EP1103036B1 - Tape material, security element and method for producing a security element for electronic article surveillance - Google Patents

Abstract

A tape material (1) comprising a support layer (2) and a thin-layer magnetic material (3), which is placed onto the support layer (2), serves as a security material. In a surveillance zone the thin-layer magnetic material (3) emits a characteristic signal for the electronic surveillance of articles. The aim is to provide a tape material which allows for simple application of thin-layer materials on any support materials. To this end a transfer layer (4), which can be melted by pressure and/or heat, is provided for on the thin-layer material (3), and the adhesion between the support layer (2) and the thin-layer material (3) is less than the adhesion between the thin-layer material (3) and the transfer layer (4). Consequently, a hot-pressing die (7) may be utilized to transfer a desired area of the thin-layer material (3), via the transfer layer (4), onto the article (6a) or another support layer (6b).

Description

The invention relates to a method according to claim 1 and Bottle label according to claim 8.

In the context of electronic article surveillance, which is aimed at preventing Inventory losses in department stores and warehouses are becoming increasingly popular A variety of different securing elements are used. A particularly beneficial one Design of a securing element has become known from EP 0 295 028 B1. This patent describes the so-called thin-film fuse elements for the first time. Compared to the otherwise common stripe-shaped and acustomagnetic Fuse elements are characterized by the fuse elements made of thin-layer materials due to their small dimensions, which makes them universal for securing the different Articles can be used.

To secure the security elements after proper payment of the appropriately secured To be able to deactivate the article is additional on the soft magnetic thin layer a thin layer of semi-hard or hard magnetic material is provided. In the EP 0 412 137 B, a perforated foil made of nickel is proposed as a suitable deactivation material.

Activatable fuse elements made of thin-film material consist of a thin, preferably Layer of soft magnetic, amorphous material in the µm range. The layer is e.g. B. by means of a physical deposition process under vacuum conditions applied to a carrier substrate (sputtem). Alternatively, they are electrolytic Deposition process suitable for the production of thin-film materials. The thin film starting material, which is usually available as a strip material is described in Die-cut label shape and applied as an adhesive label to an article to be secured. Disadvantage with the security elements made known from thin-film material or in the known manufacturing processes, several intermediate steps are required until the securing elements made of the thin-film material into the desired label shape brought and connected with the articles to be secured.

So shows z. B. WO-A-97 26564, in particular Figure 4B, a securing element with a Carrier layer and a magnetic thin-layer material provided on the carrier layer, that in the query field of a surveillance zone of an electronic article surveillance system sends out a characteristic signal. This security element is indeed also made of tape material, but narrow, strip-shaped ones must be used on it Marking elements are applied in a certain symmetrical arrangement before that Tape material can be processed into the securing element.

GB-A-2 312 595 describes a securing element with a further carrier element soft magnetic material and with a semi-hard or hard magnetic thin-layer material, that is transferred in individual sections to the further carrier element, that the security element in the query field of a surveillance zone is a coded identification signal sends out, known. In this known securing element, the application takes place of the individual sections by printing using a print head. So there are too Several intermediate steps are required before the securing element is in a desired position final form can be brought.

From EP-A-0 673 853 a bottle label is also known which means a self-adhesive carrier film is attached to a bottle, with proof of authenticity applied to a securing element with a self-adhesive coating is.

The invention is based on the object of a method for applying a securing element that allows thin-film materials to be opened in a simpler way Apply bottle labels. In addition, such Bottle label to be specified.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by a Bottle label solved according to claim 8.

A major advantage of the invention is that the securing element is completely unproblematic by means of a single process step, namely that of hot stamping Bottle label can be applied at any desired location. Let us consider the advantages of the invention using a concrete example: the securing element is supposed to be applied to a bottle label become. Such bottle labels are printed as tape material, then in Individual labels divided and stacked The thin-layer security elements can be by means of of a hot stamp in a printing press while printing the front sides be applied to the back of the bottle labels. To decorate the false labels In individual cases, the thin-film fuse elements can also be on the front of the labels.

Bottle labels are stacked before being applied to the corresponding bottles Because the thin-film fuse elements are in contrast to strip-shaped or acustomagnetic Securing elements have only a small thickness is stacking the bottle labels are unproblematic, even if the security elements always be applied to the labels in the same place. For completely uniform stack heights To achieve over the entire surface of the bottle labels, according to the invention Securing elements are of course also arranged in different areas of the labels become - a possibility for the security elements according to the invention and their inventive Application methods are ideally suited.

Another advantage of the invention is beyond doubt that the securing elements due to their small thickness under the bottle labels applied to the bottles to the outside do not appear at all or only slightly.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention form the subject of the subclaims.

To increase the adhesive force between the backing and the thin-layer material influence, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention is a waxy Release layer provided that melts when heated by the hot stamp.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the thin-layer material is concerned a soft magnetic thin layer or a semi-hard or hard magnetic Thin film, with a semi-hard or hard magnetic layer for deactivation of the soft magnetic thin-layer material always in combination with the soft magnetic thin-layer material is used.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carrier layer is concerned a polyester film. Furthermore, according to an advantageous development of the invention provided that the transfer layer is an adhesive layer whose Melting temperature is preferably in the range between 60 ° - 150 °. The adhesive layer melts under the influence of temperature of the hot stamp and restores after cooling an intimate connection between the bottle label and the thin-film material forth.

