CA2747500A1 - Bottle with peelable label - Google Patents

Abstract

A labeled bottle comprises an outer surface having at least one substantially flat face portion, and a label. The label includes a permanent label portion and at least one hinged leaf portion. The is configured to overlie at least a portion of the outer surface of the permanent label portion substantially adjacent to the at least one substantially flat face portion of the bottle. The bottle further comprises a re-sealable agent disposed between an inner surface of the at least one leaf portion and the outer surface of the permanent label portion in such manner as to re-sealably attach the leaf portion to the permanent label portion.

Description

BOTTLE WITH PEELABLE LABEL
Technical Field [0001] The present disclosure relates generally to labeled bottles, and labels for such bottles; and specifically to hinged labels and bottles comprising them.
Background

[0002] Bottles used for products such as medications, vitamins, food, liquids, and the like, often include one or more labels for displaying information and/or images associated with the contents of the bottle or with the manufacturer of the product.
In many industries, regulatory or other requirements may be imposed which specify at least a portion of information that must be included on such a label. For example, bottles containing medications may be required to display information relating to usage. active ingredients, recommended dosage and potential side effects of the medication.

[0003] The amount of information to be displayed on a label may be quite significant. If the printable area of a bottle label is not sufficient for all the desired information, a manufacturer may need to either a) increase the size of the bottle in order to allow for a larger label or b) decrease the size of the printing and/or images.

[0004] Increasing the size of a bottle may be undesirable for a number of reasons.
First, requiring a larger bottle may increase manufacturing, storage and shipping costs. Retailers may prefer smaller bottles because less shelf space is required to display the bottles. Smaller bottles are also desirable for environmental reasons due to the excess waste larger bottles may create.

[0005] Decreasing the size of the printing and/or images on a label may also be undesirable as this may reduce the visibility and/or legibility of the information.
This may be particularly problematic to consumers with visual impairments.

[0006] Therefore, it may be advantageous to maximize the printable area on a label without requiring an increase in the size of the bottle to which it is affixed.

Summary

[0007] In one aspect the invention provides labeled bottles. A bottle according to such aspect comprises an outer surface having at least one substantially flat face portion, and a label. The label comprises a permanent label portion and at least one hinged leaf portion. The permanent label portion has an outer surface and a inner surface, the inner surface being attached to the outer surface of the bottle by an adhesive. The at least one hinged leaf portion is hingeably attached to the outer surface of the permanent label portion, and is configured to overlie at least a portion of the outer surface of the permanent label portion. The portion of the permanent label portion overlaid by the hingeably-attached portion is substantially adjacent to the at least one substantially flat face portion of the bottle.
The labeled bottle further comprises a re-sealable agent (also known as a 'release agent') disposed between an inner surface of the at least one leaf portion and the outer surface of the permanent label portion in such manner as to re-sealably attach the leaf portion to the permanent label portion.

[0008] The label, or portions of it, may be laminated, and may comprise one or more tabs configured to aid in peeling the hinged leaf portion from the permanent label portion. The label may comprise a plurality of hinged leaf portions hingeably attached to the outer surface of the permanent label portion.

[0009] Labels in accordance with the invention, or various portions thereof, may comprise information printed theren for consideration by a user of the bottle and/or its contents.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] Reference will now be made to the drawings, which show by way of example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. la shows a front elevation view of an embodiment of a bottle in accordance with the disclosure, comprising a hinged, peelable label portion in a closed position.

[0012] FIG. lb shows a bottom plan cross-sectional view of a bottle consistent with Figure la, and showing a second hinged, peelable label portion.

[0013] FIG. 2a shows a front elevation view of an embodiment of a bottle in accordance with the disclosure, comprising a hinged, peelable label portion in an open position.

[0014] FIG. 2b shows a bottom plan cross-sectional view of a bottle consistent with Figure 2a, and showing a second hinged, peelable label portion, each hinged label portions in an open position.

[0015] Throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.

Descriution of Example Embodiments

[0016] Reference is made to Figures 1 and 2, which show an example of a combination 100 in accordance with the invention, comprising a bottle 101 and a peelable label 102 affixed thereto in accordance with the disclosure herein.

[0017] In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, bottle 101 forms a vessel for containing any solids, liquids, etc. as desired, including for example any bottles known in the art and otherwise compatible with the disclosure herein, and comprises a plurality of substantially flat face portions 120, 122; corners connecting the substantially flat face portions in a desirably fluid- or solid-tight configuration; and a cap 124 of suitable configuration.

