Granted Patent B2

US 8,034,184 · App. 11/780,666 · Granted Oct 11, 2011

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A method for controlling the flow of a fluid on a surface comprising:

providing a fluid absorbent tape, said tape comprising an absorbent material; a fluid permeable cover enclosing said absorbent material to form an elongated fluid absorbent tape in which the absorbent material is disposed between upper and lower portions of the fluid permeable cover; a separating structure formed in a transverse direction across said elongated fluid absorbent tape, said separating structure dividing said elongated tape into a first section of fluid absorbent tape and a second section of fluid absorbent tape, wherein said first section of fluid absorbent tape is separable from said second section of fluid absorbent tape along said separating structure;

separating a desired length of the first section of fluid absorbent tape from the second section at said separating structure;

placing said first section on the surface; and

contacting said first section with the fluid to be controlled,

whereby said absorbent material forms a physical barrier to the flow of the fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the separating structure defines an end of each of said first and second sections of said fluid absorbent tape, and at least one end of said first and second sections is closed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said absorbent material extends across said separating structure between said first section of said fluid absorbent tape and said second section of said fluid absorbent tape.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said separating structure is a plurality of perforations formed in cover.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a plurality of separating structure is formed in said fluid absorbent tape, said separating structure of said plurality of separating structure being formed across said width of said fluid absorbent tape and spaced along said length of said fluid absorbent tape to form a plurality of sections joined in an end to end relation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said separating structure is formed at regular intervals along said length of said tape.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said absorbent material is a super absorbent polymer.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said fluid permeable cover is formed from an elongated strip of fluid permeable material having longitudinal edges extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal fold line, wherein said strip is folded over said absorbent material about the longitudinal fold line, and said longitudinal edges of said strip are joined together.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said fluid absorbent tape is fixable to a surface.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the tape includes a fluid impermeable strip of material for protecting a surface adjacent to the tape such that the fluid does not flow onto said adjacent surface.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the fluid absorbent tape allows the fluid to contact the surface immediately under the fluid absorbent tape.

12. A method for controlling the flow of a fluid on a surface comprising:

providing a fluid absorbent tape having a fluid permeable cover and a plurality of sections divided by closed ends and joined in an end-to-end relation by separating structure formed in a transverse direction through the fluid absorbent tape to form an elongated tape, each of said sections including an absorbent material disposed between upper and lower portions of the fluid permeable cover;

separating a desired number of sections of said tape from the remaining sections of said tape along the separating structure;

placing said desired number of sections of said tape on the surface; and

contacting said desired number of sections of said tape with the fluid to be controlled,

whereby said absorbent material forms a physical barrier to the flow of the fluid.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said separating structure is a plurality of perforations formed in cover.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the separating structure is formed across said width of the fluid absorbent tape.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the absorbent material is a super absorbent polymer.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the fluid permeable cover is formed from an elongated strip of fluid permeable material having longitudinal edges extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal fold line, wherein said strip is folded over said absorbent material about the longitudinal fold line, and said longitudinal edges of said strip are joined together.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said fluid absorbent tape is fixable to a surface.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the tape includes a fluid impermeable strip of material for protecting a surface adjacent to the tape such that the fluid does not flow onto said adjacent surface.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the fluid absorbent tape allows the fluid to contact the surface immediately under the fluid absorbent tape.

20. A method for controlling the flow of a fluid on a surface comprising:

providing a fluid absorbent tape, said tape comprising an absorbent material; a fluid permeable cover enclosing said absorbent material to form an elongated fluid absorbent tape, the fluid permeable cover formed from an elongated strip of fluid permeable material having longitudinal edges extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal fold line, the elongated strip folded over said absorbent material about the longitudinal fold line and said longitudinal edges of said elongated strip joined together; a separating structure formed in a transverse direction across said elongated fluid absorbent tape, said separating structure dividing said elongated tape into a first section of fluid absorbent tape and a second section of fluid absorbent tape, wherein said first section of fluid absorbent tape is separable from said second section of fluid absorbent tape along said separating structure, the separating structure defining an end of each of the first and second sections of the fluid absorbent tape, and at least one end of the first and second sections being closed;

separating a desired length of the first section of fluid absorbent tape from the second section at said separating structure;

placing said first section on the surface; and

contacting said first section with the fluid to be controlled,

whereby said absorbent material forms a physical barrier to the flow of the fluid.

Assignments (15)