GB2280418A - Erasable labels - Google Patents

Abstract

A kit for providing erasable markings includes one or more self-adhesive labels 12, 13 and an instrument 10 for forming dry-erasable markings on the labels. The label surface to receive the markings may be a face of a film of transparent acetate, the film being substantially non-absorbent of water and any carrier fluid of the marking. The marking instrument 10 may comprise pigment(s) borne in a wax or wax-based medium. Markings are removable by abrasion with a fingertip which may be covered with a cloth. The kit is particularly for use in erasable labelling of video cassettes 11. <IMAGE>

Description

ERASABLE LABELS The present invention relates to erasable labels and, particularly, to a kit including labels capable of receiving marks which can be erased dry without the use of special equipment or chemicals.

There can be few people in the Western world who have not encountered the increasing problem resulting from the proliferation of video cassette recorders and video tape cassettes. Because video tape is recorded in diagonal strips for the rows in the television picture raster to be reproduced, relatively long lengths of tape have to be accommodated within each cassette. Typically, the play time of a video cassette is three or four hours in order to accommodate on one tape the longest programme which a user may wish to record, although technology now allows tapes to play at half speed thereby doubling the recording and play time and consequently doubling the amount of information that needs to be stored on the label.

A video tape bearing three hours of play time very often becomes recorded with several rather shorter programmes, typically between half an hour and one hour long, and after being re-used several times, the original labels indicating the programme content within the cassette become out of date. Although cassette manufactures supply several replacement labels these are frequently lost or become so over-written as to be effectively useless.

Known labels for video cassettes are, typically, selfadhesive paper labels which are effectively permanently marked by pen-type writing implements because they absorb the ink or other marking fluid and by pencils because of the indentations made and surface damage and discoloration caused by rubbing out. Hence changes to the programme content within the video tape can only effectively be recorded by removing the label and replacing it with a fresh one. For this reason many users have entirely abandoned the practice of maintaining an accurate record of the programme content of their video tapes or they have resorted to keeping a separate log in an exercise book or on separate sheets of paper.

This practice is, however, prone to error due to the need for some sort of code to identify the individual cassettes and is both inconvenient and prevents the immediate recognition of the contents of a tape cassette.

The consequence of this, especially in a family environment, is the gradual accretion of a large number of partly used video tapes the contents of which are unwanted and largely unknown because no one is prepared to take the time to search through the whole length of the tape to establish exactly what is recorded on it while consideration for the requirements of other family members precludes incautious recording over a tape of unknown content. It is also known to keep "short term" or "time shifting" tapes, but these tend to become overwritten many times very quickly and consequently suffer most wear on the tape.

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem by making available a marking system which, whilst retaining all the characteristics of integrity of information once written on the label, nevertheless allows the information to be erased easily, without requiring special chemicals or equipment, leaving the label in an entirely receptive condition for a fresh marking operation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, therefore, the present invention provides a label on which erasable markings can be made, having a substantially non-absorbent surface on one face and an adhesive layer on the opposite face.

The invention also comprises a kit for providing erasable markings including at least one self-adhesive label comprising or including a film capable of receiving dryerasable markings on one face thereof, the label bearing an adhesive on an opposite face thereof, and means for forming a dry-erasable mark on the film, the film being substantially non-absorbent of water and any carrier fluid of the marking means.

It has been established that the primary requirement for erasable labels is that the surface on which the marking is made should be entirely non-absorbent of marking solvent. In this way any marking medium lies on the surface without penetrating the body of the label and the material, when appropriately treated, can be removed from the surface leaving it uncontaminated with any adhering remnants of the original marking materials and ready for a fresh marking operation.

Existing labels on video cassettes may be made suitable for such erasable marking operations by overlying them with a label of the invention. Of course such a label must be adhered securely to the existing label in order to preserve the integrity of the marking operation: labels which fall off are worse than useless since they leave the cassette unmarked and the user frustrated. The label may comprise a transparent film with adhesive on a backing face if the existing label has not yet been used or it may be opaque if it is to cover existing markings.

In this latter case, the film for receiving the markings may be transparent but carried on an opaque backing film.

