GB2190620A

GB2190620A - Insertion moulding labelled containers

Info

Publication number: GB2190620A
Application number: GB08711426A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Llorca Juan Miguel Castella; Llorca Emilio Castella
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-05-15
Filing date: 1987-05-14
Publication date: 1987-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2007-05-14
Also published as: GB2190620B; GB8711426D0

Abstract

A prepared label (1) is provided with a series of spaced slits (3) along fold lines linking base and wall portions thereof. The label (1) is positioned in a mould and material is injected to form the container wall and base (8) against the label; the material flows through the slits (3) in the label to form flanges (9) that project downwardly below the base of the label and define a false bottom of the container. Alternatively, injected material may project through an aperture, or apertures, to form a bevel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Making labelled containers The present invention relates to the manufacture by injection moulding of containers incorporating a label and is particularly relevant to such containers having exterior projections or bevels, such as false bottoms or the like which give the containers a larger apparent volume.

It may be said that, hitherto, there has been no effective and economical system for producing such containers nor, moreover, for obtaining the desired results in a single moulding operation. The traditional systems for incorporating labels are always laborious and, therefore, not economically viable since they increase the price of manufactured containers considerably.

It would be desirable to provide an injection process that at leastto some extent avoids the problems referred to above and makes itto be possible both to incorporate labels (on both base and sides ofthe containers if desired) and to form the bevels or projections in a single injection moulding operation and without having to use complicated operations to prepare the moulds.

According to the invention a container is made by first placing a prepared label in the injection mould so asto cover the appropriate area or areas corresponding to those in which the label has to be visible from the outside of the finished container.

The label has at least one, and preferably a plurality, of apertures. When it has been positioned, material for forming the container is injected into the mould so as to penetratethe apertures andfill the mould cavity, preferably forming, in the container obtained the bevels or projections on its outside. These may be projections in the form of a portion ofthe container projecting downwardlyfrom, e.g. a base partofthe label, to form a flange in the nature of a false bottom.

Clearly, the apertures in the labels may advantageously be situated adjacent to the areas in which the above-mentioned bevels or projections are to appear orto be formed. Where the label includes base and wall portions linked at a fold, the apertures, e.g. elongate slits, are preferably disposed along the fold. The aperture or apertures maytakeoneofa numberofsuitableconfigurations, such as simple fissures or slits as has been mentioned above, or openings or orifices of any section or diameter provided that they allowtheflow of injected material through them into the appropriate parts ofthe mould cavity.

In another aspect, the invention provides a containerthatcan be made by the above process, in which apertures in a label are penetrated by material that was injection moulded against the label.

As can be seen, the invention is very simple and yet results may be obtained which are an immense improvement over those achieved with conventional systems, both from technical and economical points of view.

In orderto understand the invention better, an embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a label prepared for introduction into a mould and intended to be visible through the base and sides of a corresponding container; Figure 2 is a view in cross-section of a mould to receive the label; Figure 3, also in cross-section, shows a view ofthe closed mould, with the label inside and prepared for injection; Figure 4 is a view in transverse section, on a larger scale, of a sector ofthe mould, with the container formed inside, before unmoulding; FigureS is a view in transverse section of a completed container on leaving the mould, and Figure 6shows a view in perspective of the finished container.

With reference to Figure 1,a label (1)which is to be incorporated in the container is previously equipped, at locations (2) along folds between base and wall portions thereof which will correspond later to the projections to be formed, with elongate slits or fissures (3) which will form crossways channels.

Having been prepared in this way, the label is placed inside a mould (4) which, in addition to reproducing the form of the container, will have on its interior ridges projecting flanges which will be defined by inlets (5) of the base of the cavity (6) ofthe mould (4).

Once the label (1 ) has been placed inside the mould (4), in this case covering the base and walls or sides ofthe same, the mould is closed with the counter mould (7) and a conventional system is then used to inject material which is tq form the container into the mould (4). The material, which forms the body (8) ofthe container, completely fills the resulting cavityofthe mould (4) and the inletzones (5), which will form downwardly projecting flanges (9) on the container (Figure 4) asthe injection material passes through the channels made by the slits (3), flowing through the latter until the said cavities or inlets (5) are filled.

The completed container (Figures 5 and 6) thereby has the label (1) incorporated in its injected body (8) and the latter, in turn, will have downwardly projecting bevels or projections (9) constituting a false bottom, the whole forming an excellent and effective single body.

it is understood that in the case represented, which, as has been said, is purely byway of example, reference is made to a very simple (nevertheless very common) embodiment in which the label covers only two sides and the base of the container.

However, it is obvious that the label may also cover the front face of the container or only part of one or another, in various combinations, withoutthereby departing from the scope of the invention.

