FR2699716A1 - Labeling sleeve. - Google Patents

Abstract

- Stretchable labeling sleeve intended to be placed stretched over a container. - According to the invention, from a sheet of great width, forming by welding (3) a sleeve (1) and a flap (2) which is coated on its free edge with a layer of adhesive (4 ) then folded over a sleeve (1) on the outside while being able to be detached from it. Applications: increasing the printing surface, in particular for printing information on the product and on its instructions for use.

Description

1.

LABEL SLEEVE

  The present invention relates to a stretchable labeling sleeve.

  Such sleeves, generally made of polyethylene, are well known and increasingly replace the paper labels glued on the hollow containers or containers such as cans, extruded or blown bottles, trays and thermoformed or injected pots. They surround the periphery of the container and , by elasticity are intimately applied against the outer wall of the container Such sleeves allow particular decorations

attractive to the consumer.

  The sleeves are pre-printed and generally bear the manufacturer's mark and the product designation inside it. In most cases, the stretchable sleeves also include legal information on the product and instructions for use. in particular for chemical products The apparent surface that it serves for decoration or type inscriptions

  utilities will be called information surface.

  Opaque stretchable polyethylene sleeves, for example white, are known in which the printing is carried out in direct reading external printing. Also known are transparent polyethylene sleeves on which the printing is performed, according to a so-called "polyemail" technique, not on the outer face of the sleeve but on the inner face thereof and in reverse printing. surface of information appears through transparency through the film and it remains protected by this film during the

life of the container.

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

integral part of the container.

  The present invention aims to overcome this disadvantage and to allow the printing of information or decorations on a larger surface than

  the only side surface of the container and remaining integral therewith.

  According to the present invention, the labeling sleeve is characterized in that it contains a folding flap constituting an additional support

  This increases the area available for printing.

  This flap, 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 when needed In normal use, it is fixed by one of its edges on the outer surface of the sleeve by an adhesive tape so that the flap can open for reading and then close again Other features and advantages of the invention will appear during

  description which follows, of a particular embodiment given to

  As a non-limiting example, with reference to the figures which represent: FIG. 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 made by printing a thermoplastic sheet, for example made of stretch polyethylene, comprising a part 1 closed by a weld 3 so that its perimeter is a few percent less than the the perimeter of the container to be labeled and a portion 2 constituting the foldable flap The sheet and, of course, each of the parts 1 and 2 has two faces, respectively A and B In the case of the part 1 surrounding the container, the face A is the external face and the face B the inner face The flap 2 carries on its side B, in the vicinity of its outer edge an adhesive line 4 consisting of a transfer adhesive or a "hot melt" which provides a removable connection between said edge and a

  part of the face A of the sleeve 1 itself.

  In accordance with the invention, only one side, the B side, of the polyethylene sheet is printed. As shown in FIG. 2, the reverse printed sheet on the B side is read live through the A side. A first impression gives the apparent result in FIG. 2 That is to say that the sheet has undergone a first impression on the face B. The subsequent operation consists in applying, on the face B corresponding to the shutter 2, a layer of opacification 7 which makes it possible to isolate the printing of the shutter previously made As appears in Figure 3, the opacified range receives a new print 8 on the live opacification layer The shutter can thus, although printed on one side can be read

  double-sided which doubles the useful surface of it.

  The printing of the assembly sleeve-shutter 2 is always 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

  which makes possible a positive decoration of the back of said shutter.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 show a sleeve according to the invention placed on a container which, in the example shown is a can. In FIG. 4, the flap adheres to the sleeve 1 whereas in FIG. 3 When the flap is unfolded, it releases the initially covered part of the sleeve 1 which gives access to the information printed in this area of the sleeve The useful printing space has been multiplied by two c ' that is to say it includes: the face of the sleeve and the total surface of the sleeve, although said flap is transparent polyethylene This result is understood when the length of the sleeve is equal to half the perimeter of the container But of other shutter lengths may,

of course be adopted.

  For example, the face B of the sleeve 1 is printed in four-color process: red, yellow, blue + black and white with a spot color, in reverse to be read in direct transparency The B side of the flap 2 is printed in a first time as the face 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, a

  additional color being available.

  This printing operation is performed in one or more passes on modern machines so that the marginal cost of producing such a component is reduced to that of the material used (larger plastic sheet,

adhesive, ink etc).

  The method of manufacturing a sleeve according to the invention is as follows: Flat printing of a polyethylene sheet; Folding the leaf around a line one third of its width; Weld 3 an edge of the sheet thereon to form the sleeve 1; Laying an adhesive 4: Folding the shutter 2 on the sleeve 1;

  Transverse precut 5 and winding.

  The sleeves are delivered to the user in rolls, the flap 2 being folded over the sleeve 1, 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 systems of

  tracking or promotion that can track the life of the product.

  For this purpose, in addition to the transverse precut 5 (FIG. 2), the flap 2 may be pre-cut longitudinally along the line 6, flush with the weld, to allow the flap to be torn off. In addition to the adhesive bead 4, the shutter 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 can constitute a flushing identification tag for petroleum products that can be used to date and record vehicle mileage For dairy products, it is possible to

  to organize contests or promotions by returning the component to the manufacturer.

  Although the description that has just been given relates to the case of leaves

  of transparent polyethylene, the present invention can of course be implemented with opaque polyethylene, only one side of the flap being printed, the useful surface being increased, in this case only 50% of the lateral surface of the container It goes without saying that many variations can be made, in particular by substituting technically equivalent means, without leaving the

framework of the invention.

Claims (3)

  1 Labeling sleeve of stretch polyethylene characterized in that it comprises, in addition to the sleeve (1) surrounding a container formed by a solder (3) of the sheet on itself, a folding flap (2) constituting a support for information about one of its edges a adhesive cord (4).   20 sleeve according to claim 1, characterized in that the polyethylene being transparent, only the inner face (B) of the sleeve (1) and the flap (2). is printed.   Sleeve according to claim 3, characterized in that, after a first impression, the inner face of the flap (2) receives a layer   opacification (7) then a new print (8) directly readable.   Sleeve according to any one of the preceding claims,   characterized in that the length of the flap (2) is equal to half the perimeter of the sleeve (1).   Sleeve according to any one of the preceding claims,   characterized in that a longitudinal pre-cut line (6) allows   to separate the flap (2) from the sleeve (1).