Patent Application
20080138556
The present disclosure relates generally to multiple layer constructions and, more particularly, to multi-ply linerless constructions and methods of producing the same.
Typically, multiple layer constructions such as, for example, labels, include a base layer or label and an upper layer or labels attached thereto. When the upper layer includes multiple labels, the labels are typically applied in series to the base layer as the base layer moves through manufacturing equipment. Precise placement of the labels is critical and misalignment of the labels relative to the base layer may later lead to printing and/or cutting errors.
One known method that attempted to ensure proper alignment of a layer of upper labels on a base layer of labels is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,108. The method described therein provides that an upper web including a series of upper labels is unwound and provided with a series of transverse pairs of openings located along the web that that defines the upper labels. A base web is then joined to the bottom of the upper web. An adhesive overlaminate is applied to the top of the upper layer of the web and traverses through the upper layer at the openings. Thus, the adhesive overlaminate holds the upper layer to the base layer via spots of adhesive through the openings in the upper layer. The layers are then die cut and/or otherwise treated. Then a waste matrix formed outside the die cut areas is removed to put the labels in their final form.
Though the above-described method attempts to enable proper alignment of two layers of labels, the method has several disadvantages. Namely, the method requires additional steps to form the transverse pairs of openings, which increases production time and costs. Also, the method results in the production of a waste matrix and, as a result, the upper layer and the base layer are not used to optimum efficiency. Creation of a waste matrix also increases production costs as the waste has to be disposed of or recycled upon its removal from the final product.
An example method of manufacturing and articles of manufacture for a multi-ply linerless construction are disclosed herein and shown in
As described in greater detail below, the first layer 12 and the second layer 14 also may be releasably couplable via the first face 16 and the fourth face 22. More specifically, the multi-ply linerless construction 10 may be rolled up such as, for example, to facilitate transport of a long portion or web of the multi-ply linerless construction 10. When the multi-ply linerless construction 10 is rolled, a front or leading edge of the multi-ply linerless construction 10 is rolled over so that the first adhesive pattern 24 on the first face 12 of the first layer 12 is positioned against the second release coating 30 on the fourth face 22 of the second layer 14.
In the examples described herein, the release coating layers may be any of a variety of commercially available release coatings such as, for example, a silicone-based release coating. In addition, the adhesive layers may include any of a number of known available adhesives such as, for example, a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive, a repositionable adhesive, a water-based adhesive, a cohesive, and/or fugitive adhesive, etc.
In the illustrated example multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13, the first adhesive pattern 24 covers substantially all of the first face 16, the first release coating 26 covers substantially all of the second face 18, the second adhesive pattern 28 covers substantially all of the third face 20, and the second release coating 30 covers substantially all of the fourth face 22. However, any other type of adhesive and release coating patterns may be used instead, including, for example, strips, dots, or any other pattern or design covering a portion of the faces 16, 18, 20 and 22. In addition, a portion of the third face 20 of the second layer 14 such as, for example, an area or strip 38 along the edge of the third face 20, may be substantially free of the second adhesive pattern 28 (
Prior to separating the second face 18 of the first layer 12 and the third face 20 of the second layer 14, the user, which may be, for example, an intermediary manufacturer, distributor, retailer, etc., may unroll the wound portion of the multi-ply linerless construction 10 or 13 to flatten the multi-ply linerless construction 10 or 13 to separate the first face 16 from the fourth face 22. Once the first face 16 and the fourth face 22 are separated, the second face 18 and the third face 20 may be, for example, separated with the aid of the area or strip 38. After the first layer 12 and the second layer 14 are separated, each of the layers 12 and 14 is a form that may be used for any intended purpose. For example, each of the faces 16, 18, 20 and 22 is a surface that may include human readable indicia, textual images and/or information, instructions, data, and/or graphic images and/or instructions, etc. As a further example, one of the faces 16 and 18 of the first layer 12 may be used to present information in English language while the other one of the faces 16 and 18 may be used to present information in Spanish language. Alternatively, or additionally, the second layer 14 may be used to present graphical-based instructions, or any other language or information detailed above. Still further, the first layer 12 may be used to present information for one purpose, and the second layer 14 may be used as a form for an unrelated purpose. In yet another alternative example, one or more of the faces 16, 18, 20 and 22 may be left blank and/or available for a future use.
Upon separation of the first layer 12 and the second layer 14, substantial portions and/or the entireties of each of the layers 12 and 14 are usable. That is, the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 are not only free of a liner, but produce or leave substantially no waste material. In other words, each of the layers 12 and 14 becomes a substantially unitary form or article that may be configured for any desired purpose(s). Some such example uses, in addition to those listed above, may include, for example, the inclusion of a coupon, a reward, a tag, a removable label, a return postcard, a warranty card, etc. In addition, at least a portion of one or more of the layers 12 and 14 may be configured as a reusable label that may be releasably adhered to another surface such, for example, an informational label for releasable adhesion or coupling to a window or other surface. To this end, at least a portion of the adhesive patterns 24 and 28 may remain with the layers 12 and 14 to enable recoupling or removable attachment of the layers 12 and/or 14 to another surface.