An advantageous development of the bottle label according to the invention provides that the thin-layer material is structured in itself and has the shape of a hologram. Through the direct connection between the security element and the proof of authenticity becomes a universally applicable and inexpensive label element posed.

While based on the security elements described above, only the information it is provided whether a secured bottle is within the surveillance zone or not, it is provided according to an advantageous embodiment that the inventive Security element provides coded information that allows a certain Detect bottle safely. For this purpose, the soft magnetic thin-film material in individual sections on the bottle label so that the Security element in the query field of a surveillance zone sends out a coded identification signal.

Fig. 1: einen Querschnitt durch ein als Ausgangsmaterial eingesetztes Bandmaterial,

Fig. 2: einen Querschnitt durch das Bandmaterial zum Zeitpunkt des Heißprägens,

Fig. 3: einen Querschnitt durch das Bandmaterial nach Beendigung des Heißprägens und

Fig. 4: eine Draufsicht auf eine vorteilhafte Ausgestaltung eines erfindungsgemäßen Identifizierungselements.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. It shows:

1 shows a cross section through a strip material used as a starting material,

2: a cross section through the strip material at the time of hot stamping,

3 shows a cross section through the strip material after the hot stamping and

4: a top view of an advantageous embodiment of an identification element according to the invention.

1 shows a cross section through a strip material 1. The strip material 1 consists of a carrier layer 2, which is preferably made of polyester film, a release layer 5, which is, for example, a wax layer, a soft magnetic one or semi-hard or hard magnetic thin-film material 3 and a pressure or heat sensitive Transfer layer 4. As already explained above, the additional release layer 5 can be dispensed with if the carrier layer 2 itself already has the has required low adhesion with respect to the thin-film material 3.

As shown schematically in FIG. 2, the one provided with the transfer layer 4 can be used Thin film material 3 under the action of a hot stamp 7 on any Transfer bottle label 6. The securing element is z. B. on the back of the bottle label 6 applied; the bottle label 6 is then glued onto a bottle. Due to the thin thickness of the thin film material, it is from the outside for a potential Thief can not tell whether the bottle, by means of an electronic detectable security element is secured against theft or not.

The outer shape of the securing element 8 can of course be designed as desired a correspondingly shaped hot stamp 7 for transferring the securing element 8 on the wrong label 6 is used. To the fuse element 8 In addition to stamping the shape of a hologram, the hot stamp must be stamped 7 have a corresponding surface structure.

3 shows a cross section through the strip material 1 and through the securing element 8 after the hot stamping process.

4 is a top view of an advantageous embodiment of an identification element 10, the soft magnetic thin-film material 3 is in individual sections 9 arranged on a bottle label so that it is in the query field of an electronic Article security system sends out a coded identification signal that the corresponding Bottle is clearly assignable. In addition to the purely safety function, this is also the case equipped element also an identification function.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

band material

2

backing

3

Thin-film material

4

transfer layer

5

release layer

6;

bottle label

7

Heat stamps

8th

fuse element

9

section

10

identification element

Claims (12)

1. A method for applying a security element (8) capable of emitting a characteristic signal in the query field of a surveillance zone of an electronic article-protection system, to a bottle label (6), the method comprising the steps of:

   providing a bottle label (6) and a tape material (1), wherein the tape material (1) comprises a carrier layer (2), a magnetic thin-film material provided on the carrier layer, and a transfer layer (4) provided on the thin-film material (3), the transfer layer being capable of melting under application of pressure and/or heat, and wherein the adhesion between the carrier layer (2) and the thin-film material (3) is less than the adhesion between the thin-film material (3) and the transfer layer (4), and

   transferring a desired area of the thin-film material (3) by means of the transfer layer (4) to the bottle label (6) under local application of pressure and/or heat from a hot-stamping die (7).
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a tape material (1) is used in which the carrier layer (2) is a polyester foil.
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a tape material (1) is used in which the transfer layer (4) is an adhesive layer with a melting point lying in a range of 60°C to 150°C.
4. The method according any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a tape material (1) is used in which the thin-film material (3) is a magnetically soft thin-film material.
5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thin-film material (3) is a magnetically semi-hard or hard thin-film material.
6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that individual segments (9) of the magnetically soft thin-film material (3) are transferred to the bottle label (6) in such a manner that the security element is capable of emitting a coded identification signal in the query field of a surveillance zone of an electronic article-protection system.
7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the thin-film material (3) is transferred to the back side of the bottle label (6).
8. A bottle label with a security element (8), wherein the security element has a magnetic thin-film material (3) capable of emitting a characteristic signal in the query field of a surveillance zone of an electronic article-protection system, and wherein the security element (8) is applied to the bottle label by means of a transfer layer (4) which is capable of melting under application of pressure and/or heat and which is provided on the thin-film material (3).
9. The bottle label according to claim 8, characterized in that the security element (8) is applied to the back side of the bottle label (6).
10. The bottle label according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the thin-film material (3) in itself is structured and is provided in the form of a hologram.
11. The bottle label according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the thin-film material (3) is a magnetically soft thin-film material.
12. The bottle label according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the thin-film material (3) is a magnetically semi-hard or hard material.

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