WO1996020115A1

WO1996020115A1 - Product labelling

Info

Publication number: WO1996020115A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/002998
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew William Wilkey
Original assignee: Andrew William Wilkey
Priority date: 1994-12-24
Filing date: 1995-12-21
Publication date: 1996-07-04
Also published as: AU4270296A

Abstract

A strip carries successive labels, each label being printed over its front and/or rear surface and further precoated with adhesiveover discrete areas only of its rear surface. For example the label may have a margin (30) of adhesive around its periphery and optionally one or more areas (31) of adhesive within the central area of the label. The strip may comprise a strip of plastics material on which the successive labels are directly printed, and may be rolled up without a backing paper. Altermatively the strip may comprise a strip of backing paper to which the successive labels are adhered by means of their discrete areas of adhesive.

Description

Product Labelling

This invention relates to labelling and more particularly to the labelling (or "primary decoration") of products.

Commonly in labelling successive products, successive preprinted labels are carried on a roll of backing paper, from which the labels are removed one-by-one and applied to the respective products. In preparing this roll of labels, a strip of backing paper is provided with a coating of adhesive over one side, and then the successive labels are adhered to this side of the backing paper. The adhesive transfers from the backing paper to the rear surface of the labels to enable these, when removed from the backing paper, to adhere to the respective products.

I have now devised labelling arrangements which save the amount of adhesive necessary and can avoid the need for backing paper altogether.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a method of applying labels to successive products, in which each label carries printing and also carries adhesive preapplied to discrete areas only of its rear surface, the method comprising taking each label from a strip of said labels and applying that label to its product.

The labels may carry printing over their front surfaces: preferably however the labels comprise transparent plastics material and carry printing over their rear surfaces (or over both front and rear surfaces) . It will be appreciated that the printing on the rear surface is protected against being abraded, in use of the label.

When of plastics material, the labels may be heat- shrinkable.

The successive labels may be carried on a backing strip, to which they are adhered by means of the discrete areas of adhesive carried on their rear surfaces. Preferably the discrete areas of adhesive are applied in-line with the printing process, and may be applied by a printing apparatus (which applies adhesive instead of the usual ink) . Alternatively, the labels may be printed on a strip of material, the method of applying labels comprise the step of cutting the labels from this strip for application to the successive products. The discrete areas of adhesive may be applied to the strip of labels in-line with the printing process: the strip can then be wound into a roll without the need for a backing paper (i.e. the adjacent turns of the roll are contiguous) ; the strip can be subsequently unwound easily, because the adjacent turns of the roll are only lightly adhered together, by way of the discrete areas only of adhesive.

Each label may carry a margin of the preapplied adhesive applied around its periphery: it may have one or more additional areas of adhesive over its central region. In this case the label may be applied to a flat face of its product. Products are often manufactured or packaged to non- circular cross-sectional shapes, for example triangular section, square section, or with concave areas spaced around the circumference. Such shapes lead to difficulties when applying labels around the product. A preformed tubular sleeve of heat-εhrinkable plastics can be slipped down over the product and then shrunk by the application of heat: this produces a satisfactory result, but the machinery required is relatively expensive. The problem of expense is therefore often overcome by wrapping a self-adhesive label around the product, to form a wrap-around sleeve: this is achieved by contacting the product with one end of the label and then wrapping the label around the product; however, the first end of the label may well contact the product at an inappropriate point of its circumference (e.g. at one of its concave zones), or may not wrap smoothly around the circumference of the product, because the adhesive covers the whole of its rear surface; very often therefore, the label may exhibit creases or may be loos€- at certain regions, such that the label is relatively unsightly. In order to overcome the above problems, then in accordance with this invention, each label may be wrapped around its product so that the opposite ends of the label overlap and bond together by means of one or more areas of the adhesive carried on the rear surface of the label: then heat is applied to shrink the label, so that it firmly embraces the product around its circumference. The heat shrinking step causes the label to be drawn taut around the product, and unsightly creases or loose areas are avoided. For example, each label may carry a continuous or discontinuous stripe of adhesive at or adjacent one of its ends, arranged to bond the two opposite ends of the label together once the latter has been wrapped around the product and its ends overlapped. The label may carry adhesive at other discrete areas, appropriate to engage the product at predetermined faces or points around its circumference.

