EP1053096A1

EP1053096A1 - Method and device for producing laminated labels, and laminated labels obtained using the same

Info

Publication number: EP1053096A1
Application number: EP99904854A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mathias Lochner
Original assignee: Avery Dennison Corp
Current assignee: Avery Dennison Corp
Priority date: 1998-02-06
Filing date: 1999-02-04
Publication date: 2000-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-02-04
Also published as: EP1053096B1; DK1053096T3; HK1030759A1; US6585844B1; ES2187144T3; DE19804807A1; WO1999039903A1; ATE221823T1; AU2521699A; DE59902262D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for producing laminated labels in which a supporting material web (TB) with labels (E) arranged thereon is advanced to a laminated film deposit station (30). A laminated film web (LB) is deposited on the supporting material web (TB) in said deposit station. Afterwards, the resulting laminated label web (EB) is advanced to a separating station (40). The invention additionally provides that before the supporting material web (TB) is advanced to the laminated film deposit station (30), the labels (E) are individually deposited on the supporting material web (TB) while forming spaces (Z) situated in a longitudinal direction of the supporting material web (TB). Afterwards, individual segments of the laminated label web (EB) are separated in the separating station (40) by means of at least one cut which runs essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the laminated label web (EB) and which is placed in the spaces (Z). The invention also relates to a device for producing the laminated labels and to the laminated labels produced using the same.

Description

Method and device for producing laminate labels and laminate labels

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing laminate labels according to the preambles of claims 1 and 10 and laminate labels according to the preamble of claim 14.

In practice, such laminate labels have hitherto been produced in such a way that a carrier material web with an endless label web arranged thereon is fed to a laminate film application station in which the transparent laminate film web is applied to the carrier material web in such a way that the label web is sandwiched between the carrier material web and the laminate film web is included. Since the side of the laminate film web facing the carrier material web is provided with an adhesive coating, the laminate film then adheres firmly to the carrier material. Then the laminate label web consisting of the laminate film web, the label web and the carrier material web is fed to a separation station in the form of a punching station, in which individual labels are cut out of the laminate label web by means of a rotating die cylinder. For this purpose, this punch cylinder has at least one knife contour corresponding to the shape or contour of the actual label on its cylinder peripheral wall. This procedure in the prior art has proven to be disadvantageous in that different punching cylinders have to be used for different label sizes, but also for different label shapes or contours. Since such punch cylinders are relatively expensive to manufacture, this increases the cost of an apparatus for producing laminate labels. In addition, when changing from one type of label to one that differs from this type of label in terms of size and / or shape, considerable assembly effort is required.

In addition, the known laminate labels produced in this way have the disadvantage that dirt and / or moisture can penetrate between the actual label and the laminate film over the edge of the labels applied to the object to be labeled, since the laminate film is flush with the label material at the edge completes. If such laminate labels are used, for example, on machines and the like in a dirty and / or moist atmosphere, they can on the one hand become illegible or on the other hand detach from the machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device of the type mentioned at the beginning with which different laminate labels can be produced in a simple manner with regard to shape and size. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a laminate label in which the penetration of dirt and / or moisture between the laminate film and the carrier material is prevented.

With regard to the method, the above object is achieved by the features of claim 1. In contrast to the prior art, in which a laminate label is punched out in a single step from the laminate label web consisting of the laminate film web, the label web and the backing material web, in the method according to the invention the labels are individually removed in a first step, while maintaining gaps between the labels arranged in the longitudinal direction of the carrier material web on this. Then, in a second step, after the preferably transparent laminate film, which is preferably also on its side facing the carrier material web, has been applied to the carrier material web, a single segment of the laminate label web thus formed is applied by means of an essentially transverse to the feed direction of the label web running cut separated. Subsequently, the laminate label web the actual label can be obtained by peeling off the backing material from the label and the laminate film.

This procedure has the advantage that different punching or cutting tools do not have to be kept ready for different labels. Rather, the carrier material web, which is preferably wound up into a roll, can be “equipped” with labels of the appropriate shape and size in the first step. In principle, this first step can be carried out in the device for producing the laminate label itself. However, it is also possible for this first step to be carried out in a mounting device specially provided for this purpose, which is arranged separately from the device for producing the laminate label comprising the laminate film application station and the separation station. Since the carrier material web is often not produced by the user of the laminating label production device itself, the user of the device only has to procure and hold rolls with labels which differ in shape and size in order to be able to produce different labels. In addition, when changing from a type of label to a type of label that differs from this type of label in terms of shape and size, no assembly process is required to replace any tools, as is the case in the prior art with regard to the punching cylinder, but only the role of the carrier material web with the other labels are inserted into the manufacturing device. This also shortens the downtimes of the manufacturing device, since there is no complicated disassembly and assembly process for the punching cylinder, but, as has already been explained, only the carrier material web or its roll has to be replaced.

