Patent Application
20090007737
The present invention relates to a label removal device and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to the removal of keepsake labels from the surface of bottles and/or other cylindrical surfaces.
Wine and other labels are collected as mementos of special events, used in wine journals, tasting notes, used for decoration, collected as objects of art, and saved as a future reference for label information (e.g. vineyard, vintage, region, grape).
Sommeliers (wine stewards), wine enthusiasts, wine cellar owners, and households that enjoy wine and wine label collecting have an interest in removing (e.g., from wine bottles) labels while maintaining the condition and integrity of the label. A wine steward may want to peel and remove a label from a bottle of wine consumed by restaurant patrons, and then provide the label to the patrons as a keepsake of the occasion. A wine cellar owner may keep a “cellar book” which includes labels and tasting notes for reference of cellar inventory. Enthusiasts and oenophiles may collect labels in a wine journal to record tasting notes, food pairings and pricing/vendor information. Others may want to remove labels of a favorite wine, so they can show to a wine merchant to order more. Thus there is a need for a device and method of easily removing a label, such as that from a wine bottle, while maintaining the condition and integrity of the label.
Currently, there are known methods of keepsake bottle label removal. However, they all have substantial drawbacks with regard to ease of use and maintaining the integrity of the label. One method of label removal involves soaking a bottle in water or soapy water to loosen adhesive label backing, then manually peeling or sliding the label from bottle (by hand without an implement). Or alternatively, a standard straight blade is used to scrape and thus remove the well-soaked label from the bottle. However, over-soaking can cause labels to warp, lose integrity and degrade or deteriorate. Soaking is neither an effective nor an efficient means of removal for many types of labels, as the adhesive on many labels fail to release and/or the label tears during the manual removal process. Likewise, free-hand, manual use of a standard straight blade (razor blade) to remove labels can be tedious, hard to manage without damaging the label and even dangerous.
Another alternative but lesser-known method of wine label removal includes the use of solvents (e.g. rubber cement remover) to dissolve and/or loosen the glue or adhesive backing. Solvents can damage paper labels, and can pose a health risk when used in a manner which exceeds maximum exposure limits.
Another method of wine label removal involves the application and removal of a clear one-sided self-adhesive sheet (e.g. Wine Appeal, Label-off™). The single use sheet is designed to adhere to the label surface and tear the label from its backing upon removal, thereby separating the printed surface of the label from the label backing and adhesive. However, this method often results in torn or distressed labels and/or undesirable wrinkles in the clear adhesive laminate. Thus, it is an objective of the invention to provide a device and method of easily removing a label, such as that from a wine bottle, while maintaining the condition and integrity of the label.
The present invention provides a device for removing a layer (e.g., label, veneer) along a substantially cylindrical surface of an object. The device includes a guide, a cutting instrument, and a base that connects the guide and the cutting instrument. The guide and the cutting instrument are separated by a distance that is defined by the base, wherein the cutting instrument is positioned to shave along the object's surface to remove the layer, when the substantially cylindrical surface of the object is rotated against the cutting instrument and against the guide. In one aspect of the invention the guide is substantially cylindrical in shape and is a spring form that provides spring action against the objects substantially cylindrical surface when the object is rotated with respect to the cutting instrument. The device may be a unitary structure including the guide, the base, and the cutting instrument. The cutting instrument may extend approximately perpendicularly to the base and the guide and the cutting instrument are preferably substantially parallel to one another and positioned on a same side of the base, and are at opposite ends with respect to one another. The cutting instrument preferably includes a blade, which may be removable, and may further include a blade guard and/or a safety guard.
In another embodiment the present invention provides a device for shaving along a surface of an object having a substantially cylindrical surface and a layer. The device includes a cutting instrument, a guide, and a base where the base connects the guide and the cutting instrument. In an aspect of the invention the object is received by the cutting instrument and the guide such that shaving is along the surface of the object under the layer when the object is rotated with respect to the cutting instrument. In one aspect of the invention the guide is substantially cylindrical in shape and is a spring form that provides spring action against the objects substantially cylindrical surface when the object is rotated with respect to the cutting instrument. The device may be a unitary structure including the guide, the base, and the cutting instrument. The cutting instrument may extend approximately perpendicularly to the base and the guide and the cutting instrument are preferably substantially parallel to one another and positioned on a same side of the base, and are at opposite ends with respect to one another. The cutting instrument preferably includes a blade, which may be removable, and may further include a blade guard and/or a safety guard.