The means for forming the dry-erasable mark preferably comprise a marking instrument having a pigment or pigments borne in a wax or wax-based medium while the film for receiving the markings preferably comprises on acetate film. One such marking instrument which may be included in a kit according to the invention and by which labels of the present invention may be suitably marked is the wax-based pencil sold under the Trademark "Chinagraph". Such marking instruments are primarily intended for marking glass and ceramics but it has been found that marks on acetate film labels can be made without requiring undue pressure such as to indent the label and that marks so made can be erased with a dry cloth, or even simply by rubbing with the tip of a finger, although this may not be so satisfactory and may not entirely remove all the pigment residue from the surface.

The marking medium borne in wax is sufficiently adherent to the acetate film to remain unaffected by casual contact with clothing or other video tapes when stacked in a draw, or by parts of the video cassette recorder when in use, but will readily release its grip on the label when deliberate abrasion is applied to it.

Labels forming part of a kit according to the present invention may be made in a range of different colours either by using coloured film for the surface layer or by using transparent films adhered to a coloured substrate in a composite structure. Labels having such a composite structure also have the advantage that they can be used over existing labels since the substrate may be made entirely opaque thereby ensuring no confusing visibility of previous information. It is of course likewise possible to employ marking instruments of various different colours.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a video cassette having a label 12 formed according to the principles of the present invention applied thereto along one edge, showing the label being marked with a suitable marking instrument; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same video cassette and label, illustrating the marking being removed by a fingertip; Figure 3 is a face view of a first label formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figure 4 is a face view of a second label formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and Figure 5 is a face view of a third label formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the video cassette is generally indicated with the reference numeral 11 with a label 12 shown along one edge and a label 13 shown on one major face. The labels 12 and 13 are made from acetate film and securely affixed in position by an adhesive layer of suitable adhesive material. Rolls of selfadhesive acetate tape may be made with the adhesive material being protected, for example, by waxed interlining paper so that a user may cut the tape to a required length to fit the cassette or other item to be marked. Likewise, rolls of preformed labels may also be made. It should be emphasised at this point that although the erasable labels of the present invention have been described herein with particular reference to the application as labels for video cassettes, since this is a particularly pressing problem, the labels of the present invention are, in fact, suitable for a wide range of other applications where temporary indications may be required, and where ease of erasure and remarking constitutes a desirable feature.

In Figure 1 the marking instrument generally indicated 10 which may be a wax-based pigment pencil such as that sold under the Trademark Chinagraph, is shown in juxtaposition to the video cassette. The title of a film recorded on the cassette in this case "Jurassic Park" can be written on the label without concern for how much space on a label is occupied, and whether any other markings may be required at a later date when the film "Jurassic Park" is replaced by a subsequent recording.

Figure 2 illustrates the process by which the markings may be removed, namely simply by abrasion with a fingertip, which may be covered with a cloth if preferred. Upon erasure the wax-based pigments are completely removed from the non-absorbent surface of the acetate film leaving this in pristine condition for a remarking operation.

Claims (8)

1. A kit for providing erasable markings including at least one self-adhesive label comprising or including a film capable of receiving dry-erasable markings on one face thereof, the label bearing an adhesive on an opposite face thereof, and means for forming a dryerasable mark on the film, the film being substantially non-absorbent of water and any carrier fluid of the marking means.

2. A kit as claimed in Claim 1, in which the label film is transparent.

3. A kit as claimed in Claim 2, in which the transparent film is carried on one surface of an opaque film bearing the adhesive on its opposite face.

4. A kit as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the label film is an acetate film.

5. A kit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which the marking means comprise a pigment or pigments borne in a wax or wax-based medium.

6. A kit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including a plurality of the adhesive labels in a stack or roll interleaved with a release film from which the labels can be detached.

7. A kit substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of marking an article in a non-permanent manner, comprising applying a self adhesive label thereto by means of its adhesive face, the label comprising or including a film capable of receiving dry-erasable markings on a face opposite the adhesive face, and marking the film with an instrument capable of forming dry-erasable markings, the film being substantially nonabsorbent of water and any carrier fluid of the marking instrument such that the markings may be removed by rubbing with a dry implement.