In principle, it is conceivable that the cut for separating the individual segments of the laminate label web is carried out precisely along the two edges of the label, which run essentially transversely to the longitudinal extent of the carrier material web. In this case, two cuts are necessary to separate a single segment of the laminate label web, which have to be made in the respective intermediate space. If, on the other hand, only a single cut, preferably approximately in the middle between two successive labels, is made in the intermediate space, the number of steps required for obtaining a segment or a laminate label is reduced. On the other hand, the laminate film thereby projects beyond the label at least on these two edges. This supernatant can be used to improve not only the laminate label to be able to attach the article to be labeled with it, but also to prevent the penetration of dirt and / or moisture between the laminate film and the label, since the film adheres closely to the article.

In order to increase the adhesion of the label to the object to be labeled, it can further be provided that the label is provided on the side facing the carrier material with an adhesive coating which is designed in such a way that the label is fixed on the carrier material is, but can be easily detached from the support material. So that the laminate film and the label, preferably provided with an adhesive coating, can be easily removed from the carrier material when a label is removed from a label segment, it can further be provided that the carrier material is provided with a non-stick coating, preferably a silicone coating. This non-stick coating should be designed in such a way that the laminate film and the label adhere to the carrier material to a certain degree, but no components of the carrier material stick to the laminate film and / or the label when detached.

If the labels are arranged asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the carrier material web, a grip edge is created which facilitates the detachment of an individual laminate label from a segment of the laminate label web obtained by the separation station and the attachment of the laminate label to the object to be labeled. In particular, the laminate label is not damaged as a result and / or the adhesive coating of the laminate film or label is rendered unusable by touching it with, for example, the hand.

If a laminate film web is applied to the carrier material web equipped with the individual labels, the width (i.e. the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the carrier material web or the laminate film web in the plane of the web) is smaller than the width of the carrier material web, this can save material in the Laminate film can be achieved because, for example, an existing grip edge on the carrier material web need not be covered by the laminate film.

In order to facilitate the detachment of a laminate label from the carrier material web, the carrier material web can be provided with a punch in the area of the label. In order to be able to apply a laminate label to an object to be labeled, the punched out of the laminate label is first and then the rest of the backing material.

In order to facilitate the detachment of the punched-out area, it can further be provided that the label is provided with a perforation which runs approximately in the longitudinal direction of the carrier material web and is arranged in the region of an edge.

It has proven to be advantageous for controlling the separation station if the labels are arranged on the carrier material web while maintaining the same spaces.

The laminate film web can simply be placed on the carrier material web. In order to achieve particularly good adhesion of the laminate film web to the backing material web, it has also proven to be advantageous if the laminate film web is rolled onto the backing material web in the laminate film application station.

A particularly flexible use of the method according to the invention can be achieved in that the labels arranged on the carrier material web are printed before being fed to the laminate film application station, preferably in the device for producing the laminate labels.

With regard to the device, the above object is achieved by the features of claim 10. The provision of a cutting device which executes a separating cut which runs essentially transversely to the feed direction of the label web does not require a punch cylinder to be adapted to the respective label in the device according to the invention. Therefore, any disassembly and assembly work for such cylinders is also eliminated in the manufacturing device according to the invention.

The cutting device can be formed by a wide variety of arrangements. The cutting device preferably has at least one knife which can be reversibly moved perpendicular to the surface area of the label web and which can be arranged on the top or bottom of the label web. This knife interacts with a counter knife, which may also be movable, which is then arranged either on the bottom or top of the label web.

In order to be able to individually print the labels according to the wishes of the individual user of the manufacturing device, it can further be provided that In the feed direction of the carrier material web, a printing station with one or more print heads is provided in front of the laminate film application station.

In order to be able to apply the laminate film web to the carrier material web without bubbles and with good durability, it can further be provided that the laminate film application station has one or more pressure rollers which essentially extend over the width of the laminate film web.

