This disclosure relates generally to label application devices and methods. More particularly, this disclosure relates to devices and methods for applying single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels to objects to be labeled.
In the printing arts, and in particular in the printed label art for labeling and decorating objects, there exists a continual demand for labels and decorations which not only appeal to consumers, but also bear ever increasing amounts of information. For example, labels for identification of health care and pharmaceutical products are often required by governmental regulations to describe in painstaking detail their compositions and ingredients. As new food and drug laws are passed, regulations require the inclusion of increasing amounts of label information. As another example, labels for identification of agricultural and industrial products are similarly required by governmental regulations to describe their compositions and ingredients by way of, e.g., “material safety data sheets” and the like. To address these needs, labels have been proposed that are typically constructed from a plurality of label plies (a “multi-ply” construction) and may be repeatedly manipulated by a consumer or end user to open and reseal in “booklet” fashion. Also, so-called “wrap” labels have been proposed that are typically constructed from a single label ply and are dimensioned to have lengths that are, e.g., 10-100% longer than circumferences of containers to be labeled. Such “wrap” labels may also function in “booklet” fashion by opening or accessing an outermost portion of the label that is wrapped over an innermost portion. Further, other labels have been proposed that incorporate designated areas such as cut lines or scores and the like with graphics indicating, e.g., “cut here” or “tear here”. When so opened or accessed, such purposefully destructible labels are typically not suited for resale or reuse.
Irrespective of multi-ply, “wrap”, or “destructible” constructions, in the labeling arts such labels have also been variously referred to as “extended text” labels, “expanded content” labels, and “booklet” labels (collectively referred to, throughout this disclosure, as “expanded content” labels).
Aside from expanded content labels generally, a label type that has gained popularity is a so-called “roll-fed” label. A roll-fed label commonly utilizes a continuous label substrate or ply comprising paper, or a clear or opaque film such as polypropylene, or a combination of paper and film. In such an individual label, in its final state, the label ply is usually rectangular, as defined by a desired label width associated with a widthwise dimension and a desired label length associated with a lengthwise dimension (transverse to the widthwise dimension). The label ply has opposing first and second ends, along with front and back surfaces. Desired graphics are typically printed on the front surface of the label ply, and may also be printed on the back surface. In application of a roll-fed label to an object to be labeled, e.g., a cylindrical container, a widthwise portion of the back surface of the label ply at the first end thereof is adhered to the container by means of an adhesive material at point of application from labeling equipment. The ply, having been adhesively secured to the container at the first end, is then placed in circular fashion around the container and adhesively secured at the second end of the ply—often closely adjacent to or just overlapping the first end. Unlike the aforementioned “wrap” labels, a length of a typical roll-fed label ply is usually chosen to approximate a circumference of the container to minimize wasteful overlapping of the opposing ends of the label ply that is applied to the container. The application of traditional roll-fed labels to containers may be carried out by any suitable roll-fed label application machines such as those available from, e.g., Krones A.G. of Regensburg, Del., and B&H Labeling Systems of Ceres, Calif., US. Traditional roll-fed labels are typically produced without any adhesive material on the back surface of the label ply, and are provided to customers in roll form as a web of labels. At a point of application of roll-fed labels, a web of labels in roll form is typically introduced to a customer's label application machine which cuts the web into individual labels and applies them to objects to be labeled (e.g., containers). Any adhesive material used to apply the labels to the objects is supplied by the label application machine at the point of application and is generally applied to adhere the leading and trailing edge portions of the labels.
Although various expanded content labels and roll-fed labels have been commercially successful, a need remains for a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label that may be manipulated by a consumer or end user to open and reseal and thereby provide access to additional information, among other features. A need also remains for a device and method for applying single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels to objects to be labeled.
This disclosure describes novel single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels. This disclosure also describes novel devices and methods for applying single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels to objects to be labeled.
In one aspect, a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label could include a label ply. The label ply could, in turn, include a base material that could optionally include printed graphics on a top side and a bottom side thereof. A clear laminate material could be adhesively joined to the base material by an adhesive material; and a release material could be selectively deposited on a bottom side of the base material. The label ply could also include at least one break path.
In another aspect, a device for applying adhesive material to single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels could include a vacuum drum. The vacuum drum could, in turn, include a leading edge adhesive material application pad, a trailing edge adhesive material application pad, and an intermediate adhesive material application pad.
In yet another aspect, a method for applying single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels to objects to be labeled could include a device for applying adhesive material to single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels.
a is a cross-sectional illustration of the example of a portion of a label web for single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels, taken along line a-a in
b is a cross-sectional illustration of the example of a portion of a label web for single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels, taken along line b-b in
a is an illustration of the example of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label of
a is a cross-sectional illustration of the example of a portion of a label web for single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels, taken along line a-a in
b is a cross-sectional illustration of the example of a portion of a label web for single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels, taken along line b-b in
One example of a portion of a label web 10 for single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels 100 is illustrated in
It is to be noted in general that a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label, for application to an object to be labeled utilizing separately supplied adhesive material with a roll-fed label application machine, could include a label ply having a first lengthwise dimension, a first widthwise dimension, a front surface that could be capable of bearing graphic images and coatings, and an adhesive-free back surface in its construction, before point of application, that could also be capable of bearing graphic images and coatings and could be capable of being adhesively coupled to an object to be labeled using separately supplied adhesive material at point of application. Specifically, when manufactured and prior to being applied to an object of interest to be labeled, the back surface of the label ply is free of adhesive material. In this state, it can then be supplied as a continuous web in roll form to a roll-fed label application machine.
