AU2002347202A1 - Label with removable portion for product identification - Google Patents

Description

WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 1 LABEL WITH REMOVABLE PORTION FOR PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to both a label, an article with an attached label, and a method of manufacture of a label for assisting in identification and recalling identification of 5 articles especially in connection with beverages such as wine. BACKGROUND ART The problem to which this invention is generally directed relates to a concept where there can be something attached to a container which is adapted to be removable by a person who might wish to recall in an easy way, characteristics about that 10 article. This is particularly the case with wine where a person who may have enjoyed a particular bottle of wine, would like to readily retain some information regarding that wine including typically the age of the wine, the grape or grapes and the name of the maker. 15 Such a proposal has been the subject of previous patents in some countries. The problem however is to be able to provide both a structure and a method of production which is both economic for production techniques that currently exist and will be necessarily applied by wineries, and as well, will be attractive to an end user. 20 This invention is specifically directed to labels which are attached or are to be attached to a container such as a bottle by self adhesion. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form of this invention there is proposed a label for a container, the label having, at least over a substantial area of its back, a self adhesive glue and there 25 being defined by a perimeter of weakness, a smaller portion of the label which is integral with the label and which has printed thereon information of interest to an end user relating to an identification of contents of a container in addition to further WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 2 information, and there being a further coating on the back of the smaller portion of the label which further coating either effecting a reduction or removal of adhesiveness of the self adhesive on a back of that smaller portion of the label. In preference, that portion of the label which is a somewhat smaller area than the 5 main label has this smaller portion aligned at least approximately to the perimeter of the main label portion. In preference, the smaller portion has a shape defining an outer edge which is broadly aligned with the perimeter of the larger portion of the label which is however shaped so as to be identifiable as a tab which can be held by a user and 10 used to remove the smaller portion by tearing the smaller portion away from its otherwise integrally attached larger label. In preference, the smaller portion is defined by a slit or slits or a perforation or perforations which effect thereby lines of weakness which are aligned to.project along in at least one linear alignment. 15 In a further preferred form, there are two linear alignments of weakness orientated one with respect to the other, and in a further preferred instance, there are linear alignments of weakness which are orientated so as to be in a rectilinear alignment where at least two of the linear alignments are at right angles one with respect to the other. 20 In a further form of this invention, it can reside in a label in accordance with any one or more of the previous features described which is attached to a container by being adhered to this by self adhesive adhesion. In preference, there is an assembly of a label having integrally integrated therewith a portion having printed on there, information about the contents of a container in 25 addition to the same or similar information being illustrated on a further portion of the label, characterised in that the smaller portion which is therefore adapted to be torn away when the label is attached to the container, has a further layer over a self adhesive layer which reduces the adhesive effect of that portion of the label. In a further form of this invention, it can reside in a method of manufacture of labels 30 for the purpose of applying them to containers, which includes the steps of effecting the printing and cutting from a label strip adhering with self adhesive to a WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 3 backing strip a plurality of labels while adhering at least in the main, to a backing strip, the method being characterized by including the step of separating the label strip from the backing strip, applying to an existing self adhesive coating, a further coating which at the least, modifies the self adhesive characteristics of a smaller 5 portion of the label which smaller portion is adapted to be able to be easily separated from a remaining larger portion of the label, then returning the thus treated label back onto and in an adhering position on the backing strip whereby separate labels can be cut and adapted thereafter to beapplied onto a container. In preference, the method is further characterized in that the smaller portion of the 10 label is defined by one or more perforated lines of weakness or slits between it and the larger portion of the label. In preference, in each of the above cases, the container is a glass bottle. Also in relation to each of the previously described features, the container is intended to hold or does hold wine and the label has printed thereon both in 15 relation to the larger portion and the lesser sized portion information which identifies selected characteristics of the beverage within the container. In preference, such features include the age of wine, the maker or supplier of the wine, and the variety or varieties of grapes from which the wine has been made. