Information
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Patent Grant
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6471815
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Patent Number
6,471,815
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Date Filed
Wednesday, April 18, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, October 29, 200221 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 156 247
- 156 249
- 156 DIG 1
- 156 DIG 2
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A labeling and manufacturing method according to which labels are applied to a device utilizing temporary adhesive patches. The patch carrying the label is later removed from the device. The label is separated from the patch, the patch is discarded and the label is permanently attached to the device.
Description
BACKGROUND
This disclosure relates to a labeling and manufacturing method for applying labels to a device utilizing temporary adhesive patches in a build-to-order environment.
This application relates to U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,337, issued on Nov. 6, 2001, entitled Automated Consolidation Station, naming Lorne Marcum as inventor. The issued patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and is assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure.
In many manufacturing assembly lines, various labels must be applied to the device being manufactured and/or tested, especially in connection with electronic devices, such as computers.
However, because these labels often must be permanently applied to the device being manufactured at an early stage of manufacturing for identification purposes, and cannot be stored further down the assembly line, they are wasted when they are damaged or when the device fails, or is damaged, during the later stages of the manufacturing process. Because labels are relatively expensive, this can significantly increase the manufacturing costs.
Therefore, what is needed is a manufacturing method according to which a label is temporarily attached to the device being manufactured at an initial stage of the manufacturing process, and then is permanently attached at the end of the process. Thus, if the label is damaged, or if the device being manufactured fails or is damaged during the manufacturing process, the label can be used on another device.
SUMMARY
According to an embodiment, a label is temporarily attached to the device being manufactured at an early stage of the manufacturing process, and then is permanently attached at a later stage of the process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an isometric view of a manufacturing assembly line for computers according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2
is an enlarged view of a portion of one of the computers of
FIG. 1
as indicated by the circle
2
.
FIG. 3
is an enlarged view of a roll of temporary patches used in the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 4
is a isometric view of a label used in the embodiment of the
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 5
is an enlarged view of a patch depicting a label attached thereto.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1
depicts an assembly line for manufacturing electronic devices, such as computers
10
, which are sequentially moved, via a conveyor belt
12
, to various successive work stations, during the manufacturing process. The computers
10
are shown at a work station at an early stage of the manufacturing process.
A temporary patch
16
is attached to each computer
10
in an upper corner of a side wall of each computer as shown in
FIG. 2
in connection with one of the computers
10
. Each patch
16
has an adhesive backing which enables it to be manually pressed against the side wall surface, causing the adhesive, and therefore the patch, to adhere to the latter surface.
FIG. 3
depicts a roll of backing material
18
, such as paper, or the like, to which a plurality of patches
16
are adhered by the above-mentioned adhesive backing. Each patch
16
consists of a base sheet
16
a
and a tab
16
b
extending from the upper marginal edge of the base sheet. A coat of the aforementioned adhesive is applied to the back surface (not shown) of the base sheet
16
a
to form the above-mentioned adhesive backing, and to the front of the base sheet as shown, with the tab
16
b
being free of the adhesive. The significance of the adhesive on the front surface of the base sheet, as well as the non-adhesive tab
16
b,
will be described in detail. The patches
16
are retained on the roll
18
during non-use and before they are applied to the computers
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, a permanent tag, or label,
20
is provided and receives indicia, or the like, on its front surface
20
a.
It is understood that the back surface of the label
20
is provided with adhesive, and a backing sheet
22
, of essentially the same dimensions as the label, is provided for covering the adhesive-coated back surface of the label during non-use of the label. The backing sheet
22
is shown slightly separated from the label in
FIG. 4
for the convenience of presentation.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, the backing sheet
22
, with the label
20
adhered thereto, is adhered to the front surface of the base sheet
16
a
of each patch
16
, by the adhesive on the latter surface. The dimensions of the backing sheet
22
and the label
20
are preferably less than those of the base sheet
16
a
of the patch
16
to facilitate the application of the label
20
to the patch
16
, and to ensure that the entire label
20
is contained within the adhesive-coated front surface of the base sheet
16
a.
During the process of manufacturing the computers
10
, at the work station shown in
FIG. 1
, a worker removes a patch
16
from the roll
18
and applies it to a surface of the computer
10
as shown. The label
20
, with the backing sheet
22
adhered thereto, is then applied to the adhesive on the front of the base sheet
16
a
of the patch, with the latter adhesive adhering the backing sheet
22
, and therefore the label
20
, to the patch
16
. It is understood that this step is done at an early stage of the manufacturing process, and that the label
20
contains indicia which must be available to the workers on the assembly line during later stages of the manufacturing process.