[0018] Bottle 101 may be made of any material suitable for its intended purpose, such as, for example, glass, metal or plastic. The cross-section of bottle 101, and in particular the plan cross-section (i.e., an upwardly- or downwardly-considered cross section when conceptually viewed along a horizontal plane through the bottle, as shown in Figures lb and 2b), may be of any shape any suitable shape, such as, for example, square, rectangular, rounded (with, as explained below, a relatively large radius of curvature) or triangular. It may be particularly advantageous to use labels 102 in combination with bottles of substantially rectangular cross section, as they provide relatively large substantially flat surfaces on which to place re-sealable in accordance with the disclosure, and it may be advantageous, in various applications, for all or substantially all of a re-sealably peelable hinge portion of a label to overlie a substantially flat portion of the outer surface of the bottle.
Moreover, bottles of substantially rectangular cross section (as shown in Figures 1 -2) may offer other advantages such as, for example, very efficient packaging in boxes and storage on shelves, etc. The contents of bottle 101 may include any type of solid or liquid substance(s) such as, for example, medications, vitamins, food, liquids, or the like. Those of skill in the art will recognize that a wide variety of bottles are suitable for use with peelable label 102 in accordance with the invention.

[0019] It has been found that the use of bottles having one or more substantially flat faces, as for example any one or more of faces 120 of bottle 101 shown in the figures, are particularly well suited to implementation of the invention, as hinged leaf portions of labels of the type described herein are enabled to re-close, or re-seal, without assistance from a user of the bottle, or with reduced assistance from such user, in a noticeably improved fashion. Such bottles include, for example, bottles of substantially rectangular cross section.

[0020] To say that a curved surface such as those of bottle faces 120 of Figures 1 and 2 is substantially flat means, functionally, that they are sufficiently flat to allow hinged or other re-sealably engaged leaf portions as described herein to re-close, or re-seal, when released from an open position, without significant assistance from a user of the bottle, or with reduced assistance. For example, it has been found that bottles having faces which comprise radii of curvature of approximately ten inches, or 1/3 meter, or more, will serve, when implemented using materials as disclosed or suggested herein. A bottle of approximately the geometry shown in Figures 1 -2 (particularly Figures lb and 2b), taken as actual size when printed on letter-sized paper, will serve well, particularly with respect to faces 120, 122.

[0021] In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, label 102 comprises permanent label portion 104 and a plurality (in the example shown, two) hinged leaf portions 103. Permanent label portion 104 includes an outer surface 109 (i.e., the surface visible to a viewer of the bottle when the label is installed on the bottle) and an inner surface, 110.

[0022] Peelable label 102 may be comprised of any suitable material(s) or combination(s) of materials, such as, for example, any or all of paper, plastic, and a wide variety of polymers. For example, a label comprising one or more plies of polymer film or paper and polymer film laminate will serve. The selection of suitable label materials will not trouble those skilled in the relevant art(s), once they have been made familiar with this disclosure. A suitable material or combination of materials is a material or combination having a sufficient combination of flexibility and rigidity (or resiliency) that, when used in conjunction with release agent(s) as disclosed herein, an opened hinged leaf portion 103 tends to resealably close itself when released by a user of the bottle.

[0023] It has been found that suitably-configured labels composed of paper laminated with various plastics, such as for example acetate, vinyl, polypropylene (including for example biaxially oriented polyproylene, or BOPP) and/or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film provide a number of advantages, such as sufficiently high strength, flexibility,resiliency (or rigidity), transparency, resistance to tearing, etc. to accomplish the purposes herein. The use of BOPP, acetate, vinyl, and/or PET laminates can for example provide enough stiffness to aid in unassisted resealing, when used with release agents as described herein, without unduly hindering a user in opening the label as, for example, to read material printed on either side thereof. Laminated paper used in implementing the invention may be of any weight and/or thickness compatible with the purposes disclosed herein, for example within the range of about 40 to about 200 grams per square meter (g/m2), and particularly within the range of about 30 to about 150 grams per square meter (g/m2).