In carrying out the method of the present invention, the products to be labelled may be advanced along a conveyor, and a label may be interposed across the conveyor in front of each product: the product then advances into engagement with the label at a central region of the latter, the label is released and its two ends are wrapped around the product and optionally overlapped. Preferably the label carries an area of contact adhesive at the central region into which the product first comes into engagement. If the label is heat shrinkable, then each product thereafter advances to a station at which heat is applied to shrink the label.

In the cases that the labels are cut from a strip of material preprinted with successive labels, the leading end of the strip may be advanced into engagement with a product, then the strip is severed and the label applied to the product, then the process is repeated for successive products. Preferably only the leading end of each label is brought into contact with the product (typically against the side of the product as the latter advances along a conveyor) , and the remainder of the label is brushed onto the product after being severed from the strip.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a strip carrying successive labels, each label being printed over its front and/or rear surface and further precoated with adhesive over discrete areas only of its rear surface. As discussed above, this strip may comprise of plastics material on which successive labels are directly printed: alternatively, it may comprise a strip of backing paper or the like to which individual labels are adhered by means of the discrete areas of adhesive carried on their rear surfaces.

Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for applying labels to successive products, each label being printed and having adhesive preapplied at least to discrete areas of its rear surface, the apparatus comprising means for advancing products one-after- another along a path, means for interposing each label across said path in front of its product so that the product advances into engagement with the label at a region thereof intermediate opposite ends of the label, and means for then wrapping the opposite ends of the label around the product.

Yet further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for applying labels to successive products, comprising means for advancing products one-after-another along a path, means for advancing the leading end of a strip of preprinted labels into engagement with a product, each label having adhesive preapplied at least to discrete only of its rear surface, means for then severing the leading label from the strip, and means for applying that label to its product.

Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a label for use in the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic plan view showing the application of the label of Figure 1 to a product to be labelled;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of label; and

FIGURE 4 is a diagram of an apparatus for applying labels, as shown in Figure 3, to successive products. Referring to Figure 1, a label 10 is provided, in the form of a piece of sheet plastics material having a stripe 11 of contact adhesive applied to its rear surface adjacent one end and also a stripe 12 at its middle. The label (which is preprinted) may be cut from a strip of such labels before being wrapped around the product to be labelled. The labels are preformed, complete with their areas of contact adhesive: for example, the labels may be carried on a roll of backing paper (to which they are adhered by means of their areas of contact adhesive) , then peeled from this backing paper immediately prior to application to the products to be labelled. Instead, the labels may be printed on a length of plastics sheet material, to which the areas of adhesive are applied and then the length of sheet material is formed into a roll: no backing paper is required, because the roll is easily unwound (for each label to be cut therefrom prior to application to the product to be labelled) , because adjacent turns of the roll are adhered together over discrete areas only.

Referring to Figure 2, each label may be advanced across a conveyor, along which the products to be labelled are moving. The advancing product 20 engages the label 10 at its centre, at which the stripe 12 of contact adhesive is provided: by continuing advancement of the product 20, the label starts to wrap around the product. The ends of the label 10 are then released, and wrapped around the trailing side of the product until its ends overlap and adhere together. The labels may be formed of heat-shrinkable plastics material, in which case the labelled products advance to a station at which heat is applied to shrink the label, causing it to embrace the product firmly around its full circumference.

Figure 2 shows a product 20 of square cross-sectional shape but the above-described method is applicable to the labelling of products of any cross-sectional shape, including triangular sections and circular shapes, any of which may have concave areas spaced around their circumference.

As previously mentioned, successive labels may be printed on a roll of plastics sheet strip, without the usual strip of backing paper. In this case, the labels may be formed by printing onto the rear surface of a transparent plastics strip, and discrete areas of contact adhesive are applied to the same surface (rear surface) of the strip in-line with the printing process. The printing may instead be applied to this front surface, or to both front and rear surfaces of each label. Because the adhesive is limited to discrete areas only of the strip so that adjacent, contiguous turns of the rol adhere together only lightly, the strip can be wound into roll, and subsequently easily unwound for each successive labe to be cut off and applied. In the case of many product shapes the labels can then be applied without subsequent heat shrinking. Also, in many cases the labels do not have to b wrapped fully around the product, and may even comprise a fla label to be applied to one side of the product. Figure 3 show a label, having a margin 30 of adhesive around its periphery one or more additional areas 31 of adhesive may be provide within the central area of the label.

