Patent Application
20140048440
Disposable containers, such as food and beverage containers, for example, may be made of paperboard, polypropylene, or expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. Paperboard may be desirable for a number of reasons. For example, paperboard may provide a high-quality printable surface from the lip of the cup to its base. Paperboard, however, may be a poor insulator of heat. A paperboard cup containing a hot beverage, for example, may be difficult to hold. To compensate for the lack of insulation provided by a single paperboard cup, a plurality of such cups may be nested together. A separate cardboard sleeve may also be used to provide insulation, or the cup may include handles.
EPS foam containers typically provide better thermal insulation than do paperboard containers. Accordingly, EPS foam containers tend to be more suitable than paperboard containers for containing hot or cold food or beverages, at least in terms of thermal insulation. The thermal insulating properties of EPS foam also prevent heat transfer to the user, which provides for safety of use. When used with cold drinks, for example, the insulating properties prevent condensation, which may be perceived as sweating or even leakage from the container.
The exterior surface of an EPS foam container, however, may not provide for high-quality printing. Techniques are used for improving the appearance of EPS foam containers by wrapping paper around the EPS foam body of the container. There is a need, however, for continued improvement in the appearance of EPS foam containers to make them more attractive to end users, and/or to provide for advertising on the container. There is also a need for disposable, preferably fully recyclable, EPS foam containers that have high-quality printing on all or part of the exterior surface of the container.
Embodiments are described herein for a food or beverage container that includes an open-ended expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam body and a stretch sleeve label. The stretch sleeve label may envelope at least one portion of the exterior surface of the open-ended EPS foam body. The stretch sleeve label may enable the display of a high quality design on the exterior surface of the EPS foam body and may be made of a material that is capable of fitting a form of the open-ended EPS foam body upon application. The stretch sleeve label may be affixed to the exterior of the EPS foam body with or without the use of an adhesive. The EPS foam body, the stretch sleeve label, and/or the adhesive may be made of compostable or recyclable materials, such that the entire food or beverage container may be compostable and/or recyclable.
System, method, and apparatus embodiments are described herein for manufacturing a stretch sleeve labeled EPS container. According to an example embodiment, a container may be received that has an open-ended EPS foam body and a stretch sleeve label may be applied to at least one pre-defined portion of the exterior surface of the EPS container. The EPS container may be provided via a container dispenser, and the stretch sleeve label may be applied using a sleeve dispenser. The stretch sleeve label may be applied such that it conforms to the contours of the EPS container at the pre-defined portion after release of the stretch sleeve label.
Embodiments are described herein for food and/or beverage containers having an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam body, and a stretch sleeve labeling that provides for high quality printing on the exterior surface of the container. For example, the body of the container may be an EPS foam body that may be fully, or at least partially, enveloped by a stretch sleeve covering. The EPS foam body may provide thermal insulation and may be useful in containing food products, or hot or cold beverages, for example, in a manner that is comfortable to a user. The stretch sleeve label may be made of a material that is capable of fitting the form of an EPS container by stretching the sleeve around the contours of the EPS container. For example, the sleeve may be made of a low density polyethylene (LDPE) material. The sleeve may be stretched a predetermined amount (e.g., up to about 55%) to fit the contours of the EPS container. The sleeve may be stretched over the exterior surface of the container and released to conform to the exterior surface of the container.
Various types of stretch sleeve labels may be applied to the exterior of a container. For example, a stretch sleeve label may have a stretching rate of up to about 10%. A modified stretch sleeve label may have a stretching rate of up to about 20%. A super stretch sleeve label (e.g., TripleS® super stretch sleeve) may have a stretching rate of up to about 55%. The stretching rate may allow the stretch sleeve label to be stretched to a predetermined amount for fitting around a container. Each type of stretch sleeve label may conform to different shaped containers upon application. The container upon which the stretch sleeve label may be applied may depend on the stretching rate of the stretch sleeve label. Once the stretch sleeve is fit around the container at a desired location, the stretch sleeve may be released, thereby enabling the stretch sleeve to contract and fit the form of the container. The stretch sleeve label may be decorative, and thus provide the appearance of high quality printing on the exterior surface of the container.
Different types of stretch sleeve labels may have a different set of characteristics. For example, a stretch sleeve label may have a stretch rate of up to about 10% and/or less than about 5% bottle difference. A modified stretch sleeve label may have a stretch rate of up to about 20% and/or less than about 20% bottle difference. A super stretch sleeve (e.g., TripleS®) label may have a stretch rate of up to about 55% and/or less than about 35% bottle difference. Each of the stretch sleeves may be made of a recyclable material, such as an LDPE material, for example. The cost associated with each stretch sleeve label may vary, for example, depending on the set of characteristics associated with the stretch sleeve label.
The stretching rate for different types of stretch sleeve labels may vary within respective ranges. For example, a stretch label may have a stretching rate of about 8-10%, a modified stretch label may have a stretching rate of about 10-20%, and a super stretch label may have a stretching rate of about 20-55%. As the stretch sleeve label may have a lower stretching rate, it may be applied to a container, or portions thereof, in a location having a fairly consistent or cylindrical shape. As the modified and super stretch sleeve labels may have greater respective stretching rates, they may be applied to a container, or portions thereof, having greater contours in accordance with their respective stretching rates. The stretch sleeve labels may be used individually or in any combination to fit the contours of a container.
