EP0604318B1 - Sleeve label - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the present invention is a stretchable labeling sleeve and a method of manufacturing such a sleeve.

Such sleeves, generally made of polyethylene, are well known and are increasingly replacing the paper labels affixed to the containers, or hollow packaging such as cans, extruded or blown bottles, trays and thermoformed or injected jars. They surround the periphery of the container and, by elasticity, are applied intimately against the external wall of the container. Such sleeves allow in particular attractive decorations for the consumer.

The sleeves are pre-printed and generally bear the manufacturer's mark and the designation of the product contained therein. In most cases, the stretch sleeves also include legal information on the product and instructions for use, especially for chemicals. The apparent surface that it serves for decoration or for utility-type inscriptions will be called the information surface.

Opaque polyethylene sleeves, for example white sleeves, are known on which the printing is carried out by external direct reading printing.

Sleeves made of transparent polyethylene are also known on which printing is carried out, according to a technique known as "poly-enamel", not on the external face of the sleeve but on the internal face of the latter and in reverse printing. Under these conditions, the information surface appears by transparency through the film and it remains protected by this film during the life of the container.

However, regulatory requirements have greatly worsened and, moreover, the need to wear inscriptions in several languages on the sleeve means that space is often lacking. This leads manufacturers either to reduce the height of the characters which, for some people poses reading problems, or to carry the necessary inscriptions on additional independent notices which can be fixed on the neck of the container by means of an elastic band. This procedure is expensive and, moreover, the records may be lost since they do not form an integral part of the container.

It has already been proposed, in GB-A-2 130 169 to form, laterally to a sleeve, by an additional weld, a pocket which can possibly be folded down on the side wall, but if the surface which can be printed is thus increased at the cost an additional weld, one of the faces, internal or external of the pocket cannot be read. The formation of a sleeve with a pocket requires four welds which affects its strength.

The present invention aims to overcome this drawback and to allow the printing of information or decorations on a larger surface than the single side surface of the container, remaining integral with it.

According to the present invention, the labeling sleeve of stretchable synthetic material for a container, produced by longitudinal welding of a sheet, on itself over a length substantially equal to the perimeter of a container to be labeled, the sleeves being obtained, after welding, by a cut transverse to the sheet, is characterized in that the width of the sheet is greater than the perimeter of the container to be labeled so as to form, after separation of the sleeve from the sheet, a folding flap constituting a support information whose free edge is coated with a bead of adhesive.

This increases the area available for printing. The sleeve has only one weld and is delivered in pre-cut coils, the height of the sleeve being in the direction of the coil. The solder can be indexed on an angle in the case of a container with a parallelipiped section such as a can which allows four informative faces not interrupted by said welding.

Preferably, the adhesive is permanent on one side and semi-permanent on the other, which allows the flap to be repositioned after reading.

This component, may have, for example a length less than or equal to half the perimeter of the container. But its length can reach the length of the perimeter if necessary. During normal use, it is fixed by one of its edges to the external surface of the sleeve by a bead or adhesive tape. so that the flap can open for reading and then close. When the length of the flap is equal to half the perimeter of the container to be labeled, the area available for information is doubled.

• la figure 1, un manchon selon l'invention;
• les figures 2 à 4, des schémas des différentes étapes d'impression;
• les figures 5 et 6 des vues d'un récipient équipé d'un manchon selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows, of a particular embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the figures which represent:

• Figure 1, a sleeve according to the invention;
• Figures 2 to 4, diagrams of the different printing steps;
• Figures 5 and 6 views of a container equipped with a sleeve according to the invention.

The following description will be given, taking as an example a transparent polyethylene sleeve. In FIG. 1, the labeling sleeve is produced by printing a thermoplastic sheet, for example of stretchable polyethylene, comprises a part 1 closed by a weld 3 so that its perimeter is a few percent less than the perimeter of the container to label and a part 2 constituting the foldable flap. The sheet and, of course, each of parts 1 and 2 has two faces, respectively A and B. In the case of part 1 surrounding the container, side A is the outer face and face B the inner face. The flap 2 carries on its face B, near its outer edge an adhesive line 4 consisting of an adhesive transfer or a "hot melt" which provides a removable connection between said edge and part of the face A of the sleeve 1 proper.

According to the invention, only one side, side B, of the polyethylene sheet is printed. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet printed in reverse on side B is read directly through side A. A first impression gives the apparent result in FIG. 2. That is to say that the sheet has been subjected to a first impression on side B.

The subsequent operation consists in applying to the face B corresponding to the shutter 2 an opacification layer 7 which makes it possible to isolate the impression of the shutter previously produced. As shown in FIG. 3, the opacified area receives a new impression 8 on the live opacification layer. The flap can thus, although printed on only one side, be read on both sides, which doubles the useful surface thereof.