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 20 For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with the assistance of drawings wherein; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a label according to this invention appropriate for adhesion by self adhesion to a bottle of wine, Figure 2 is the same label attached to a bottle of wine, 25 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the integral smaller portion of the label as it is being removed, WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 4 Figure 4 illustrates schematically how the label or, more correctly, a top sheet may be lifted away from a backing sheet and subjected to a further coating of a portion of the label so as to reduce the self adhesive effect of that portion, Figure 5 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment showing how 5 the deadening of a portion of the label can be effected, Figure 6 is a perspective view of another label in accord with invention, and Figures 7 and 8 are sections respectively along the lines A-A and B-B of the view of Figure 6. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 10 Referring in detail to the drawings, there is a label 1 which in this case is of conventional shape and has markings typical of wine labels including the supplier of the wine as shown in 1, the grape of which the wine is made shown at 2 and the year that the wine was made. As an integral part of the material of the label there is a second portion shown at 4 15 which is defined by having three sides 5, 6 and 7 which are caused to be lines of weakness by perforations which are aligned one with the other so that in this case there is a rectilinear shape with however connecting webs typically shown at 8 which are positioned so as to maintain integrity and integral character of the larger portion 9 and the smaller portion 4 where it is to be applied to a bottle of wine. 20 However, the underneath surface of the label has in the first instance a self adhesive coating which is intended to first hold the label onto the backing strip which covers all of the back of the larger portion 9. However, immediately behind the smaller portion 4 there is an additional outermost coating which in this case covers and therefore removes the self 25 adhesive character of that portion of the smaller portion 4. The outside alignment of the label in general is rectilinear and the smaller portion 4 has one side 12 which is generally on the outer side and is aligned with the remainder of the perimeter of the larger portion of the label however having rounded corners at 13 and 14 on the larger portion and 15 and 16 on the smaller WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 5 portion which helps to define a tab which can be grasped by a person intending to hold and remove this smaller portion. In the manufacture of labels for this purpose, a conventional assembly includes a web which is comprised of two sheets of material one of which has a self adhesive 5 backing and is the material from which the label is formed and printed on and the other is a backing sheet. One of the significant advantages of the arrangement described is that to some extent conventional technology can be used to manufacture labels using this concept both in relation to the printing of the label and applying the label to bottles 10 where the process is the self adhesive label process. The method of printing however is modified to an extent that the label is lifted sufficiently to apply a coating to the otherwise self adhesive material backing the smaller portion 4. Figure 4 then illustrates in one schematic way the way in which this can happen 15 which includes the strip 20 acting as a backing sheet onto which labels 9 as a top sheet are adhering during the printing process and for subsequent holding for application to a bottling line. The top sheet is at an appropriate location 22 lifted and has a patch 23 applied to the underneath portion of the smaller portion 4 where upon the label is then 20 returned by way of guides to the backing sheet. While this describes a method very schematically, other methods in terms of the specifics are used of how the label is lifted, treated and returned including lifting each label and turning this to one side so that an opposite face is upturned. A further embodiment is shown in Figure 5. 25 In this case the method includes a roll 30, feeding a web 31 which includes a top sheet 32 and a backing sheet 33 which has on it a self adhesive glue by which the top sheet 32 is held to the backing sheet 33. The respective sheets are separated at 34 with 32 to have applied thereto a coating which is applied at 37 by roller 38.

WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 6 This coating is applied to coincide only within the lines of weakness of a smaller portion of the label and is subjected to a drying radiant heating at 39 so that when it is recombined at 40, it is dried. It is then turned over at 41 so that the top sheet 32 then is in fact on top of the backing sheet 33 for the next stages of conventionally 5 printing and cutting the labels. A resulting label is shown at 42 with the smaller portion shown at 43, the self adhesive backing being shown at 44 and the coating 46 deadening a portion immediately behind the smaller portion 43. The method then includes the selective application of a coating to at least 10 substantially the area beneath the smaller portion of an integral label where a smaller portion of the label has been defined by a line or lines of weakness including for instance perforated cut lines or slits where there continues to be some integral connection with the larger portion of the label. By allowing all of the underneath adhesive material to remain and simply add a 15 portion over the top of an existing self adhesive material allows the smaller portion to firstly be easily lifted by a person wishing to identify that wine subsequently as a typical instance.

Claims (17)

1. A label for a container, the label having at least over a substantial area of its back, a self adhesive glue and there being defined by a perimeter of weakness, a smaller portion of the label which is integral with the label 5 and which has printed thereon information of interest to an end user relating to an identification of the contents of the container in addition to further information, and there being a further coating on the back of the smaller portion of the label which further coating either reduces or removes the adhesiveness of the self adhesive on a back of that portion 10 of the label.

2. A label as in claim 1 wherein the label has self adhesive glue over all of its back.

3. A label as in claim 1 further characterized in that the label is adapted to be attached to a wine bottle. 15

4. A label as in claim 1 further characterized in that the smaller portion of the label has an outermost perimeter which is approximately aligned with a portion of a perimeter of the larger label portion.

5. A label as in claim 1 further characterized in that the smaller portion has a shape which includes an outer edge which is approximately aligned with 20 a portion of a perimeter of the larger portion of the label.

6. A label as in claim 1 further characterized in that the smaller portion is shaped so as to be identifiable as a tab which can be held by a user and used to remove the smaller portion by lifting and thereby effecting a tearing of the smaller portion along its connecting lines of weakness away 25 from the otherwise integrally attached larger portion of the label.

7. A label as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that a perimeter of the smaller portion is defined at least in part by inclusion between the smaller and larger portions of the label a perforation or perforations, a slit or slits or scoring into or through the sheet material of WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 8 the label which is or are aligned to effect a line or lines of weakness between the two portions.

8. A label as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that there is information printed on both smaller and larger portions of the 5 label.

9. A label as in claim 1 further characterized in that there are two linear alignments orientated one with respect to the other.

10. A label as in claim 1 further characterized in that there are linear alignments which are orientated so as to be in a rectilinear alignment 10 where at least two of the linear alignments are at right angles one with respect to the other.

11. A label in accordance with any one or more of the previous claims described which is attached to a container by being adhered to this by self adhesive adhesion. 15

12. An assembly of a label having integrally integrated therewith a smaller portion having printed on it information about the contents of a container in addition to the same or similar information being illustrated on a further portion of the label, characterized in that the smaller portion is adapted to be torn away from a remainder of the label when the label is attached to 20 the container, has a further layer over a self adhesive layer which reduces the adhesive effect of that portion of the label.

13. A method of manufacture of labels where the labels are as characterized in any one of the preceding claims 1 through 11 which method includes the steps of effecting printing and shaping of labels in a main strip while 25 at least in the main adhering by reason of self adhesion to a backing strip, the method being characterized by including the step of separating the main strip from the backing strip, applying to an existing self adhesive coating, a further coating which reduces self adhesive effectiveness of a smaller portion of the label which is or is to be later 30 defined by one or more perforated lines of weakness, then returning the thus treated main strip onto an adhering position on the backing strip. WO 03/054837 PCT/AU02/01695 9

14. A method of manufacture of labels as in claim 13 which includes as a further step applying them to containers where the container is a glass bottle.

15. A method of manufacture as in either of the two immediately preceding 5 claims further characterized in that the container holds wine and the label has printed thereon both in relation to the larger portion and the smaller portion information which identifies selected characteristics of any beverage within the container.

16. A method of manufacture as in the immediately preceding claim further 10 characterized in that the information includes the age of the wine, the maker or supplier of the wine, and the variety or varieties of grapes from which the wine has been made.

17. A roll including a backing strip, and a plurality of labels adhering to the backing strip by reason of self adhesive on the back of each of the 15 labels where the labels are each characterized as in any one of preceding claims 1 through 11.