With regard to the laminate label, the above object is achieved by the features of claim 14. As has already been pointed out above, the ingress of dirt and / or moisture between the laminate film and the label is prevented by the edge of the laminate film projecting over the carrier material of the finished label. At the same time, the protruding edge of the laminate film can be used to attach the label to the object to be labeled. As a result, there is also the possibility that no additional adhesive or adhesive layer has to be applied to the side of the label pointing away from the laminate film. If such an adhesive layer is provided on the side of the label facing away from the laminate film, the protruding edge of the laminate film simultaneously serves as additional protection against unauthorized detachment of the label from the object to be labeled. Since the label itself adheres to the object, when the laminate film is peeled off from the adhesive label, parts of the layer of the label carrying the print job are also removed. In the case of the known laminate labels, in which the laminate film is flush with the edge of the label, on the other hand, the label can be removed by pulling off the adhesive side without damage.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here is:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a device for

Manufacture of laminate labels;

Figure 2 is a plan view of one in the device according to the figure

1 used carrier material web with individual labels arranged on it; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of a segment of an inventive Laminate labels.

A device 10 for producing laminate labels LE (cf. FIG. 3) is shown schematically in FIG. The housing surrounding the individual assemblies of the device 10, which are explained in more detail below, is partially removed in FIG. 1. Only the rear wall 10a, which extends essentially vertically with respect to FIG. 1, the right side wall 10b which also extends vertically with respect to FIG. 1, and the bottom 10c which also extends horizontally with reference to FIG. 1, are shown.

The manufacturing device 10 comprises a supply station 20 for receiving a laminate film web LB rolled up to form a supply roll 22, a laminate film application station 30 and a separation station 40.

The supply station 20 for the laminate film roll 22 is essentially formed by a shaft 24 rotatably mounted in the vertical wall 10a, onto which the supply roll 22 can be pushed and axially locked by a locking device (not shown). The laminate film web LB is pulled off from the supply roll 22 in the direction of the arrow X and is guided via a deflection roller 26 to the laminate film application station 30.

In the laminate film application station 30, the laminate film web LB is applied to the carrier material web TB (i.e., based on FIG. 1, from right to left), which is fed essentially horizontally in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the carrier material web TB is guided into the interior of the production device 10 through an opening 10ba provided in the right side wall 10b. Of course, there is also the possibility of providing a corresponding supply roll for the carrier material web TB in the interior of the manufacturing device 10.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the carrier material web TB has a plurality of individual labels E which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the carrier material web TB while maintaining spaces Z of approximately the same size. The labels E are arranged asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the carrier material web TB, i.e. they are aligned closer to one longitudinal edge than to the other longitudinal edge of the carrier material web TB.

The labels E have one on their side facing the carrier material web TB Adhesive coating, whereas the carrier material web TB is provided on its side facing the labels E with a non-stick coating, which prevents the labels E from sticking to the carrier material web TB, but nevertheless allows the labels E to adhere to the carrier material web TB, so that the labels E are fixed in their position on the carrier material web TB.

As can further be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the carrier material web TB has a punch-out A in the area of each label E which is smaller than the label E itself and which is arranged in relation to the label E in such a way that it is on three edge sides of the label E protrudes beyond this. This punch-out A makes it easier to pull off the laminate label LE (see FIG. 3), since the material of the punch-out A can first be pulled off the laminate label LE and then the remaining carrier material of the carrier material web TB can be removed easily from the laminate label LE.

Finally, it can also be seen from FIG. 2 that each label E has a perforation P running essentially parallel to the longitudinal edge on the longitudinal edge lying in the region of the punched-out area A.

In the laminate film application station 30, the preferably transparent laminate film web LB, which is provided on its side facing the carrier material web TB with an adhesive or adhesive coating, is first applied to the carrier material web TB by means of a guide roller 32 and then by means of a laminating roller 34. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the laminate film web LB has a smaller width than the carrier material web TB. The width of the laminate film web LB is marked with the double arrow bl and the width of the carrier material web with the double arrow bt. At the same time, the laminate film web LB is applied flush to the edge of the carrier material web TB, to which the label E has also moved closer. This creates a grip edge GR, which makes it easier to attach a single laminate label LE to an object to be labeled.

