EP1967457B1

EP1967457B1 - Adhesive label and hanging handle construction, in particular for medical vessels

Info

Publication number: EP1967457B1
Application number: EP07004554A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giancarlo Vimercati
Original assignee: PILOT ITALIA SpA
Current assignee: PILOT ITALIA S.P.A.
Priority date: 2007-03-06
Filing date: 2007-03-06
Publication date: 2012-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-06
Also published as: EP1967457A1; ATE544686T1

Abstract

An adhesive label (1) and hanging handle (4) construction, in particular for medical vessels, comprising a base body (2), defining a handle (4), which can be raised to hang a vessel said label (1) is applied to. The label (1) and handle (4) construction is characterized in that it comprises a layered adhesivized material, having a portion, at a raisable part of the handle (4) to which an anti-adhesive substance is applied. The handle portion to be raised from the bottom body, is de-adhesivized according to a particular criterion, to prevent water from penetrating the label through a cut performed by a cutting die.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adhesive label and hanging handle construction, in particular for medical vessels.
As is known, in the medical field are conventionally used vessels, in general glass bottles or plastic bags, for holding therein pharmaceutical compositions to be administered to patients through tubes conveying the pharmaceutical composition to the patient by an intravenous path.
The medicinal composition vessel is usually hanged on a supporting hanging bracket or pole, arranged near the patient, to allow the pharmaceutical composition to flow to the patient by gravity.
Adhesive labels to be applied to a drug or medicinal composition bottle, and including a hanging handle built-in therein to suspend or hang-up the bottle to a bracket, are already known.
The document US 6296223 discloses the preamble of claim 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a label construction which is improved with respect to an analogous prior label construction.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the invention is to provide such a label construction which has a very high mechanical strength, and in which the hanging handle is firmly and safely coupled in an integral manner to the label body and related bottle.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a label construction which is very resistant against aggressive liquids and which, consequently, does not accidentally detach from the bottle it is applied to.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a label construction which can be easily used by medical and paramedical personnel.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an adhesive label and hanging handle construction, in particular for medical vessels, according to claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the adhesive label construction according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a further top plan view partially represented with a ghost pattern, of the label construction;
Figure 3 is yet another top plan view of the adhesive label construction according to the invention;
Figure 4 is yet another top plan view showing an adhesive portion of the label construction;
Figures 5-8 show several multi-directional constructions of the material forming the adhesive label according to the present invention;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a bottle the adhesive label according to the invention has been applied to;
and
Figure 10 is a further perspective view of the bottle shown in figure 8, illustrated in a reversed or up-down position, the label handle being raised to a use condition thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the adhesive label construction according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1, comprises a bottom or basic label body 2, to be coupled to a bottle 3 or the like.
More specifically, the bottom or basic body 2 defines a hanging handle 4, which can be raised to connect the bottle 3 thereto, to a reversed or up-down condition, for coupling to a supporting element, or pole, not shown in the figures, to deliver, in a per se known manner, the medicinal substance held in the bottle.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the adhesive label forming material has a multidirectional fiber structure 5, forming said material.
Thus, since the material fibers are arranged in multiple direction, the bottom body 2 and handle 4 have very high mechanical strength characteristics, not to be easily broken.
Figures 5-8 show, by way of an example, some possible embodiments of the multidirectional fiber structure or construction.
Said material, in particular, comprises one or more fiber tiers, crossing one another according to different crossing angles, for example two 90°-tiers, as shown in figure 6, or several 90° and 45° crossing tiers, as is clearly shown in figures 7 and 8.
The material used for forming the label construction according to the present invention is preferably a film material, of a type known on the market with the name "Valeron", which is a HDPE based crossed laminate material.
The above mentioned laminate material comprises four extruded layers having differently oriented fibers.
According to the present invention, the handle portion 4, to be raised from the bottom body 2, is de-adhesivized according to a particular criterion, to prevent water from penetrating the label through a cut performed by a cutting die.
Thus, are herein met the regulation imposed by the ISO 15137 regulation, related to "Self-adhesive hanging devices for infusion bottles and injection vials-Requirements and test methods", establishing adhesive strength test features, after having left the label construction in a water bath for a set time
The part to be raised is provided with the mentioned anti-adhesive properties, by applying an anti-adhesive paint to said portion.
In the figures, said portion has been generally indicated by the reference number 6.
According to the invention, a comparatively small width strip portion, generally indicated by the reference number 7, delimiting the contours of the handle 4 adjoining the base bottom 2, is not processed in an anti-adhesive manner, thereby leaving an adhesive layer adapted to operate as a barrier for preventing water or moisture from entering the label construction during the immersion tests according to the ISO standards.
It has been found that, owning to the above mentioned provisions, the adhesive label construction according to the invention, passed, in a very satisfactory manner, the preset strength test patterns.
Yet another feature of the adhesive label construction according to the invention is that the raisable portion 4, i.e. the label handle, is bound to the body 2 through a plurality of micropoints 8, to prevent the raisable portion 4 from being raised during the packaging of the label on a making line.
To allow the handle 4 to be very easily raised by a user, said handle comprises a tab 9, made as a single body with said handle, to project from the handle contour.
Said tab 9, moreover, is raised, with respect to the convex surface of the bottle 3, as the label 1 is applied onto said convex surface.
It will be pointed out that the subject adhesive label construction, including a hanging handle built therein, has the further feature that, as it must be used, it requires to break a plurality of micropoints 8, thereby signaling the start of using the bottle contents, the adhesive label is applied to.
It has been found that the present invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
In fact, the invention provides an adhesive label and hanging handle construction, which can be easily used by the user and, moreover, is very reliable from a strength and safety standpoint.
In practicing the invention, - the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements and the status of the art.

Claims

An adhesive label and hanging handle construction (1), in particular for medical vessels, comprising a base body (2), defining a hanging handle (4), which can be raised to hang a vessel (3) said label is applied to, said label and handle construction (1) comprising a layered adhesivized material, having a portion, at a raisable part of said handle (4), to which an anti-adhesive substance is applied, characterized in that said anti-adhesive substance is an anti-adhesive paint partially applied to a portion (6) of said raisable portion, thereby preventing water from penetrating the label construction as said label is die-cut, and that said handle (4) has a contour, adjoining said base body (2), defining a reduced width strip (7) which is not anti-adhesively processed thereby leaving an adhesive layer operating as an adhesive layer barrier for preventing water or moisture from entering said label construction.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to claim 1, characterized in that the material forming said adhesive label (1) and handle (4) has a multidirectional fiber construction (5).
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to claim 1, characterized in that said material comprises one or more fiber tiers, said fiber tiers crossing one another with different angles of substantially 45° and 90°.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to claim (1), characterized in that said material is a commercially available laminated film material, such as a "Valeron" material, comprising a HDPE based cross-linked laminate material.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to claim 4, characterized in that said laminated film material comprises four extruded laminated film layers having differently oriented fibers.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said raisable handle portion (4) is bound to said label base body (2) by a plurality of binding micropoints (8), to prevent said raisable handle portion (4) from being accidentally raised.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, to facilitate a raising of said handle by a user, said label comprises a tongue (9), made as a single piece with said handle (4), and projecting from a contour of said handle.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to claim 7, characterized in that said tongue (9) is raised with respect to a convex surface of the vessel (3) with the adhesive label being applied thereto.
An adhesive label and hanging handle construction, according to claim 6, characterized in that said adhesive label, to be used, requires that said micropoints (8) are broken, thereby said micropoints (8) operate as a guarantee seal.