Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WIO 92/04704 PCr/GB91/01~72
2 ~
LABELS AND MANUFACTURE THERE:OF.
The present invention relates to a self-a~hesive label
and to a method of producing a succession of self-adhesive
labels carried on a backing of release material.
It is known to provide resealable multilaminar labels
which, after they have been adherled to a product, can be
opened to reveal previou~ly hidde;n surfaces.
The present invention aims to provide an improved such
label and an improved method of manufacturing such labels.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a
self-adhesive label comprising a multilaminar folded label
which comprises ~irst and second porti~ons which are adhered to
a backing of release material or to a self-adhesive support
piece carried on a backing of release material by a first
region of permanent adhesive and a second region of resealable
adhesive respectively.
The present invention also provides a method of producing
a succession of self-adhesive labels carried on a backing of
release material, the method comprising the steps of:-
(a) applying to a backing of release material or to a
self-adhesiye support piece carried on a bac~ing of release
material a succession of first regions of permanent adhesive
and a succession of second regions of resealable adhesive, and
(b) disposing a succession of mul~ilaminar folded labels
to the adhesive regions whereby each mul~ilaminar folded label
is adherad to the backing of ralease material or to the
self-adhesive support piece by one of the first regions of
adhesive and by one of ~he second regions of adhesivP.
SUBSTITUTE ~3W~T
., ~ ~ .. . .
' ' ' ' " ' ' ' '
.' ~ , .' ~ , .
.
~ ' ' ' ' . ~ '.
wos2/047o~l PC~I/CB91/OIq7~
2~7~
The present invention further pro~ides a self-adhesive
label comprising a multilaminar folded booklet having a front
cover, a rear cover and at least one sheet between the front
and rear covers, the front cover and the rear cover being
adhered to a backing of release material by respective first
and second spaced regions of adhesive, and a weakened tear
line which is located between the front and rear covers
whereby the front cover and the at least one sheet are
removable from the rear cover by tearing along the weakened
tear line.
The present inventlon still further provides a method of
producing a succession of self adhesive labels carried on a
web comprising a backing of release material, the method
comprising the steps of:-
(a) applying to a backing of release material a
succession of firs~ and second regions of adhesive;
(b) disposing a succession of multilaminar folded labels
to the adhesive regions whereby each multilaminar folded label
is adhered to the backing of release material by a pair of the
first and second regions of adhesive.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be
described by way of example only with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan viaw of a length of a backing of
release material carrying adhesive regions and sel~-a~hesive
labels in accordance with a firsk embodiment of the present
invention;
SUB5TITUTE ~;H~
W092/04704 PC~/CB91/01472
_ 3 ~ 7 ~ ~
Figure 2 is an elevational view of the self-adhesive
label shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of an
apparatus for use in a method o~ producing labels in
accordance with a second embodiment o~ the present invention;
Figure 4 is an elevational view of the sel~-adhesive
label made by the method shown i.n Fiyure 3;
Figure 5 is an elevational view o~ a self adhesive
label in accordance with a thircl embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 6 is an elevational view of a sel~-adhesive
label in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present
invention; and
Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the
; 15 production of labels in accordance with a fifth embodiment of
the present invention.
Referring-to Figure 1, there is shown a length of a bac~ing 2
of release material which has had applied thereto a
succession of first regions 4 of permanent adhesive and a
succession of second regions 6 of resealable adhesive.
Typically, the permanent and resealable adhesives are hot
melt adhesives. Each second region 6 of reseala~le adhesive
is disposed longitunally substantially adjacent a respective
first regicn 4 o~ perranent adhesive whereby the first and
i
SVBSl ITUTE ~;WI~T
~` . .
:
~vos2/04704 ~C'I/(,~')I/01472
4 2 ~
second regions 4,6 are oriented in pairs of those reglons
4,6. The regions 4,6 of adhesive are printed or otherwise
applied directly to the backing 2 of release material and the
regions 4,6 are applied either simultaneously or successively
in any order. In the manufacture of the self-adhesive labels
in accordance with the first embocliment of th~ present
invention, the backin~ 2 of release material carrying the
successions of pairs of regions, 4,6 is passed to a label
applying station (not shown) at which multilaminar folded
labels 8 are successively applied to the adhesive regions 4,6
whereby each applied label 8 covers a respective pair of
regions 4,6. The la~els 8 are dimensioned so as entirely to
cover the respective pair of adhesive regions 4,6 so that no
free adhesive is exposed. The backing 2 of release material
carrying the adhered labels 8 forming the resultant
self-adhesive labels 10 thereon is then wound into a reel.