As can also be seen from FIG. 3, the width b 1 of the laminate films LB is selected such that, when it is flush, it lies on the one longitudinal edge of the carrier material web TB (ie with its left edge with reference to FIG. 3) with that outside the label E. Edge of the punched-out A is flush (ie, the right one of the punched-out A, based on FIG. 3). After the lamination of the laminate film web LB by the lamination roller 34 creates the label web EB, which is then fed to the separation station 40. In the separation station 40, individual segments S of the label web EB (cf. FIG. 3) are separated from the label web EB by means of a cut which runs essentially transversely to the longitudinal extent of the label web EB and is introduced into the intermediate spaces Z. This cut is carried out by a knife (not shown further), which extends essentially transversely to the longitudinal extent of the label web EB and is reversible in the vertical direction, based on FIG. 1. This knife can be designed as an upper or lower knife. It interacts with a counter knife arranged on the top and bottom of the label web EB, which in turn can be arranged to be movable but also stationary. The separating station 40 separates the individual segments which, based on FIG. 1, fall to the left of the separating station 40 into a corresponding collecting device, not shown.

The procedure for producing a laminate label LE according to the invention is as follows:

First, the individual labels E in the desired shape and size, which may already have the perforation P, are applied to the carrier material web TB in a device which may be arranged separately from the manufacturing device 10 according to the invention, in such a way that the spaces in the longitudinal direction of the carrier material web TB Z are present. Subsequently, or before that, the carrier material web TB can be provided with the punched-outs A.

The carrier material web TB thus prepared is then fed to the laminate film application station 30, in which the laminate film web LB is applied uniformly to the carrier material web TB. The carrier material web TB is then fed to the separating device 40 with the laminate film web LB as the label web EB, and there individual segments S of the label web EB are separated therefrom. This is done by means of a cut which runs essentially transversely to the longitudinal extent of the carrier material web TB and is made in the spaces Z between the individual labels E. Then, from the separated label segments S, the individual laminate labels LE can be glued to the object to be labeled by pulling off the backing material in the area of the punched-out area A and then by pulling off the remaining backing material. Here, the segment can be held on the gripping edge GR so that it is not soiled and the adhesive coating of the label E and the laminate film L becomes unusable. Because the cut in the space Z is executed and the carrier material completely detaches from the label E and the laminate film, the laminate film projects beyond the label E, as shown in FIG. 3. As a result, the laminate label LE can be attached to an object to be labeled particularly securely without the risk of dirt and / or moisture penetrating between the laminate film and the label E.

Claims

claims

1 . A process for producing laminate labels, in which a carrier material web with labels arranged thereon is fed to a laminate film application station, in which a laminate film web is applied to the carrier material web, and in which the resulting laminate label web is subsequently fed to a separation station, characterized in that before feeding the carrier material web to the laminate film application station, the labels are applied individually while observing the gaps present in the longitudinal direction of the carrier material web and that individual segments of the laminate label web are then in the separating station by means of at least one essentially transverse to the longitudinal extension of the laminate label web and cut cut in the spaces.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the side of the labels pointing away from the laminate film is provided with an adhesive coating and the carrier material web is provided on its side facing the labels with a non-stick coating.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the labels are arranged asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the carrier material web on this.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a laminate film web with a smaller width than the width of the carrier material web is applied to this.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the carrier material web is provided with a punch in the area of each label.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each label is provided with a perforation running approximately in the longitudinal direction of the carrier material web and arranged in the region of a label edge.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the labels are arranged on the carrier material web while maintaining the same spaces.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the laminate film web is rolled onto the carrier material web in the laminate film application station.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the labels arranged on the carrier material web are printed before being fed to the laminate film application station.

10. Device for producing laminate labels, in particular for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 9, with a laminate film application station (30) in which a laminate film web (LB) can be applied to a carrier material web (TB) carrying labels, and with a separation station (40) provided in the feed direction (X, Y) of the label web (EB) consisting of the carrier material web (TB) and the laminate film web (LB) after the laminate film application station (30), characterized in that the separation station (40) is a The cutting device has at least one cut which runs essentially transversely to the feed direction (X, Y) of the label web (EB) in the spaces (Z) present between the individual labels on the label web (EB).

1 1. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the cutting device has at least one knife which can be reversibly moved substantially perpendicularly to the surface area of the label web (EB).

12. The apparatus of claim 10 or 1 1, characterized in that the laminate film application station (30) for Application of the laminate film (L) has at least one laminate roller (34).

13. Device according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that a printing unit for printing on the carrier material web (TB) is provided in the feed direction (Y) of the carrier material web (TB) in front of the laminate film application station (30).

14. Laminate label consisting of a label (E) and a laminate film (L) arranged thereon, characterized in that the laminate film (L) projects beyond the edge of the label (E).

1 5. Laminate label according to claim 14, characterized in that the label (E) has an at least approximately parallel to a longitudinal edge and in the region of this longitudinal edge arranged perforation (P).