The computers
10
, each with a label
20
adhered thereto in the above manner, are then advanced, via the conveyor belt
12
, along the assembly line and through various other stages of the manufacturing process. The computers
10
are then advanced to a work station on the assembly line where a worker manually grips the non-adhesive tab
16
b
of the patch
16
, and removes the patch, with the backing sheet
22
, and therefore the label
20
, attached thereto. The worker then peels the label
20
from the backing sheet
22
, discards the patch
16
and the backing sheet adhered thereto, and permanently applies the label
20
, with its adhesive backing, to the computer
10
, preferably at the same general area where the patch was placed.
Thus, according to this method, a label
20
is temporarily attached, via a patch
16
, to a computer
10
, and stays with the computer during the majority of the manufacturing process, after which the label is permanently attached to the computer at a late stage of the process. Thus, if the label
20
is damaged, or if the computer
10
fails or is damaged during the manufacturing process between the time that the label
20
is temporarily placed on it, and the time that the label should be permanently applied, the label is saved and can be used on another computer.
Thus, according to the method of the present disclosure, considerable cost-savings are realized, especially in a manufacturing environment in which great numbers of devices, such as the computers, are manufactured utilizing relatively expensive labels.
It is understood that variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, the method is not limited to the manufacture of computers, but is equally applicable to a wide variety of devices. Also, the location of the patch
16
and the labels
20
on the device being manufactured can vary within the scope of the embodiments. Further, the relative dimension of the patches
16
and the labels
20
can vary. It is also understood that the spatial references referred to above, such as “upper”, “front”, “back”, etc. are made for the purposes of example only and are not intended to limit the specific orientation of the particular structure involved.
Because other modifications, changes, and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosed embodiments.
Claims
- 1. A method of labeling a device, comprising:providing a patch having adhesive applied to opposite surfaces; adhering one of the surfaces to a surface of the device; providing a label having adhesive on one surface; applying one surface of a backing sheet to the one surface of the label to adhere the backing sheet to the label; adhering another surface of the backing sheet to another surface of the patch; removing the patch, with the backing sheet, and therefore the label, adhered thereto, from the device; removing the label from the backing sheet; and then adhering the label to the device.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a tab on the patch that is free from adhesive.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein removing the patch is performed by manually gripping the tab and pulling on the tab.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one surface and the other surface of the patch are opposite surfaces.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one surface and the other surface of the backing sheet are opposite surfaces.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one surface of the patch is adhered to a surface of the device by the adhesive on the one surface of the patch.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one surface of the backing sheet is adhered to the one surface of the label by the adhesive on the one surface of the label.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the label is adhered to the device by the adhesive on the one surface of the label.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the surfaces of the backing sheet are free from adhesive.
- 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising discarding the patch, with the backing sheet adhered thereto, after the removal of the label from the backing sheet.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a computer.
- 12. A method of manufacturing a device comprising:sequentially passing the device to a plurality of work stations; providing a patch having adhesive applied to opposite surfaces; adhering one of the surfaces to a surface of the device at a work station; providing a label having adhesive on one surface; applying one surface of a backing sheet to the one surface of the label to adhere the backing sheet to the label; adhering another surface of the backing sheet to another surface of the patch at the work station; passing the device to another work station; removing the patch, with the backing sheet, and therefore the label, adhered thereto, from the device at the other work station; removing the label from the backing sheet; and adhering the label, by the adhesive on the one surface thereof, to the device at the other work station.
- 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising placing the device on a conveyor, and advancing the device from the first-mentioned work station to the other work station by the conveyor.
- 14. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a tab on the patch that is free from adhesive.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein removing the patch is performed by manually gripping the tab and pulling on the tab.
- 16. The method of claim 12 wherein the one surface and the other surface of the patch are opposite surfaces.
- 17. The method of claim 12 wherein the one surface and the other surface of the backing sheet are opposite surfaces.
- 18. The method of claim 12 wherein the one surface of the patch is adhered to a surface of the device by the adhesive on the one surface of the patch.
- 19. The method of claim 12 wherein the one surface of the backing sheet is adhered to the one surface of the label by the adhesive on the one surface of the label.
- 20. The method of claim 12 wherein the label is adhered to the device by the adhesive on the one surface of the label.
- 21. The method of claim 12 wherein the surfaces of the backing sheet are free from adhesive.
- 22. The method of claim 12 further comprising discarding the patch, with the backing sheet adhered thereto, after the removal of the label from the backing sheet.
- 23. The method of claim 12 wherein the device is a computer.
US Referenced Citations (6)