Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ WO95/11833 ~1 7 3 8 ~ 6 PCT/GB94/02170
l APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LABELLING CONTAINERS USING
2 THERMAL BONDING
4 This invention relates to apparatus used for applying
labels to containers. The invention has a particular,
6 although not exclusive, application in connection with
7 machinery encompassing roll-fed labelling apparatus.
9 Roll-fed labellers commonly comprise means for
supplying labels to a vacuum drum which, in turn,
ll offers the labels to containers housed on an adjacent
12 rotating turret. The labels, which initially are in
13 the form of a continuous web, are fed through a series
14 of rollers including, for example, a standard cutter
and pinch roller, which cuts the web at appropriate
16 lengths in order to provide separate labels. The
17 labels are held to the vacuum drum by a vacuum means
18 before each are released to a respective adjacent
l9 container upon which they are intended to be applied.
2l The containers may be of any type, and are generally
22 those used for cont~ining food or beverages. The
23 containers are mounted in chucks attached to the turret
24 and are adapted to rotate about an axis parallel to the
WO9~/11833 ~ t~6 PCT/GB9~/02170
l turret axis, about which the turret itself rotates.
3 In the past it has been known to attach the labels to
4 the containers by various methods. Such methods
include the use of adhesives or glues, hot melt
6 techniques/ water adhesion and the like. However, a
7 disadvantage of these known methods of securing labels
8 to their respective containers is that their use
~ frequently causes damage or marking to the containers.
This obviously has detrimental implications when it is
ll sought to recycle the containers. A similar
12 disadvantage results when removal of the label from the
13 container, which is required during recycling, causes
14 similar marking or damage of the containers.
16 It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a
17 means of attaching labels to containers, particularly
18 in connection with roll-fed labelling apparatus wherein
l9 the container is not potentially marked or damaged by
the attachment method. The invention seeks to
2l accomplish this object by causing the label to form a
22 sleeve which snugly circumnavigates the containers;
23 having the leading and trailing edge of the label
24 jointed to each other, as opposed to the container.
26 According to the invention there is provided a label
27 having a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein one
28 or both of said edges include a thermally activated
29 adhesive material.
31 Preferably, the thermally activated adhesive material
32 is printed onto said label.
33
34 Also, according to the invention there is provided
apparatus for applying a label as described above to a
~ wo 95,llg33 2 ~ i ~ 8 ~ PCT/GB94/02170
l container, said apparatus including a heating means
2 adapted to induce thermal bonding of the leading edge
3 to the traii-ng edge of the label once the label has
4 circumnaviga_ed the container.
6 Preferably, the heating means comprises electric
7 elements.
9 Preferably, said apparatus includes a vacuum drum and
said electric elements are housed within said drum.
11
12 Alternatively, the heating means comprises a heat lamp
13 located in juxta-position to the location where said
14 thermal bonding of the leading edge to the trailing
edge of the label is required to be effected.
16
17 Alternatively, the heating means wherein the heating
18 means uses heat derived from frictional losses in
l9 moving parts of the apparatus.
2l A method of applying a label to a container, the method
22 comprising causing the label to circumnavigate the
23 container, jointing a leading and trailing edge of the
24 label to each other so as to form a sleeve about the
container, wherein the label is not chemically fixed to
26 the container.
27
28 Preferably, the method of jointing of the leading and
29 trailing edge of the label utilises thermal bonding.
31 In order to enable a better understanding of the
32 invention, an example embodiment will now be described
33 with reference to the accompanying drawings:-
34
Fig. l which is a plan view of a turret housing a
WO95/11833 ~ 6 PCT/GB94/02170 O
l plurality of containers to which are offered
2 labels from a vacuum drum; the vacuum drum
3 incorporating electric h~ating elements.