A self~adhesive label 10 in accordance with the first
embodiment is shown in greater detail in Figure 2. It will
be seen that the multilaminar folded label 8 comprises a
first portion 12 which is adhered to the first region 4 of
adhesive and a second portion 14 which is adhered to the
second region 6 of adhesi~e. The ~irst portion 12 comprises
a rear panel of the multilaminar folded label 8 and the
second portion 14 comprises an overlapping flap of a front
panel 16 of the folded label. In the illustrated embodiment
additional panels 18 are disposed between the rear 12 and
front 16 panels.
In use, the self-adhesive label 10 is rem~ved from
the backing 2 of release material and then the self-adhesive
label 10 is adhered ~o a product to be labelled by the first
and second regions 4,6 of adhesive. ~hen it is desired to
open the multilaminar folded label 8, a user pulls the
overlapping flap 14 away from the product thereby to release
the flap 14 from ~he product at the interface with the
SUBSTITUTE ~3HEER
.. .
w09~/04704 F'C1-/C13~1/01472
-- 5
7 ~ ~
resealable adhesive region 6. The main body of the
self-adhesive label 10 remains permanently adhered to the
product by means of the first region 4 of permanent
adhesive. After the additional panels 18 have been read by a
user, the overlapping flap 14 c:an be re-adhered to the
product by means of the second region 6 of resealable
adhesive.
A second embodiment of the present invention is shown
in Figures 3 and 4. Referring to Figure 3, in the
manufacture of the self-adhesive labels 20 of the second
embodiment, a succession of multilaminar folded labels 22 is
applied to a succession of pairs of first regions 24 of
permanent adhesive and second regions 26 of resealable
adhesive in the manner described hereinabove ~ith reference
to Figures l and 2. In this em~odiment however, the applied
multilaminar folded labels 22 are smaller in dimensional area
than the regions defined by the first and second regions
24,26 of adhesive whereby respective parts 28,30 of the first
and second regions 24,26 are left exposed and those parts
28,30 surround the applied multilaminar folded label 22. As
in the fir$t embodiment, a first portion 32, comprising a
rear panel, of the folded label 22 is adhered to the first
region 24 and a second portion 34, comprising an overlapping
~lap of a front panel 36 of the folded labPl 22, is adhered
to the second region 26 of adhesive. Each region 24,26 of
adhesive extends beyond the longitudinally directed edges of
~he applied label 22. The regions 24,26 of adhesive adhere
the label 22 to a backing 38 o~ release material.
The label 22 adhered to the backing 38 of release
material is passed to a laminar material applying station 40
at which a laminar material 4Z, which comprises a ~ransparent
plastics web e.g. o~ pslyester, is urged by a roller 44 over
the succession of applied labels 22 and of regions 24,26 of
adhesive. The rearwardly-directed surface of the laminar
;
SUBSTlTlJT~
~v092~0~170~1 1'CI`/C1391/01472
- 6 ~ r~g
material 42 is adhered to the exposed parts 46,48 of the
first and second portions 24,26. I'he combined assembly then
passes to a die-cutting station 50 at which the assembly is
passed between an upper die cutti:ng roller 52 and a lower
backing roller 54. The die-cutting roller 52 is adapted to
cut out from the laminar material ~2 and the multilaminar
folded label 22, a self-adhesive label 20 which remains on
the backing 38 of release material. The waste web remnant 56
is removed. In the die-cutting step two transversely
oriented cuts are made through the laminar material 42, one
cut being upstream and the other cut being downstream of the
respective multilaminar folded label 22. In the die cutting
step additionally two longitudinal cuts are made through the
laminar material 42 and through the applied multilaminar
folded label 22. The waste web remnant 56 comprises the
excess laminar material 42 and in addition the cut-away
longitudinal edges of the multilaminar folded label 22 and
the extraneous adhesive from the regions 24,26.
