GB2101556A - Assembly of pre-printed labels - Google Patents

Abstract

An assembly of pre-printed labels 14 for attachment to video-cassette spines, each label exhibiting data concerning a television programme, the labels being detachably held in a matrix in which they are arranged in order of presentation and identified by time of presentation. The labels may be adhesively attached to a sheet 15 of release paper. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Assembly of preprinted labels The present invention relates to the labelling of video-cassettes.

Video-cassettes are normally housed in boxshaped holders which are open along one spine so that the spine of the cassette remains visible for identification purposes. The spine will normally be labelled with the manufacturers name at the top.

Most of the spine is blank so that labels can be attached by the user. However, the labelling of such cassettes is a tedious operation, since the label must be specially cut to size and adhesive attached. The length of the programme is not always known so that it is difficult to locate the beginning of each new recorded programme on the cassette. Also, due to the comparatively small width of the spine, about 2 cm, it requires very careful writing or typing to produce a neat and clear identification of the subject matter.

Television programmes are listed in a variety of publications, not only those published specifically by the media concerned but also in daily newspapers. However the material is never so presented that it can be used as printed for attachment to a cassette.

The present invention solves the problem of labelling cassettes of recorded television programmes in an extremely convenient manner by providing an assembly of pre-printed labels for attachment to video-cassette spines, each label exhibiting data concerning a television programme, the labels being detachably held in a matrix in which they are arranged in order of presentation and identified by time of presentation.

Each label preferably exhibits the title of the programme and its duration. It may also include such other details as can conveniently be located on the label. This might for example include the date or the year, e.g. where a sporting event is concerned, or the names of the principal performers. Depending upon the publishers and the available space, advertising material could be included.

Most conveniently the labels have adhesive on their rear surfaces and are releasably attached to release paper which could constitute the matrix.

For example, the matrix could consist of assembled sheets of paper printed with identifying material such as the date, the television time and the appropriate channel and also printed in suitable places with a release coating for each label.

An embodiment of the invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:~ Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a video-cassette holder and cassette, identified by means of the present invention, and Figure 2 shows one page of a booklet defining an assembly of preprinted labels in accordance with the invention, as utilised in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a video-cassette 10 partially inserted in its holder 1 The spine 12 of the cassette is labelled at 13 with the manufacturers designation in the usual manner. Parts of three preprinted labels 14 in accordance with the invention are shown adhered to the spine in a vertical array in order of their appearance on the cassette. Each label containsban identification, normally the title of the programme, an episode number if appropriate, and the duration e.g. sixty minutes, so that the division between recorded programmes can be easily located on the cassette player.

Typical label identifications have been given by way of example. Thus the first label in order of appearance is identified as "Dallas, Episode 4, 60 Minutes.". The next label is identified as "Golf, U.S. Open 1981, 30 Minutes.".

Figure2 shows part of an assembly of preprinted labels in accordance with the invention.

Thus there is shown at 1 5 a typical sheet which may form part of a booklet. Such a sheet or booklet is for convenience called in this specification a "matrix". Such a matrix may take a number of forms depending upon its manner of distribution to the public. Thus it may form part of the get-up of consumer packages e.g. of breakfast cereals.

Conveniently it could be published separately as a weekly periodical containing separate sheets or a series of sheets for each day of the week.

Thus Figure 2 may be taken to represent part of a typical sheet of this kind.

The matrix sheet 1 5 is conveniently divided into vertical columns designating the appropriate television channel. Two such columns illustrated are identified "BBC 1" and "LWT".

Each channel column as illustrated contains on the left-hand side a printed column indicating the times of commencement of each programme and offset to the right of each programme time a printed label 14 appropriate to that programme.

When a programme is to be recorded, the label concerned is conveniently detached from the matrix 1 5 and attached to the spine of the cassette either before or immediately after the recording is made.

Certain of the labels appearing in Figure 2 are shown utilised in Figure 1. This is shown for convenience but if times overlap, clearly more than one television and recorder will be required.

Most conveniently, the labels are constituted as self-adhesive labels for which purpose they are coated on their rear surfaces with an appropriate contact adhesive. For easy detachment they are attached in the matrix to a release coating. This may be arranged in a number of ways. Thus the whole of each page of matrix 15 could be coated with release coating after having been printed with the identification indicia. Alternatively the appropriate spaces for the labels could be individually printed with a release coating composition.

However the labels could be detachably arranged in other ways, e.g. through the use of perforations or with lines for scissor cuts. In this case a water-activated gum could be used or no adhesive at all, in which case the user would have to apply his own adhesive.

In the case of a weekly publication, this could be arranged as a quite separate publication, if necessary with advertisements on inter-leaved pages. However it is also possible that the pages of matrix e.g. as at 15, could be attached as separate sheets alongside a detailed presentation of the various programmes in a more comprehensive magazine or newsheet.

The actual information displayed on each label is preferably limited in order that the labels should be of a convenient size that a number of labels can be attached in vertical sequence on the spine of a single cassette. Thus a convenient vertical length might be 3cm. However it may prove feasible to extend the length of such labels in order to incorporate further information about the programme concerned, e.g. the date or names of performers, or advertising material. In the case of a long programme, clearly a double or triple length label could be used. Normally the width of the labels is determined by the width of the cassette spine which is conventionally about 2 cm.

Claims (5)

1. An assembly of pre-printed labels for attachment to video-cassette spines, each label exhibiting data concerning a television programme, the labels being detachably held in a matrix in which they are arranged in order of presentation and identified by time of presentation.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 in which each label exhibits the title of the programme and its duration.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the matrix comprises one or more sheets of release paper, the labels having adhesive on the rear surfaces and being releasably attached to the release paper.

4. An assembly according to claim 1 substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

5. A video-cassette having attached to its spine one or more labels detached from an assembly according to any preceding claim.