GB2293588A

GB2293588A - Resilient engagement means for a label and container

Info

Publication number: GB2293588A
Application number: GB9419550A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Partington Haley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-09-27
Filing date: 1994-09-27
Publication date: 1996-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-27
Also published as: GB2293588A8; GB9419550D0; GB2293588B

Abstract

The invention provides in combination a label 200 comprising body portion 204 and engagement portion 202, receivable in an aperture 130 in the container body, wherein the engagement portion 202 is deformable about a longitudinal axis (Z - Z) in order to allow passage of the engagement portion into the aperture. Once through, it returns to a partially bent or non-bent condition in which removal is resisted, thus, the label is secured to the container body. The container may be a seed tray. <IMAGE>

Description

LABEL AND LABEL MOUNTING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a label and label mounting apparatus. In particular, it relates to a label for horticultural apparatus such as a seed tray, and to the horticultural apparatus itself.

As used herein, the expression "seed tray" means a tray, plant pot, plant container and the like, intended for use by nurserymen or horticulturalists for filling with soil, compost, gravel or other growth media and for growing or housing plants or seedlings, as well as a base unit used for supporting and carrying one or more of the aforesaid types of trays.

The attachment of a label to an article is a common requirement in many areas, and in the horticultural trade it has long been known to fix labels to seed trays and the like. Traditionally, a label consisted simply of an elongate body tapering at one end to a point, with the point being inserted into the soil or compost of e.g. a plant pot. However, more recently attempts have been made to provide a more secure method of attaching a label to a seed tray.

One such label mounting assembly is described in International patent application no. W093/17412, which discloses a label formed of resiliently flexible sheet material having a body which terminates in a tapered head. The body is formed with a slit profiled to define a barb which is capable of outward projection relative to the plain of the body so that, in use, the head of the label can be inserted into a slot in a plant pot until the barb passes through the slot, whereby the barb then engages a flange of the plant pot adjacent slot to prevent retraction of the label.

A further known plant container labelling system is described in UK patent GB 2260308. In this document, the label includes a pair of spikes depending from the main display portion of the label which, in use, penetrate the soil in a plant container. Between the pair of penetrating spikes is an "engagement spike" which is roughly arrowhead-like in shape, with the arrowhead pointing away from the main body of the label.

In use, the engagement spike passes through a slit in the wall of the plant container, with the materials used in manufacture of the plant container and the label, and the relative dimensions of the slit and the label, being such that the engagement spike may be forced through the slit with some resistance. Once forced through the slit, the barbs of the arrow head help to resist removal of the label.

Both of these labelling systems suffer from numerous disadvantages. With the first, the barbs tend to be fragile and prone to breakage and, once broken, the label may be easily removed from the plant container.

Furthermore, it is difficult to make the barb stand out from the plane of the label, and thereby difficult to retain the label on the plant container.

With both of the aforementioned labelling systems, the requirement for ease and speed of attachment of a label to a seed tray means that the labels are in general not securely attached. It is easy for the label to become detached accidentally and, furthermore, it is relatively easy for a customer to switch labels between different seed trays if the customer is so inclined.

The present invention seeks to mitigate some or all of the above problems and to provide a labelling system for attaching a label to an aperture in a body, whereby the label is more securely attachable to the body (e.g. a seed tray), without substantially increasing the difficulty of making the attachment.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides in combination a label and means defining an aperture, the label having a body portion and an engagement portion extending therefrom, the engagement portion being receivable in the aperture; wherein the engagement portion is bendable about a longitudinal axis thereof, and the aperture is shaped so as to permit insertion of the engagement portion therethrough when bent about said axis.

Thus the engagement portion may be inserted through the aperture in a bent condition and, once at least a part of the engagement portion has passed through the aperture, that part may move to a second, partially-bent or nonbent, condition in which removal of that part crf the engagement portion from the aperture is resisted. Thus, in use, the label is securable to the means defining an aperture.

The means defining the aperture may be the body of an object to which it is desired to attach a label and, in particular, may be a wall or other part of a seed tray.

Preferably the engagement portion is resiliently biased so that it moves or returns to the second condition described above once it has passed through the aperture.

Such biasing may be provided by the resilience of the material e.g. plastic, from which the label is manufactured.

The term "longitudinal axis" is preferably not limited to an axis solely along a major axis of the engagement portion but instead, for example where the engagement portion is elongate, it may be bendable around any axis which runs generally lengthwise.