The printing of the sleeve 1-flap 2 assembly is always done on the only side B to be read by transparency. The opacification layer, for example silver or gold, allows the printing of one or more additional pieces of information, which makes possible a positive decoration on the back of said flap.

Figures 5 and 6 show a sleeve according to the invention placed on a container which, in the example shown is a container. In FIG. 4, the flap adheres to the sleeve 1 whereas in FIG. 5, it is detached therefrom while remaining integral by the weld 3. When the flap is unfolded, it releases the part 1a initially covered with the sleeve 1 which gives access to the information printed in this area of the sleeve. The useful printing space has thus been multiplied by two, that is to say that it comprises: the face 1a of the sleeve and the total surface of the sleeve., Although said flap is made of transparent polyethylene. This result is means when the length of the sleeve is equal to half the perimeter. of the container. However, other flap lengths can, of course, be adopted.

For example, side B of the sleeve 1 is printed in four colors: red, yellow, blue + black and white with a spot color, in reverse to be read live by transparency. The side B of the flap 2 is printed first as the side R of the sleeve 1 and then is covered by a layer of opacification (silver or gold), a white and a black. It is also possible to print on the opacification layer 8 in black on a silver background, an additional color thus being available.

This printing operation is carried out in one or more passes on modern machines so that the marginal cost of producing such a shutter is reduced to that of the material used (larger plastic sheet, adhesive, ink, etc.). ).

• Impression à plat d'une feuille de polyéthylène;
• Pliage de la feuille autour d'une ligne située au tiers de sa largeur;
• Soudure 3 d'un bord de la feuille sur celle-ci pour constituer le manchon 1;
• Pose d'un adhésif 4:
• Pliage du volet 2 sur le manchon 1;
• Prédécoupe transversale 5 et bobinage.

The process for manufacturing a sleeve according to the invention is as follows:

• Flat printing of a polyethylene sheet;
• Folding the sheet around a line located at a third of its width;
• Welding 3 of an edge of the sheet thereon to form the sleeve 1;
• Installation of an adhesive 4:
• Folding of the flap 2 on the sleeve 1;
• 5 transverse precut and winding.

The sleeves are delivered to the user in rolls, the flap 2 being folded over the sleeve 1 and the sleeves being separated by precuts 5. They are detached and placed successively on the containers.

A component such as the one just described makes it possible to establish tracking or promotion systems that can track the life of the product. To this end, in addition to the transverse precut 5 (FIG. 2), the flap 2 can be precut in the longitudinal direction along line 6, flush with the weld, to allow the flap to be torn off. In addition to the adhesive bead 4, the flap can receive adhesives on its side B so as to allow the use of said flap as a self-adhesive label or not.

Under these conditions, the flap may constitute a drain identification label for petroleum products making it possible to date and record the vehicle mileage. For dairy products, it is thus possible to organize contests or promotions by returning the component to the manufacturer.

Although the description which has just been given relates to the case of transparent polyethylene sheets, the present invention can, of course, be implemented with opaque polyethylene, only one side of the flap being printed, the useful surface not being increased, in this case only 50% of the lateral surface of the container.

Claims (6)

1. A label sleeve for a receptacle, the sleeve being made of a stretchable polyethylene material, and being made by welding (3) a sheet to itself over a length substantially equal to the perimeter of a receptacle to be labelled, thereby providing an outside face (A) and an inside face (B), the sleeves (1) being obtained, after welding, by cutting the sheet transversely, the sleeve being characterized in that the length of the sheet is greater than the perimeter of the receptacle to be labelled so that after the sleeve has been separated from the sheet, a foldable flap (2) is formed constituting a medium for information and having a free edge which is provided with a fillet of adhesive (4).
2. A sleeve according to claim 1, characterized in that the polyethylene is transparent and only the inside face (B) of the sleeve (1) and of the flap (2) is printed.
3. A sleeve according to claim 3, characterized in that after a first printing pass, the inside face of the flap (2) receives an opaque layer (7) and then additional printing (8) that is readable directly.
4. A sleeve according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the length of the flap (2) is equal to half the perimeter of the sleeve (1).
5. A sleeve according to any preceding claim, characterized in that a longitudinal perforation line (6) enables the flap (2) to be separated from the sleeve (1).
6. A method of manufacturing a sleeve according to any preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

   • a sheet of polyethylene is printed while flat;

   • the sheet is folded about a line situated one-third away along its length;

   • an edge of the sheet is welded to itself (3) to make a sleeve (1);

   • a fillet of adhesive (4) is put into place;

   • the flap (2) is folded over the sleeve (1); and

   • the sheet is subjected to transverse perforation (5) and to being rolled up.

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