[0024] As a specific example, it has been found that in combination with a bottle of approximately the dimensions shown in Figures 1 - 2 (taken as life-sized), a combination of laminated paper with BOPP coating, permanent adhesive, and release agent according to the following specifications will serve:

1 ml lam P/P paper, with film and permanent adhesive - 30 g/m2 3.2 raw BOPP - 56 g/m2 Release agent (as below) - 54 g/m2 Combination - adhesive, paper, laminate, release agent:
2.6 ml w/BOPP - 140 g/m2

[0025] In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, permanent label portion comprises outer surface(s) 109 and inner surface(s) 110. Outer surface 109 of permanent label portion 104 may have information printed thereon including, for example, words or images. Inner surface 110 may be affixed to the outer surface of bottle 101 using an adhesive 107 disposed, for example, in a layer on some or all of inner surface 110 of permanent label portion 104 and/or on the outer surface of bottle 101. Adhesive 107 may comprise any suitable adhesive material useful for affixing labels. Permanent label portion 104 may be affixed around any or all of the circumference of bottle 101. In some embodiments, one end of permanent label portion 104 may overlap another end of permanent label portion 104.

[0026] Leaf portion(s) 103 may be hingedly attached to the outer surface of the permanent label portion 104 such that it/they overlie at least a portion of the outer surface of permanent label portion 104, and particularly so that each can overlie at least a portion of a substantially flat portion of the outer surface of bottle 101.
FIGs. la and lb show leaf portion(s) 103 in a closed attached positions.

[0027] Leaf portion(s) 103 may be provided through the use of separate label portions, permanently adhered to permanent label portion 104, and/or through the use of a single label, wrapped around the bottle 101 and permanently adhered thereto so as to overlap itself and overhang by a length sufficient to provide a pendant, hinged leaf 103.

[0028] Leaf portion(s) 103 may comprise one or more tab portions 105 useful in aiding in the release or opening of leaf portion(s) 103 as will be discussed below in relation to FIGs. 2a and 2b. In some embodiments, the radius of the bottle, and particularly a corner radius 123, may allow tab portion 105 to "pop out", making it easier for a consumer to grab and use the tab. For example, in some embodiments, the bottle may have a substantially rectangular cross-section such that the tab portion is in close proximity to a sharp curvature of the bottle making causing the tab portion 105 to partially release from permanent label portion 104.

[0029] A peelable label 102 may comprise a single piece of material which includes one or more integral leaf portion(s) 103 configured for folding or otherwise hingeable attachment. Alternatively, leaf portion(s) 103 may be a separate piece of material attached to permanent label portion 104. In some embodiments, a permanent adhesive substance may be used to hingedly attach leaf portion(s) to permanent label portion 104.

[0030] A re-sealing, or release, agent 108 may be disposed, as for example in a spread or affixed layer, between leaf portion(s) 103 and permanent label portion 104. Re-sealable agent layer 108 may be adapted to keep leaf portion(s) 103 attached to permanent label portion 104 when leaf portion(s) 103 is in a closed or attached position, as shown in FIGs. la and 1b. This release agent layer may comprise any type of releasable agent suitable for use with a label described herein.
The re-sealable agent may be applied to leaf portion(s) 103 or permanent label portion 104 or both. Examples of compounds which have been reported to have been used as release agents 108 with satisfactory results include ultraviolet-light (UV) - activated flexographic silicone-based release agents. A specific example of a release agent reported to have been used satisfactorily is Crystal Coat Barrier CAOP-3631 from Akzo Nobel, Inc..

[0031] Permanent attachment of label 102 to bottle 101 may be accomplished through the use of any adhesive compatible with the purposes and materials disclosed or suggested herein. Examples of compounds which have reportedly been used permanent adhesives by others, in analogous applications, Fasson S-1000, S-900, or 5-2001.

[0032] The combination(s) of label materials, adhesives, and bottle geometry disclosed herein may be exploited to provide labels which are flexible enough to open easily, as for example to allow a user of a bottle to read material printed on the label(s), yet stiff enough re-close, or re-seal, without or substantially without assistance from such user. In particular, the re-closing or re-sealing process has been observed to be materially aided through the use of bottles 101 having substantially flat surfaces overlaid with re-openable, re-closeable, and/or re-sealable hinged portions, coated with resealing agents, as disclosed herein.
Thus in some embodiments, the material(s) used in creating leaf portion(s) 103 may be rigid but still elastic enough to bias back to the closed position. For example, in some embodiments, leaf portion(s) 103 may comprise paper permanently coated with a laminate coating. The laminate coating may be comprised of plastic or any suitable material.