According to an example embodiment, the stretch sleeve label may be used for advertisement on the exterior of an EPS container. The stretch sleeve label may be clear or colored with any desirable design, lettering, symbols, or other visible design for example. The layout of the design may be chosen such that, after the label is applied to the container, the resultant design is not distorted due to the stretching. The placement of the design on the stretch sleeve label may be chosen such that, after the label is fit onto the container, the design resides within a predefined area on the EPS container.
The stretch sleeve label may include a temperature sensitive indicator, which may indicate to the user a relative temperature of the exterior surface of the container. For example, the stretch sleeve may indicate whether the exterior of the container is hot or cold by using one or more color-coded indicators corresponding to the relative exterior temperature of the container.
Compostable, recyclable, or non-recyclable materials may be selected for the EPS foam and/or the stretch sleeve. Thus, the entire container may be recyclable, compostable, or a combination of both. The stretch sleeve label may have a lower carbon footprint (e.g., about 31% less) than other labeling materials. As the stretch sleeve material may be stretched to a larger size to fit larger containers, less material may be consumed in the manufacture of the stretch sleeve label (e.g., may save up to 35% of the label material). As less material may be used for each stretch sleeve label, a lower transportation volume may be used for each container, or a greater number of labels may be shipped.
A number of stretch sleeve labeled EPS foam containers are disclosed herein. Each such container may have an EPS foam body having an exterior that is partially or totally enveloped in a stretch sleeve label. The stretch sleeve label may be made of a material that may be the appropriate length to fit an EPS foam container, or a portion thereof. The stretch sleeve material may be smaller in diameter in its unstretched state than the EPS foam container to which it may be applied. The stretch sleeve may be stretched to a diameter that is larger than the greatest exterior diameter of the EPS foam container that the stretch sleeve is provided to cover. The stretch sleeve may be fit over the EPS foam container in its stretched state and released to fit the contours of the container at a desired location (e.g., the entire exterior surface of the container, or a portion thereof) after contraction. The stretch sleeve labeled EPS foam container may provide thermal insulation, while simultaneously providing for the display of high quality printed matter that may be attractive to a user of the container, for example. The stretch sleeve label may provide for a container having less side-wall deflection than an unwrapped container, which may provide greater container stability and better insulation for items (e.g., food and/or beverages) held within the container.
Each of the containers 102, 104, 106 may have an upper side wall 108, 110, 112, a lower side wall 114, 116, 118, and a transitional portion 120, 122, 124 extending between the upper side wall 108, 110, 112 and the lower side wall 114, 116, 118, respectively. The diameter of each of the containers 102, 104, 106 (transverse to its longitudinal axis) may be greater in the upper side wall 108, 110, 112 than it is in the lower side wall 114, 116, 118. The transitional portions 120, 122, 124 may be curved, flared, or straight. Each container 102, 104, 106 may include a rim collar 126, 128, 130 that extends from the top of the upper side wall 108, 110, 112, respectively, to the top rim of the cup. Each container 102, 104, 106 may include a bottom portion (not shown in
The container configurations depicted in
Any portion, or the entirety, of the exterior of each container 102, 104, 106 may be enveloped by a stretch sleeve label. As shown in
In any of the embodiments described herein, an adhesive may be used to affix the stretch sleeve label to the exterior of the container. In an example, the adhesive may be a pressurized adhesive, which may enable the stretch sleeve label to be affixed to the container upon the application of pressure to the points at which the adhesive may be applied, for example. The adhesive may be colorless or it may be a color adhesive, such that it matches the color and/or design on the stretch sleeve label. The adhesive may be made of a compostable and/or recyclable material, such that the entire stretch sleeve labeled container may be compostable and/or recyclable, for example.
In some embodiments, an adhesive may not be implemented for affixing the stretch sleeve label to the container. For example, the stretch sleeve label may be applied such that it is affixed to the container based on friction between the container and the contracted sleeve.
As shown in
Embodiments are described herein for making or manufacturing a stretch sleeve labeled EPS foam container. For example, the stretch sleeve labeled EPS foam container may be made by providing an EPS foam container body, stretching the stretch sleeve material over (e.g., a predetermined distance over) the exterior surface of the EPS foam container, positioning the stretch sleeve material at the desired location on the EPS foam container, and releasing the stretch sleeve material allowing it to contract and conform to the exterior surface of the EPS container body.
EPS containers provided for a stretch sleeve labeling process as described herein may not be cured (e.g., shrunk to their stable dimensions) prior to application of the stretch sleeve label. The EPS containers may continue to shrink to a stable size immediately after their manufacture. The application of labeling to EPS containers prior to their having achieved their stable size may result in undesirable wrinkling of the applied label, as the label may not shrink consistent with the shrinkage of the foam body itself. With stretch sleeve labeling, the containers can continue to shrink after application of the label, as the label will continue to contract to the shrinking dimensions of the foam body as it cures. Consequently, manufacturers need not retain as much pre-labeled inventory as they would if the containers had to be cured before application of the labels.
