Patent Application
20060208478
The present invention relates to a self-adhesive label for labeling containers, preferably containers for pharmaceutical preparations having a cylindrical or other shape. The self-adhesive label consists of a single label strip and includes a lower part, an upper part and at least one intermediate part, whereby the lower part has at least one printed information on an upper side and the upper part at least one printed information on an upper side.
The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a self-adhesive label.
Self-adhesive labels consisting of a single label strip which is folded into different parts, are already known from e.g. WO 01/52223 and EP 0346567. However, these prior art self-adhesive labels are not folded in a material-saving manner and have no sub-labels.
The object of the present invention is to provide a self-adhesive label at which the above drawbacks are eliminated. This is arrived at primarily by means of the characterizing features of subsequent claim 1 and, regarding the manufacture of the self-adhesive label, primarily by means of the characterizing measures of subsequent claim 25.
The self-adhesive label according to the present invention is folded in a material-saving manner and it comprises a sub-label which does not complicate opening or closing of the self-adhesive label.
The invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The self-adhesive label 1 illustrated in
As is apparent from, inter alia,
The lower part 4 is on its bottom or lower side provided with at least one adhesive layer 11 and the closing portion 10 at least one adhesive layer 12. These adhesive layers 11, 12 are provided for applying the self-adhesive label 1 onto a container 13 (see
In
The lower part 4 has printed information 16 on its upper side and the upper part 5 has printed information 17 on an upper side.
The printed information 16 on the lower part 4 is preferably identical (or almost identical) with the printed information 17 on the upper part 5. These printed informations are also preferably at least partly colour prints which preferably have the same tints or tones on the lower and upper parts 4, 5.
The intermediate part 7, or intermediate portions 7a, 7b, preferably have printed information 18-21 on the upper and/or lower sides or surfaces. These printed informations 18-21 are preferably at least partly colour prints which preferably have the same tints or tones.
The printed information on the lower and upper parts 4, 5 and preferably also on the intermediate part 7 can be printed by means of a printing procedure, e.g. an offset printing procedure.
The label strip 2 can also form a sub-label 22 which is directly or indirectly connected to the closing portion 10. The sub-label 22 has at least one adhesive layer 23 on its bottom or lower side and printed information 24 on its upper side.
The sub-label 22 can be separated at least partly from the closing portion 10 by means of a separating line 25, such that the closing portion 10, for opening of the self-adhesive label, can be grasped, separated from the sub-label 22 and removed from the container 13.
The separating line 25 is provided on a front portion of the closing portion 10 and the bottom or lower side of said closing portion 10 preferably has a surface free from adhesive along the separating line 25, such that no adhesive is found at said separating line and the closing portion is easier to grasp and remove. Preferably, the lower side of the sub-label 22 also has a surface 27 free from adhesive along the separating line 25.
The closing portion 10 may have different shapes at the front. A preferred shape is at least one tongue 28 which extends forward, whereby the sub-label 22 has such a shape that the tongue 28 fits therein. At this embodiment, the separating line 25 may have a section 25a which extends transverse to the longitudinal direction of the label strip 2 as well as two substantially in said longitudinal direction extending sections 25b, 25c in order to define the tongue 28.
The separating line 25 may in this embodiment also comprise two sections 25d, 25e which extend transverse to said longitudinal direction from the sections 25b, 25c to the respective outer edge of the closing portion 10. Instead of the sections 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e, two sections may extend obliquely from the section 25a to the respective outer edge of the closing portion 10.
The adhesive layers 11, 12 and 23 on the lower part 4, the closing portion 10 and the sub-label 22 may be provided as a plurality of, e.g. three, adhesive strips K1, K2 and K3 which extend adjacent each other in the longitudinal direction, defining between them longitudinal surfaces F1 and F2 without adhesive (
The surfaces F1 and F2 are preferably situated such that the sections 25b, 25c of the separating line 25 can be found therein. Hereby, said sections 25b, 25c are located in surfaces free from adhesive.
The adhesive strips K1, K2 and K3 are preferably interrupted at two locations such that two surfaces F3 and F4 free from adhesive and extending transverse to the longitudinal direction are defined. In one of the surfaces F3 without adhesive is preferably the transverse section 25a of the separating line 25 located and in the other surface F4 without adhesive preferably the two sections 25d, 25e.
The separating line 25 may be a line which is punched through the label strip 2 and/or is partly a perforated line. At the illustrated embodiment, the section 25a is e.g. a punched line, the sections 25b, 25c are perforated lines and the sections 25d, 25e punched lines. The sections 25d, 25e can e.g. be connected to the closing portion 10 at points 25f, 25g.
It should also be mentioned that the entire label strip 2, i.e. all sections thereof, consists preferably of one and the same material. In the second folding line 6 between the lower part 4 and the intermediate part 7, no perforation can be provided and perforations may not be located in folding lines between different portions 7a, 7b of the intermediate part 7. The surface 26 free from adhesive on the closing portion 10 may be formed by covering an adhesive layer with a varnish or a corresponding adhesive-repellent material. This is applicable also on the other locations without adhesive on the label strip 2.
The self-adhesive label 1 may according to
A part 34 of the end portion 31 may define a grip portion without adhesive for easy grasping and removal of said end portion.
The cover part 29 is preferably transparent, may be printed upon and may consist of a plastic foil, e.g. of polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene.
The application of adhesive on the self-adhesive label 1 can be carried through e.g. in the following manner:
Self-adhesive labels 1 are transported on a transport device T with the lower sides turned upwards and relative to an adhesive-application device 35 in the direction of an arrow P in
After application of the adhesive layers 11, 12, 23, the self-adhesive labels 1 are mechanically positioned one after the other on the silicone layer 15 of the dispenser foil 14 and mechanically removed therefrom and placed on the containers 13.
The adhesive label 1 described above can also be used on other containers than containers for pharmaceutical preparations. Furthermore, the containers need not be cylindrical but may have other shapes. The material for the label strips may vary, as may the adhesive. The sub-label 22 may remain on the container 13 or be removed therefrom and attached to another object.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 005 814.8 | Mar 2005 | EP | regional |