The invention further provides a method of removing a layer along a substantially cylindrical surface of an object. The method includes, positioning an object in a device having a cutting instrument and a guide, where the cutting instrument and the guide both support the object, and where the cutting instrument is positioned to shave along the surface to remove the layer when the object is rotated; and rotating the object so the cutting instrument shaves under the layer to remove the layer. The method may further include heating and/or wetting the layer on the object prior to rotating the object so the cutting instrument shaves under the layer to remove the layer.
These and other features of this disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that depict various embodiments of the disclosure, in which:
a-b are example embodiments of a blade guard for a device for removing a label along a cylindrical surface of an object.
a-b are example embodiments of a replaceable blade for a device for removing a label along a cylindrical surface of an object.
a-c are example embodiments of a safety guard for a device for removing a label along a cylindrical surface of an object.
It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements between the drawings.
Device 100 may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to stainless steel or plastic. Layer 160 may include, but is not limited to a label (e.g., a wine bottle label) or veneer that is attached or adhered to the outer surface of object 150. Object 150 may include but is not limited to a bottle or container with a substantially cylindrical surface. Object 150 may be any number of bottles or containers having a substantially cylindrical surface, in one example object 150 includes a wine bottle. Guide 110 in one embodiment is a substantially cylindrical cylinder, such cylinder may be a fully closed cylinder or partially open. It should be appreciated that guide 110 may take the form of other geometric shapes, such as triangular or wedge shape, or any other suitable shape that facilitates the removal of layer 160 from object 150. Base 120 is substantially planer, has a top side and a bottom side and connects guide 110 and cutting instrument 130. Cutting instrument 130 is substantially perpendicular to base 120. Guide 110 and cutting instrument 130 are positioned on the top side of base 120 and at opposite ends to one another, as shown in
In one embodiment device 100 includes a blade guard 405 as shown in
In another embodiment blade 135 of device 100 is replaceable, as shown in
a-c illustrate another embodiment of device 100 where cutting instrument 130 further includes a safety guard 605 that is positioned to prevent a user's hand(s) from contacting the edge of blade 135 while still leaving the edge of blade 135 exposed. Safety guard 605 is a non-flexible fender attached to blade 135 adjacent to and above the edge of blade 135, and positioned and shaped so that it does not interfere with the rotation of object 150 when it is forced against blade 135 of cutting instrument 130 and guide 110 of device 100.
Step 710 positioning an object in a device having a cutting instrument and a guide, wherein the cutting instrument and the guide both support the object, wherein the cutting instrument is positioned to shave along the surface to remove the layer when the object is rotated.
In Step 710 a user positions object 150 on guide 110 and cutting instrument 130 of device 100, so that the cylindrical surface of object 150 is positioned between, and supported by, guide 110 and cutting instrument 130. The user positions layer 160 in alignment with blade 135. The user then causes a downward force to be applied to object 150. The downward force pushes object 150 against guide 110 so that object 150 is forced against guide 110 and cutting instrument 130. The downward force further causes guide 110 to act as a spring form, and cutting instrument 130 to flex so that blade 135 is spring loaded against the cylindrical surface of object 150.
Step 720 rotating the object so the cutting instrument shaves under the layer to remove the layer.
In Step 720 a user causes object 150 to be rotated about its axis while applying a downward force. The edge of blade 135 shaves along the substantially cylindrical surface of object 150 while guide 110 acts as a guide and a spring form to spring load object 150 against blade 130 thus causing layer 160 to be removed as object 150 is rotated.
Prior to step 720 a user may first heat and/or wet layer 160 and/or heating blade 135, to facilitate easier removal. Heating and/or wetting of layer 160 and/or heating blade 135 can be accomplished by any suitable means that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such heating and/or wetting of layer 160 may include, for example, applying warm water directly to layer 160, placing object 150 with layer 160 still attached in a warm water bath, placing object 150 with layer 160 still attached in a microwave other heating device. Heating blade 135 may include, for example, applying heat directly to blade 135 using a heating source such as a lighter, match, integrated heating element, etc. In such an embodiment cutting instrument 130 may include a heat sink to prevent the other portions of device 100, besides blade 135, from excessive heating.
The foregoing description of various aspects of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims.
This application claims the benefit of, and expressly incorporates herein by reference, the entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/948,478, entitled Bottle Label Removal Apparatus and Associated Method, filed Jul. 8, 2007.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60948478 | Jul 2007 | US |