According to an example, a cured or pre-cured EPS container body 504 may be fed into an automatic container dispenser 502, such as a hopper for example, that may enable the container to be properly placed on the conveyor 506. For example, the container body 504 may be placed onto the conveyor 506 upside down (e.g., bottom side up) or right side up (e.g., bottom side down). Any mechanical means may be used to stabilize the container body 504 on the conveyor so that the container body 504 may be conveyed below a stretch sleeve label applicator or dispenser 508. As the container body 504 may be made of a light-weight EPS foam or other lightweight material, the container body 504 may be held in place while on the conveyor 506 and/or during application of the stretch sleeve label 510. For example, the container body 504 may ride on a puck or vacuum implemented by the conveyor 506. According to an example embodiment, the puck or vacuum may be specific to the dimensions of the container body 504. While
The stretch sleeve label 510 may be provided by the label dispenser 508 for application to the container body 504. The size and/or type of the stretch sleeve label may be determined by the label dispenser 508 (e.g., during the manufacturing process). In another example, the size and/or type of the stretch sleeve label 510 may be predetermined. For example, the stretch sleeve label 510 may be provided in a predetermined size and/or type that corresponds to the container body 504, such that the stretch sleeve label 510 naturally fits the contours of the container body 504 at a predetermined position (e.g., from the bottom to the upper rim of the container) after being stretched over the container body 504 and released. In another example, the stretch sleeve label 510 may be provided in a consistent size and/or type by the label dispenser 508 and may be stretched to fit a desired position on the container body 504 (e.g., from the bottom to the upper rim of the container). The label dispenser 508 may cut the stretch sleeve label at the determined length for application. The stretch sleeve label 510 may be prepared with any desired coloring, design, lettering, etc. For example, stretch sleeve label 510 may be prepared with a high-resolution advertisement.
As the container body 504 passes below the stretch sleeve applicator 508, the stretch sleeve label 510 may be stretched over a bullet mandrel 512, such that the bullet mandrel 512 causes the stretch sleeve label 510 to open into its cylindrical shape over (e.g., a predetermined distance over) the exterior surface of the container body 504. The label dispenser 508 may include a label stretching device (not shown) for stretching the stretch sleeve label 510 over the container 504. The opened stretch sleeve label 510 may be carried down to a desired or pre-configured point on the container body 504. For example, the leading edge of the stretch sleeve label may be carried down to the upper rim of the container body 504 (e.g., as depicted in
The stretch sleeve label 510 may be cut and/or released from the label dispenser 508 at the appropriate point, so that when the leading edge of the sleeve is carried down to the desired point of the container body 504 and/or the trailing edge of the stretch sleeve label 510 ends up at the appropriate location along the edge of the container body 504 (e.g., at the transition portion, as depicted in
The label dispenser 508 may be configured to affix the stretch sleeve label 510 to the exterior surface of the EPS container body 504 using an adhesive (e.g., pressurized adhesive that may be activated upon application of pressure) for example. In an example embodiment, the adhesive may be applied in beads or lines to the side of the container body 504 before the stretch sleeve label 510 is applied, and/or the stretch sleeve label 510 itself may be provided with adhesive already applied to the inner surface of the label (e.g., the surface that will be applied to the exterior surface of the container body 504). If a pressurized adhesive is used, the adhesive may be activated as pressure is applied to the stretch sleeve label 510 on the container body 504.
When the stretch sleeve label 510 is released, it may naturally conform to the contours of the container body 504 at the desired position due to its natural compression on the container body 504. In this example, adhesive may not be applied, or it may be applied to maintain the positioning of the stretch sleeve label 510 during use. The stretch sleeve label 510 may be stretched to reach the desired position and the adhesive may be used to maintain the positioning of the stretch sleeve label 510 after it is released. The adhesive may be used to help the stretch sleeve label 510 maintain a desired position on the container body 504.
The finished container 514 may include the container body 504 and the stretch sleeve label 510 attached to the container body 504 at the desired or pre-configured position. The finished container 514 may be conveyed away to be stacked for packaging and shipment. Once the stretch sleeve label 510 has been applied and/or conforms to the container body 504, it may be immediately ready for shipment and/or use. The final stretch sleeve labeled container 514 may have greater rigidity characteristics compared to those of the container body 504 prior to labeling, which may enable for a better grip on the final stretch sleeve labeled container 514. This may be because the stretch sleeve label 510 may fit snugly against the contours of the container body 504.
The described embodiments are provided as examples and are not meant as limitations. For example, while the food or beverage containers described herein may be referred to as EPS containers, the containers may be made of EPS, polyethylene terephalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), and/or another disposable material having similar insulation properties. Additionally, while certain features or elements are described in particular combinations herein, each feature or element may be used alone or in other various combinations.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/683,017, filed Aug. 14, 2012, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61683017 | Aug 2012 | US |