In some examples, the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 have substantially no lines of weakness in the first layer 12 and the second layer 14. However, in other examples, the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 may be divided into a plurality of sections by lines of weakness 40 (
The multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 may be separated along the lines of weakness 40, and the resulting sections can be sheeted or stacked into a pad or other formation for storage or transportation, for example. When the sections of the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 are stacked, the first face 16 of the first layer 12 of one section of the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 is releasably coupled or married with the second release coating 30 of the fourth face 22 of the second layer 14 of a subsequent section of the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13. These subsequent sections of the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 are separable by releasing the first adhesive pattern 24 from the second release coating 30, which may occur, for example, by pulling the first layer 12 of one section of the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13 from the second layer 14 of a subsequent section of the multi-ply linerless constructions 10 and 13. This may be facilitated by the presence of an area or strip that is free from the adhesive pattern 24 similar to the are or strip 38 on the third face 20 of the second layer 14.
As described above, the first layer 12 and the second layer 14 are joined or married (block 60) by releasably coupling the first release coating 26 to the second adhesive pattern 28. The first layer 12 also has the first adhesive pattern 24 applied to an outer face, or the first face 18, and the second release coating 30 is applied to the second layer 14 at an outer face, or the fourth face 22 (block 62). Although shown in
The multi-ply linerless construction 10 may be cut (block 64) by adding perforations, die cuts, slits, creases, folds, or other lines of weakness 40. After the addition of the lines of weakness 40, the multi-ply linerless construction 10 is divided into sections that may be separated and used as described herein. In alternative examples, the multi-ply linerless construction 10 may remain substantially free of lines of weakness.
After the multi-ply linerless construction 10 is cut (block 64), the multi-ply linerless construction 10 may then be rolled into a large roll (block 66) for transportation or storage, for example. To roll the multi-ply linerless construction 10, the front edge or leading edge of the multi-ply linerless construction 10 is rolled or folded over so that the first adhesive pattern 24 on the first face 16 opposes and is releasably coupled to the second release coating 30 of the fourth face 22.
Once the recipient receives the roll of the multi-ply linerless construction 10, the recipient may unroll the multi-ply linerless construction 10 by separating the first adhesive pattern 24 from the second release coating 30 and divide the multi-ply linerless construction 10 into the sections formed by the lines of weakness 40 (block 68). Thereafter, the first layer 12 and the second layer 14 may be separated as described above, and the first layer 12 and the second layer 14 may be used as the forms for which they were designed together or independently (block 70). Example uses are described above.
Alternatively, upon the creation of the lines of weakness 40 (block 64), the multi-ply linerless construction 10 may be separated or divided into the sections formed by the lines of weakness 10 (block 72) and then sheeted and/or stacked, for example, into a pad (block 74) by releasably coupling or marrying the first adhesive pattern 24 of the first face 16 of the first layer 12 of one section of the multi-ply linerless construction 10 with the second release coating 30 of the fourth face 22 of the second layer 14 of a subsequent section of the multi-ply linerless construction 10. Thereafter, the recipient or end user may separate subsequent sections of the multi-ply linerless construction 10, separate the first layer 12 and the second layer 14 of the same section of the multi-ply linerless construction 10, and use the first layer 12 and/or the second layer as the forms for which they were designed together or independently (block 70).
The method 50 may also include the addition of more layers such as, for example, the third layer 32, a fourth layer, etc. The addition of the third layer 32 (or fourth layer, etc.) may occur throughout the method 50, for example substantially simultaneously with the processing and production of the first layer 12 and the second layer 14. Any additional layers are added and processed in substantially the same manner as the first layer 12 and the second layer 14. For example, the third adhesive pattern 34 is applied to the fifth face of the third layer 32, and the third release coating 36 is applied to the sixth face of the third layer 32. The third adhesive pattern 34 and the third release coating 36 may be formed in any pattern or design as described herein. In addition, the adhesive used in the third adhesive pattern 34 may be any one of the adhesives or cohesives described herein, and the coating used in the third release coating 36 may be any of the coatings described herein.
The third layer 32 may be married to the second layer 14 or the first layer 12. If the third layer 32 is married to the second layer 14, the third adhesive pattern 34 is releasably coupled to the second release coating 30. The first layer 12 and the third layer 32 may then be releasably coupled or married as described above with respect to the marrying of any of the layers 12, 14, and 32. That is, the first layer 12 may be rolled around so the first face 16 of the first layer 12 opposes the sixth face of the third layer 32 to releasably couple the first adhesive pattern 24 with the third release coating 36. Alternatively, if the multi-ply construction 13 has been divided and separated based on the lines of weakness 40, a section of the multi-ply linerless construction 13 that includes the three layers 12, 14 and 32 may be placed atop another section of the multi-ply linerless construction 13 so that the first adhesive pattern 24 of the first face 16 of the first layer 12 of one section of the multi-ply linerless construction 13 is placed on top of the third release coating 36 of the sixth face of the third layer 32 of a subsequent section of the multi-ply linerless construction 13. The subsequent sections of the multi-ply linerless construction 10 and the layers 12, 14 and 32 contained therein, may be separated as described above.
Although certain example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