1. A method of making by injection moulding a container bearing a label, wherein a label provided with at least one aperture is positioned in a mould and material injected into the mould againstthe label toform the container such that in filling the mould

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Making labelled containers The present invention relates to the manufacture by injection moulding of containers incorporating a label and is particularly relevant to such containers having exterior projections or bevels, such as false bottoms or the like which give the containers a larger apparent volume. It may be said that, hitherto, there has been no effective and economical system for producing such containers nor, moreover, for obtaining the desired results in a single moulding operation. The traditional systems for incorporating labels are always laborious and, therefore, not economically viable since they increase the price of manufactured containers considerably. It would be desirable to provide an injection process that at leastto some extent avoids the problems referred to above and makes itto be possible both to incorporate labels (on both base and sides ofthe containers if desired) and to form the bevels or projections in a single injection moulding operation and without having to use complicated operations to prepare the moulds. According to the invention a container is made by first placing a prepared label in the injection mould so asto cover the appropriate area or areas corresponding to those in which the label has to be visible from the outside of the finished container. The label has at least one, and preferably a plurality, of apertures. When it has been positioned, material for forming the container is injected into the mould so as to penetratethe apertures andfill the mould cavity, preferably forming, in the container obtained the bevels or projections on its outside. These may be projections in the form of a portion ofthe container projecting downwardlyfrom, e.g. a base partofthe label, to form a flange in the nature of a false bottom. Clearly, the apertures in the labels may advantageously be situated adjacent to the areas in which the above-mentioned bevels or projections are to appear orto be formed. Where the label includes base and wall portions linked at a fold, the apertures, e.g. elongate slits, are preferably disposed along the fold. The aperture or apertures maytakeoneofa numberofsuitableconfigurations, such as simple fissures or slits as has been mentioned above, or openings or orifices of any section or diameter provided that they allowtheflow of injected material through them into the appropriate parts ofthe mould cavity. In another aspect, the invention provides a containerthatcan be made by the above process, in which apertures in a label are penetrated by material that was injection moulded against the label. As can be seen, the invention is very simple and yet results may be obtained which are an immense improvement over those achieved with conventional systems, both from technical and economical points of view. In orderto understand the invention better, an embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a label prepared for introduction into a mould and intended to be visible through the base and sides of a corresponding container; Figure 2 is a view in cross-section of a mould to receive the label; Figure 3, also in cross-section, shows a view ofthe closed mould, with the label inside and prepared for injection; Figure 4 is a view in transverse section, on a larger scale, of a sector ofthe mould, with the container formed inside, before unmoulding; FigureS is a view in transverse section of a completed container on leaving the mould, and Figure 6shows a view in perspective of the finished container. With reference to Figure 1,a label (1)which is to be incorporated in the container is previously equipped, at locations (2) along folds between base and wall portions thereof which will correspond later to the projections to be formed, with elongate slits or fissures (3) which will form crossways channels. Having been prepared in this way, the label is placed inside a mould (4) which, in addition to reproducing the form of the container, will have on its interior ridges projecting flanges which will be defined by inlets (5) of the base of the cavity (6) ofthe mould (4). Once the label (1 ) has been placed inside the mould (4), in this case covering the base and walls or sides ofthe same, the mould is closed with the counter mould (7) and a conventional system is then used to inject material which is tq form the container into the mould (4). The material, which forms the body (8) ofthe container, completely fills the resulting cavityofthe mould (4) and the inletzones (5), which will form downwardly projecting flanges (9) on the container (Figure 4) asthe injection material passes through the channels made by the slits (3), flowing through the latter until the said cavities or inlets (5) are filled. The completed container (Figures 5 and 6) thereby has the label (1) incorporated in its injected body (8) and the latter, in turn, will have downwardly projecting bevels or projections (9) constituting a false bottom, the whole forming an excellent and effective single body. it is understood that in the case represented, which, as has been said, is purely byway of example, reference is made to a very simple (nevertheless very common) embodiment in which the label covers only two sides and the base of the container. However, it is obvious that the label may also cover the front face of the container or only part of one or another, in various combinations, withoutthereby departing from the scope of the invention. CLAIMS

1. A method of making by injection moulding a container bearing a label, wherein a label provided with at least one aperture is positioned in a mould and material injected into the mould againstthe label toform the container such that in filling the mould the injected material penetrates said at least one aperture to form a container portion projecting outwardly of the label adjacent said at least one aperture.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of apertures are provided spaced along fold lines of the label corresponding to joins between mutually angled surfaces in the finished container.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the apertures comprise elongate slits.

4. A method according to any one ofthe preceding claims wherein the outwardly projecting container portion is a downwardly extending flange forming a false bottom of the container.

5. A method according to any one ofthe preceding claims wherein the container to be formed has a wall extending upwardly from the base and the label has corresponding wall and base parts linked to one another at a fold line, the aperture or apertures being on or spaced along the fold line, and the mould cavity being so shaped thatthe injected material penetrates the or each aperture to form the projecting container portion as a flange extending downwardly of the label base part and substantially continuous with the label wall part.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the container has fourwalls and the label has two wall parts corresponding to opposite walls ofthe container.

7. A method of making by injection a container incorporating a label and with exterior projections or bevels, comprising placing the label inside an injection mould so as to cover a zone or zones in which the label is to be visible from the outside ofthe finished container, the label having previously been provided, at positions corresponding to the bevels or projections to be formed, with a plurality of apertures penetrating through itto allow circulation of injected materiai, and injecting material into the mould whereby the material flows through the apertures to fill the mould cavity and forms the bevels or projections on the exterior of the container obtained.

8. An injection moulded container having a wall extending upwardlyfrom a base, incorporating a label having base and wall portions corresponding to the base and wall of the container and joined at a fold along which there are a plurality of apertures in the label, the material of the container being moulded againstthe label wall portion and penetrating the apertures so as to extend on both sides ofthe label base portion and secure the label to the container.

9. A container according to claim 8, wherein said apertures are a plurality of elongate slits aligned with the fold line of the label.

10. A method of making by injection moulding a container incorporating a label, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

11. An injection moulded container incorporating a label substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.