Figure 4 shows, in diagrammatic form, an apparatus fo applying labels from a roll of plastics sheet strip Successive products 40 are advanced along a conveyor. Th leading end of the strip S extends from the roll (not shown and between a pressure plate 41 and roller 42, which induc tension into the strip S downstream of that location, and the between a pair of guide rollers 43. The leading end of th strip S is held by a vacuum head 44. A sensor detects th arrival of a product 40 at a predetermined point along th conveyor, to cause a piston 45 to advance a movable part 44 of the vacuum head, carrying the leading end of the strip into contact with a side surface of the product 40. stationary part 44b of the vacuum head is now actuated to hol the strip S, whilst a cutter 46 severs the strip S. The movin part 44a of the vacuum head is released and returned to it rest position, where it is reactuated to grip the new lead en of the strip Ξ. It will be appreciated that the product 40 no has the lead end of a label adhered to it: as the produc advances further along the conveyor, the rest of the label i brushed onto the product. If the label is to be wrapped aroun the product (as in the case of simple, circular-sectio products) , the product 40 may be turned around its vertica axis as it is advanced, so that the label is wound around th product.

In the above-described process, the plastics shee strip is printed over its rear surface prior to application of adhesive onto that surface. The printing is accordingly clearly visible through the strip. However, printing may b applied to the front surface of the strip, instead of or in addition to the printing on the rear surface.

Although in many cases the labelling method described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 may be carried out without subsequent heat-shrinking of the label, in some cases a light application of heat may be desirable to smooth away minor creases in the label as applied to the product.

Claims

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8 Claims

1) A method of applying labels to successive products, i which each label carries printing and also carries adhesiv preapplied to discrete areas only of its rear surface, th method comprising taking each label from a strip of said label and applying that label to its product.

2) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the label carry printing over their front surfaces.

3) A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the label comprise transparent plastics material and carry printing ove their rear surfaces, or over both front and rear surfaces.

4) A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in whic the labels comprise heat-shrinkable plastics material and the method comprises the step of applying heat to shrink each label after it is applied to its product.

5) A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the successive labels are carried on a backing strip, to which they are adhered by means of the discrete areas of adhesive carried on their rear surfaces.

6) A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 , in which the labels are printed on a strip of material, and the method comprises cutting successive labels from that strip for application to successive products.

7) A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each label carries a margin of adhesive preapplied around its periphery on its rear surface, and optionally one or more additional areas of adhesive over its central region.

8) A method as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising the step of wrapping each label around its product so that opposite ends of the label overlap and bond together by means of one or more said areas of adhesive carried on its rear surface .

9) A method as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising the step of advancing products to be labelled one-after-another along a path, interposing each label across said path in front of its product so that the product advances into engagement with the label at a region intermediate opposite ends of the label, and then wrapping the opposite ends of the label around the product, and optionally overlapping said opposite end of the label.

10) A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7 or 8 when appended to claim 6, comprising the step of advancing the leading end of said strip of preprinted labels into engagement with a product, then severing the leading label from the strip and applying the label to its product, then repeating these steps for successive products.

11) A strip carrying successive labels, each label being printed over its front and/or rear surface and further precoated with adhesive over discrete areas only of its rear surface.

12) A strip as claimed in claim 11, comprising a strip of plastics material on which said successive labels are directly printed.

13) A strip as claimed in claim 12, in which said plastics material is transparent.

14) A strip as claimed in claim 12 or 13, in which said plastics material is heat-shrinkable.

15) A strip ..s claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, which is wound into a roll with successive turns thereof contiguous.

16) A strip as claimed in claim 11, comprising a strip of backing material to which individual said labels are adhered by means of the discrete areas of adhesive carried on their rear surfaces.

17) A strip as claimed in claim 16, in which said label are of plastics material.

18) A strip as claimed in claim 17, in which said plastics material labels are transparent.

19) A strip as claimed in claim 17 or 18, in which said plastics material labels are heat-shrinkable.

20) A strip as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 19, which is wound into a roll.

21) An apparatus for applying labels to successive products, each label being printed and having adhesive preapplied at least to discrete areas of its rear surface, the apparatus comprising means for advancing products one-after- another along a path, means for interposing each label across said path in front of its product so that the product advances into engagement with the label at a region thereof intermediate opposite ends of the label, and means for then wrapping the opposite ends of the label around the product.

22) An apparatus for applying labels to successive products, comprising means for advancing products one-after- another along a path, means for advancing the leading end of a strip of preprinted labels into engagement with a product, each label having adhesive preapplied at least to discrete areas of its rear surface, means for then severing the leading label from the strip, and means for applying that label to its product.