AU2004100761A4 - Labels - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant(s): LABELMAKERS (AUST) PTY LTD Invention Title:

LABELS

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2

LABELS

This invention relates to labels and their method of manufacture.

Modern technology has seen a rapid advance in the technology associated with the printing of labels. The ready ability to customise labels to requirements of an end user has meant that label manufacturers now have the problem of collating and keeping a record of the many different labels that they print. In the bottling and canning industries associated with foodstuffs it is critically important that the correct label is applied to the end product. The labelling of bottles and cans is an automated process and the labels are provided in bulk from the label manufacturer.

Labels are printed in large numbers and supplied in stacks. It is very important that each stack of labels carries the desired labels of the required quality and that the right stack of labels is applied to a canning or bottling line to ensure the correct matching of the product with the label. Errors in the supply of labels and the stacking of labels can cause considerable downtime and wastage of product. Although label manufacturers leave the responsibility of applying the correct label with the customer that applies the label it is understandable that errors in label supply place an enormous strain on the relationship between the label manufacturer and its customer.

Computer software and related hardware is available to ensure that every label has a special item number which can be included in a standard code 128 barcode. Placing the barcode on the front surface of the label is useful if it can be scanned by a scanner reading the front face of \\melbfiles\homeS\melindaf\keep\Speci' s\Labels.doc 9/09/04 3 the label but does not provide information concerning labels underneath the top label of a stack.

It is these issues that have brought about the present invention.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a label comprising a planar substrate with printing on at least one surface characterised in that a barcode is printed adjacent and on one edge of the label so that when a plurality of labels are positioned in a stack the barcode is visible down one side of the stack.

Preferably the label is rectangular and the barcode is printed adjacent and on a shorter side of the label.

Preferably the label is designed to have the shorter sides overlapping when the label is applied to a container so that the barcode is obscured by the overlapping side of the label.

In a preferred embodiment the barcode carries readable data for the label manufacturer and the remainder of the label carries product information.

In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of applying labels at a label application station comprising placing a stack of labels of the kind described above at the station; and passing the stack past a reader at the station to read the barcode and verify that the correct stack containing the correct labels is at the station.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: \\melb_files\home$\melindaf\keep\Speci' s\Labels.doc 9/09/04 4 Figure 1 is a plan view of a label printed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a stack of labels; and Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a stack of labels being passed by a scanner.

The label 10 illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a substrate that is usually paper, plastics or sometimes paper or plastics with a metallised finished.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the label is of a rectangular configuration with longer sides 11 and 12 and shorter sides 13 and 14. The label is printed on one side that is the upper side shown in Figure 1 and the printing can take any form as required by the customer but as shown in this example shows an illustration of the product namely Apricot, the trade mark of Golden Circle and nutritional information and other advertising material including a customers barcode 15 and details of the customer. This aspect of the label is entirely conventional and much of the information included on the label is dictated by legislation. The label is designed to be wrapped around a container, usually a can, with its ends slightly overlapping so that the ends can be glued together with a small amount of adhesive in between the container and the undersurface of the label, ensuring that the label remains in position on the container.

Labels of this kind can also be used on a wide variety of containers such as metal cans, plastics containers or bottles. It is further understood that the label does not necessarily have to be of rectangular configuration and that other shapes are also envisaged as are a raft of materials that would make up the substrate.

The techniques for printing the labels are well known to \\melb-files\homeS\melindaf\keep\Speci' s\Labels .doc 9/09/04 5 those skilled in this art and not described herein in further detail.

The important feature of the label illustrated in Figure 1 is the presence of a second barcode 20 along the shorter side 13 of the label.

In the manufacture of labels of this kind, the labels are printed on large sheets which are then cut using an appropriate guillotine along the lines shown by the dashes AA and BB in Figure i. The cutting of sheets into discreet labels then allows the labels to be collected and stacked by a stacker at which time a cover (usually cardboard) is placed over the top and bottom of the stacks and the stacks are wrapped in plastics or paper for transportation. Typical stacks of labels include approximately 1000 labels stacked one on top of the other with the printed surface of the label being at the top of the stack.

As shown with particular reference to Figure 1 the cut along the shorter side of the label AA cuts through the second barcode 20. The cut through the second barcode has the effect of causing the black lines that make up the barcode bleeding down the edge of the label. The bleeding of the second barcode 20 down the edge of the label means that the barcode is visible from the side of the label and when the labels are placed in the stack as shown in Figure 2 the barcode 20 on the labels bleeds to provide a series of vertical lines 25 down the side 21 of the stack 22.

The first barcode 15 provides information required by the user of the label whilst the second barcode 20 is restricted to the label manufacturer's information. Label manufacturers number every label so any change however small to a label generates a new number. The second barcode 20 on the edge 13 of the label 10 provides \\melb_files\homeS\melindaf\keep\Speci' s\Labels.doc 9/09/04 6 indication of this data which can be read an appropriate scanner. It should be noted that the second barcode 20 is printed on the edge 13 of the label that is tucked under the label when it is wrapped around a container so that this information is obscured when the label is in its end use.

The advantage of the second barcode 20 bleeding down the side of the label and thus down the side 21 of a stack 22 means that when the labels are stacked a reader can check each stack to ensure that there are no rogue labels within the stack. Furthermore, when the stack is delivered to the end user the user has an opportunity of reading the barcode 20 on the top of the first label of the stack as well as reading the barcode down the side of the stack to again ensure there are no rogue labels within the stack. This ability to check all the labels in the stack provides an important improvement over known technology where the top label could be correct but there could be a number of rogue labels within the stack which would then be applied to the containers unknown to the customer.

It is envisaged that the label manufacturers will supply appropriate scanning equipment with labels of this kind so that their customers can readily check each stack to ensure all the labels are correct.

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a method of reading the barcode down both the top 28 and side 21of a label stack 22 as it is passed along a conveyor 30 by directing a scanner 31 to both the top 28 and side 21 of the stack 22. The use of a barcode that bleeds down the side of a stack provides the opportunity to store a considerable amount of data which can then be read by the scanner 31. This information provides a number of benefits to both the manufacturer and customer who will be \\melb_files\homeS\melindaf\keep\Speci' s\Labels.doc 9/09/04 7 able to monitor stock control, accuracy of print runs and substantially reduce labour costs. With the product code electronically readable in two planes a considerable advantage is provided for both the label manufacturer and its customer.

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Claims (4)

1. A label comprising a planar substrate with printing on at least one surface characterised in that a barcode is printed adjacent and on one edge of the label so that when a plurality of labels are positioned in a stack the barcode is visible down one side of the stack.

2. The label according to claim 1 wherein the label is rectangular and the barcode is printed adjacent and one a shorter side of the label.

3. The label according to claim 2 wherein the label is designed to have the shorter sides overlapping when the label is applied to a container so that the barcode is obscured by the overlapping side of the label.

4. A method of applying labels at a label application station comprising; Placing a stack of labels as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 at the station; and passing the stack past a reader at the station to read the barcode and verify that the correct stack containing the correct labels is at the station. A label substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. \\melb_files\home$\melindaf\keep\Speci' s\Labels.doc 9/09/04