Apparatus as may be found in a roll-fed labelling
6 machine comprises a turret l which is rotatable about a
7 fixed axis 2. The turret is adapted to support a
8 plurality of containers 3 which, in the em~odiment
9 shown, are cylindrical plastic bottles. In use, the
turret l rotates in a clockwise direction about its
ll axis 2. The bottles or containers 3 are also rotatably
12 mounted by chucks (not shown). The chucks allow the
13 containers 3 to spin in an anti-clockwise direction
14 about their centre axis.
16 The apparatus also includes a vacuum drum 4 which is
17 adapted to rotate about the axis 5 and comprises
18 suction means for holding labels 6 thereto as it
l9 rotates. The vacuum drum is adapted to rotate in a
clockwise direction about its axis 5 in use.
21
22 A series of rollers 7 supply the labels 6 to the vacuum
23 drum 4. The rollers 7 include a standard cutter and
24 pinch roller 7a which cuts the web of labels 8 into a
plurality of individual labels 6. The labels 6
26 supplied to the drum 4 are inherent with a thermally-
27 activated adhesive material positioned along the
28 leading edge and trailing edge of each respective label
29 6. This material may be inherent in the label material
itself or, alternatively, may be applied as a coating
31 in a print run while the labels are in web form before
32 being applied to the roll-fed labelling apparatus.
33
34 In use, the vacuum drum 4 offers a label 6 to a
respective container 3. The leading edge of the label
~ WO9~/11833 2 } 7 ~ ~ ~ 6 PCT/GB94/02170
s
l 6 is taken up by the container and this may be
2 accomplished using any applied or naturally occurring
3 bonding medium such as glue, water, static electricity
4 or the like. Methods of this type are known in the
art. The label 6 is then encouraged to wrap around
6 said container 3 by the combined rotation of the turret
7 l, container 3 and vacuum drum 4.
9 The trailing edge of the label 6 is then secured or
otherwise attached to the leading edge of the label
ll through the use of the thermally-activated adhesive
12 material inherent in the label 6. The adhesive
13 material is, in fact, thermally-activated by heating
14 elements 9. In the embodiments shown, the heating
elements 9 are housed within the vacuum drum 4.
16 However, the invention is not limited to such an
17 embodiment and the heating elements 9 may, for example,
18 alternatively be in the form of heat lamps or the like.
l9 What is essential to the invention is that a heat
source is provided which causes the thermally-activated
2l adhesive material located at least at the leading or
22 trailing edge of the label to be activated. It is
23 realised, however, that the heat of the vacuum drum or
24 other apparatus previously included in roll-fed
labelling apparatus may be cleverly employed to provide
26 thermal activation means.
27
28 Once the trailing edge of the label 6 is adhered to the
29 leading edge of the label 6 there is provided a sleeve
which surrounds the surface of the container. The
31 effect of this is that the bottle or container 3 does
32 not itself receive any glue, adhesive or hot melt
33 directly on its surface of necessity. This will
34 depend, of course, on the means used of causing the
label to circumnavigate the container prior to the
.
WO9S/11833 2 1 73~36 PCT/GB9~/02170
l leading and trailing edge of the label 6 being adhered
2 together. It is realised in the invention that it is
3 advantageous, when it is desired to recycle the
4 container and remove the label, to avoid using an
adhesion means which contacts both the label and
6 container as this can lead to marking or damage of the
7 container itself.
9 The invention described hereinbefore provides a means
of applying a label to a container such that the label
ll is in the form of a rolled-on sleeve with minim~l or no
12 bonding required between the bottle and the label.
13 This has the advantage of allowing the label to be cut
14 from the bottle with the bottle thereafter being
recycled in an undamaged state and, secondly,
16 eliminating or reducing the extent of glue consumables
17 or application equipment being required. This latter
l~ aspect of course reduces the capital and running costs
lg of the apparatus required to perform this process of
production.
21
22 Further modifications and impLov~ nts may be
23 incorporated without departing from the spirit or scope
24 of the invention herein intended.
26