[0033] The outside surface 112 of leaf portion(s) 103 may have information printed thereon including, for example, words or images representing useful information about the contents of a bottle, a manufacturer, warnings, etc.

[0034] Leaf portion(s) 103 may be configured to as to provide a gap 106 between leaf portion(s) 103 in a closed position and a main part of permanent label portion 104. Gap 106 may be useful in the releasing and reattaching of leaf portion(s) 103.

[0035] Peelable label 102 may comprise any number of leaf portions 103. For example, in FIG. 1b, peelable label 102 is shown with two leaf portions 103, one on either side of bottle 101.

[0036] Reference will now be made to FIGs. 2a and 2b which show an example of a bottle 101 with an embodiment of a peelable label 102 affixed thereto with leaf portion(s) 103 shown in an open or released position in accordance with the invention.

[0037] Leaf portion 103 may be released from, and subsequently re-attached to, permanent label portion 104. Releasing leaf portion(s) 103 may require force to be applied to the label, such as a consumer pulling on tab portion 105. In some embodiments, once the force is removed from leaf portion(s) 103, leaf portion(s) 103 may automatically return to a closed position.

[0038] The use of a permanent adhesive substance to hingedly attach leaf portion(s) 103 to permanent label portion 104, as described above, may help limit the amount that leaf portions(s) 103 may be pulled away from permanent label portion 104 which may help ensure that leaf portions(s) 103 will automatically return to a closed position.

[0039] As noted, the use of a substantially rectangular bottle 101 having substantially flat sides may also help ensure that leaf portions(s) 103 will automatically return to a closed position as leaf portions(s) 103 will generally not be pulled as far from the closed position as with, for example, a substantially round bottle 101.

[0040] Leaf portion(s) 103 comprises an inner surface 111, some or all of which may be visible when leaf portion(s) 103 is in an open position as shown in FIGs. 2a and 2b. Inner surface 111 of leaf portion(s) 103 may have information printed thereon including, for example, words or images. The area of permanent label portion 104 underlying leaf portion(s) 103 when the leaf portion(s) 103 is in a closed position may also have information printed thereon including, for example, words or images. In some embodiments, information may be displayed on peelable label 102 in a format similar to a book when leaf portion(s) 103 is in an open position, as shown in FIG. 2a.

[0041] While the disclosure has been provided and illustrated in connection with specific, presently-preferred embodiments, many variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention(s) disclosed herein. The disclosure and invention(s) are therefore not to be limited to the exact components or details of methodology or construction set forth above. Except to the extent necessary or inherent in the processes themselves, no particular order to steps or stages of methods or processes described in this disclosure, including the Figures, is intended or implied. In many cases the order of process steps may be varied without changing the purpose, effect, or import of the methods described.
The scope of the claims is to be defined solely by the appended claims, giving due consideration to the doctrine of equivalents and related doctrines.

Claims (10)

What is claimed is:

1. A combination bottle and label, comprising:

a bottle having an outer surface comprising at least one substantially flat face potion;

a label having a permanent label portion and at least one hinged leaf portion, the permanent label portion having an outer surface and a inner surface, the inner surface attached to the outer surface of the bottle by an adhesive;
the at least one hinged leaf portion hingeably attached to the outer surface of the permanent label portion and configured to overlie at least a portion of the outer surface of the permanent label portion, said portion of the outer surface of the permanent label portion substantially adjacent to the at least one substantially flat face portion of the bottle; and a release agent disposed between an inner surface of the at least one leaf portion and the outer surface of the permanent label portion to re-sealably attach the leaf portion to the permanent label portion.

2. The bottle of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the at least one hinged leaf portion is laminated.

3. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the hinged leaf portion comprises a tab configured to aid in peeling the hinged leaf portion from the permanent label portion.

4. The bottle of claim 1, comprising a plurality of hinged leaf portions hingeably attached to the outer surface of the permanent label portion.

5. The bottle claim 1, the inner surface of the at least one leaf portion comprising printed information.

6. The bottle claim 1, a portion of the outers surface of the permanent label potion covered by the at least one hinged leaf portion when the hinged leaf portion is in a closed position comprising printed information.

7. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the permanent label portion is secured around substantially the entire circumference of the bottle.

8. The bottle of claim 1, comprising a substantially rectangular plan cross section.

9. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the permanent label portion and the at least one hinged leaf portion comprise paper laminated with a polymer.

10. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the release agent is a silicone-based flexographic compound.