The resultant self-adhesive label is shown in ~igure
4 from which it will ~e seen that the folded label portion 58
which has been cut from the original multilaminar folded
label 22 is adhered by respective areas 60,62 of the original
first and second regions 24,26 ~f adhesive to the backing 38
of release ma~erial. A laminar material portion 64 covers
the folded label portion 58 and has first and second opposed
edge regions 66,68 thereof which extend past respective edges
70,72 of the label portion 58. The first and second edge
regions 66,68 are respectively adhered to the bac~ing 38 of
release material by the first and second areas 60,62 of the
adhesive rPgions 24,26. Thus the laminar material portion 64
is retained in a closed configuration by the adhesion of the
opposed edge regions 66,68 to the backing 38 of release
material. The :Laminar material portion 64 covers the entire
self-adhesive label 20 and protects the label 20 from damage
or soiling. An overlapping flap 74 of the front cover panel
SUBSTITUTI S~E~
W092/()4704 PC1/CB91/01472
~ 7 ~ 2~
is adhered to the area 62 of resealable adhesive. The label
of Figure 4 may be modified by shortening the ~ront cover
panel thereby removing the overlapping flap whereby the
folded label portion is itself only adhered to the adhesive
area 60 and it is only the laminar material portion 64 which
is adhered to the area 62 of resealable adhesive.
- In use, when it is desired to label a product the
self-adhesive label 20 is stripped off from the backing 38 of
release material e.g. by an automatic labelling machine and
10 the label 20 ls adhered to the product by the areas 60,62 of
adhesive. When it is desired to open the label 20 so as to
access the hidden inner surfaces, the edge region 68 of the
laminar material portion 64 and the overlapping flap 74 are
pulled a~ay ~rom the product at the interface with the areas
62 of resealable adhesive. After the label has been read hy
a user, the overlapping flap 74 and the edge portion 68 of
the laminar material portion 64 can be readhered to the
product by the area 62 of resealable adhesive.
A third embodiment of then self-adhesive label in
accordance with the present invention is illustrated in
Figure 5. In this embodiment, a folded label portion 80 is
in the form of a booklet having a front cover panel 82 which
is longer than the remaining panels so as to define an
overlapping flap 84. A back cover panel 86 of tha booklet is
adhered by a strip 88 of a permanent adhesive which extends
adjacent the spine 90 of the booklet to a backing 92 of
release material. The free edge 94 of the back cover panel
86 is releasably adhered to the backing 92 of release
material by a strip 96 o~ resealable adhesive which is
parallel to the strip 88 of permanent adhesive. The
overlapping flap 84 of the front cover panel 82 is adhered to
the backing 92 o~ release material by a second strip 98 of
resealable adhesive which is parallel to and spaced from the
strip 96. In use, the label lO0 is removed from the backing
SUBSTlTlJTF.~
~VO 92/O't704 1' ~ /G B91/01472
7 ~ ~
92 of release ma~erial and aclhered to a product to be
labelled by the three strips 88, 96 and 98 of adhesive. When
it is desired to open the label, a user pulls the overlapping
flap away from the product and this strips away the
overlapping flap 84 from the strip 98 of resealable adhesive
to permit the label to be opened-and the inner pages of the
booklet to be read. In addition, the rear surface of the
bacX cover panel 86 may be printed with infor~ation and in
order to access this information the user can p~ll the edge
94 of the back cover panel 86 away from the strip 96 of
resealable adhesive~ The edge 94 and the overlapping flap 84
may be readhered if desixed to the respective strips 96, 98
of resealable adhesive.
The label 100 may be manufactured by a method
substantially the same as that employed to manufacture the
label of the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
A fourth embodiment of a label in accordance with the
present invention is illustrated in Figure 6. In this
embodiment, a folded label portion 102 in the form of a
booklet has a similar construction to that illustrated in
Figure 5. This embodiment is modified in that the folded
label portion 102 is not adhered directly to a backing of
release material but rather the folded label portion 102 is
adhered to a support piece 104, typically of paper, which is
self-adhesive~ being coated on its rear surface with a
pressure-sensitive adhesive, and is itself carried on a
backing 106 of release material. The booklet 102 has a back
cover panel 108 which is adhered adjacent the spine 110 of
the booklet to the support piece 104 by a strip 112 of
~ 30 permanent adhesive. A strip 114 of resealable adhesive
; adheres to the support piece 104 both the free edge 116 of
the back cover panel 108 and the overlapping flap 118 of the
front cover panel 120. When lt is desired to label a
SUBSTITIJTE S~l~
' ' ': ' ' ' '
~, ' ' .
W09~/04704 l'CT/C~')I/t)14~2
~ - 2 ~ '3 ~
product, the support piece 104 is stripped off from the
backing 106 of release material and adhered by its
self-adhesive surface to the product to be labelled. The
label 122 can be opened and closed as desired in the manner
described hereinabove with re~erence to the embodiment of
Figure 5.
