Non-Twist Tape Package and Method of Non-Twist Unwinding of Tape

Abstract

A tape package comprises a coreless body formed from a plurality of spirally wound layers of tape that define the package body with an outer diameter and a traverse length. The spirally wound layers of tape extend axially along the traverse length of the package body and include a number of spiral windings of tape in each layer. The package body permits lengths of tape to unwind from along its interior and to pay-off laterally through an egress area or opening in a sidewall of the package body with little residual twist. In one configuration, the package body has the same given number of spiral windings of tape along each side of the egress area or opening. Any twisting occurring along a length of tape unwinding from along the package body interior in a first direction on one side of the egress area or opening is accommodated or substantially reduced by any twisting occurring along the length of tape unwinding in a reverse direction on the other or opposite side of the egress area or opening. Alternate directions of unwinding tape on each side of the egress area or opening permits tape to pay-off laterally with little residual twist.

1 . A traverse non-twist tape package comprising:
 a coreless body formed from a plurality of spirally wound layers of tape that define an outer diameter and a traverse length of the package body;   the plurality of spirally wound layers of tape extending axially along the traverse length of the package body and including multiple spiral windings of tape; and   the multiple spiral windings of tape including the same number of spiral windings of tape disposed on each side of an egress area or opening defined along a sidewall of the package body,   wherein spiral windings of tape unwind from along an inner surface of the coreless body defining a cavity, such that, successive spiral windings of tape unwind from along the inner surface on one side of the egress area or opening in a first direction and other successive spiral windings of tape unwind from along the inner surface on an opposite side of the egress area or opening in a reverse direction relative to the first direction so that little or no residual twist occurs along a length of unwound tape.   
     
     
         2 . A tape package comprising:
 a coreless body formed from a plurality of spirally wound layers of tape that define an outer diameter and a traverse length of the package body;   the plurality of spirally wound layers of tape extending axially along the traverse length of the package body and including multiple spiral windings of tape; and   the multiple spiral windings of tape including a first given number of spiral windings of tape disposed on one side of an egress area or opening defined along a sidewall of the package body and a second given number of spiral windings of tape disposed on an opposite side of the egress area or opening, the first given number of spiral windings of tape being different from the second given number of spiral windings of tape,   wherein spiral windings of tape unwind from along an inner surface of the coreless body defining a cavity, such that, the first given number of spiral windings unwinds from along the inner surface on one side of the egress area or opening in a first direction and the second given number of spiral windings of tape unwind from along the inner surface an opposite side of the egress area or opening in a reverse direction relative to the first direction so that a given amount of residual twist occurs along a length of unwound tape.