solvent; and

a marking layer adapted to be left as a residue when the soluble layer is dissolved.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marking layer is made of a marking agent adapted to leave a temporary mark.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the marking agent is selected from the group consisting of: paint-based agents, starch-based agents, mineral-based agents, ink-based agents, and dye-based agents.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mineral-based agent is made of talcum powder or limestone.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marking layer comprises a plurality of plant seeds adapted to be left as a residue when the soluble layer is dissolved.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the soluble layer is made of cellulose fibers.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1:

wherein the marking layer and the soluble layer are combined into a singular layer comprising a marking component and a soluble component,

wherein the soluble component dissolves when exposed to a solvent such as water,

wherein the marking component is left as a residue when the soluble component dissolves.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marking layer is adhered to the soluble layer.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the soluble layer and the marking layer are of equal width.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the soluble layer and the marking layer are adapted to be reversibly rolled up.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the soluble layer and marking layer comprise markings at predetermined lengths.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the markings are selected from the group consisting of: width-wise perforations in the soluble layer and the marking layer at predetermined lengths, measuring guides spaced at a predetermined length, and apertures superimposed at predetermined lengths.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the soluble layer and the marking layer comprise superimposed apertures through which a longitudinal member may be inserted to reversibly affix the soluble layer and the marking layer to a surface.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the soluble layer and the marking layer comprise a longitudinal perforation.

15. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the marking agent is biodegradable.

16. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the soluble layer and the marking layer are cut into one or more marking sheets comprising predetermined shapes.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the one or more marking sheets comprise predetermined shapes for a particular sport, activity, or event.