Also, it is to be understood that the label ply in a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label may be a single ply of material whether coated or uncoated (which may also be referred to, collectively, as a “mono-ply”), a so-called clear protective laminate construction, or any laminated, combined ply, or co-extruded construction, all of which would have an overall characteristic of a single material ply.
More particularly in the example of
In the example of
It is to be appreciated and understood generally, that any selected portion or portions of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label could be capable of being non-destructively separated from or lifted off from an object to which the label has been applied, from an interior portion of the label toward any end thereof or vice-versa; and that any such portion or portions could be provided to open and close in any desired direction. Thus, any areas or regions of the label defined by that label's height, length, or any combinations of its parameters, could serve as the portion or portions that are capable of being non-destructively separated from or lifted off from an object to which the label has been applied.
It is additionally to be appreciated and understood that, although not illustrated herein, a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label could be constructed in which no release material is present. In such an embodiment, the label may, for example, utilize a ply material that inherently has selected regions having a property of a release material to enable non-destructive manipulation of the label. Furthermore, a point-of-application adhesive material could be utilized that has a sufficiently low aggressiveness (e.g., a removable, low-tack, or “peelable” adhesive material) to enable non-destructive manipulation of the label.
It further is to be appreciated and understood that materials which permit non-destructive manipulation of the labels, that are employed to provide various embodiments of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label, may take any desired form, pattern, or configuration, whether fully or partially across the label ply. Although not illustrated, it is to be understood that the materials which permit non-destructive manipulation of the labels could be provided on a front surface as well as a back surface of a label ply, or both.
Another example of a portion of a label web 90 for single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels 900 is illustrated in
More particularly in the example of
In the example of
Regarding construction of a particular embodiment of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label, the label ply could preferably be any commercially available web-like material that is capable of use in an in-line printing and converting process. Such a material could be, for example, polypropylene as is commercially available from AET Films of Terre Haute, Indiana, in the U.S. As used herein, the term “web-like material” is intended to include any suitable label material, including paper, film, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, foil, and ethylene vinyl acetate. The ply selectively could comprise a so-called “shrink promoting” material to conform to several or irregular curvatures of an object to which the label is applied. Such a material could be, but not limited to, that which exhibits desired stretch and shrinkage characteristics such as are commercially available and known to those skilled in the art. Also material that permits non-destructive manipulation of a label that may be utilized in construction of a particular embodiment of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label such as, e.g., release material 116, could preferably be a coating chosen from a group comprising water-based, solvent-based, UV/EB, cold seal, heat seal, cohesive, and hot melt coatings as are commercially available. The material that permits non-destructive manipulation of the label is preferably chosen with respect to, and in combination with, the point-of-application adhesive material to provide ease of opening, resealability, and other manipulation of the label.
Generally, it is to be appreciated and understood that several of those embodiments of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label described herein could have particular utility in labeling objects or containers that have a regular shape, which may be cylindrical, or another shape, which is of relatively constant outer dimension from top to bottom. Other objects or containers, however, may have substantially non-constant outer dimensions such as, e.g., coved or rounded top and bottom shoulder-type tapers which, it is to be understood, also could be accommodated by a particular embodiment of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label. Furthermore, it is to be understood that any embodiment of a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label could be applied by so-called “cut-and-stack” labeling equipment to an object of interest to be labeled.
It is also to be appreciated and understood that a device for applying adhesive material to single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels contemplated herein make take any form, dimension, configuration, composition, and construction, regardless of a particular embodiment such as those examples shown and described herein. Thus, a device for applying adhesive material to single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels contemplated herein could comprise, generally, components for applying adhesive material to (i) leading and trailing edge portions of a label along with (ii) any portion or portions of the label that is or are between, or intermediate to, its leading and trailing edges. Such a device could further comprise a plurality of adhesive material application components having any desired pattern, for a patterned application of adhesive material.
Although examples herein of devices for applying adhesive material to single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels and associated examples herein of methods for applying the labels to objects to be labeled have included descriptions of vacuum drums, it is to be appreciated and understood that any suitable alternatives, or additions, to vacuum drums such as gripping means, whether mechanical pneumatic, electric, or otherwise, may be employed in a particular method for applying the labels to objects.
It is to be appreciated and understood, although not described herein, that devices and methods for applying single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels to objects to be labeled could include a plurality of roller-type devices having any combinations of adhesive material application pads. Thus, for example, a particular device and method could include two roller-type devices with one roller-type device having two adhesive material application pads (e.g., pads 1204T and 1204I) and the other roller-type device having one adhesive material application pad (e.g., pad 1204L). Also, it is to be appreciated and understood, although not described herein, that devices and methods for applying single-ply, roll-fed expanded content labels to objects to be labeled could be suitably modified to provide adhesive material directly on an object to be labeled.
While this disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to accompanying figures, it will be understood, however, that modifications are possible. It should be appreciated that various components described herein may be substituted for other suitable components for achieving desired results, or that various accessories may be added thereto.
Also, the depictions of various containers in the figures are only exemplary and not meant to be limiting.
Additionally, it is to be understood that although some components are depicted as being separated or spaced apart from each other for clarity in the drawings (e.g., label components in
It is to be understood that any suitable alternatives may be employed to provide a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label device and method.
Lastly, the choice of compositions, sizes, and strengths of various components described herein are to be selected depending upon intended use.
Accordingly, these and other various changes or modifications in form and detail may be made to a single-ply, roll-fed expanded content label application device and method, without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US11/58600 | 10/31/2011 | WO | 00 | 5/9/2013 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61412714 | Nov 2010 | US |