The label of Figure 6 is manufactured in a manner
similar to the method of manufacture of the second embodiment
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 except that a laminating
procedure is not employed. Skrips 112, 114 of adhesive are
applied to a self-adhesive support web which is carried on
the backing 106 o~ release material, the self-adhesive
support web subsequently bein~ die-cut to form the support
pieces 104. After the strips 112, 114 of adhesive have been
applied, a succession of folded label portions 102 are
applied thereta and then the composite assembly passes to a
die-cutting station at which the support web is cut to form
the support pieces 104 and also the ultimate self-adhesive
labels 122. If desired, in the die~cutting step the applied
folded label portions may also be cut either along their
longitudinal edges or along the trans~ers edge which is
remote from the spine 110 (the longitudinal and transverse
directions being equivalent to those illustrated in Figure 3)
and the waste portions of the cut away parts of the applied
folded label portions 102 are removed together with the waste
web remnant of the support web. This can prsvide coincident
edges of the applied folded label 102 and the support piece
104.
The first, second and third embodiments may be
modified by adhering the. applied folded label to a
self-adhesive support piece carried on a backing of release
material rather than to the backi~g of release material
I directly. It will be readily apparent to the man skilled in
the art how this may be achieved.
:
SUBSTITUTE S~
,
.
W0~2/04704 ~'CI/Cl391/01~72
~n
A fifth embodiment of the present inve ~lQX'~
illustrated in Figure 7. A succession of first regions 130
and second regions 132 of adheslve are applied to a web of a
backing of release material 13~. In this embodiment, the
adhesive of the first and second regions 130, 132 may be the
same type of adhesive, typically permanent hot melt
adhesive. The disposition of the regions of adhesive is
substantially the same as that in the first embodiment
illustrated in Figure 1. Subsequently, at a label applying
station a mul~ilaminar booklet 136 is applied over and
adhered to the first and second regions of adhesive 130, 132
so as to sompletely ~o cover those regions. The booklet 136
includes a front cover 138 and rear cover 1~0 and at least
one sheet 142 disposed therebetween. The first weakened tear
line 144 comprising a line of perforations which extends
hetween the front and rear covers 138, 140 whereby if the
weakened tear line 144 is ~orn the front cover 138 and the at
least one sheet 142 can be detached from the rear cover 140.
Thus, whan the rear cover 140 is adhered to a product to be
labelled by the region 130 of adhesive, the body of the
folded booklet can be detached from the rear cover 140
leaving the rear cover 140 attached to the product. A pair
of second weakened ~ear lines 146 are constituted by
perforation lines which extend across the front cover 138 so
as to sep~rate the ~ront cover 138 into an end portion 14~
-which is adhered to the backing 134 of release material by
the second region 132 of adhesive and a body portion 150
which is disposed above the at least one sheet 142 and the
rear cover 1~0. Tearing along the second weakenPd tear lines
146 permits the folded booklet 136 to be opened when the
folded booklet 136 is adhered to a product to ~e laballed so
as to enable the at leas~ one sheet 142 and the rear cover
140 to be accessed.
SUBSTITUl'E SHEE~
~V092/04704 PCl/~1/01~72
2 ~ 6
It is possible for the booklet 136 to comprise th~
entire self-adhesive label. However, in the illustrated
embodiment the booklet 136 actually constitutes two separate
labels~ The two separate labels are formed by longitudinally
slitting along a slitting line 152. The slitting line 152
extends coextensively through the booklet 136 so as to divide
the booklet 136 into booklet portions 154, 156 and through
the backing 134 of release material so as to divide the
backing 134 into backing portions 158, 160. The waste at the
longitudinal edges of the composite booklet/backing assembly,
the waste consisting of cut-away portions of both the backing
134 and the applied booklet 136, is removed. Thus, in the
illustrated embodiment a pair of webs is formed, each
comprising a succession of booklet portions being carried on
a backing of release material. The booklet portions 154, 156
may be removed from the respective web 158, 160 and adhered
to a product to be lahelled by the respective portions of the
first and second regions 130, 132 of adhesive. When it is
desired to open each label~ the front cover portion is torn
along the second weakened tear lines 146 so as to enable the
label to be opened. Subsequently, the front cover portion
and the at least one sheet portion may be torn away from the
rear cover portion by tearing along the first tear line 144.
SUBSTITUTE~ S~