The engagement portion and/or the label may be generally planar or flat and the engagement portion or a part thereof may be bendable so as to extend out of the overall plane thereof, and so as to be insertable through the aperture in such a bent condition. Preferably the engagement portion is insert able through the aperture in a direction generally similar to or the same as the longitudinal axis about which it is bendable.

The engagement portion may have one or more barbs extending away therefrom, which barb(s) is/are passable through the aperture in the bent condition and engage(s) a wall of the aperture when in the second, engagement, condition. Preferably, the engagement portion is arrowhead shaped, thereby having two barbs, with the point of the arrow pointing away from the main body of the label.

Preferably the engagement portion is predisposed towards being bent around the bending axis. Such predisposition may be achieved by the engagement portion being, for example, scored, marked or creased along the longitudinal bending axis.

The aperture may be substantially semi-circular in shape, with an additional notch at some part, e.g. the middle, of the circumference of the semi-circle. Thus when the engagement portion of the label is folded (and preferably folded substantially double) it may be inserted through the aperture with part of the engagement portion passing through the notch.

Then, when the engagement portion unfolds, part of the engagement portion e.g. the barbs, are located beneath part of the semi-circular rim of the aperture, andengage that part of the rim so as to resist removal of the engagement portion from the aperture.

The engagement portion may be inserted with the fold axis abutting, or being adjacent to, the straight side of the generally semi-circular aperture, or alternatively, with the fold axis passing through the notch. In the latter case, the sides of the aperture tend to urge the engagement portion into the folded condition as it passes through the aperture, thereby improving the ease of insertion into the aperture.

For ease of manufacturing, the above described shape of aperture may be approximated to a triangle of roughly isosceles shape, with the apex of the isosceles triangle corresponding to the notch.

In the case of a seed tray, the aperture is preferably located on one of the walls of the seed tray, for example on a wall between two wells of the seed tray, or at the junction of such a wall with a side wall of the tray.

This facilitates ease of access to the label and reduces the amount of "compost" space taken up by the walls of the aperture.

Preferably the aperture is on a raised "boss" or "land", with the sides of the aperture being raised. This provides added strength to the sides of the aperture and helps to prevent deformation of the sides of the aperture should the label be attempted to be removed from the tray. Preferably the raised sides of the aperture, which may be of beam construction, are of a height similar to, or slightly smaller than, the gap at a shoulder of the engagement portion of the label.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a label for a seed tray, the label having a body portion and an engagement portion extending away therefrom, the engagement portion having a crease along a longitudinal axis thereof to facilitate bending of the engagement portion to permit insertion in the longitudinal axial direction into an aperture of a seed tray.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a seed tray having an aperture for insertion of an engagement portion of a label therethrough, the aperture being shaped so as to permit insertion of the engagement portion therethrough when the engagement portion is bent about a longitudinal axis thereof.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method of attaching a label to means defining an aperture, the method including the steps of (i) bending an engagement portion of the label about a longitudinal axis thereof, (ii) inserting the bent engagement portion through the aperture, and (iii) unbending the engagement portion so that a part thereof engages a part of the rim of the aperture to resist withdrawal thereof.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a six unit seed tray for containing growth medium and plants/seeds/seedlings; Figure 2 is a side view of the tray of figure 1 in the direction of arrow A; Figure 3 is an end view of the tray of figure 1 in the direction of arrow B; Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-section along the line IV-IV in figure 1; Figure 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV of figure 1, with a label located in the aperture; Figure 6 is a plan view of a nine unit base unit seed tray; Figure 7 is an end view of the tray of figure 5 in the direction of arrow C; Figure 8 is a side view of the tray of figure 5 in the direction of arrow D;; Figure 9 is a front view of a first embodiment of a label according to an aspect of the present invention; Figure 10 is a front view of a second embodiment of a label according to an aspect of the present invention; Figure 11 is a plan view showing one possible shape of an aperture according to the present invention; Figure 12 is a view showing the insertion in a first orientation of a label into an aperture; Figure 13 is a view showing the insertion in a second orientation of a label into an aperture; and Figure 14 is a view of a label received in an aperture.

Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of a seed tray according to the present invention. The tray has six wells 110 of substantially equal size defined by opposing side walls 111, 112 and a pair of substantially parallel first partitions 113 extending therebetween and by opposing end walls 114, 115 and a single second partition 116 extending between the mid points of these walls 114, 115.

The first partitions 113 are arranged substantially perpendicular to the second partition 116, and all the partitions are of inverted trough shaped configuration.

In this embodiment, the side walls 111, 112, end walls 114, 115, and partitions 113, 116 are all formed with substantially vertical ribs 119. These ribs enhance overall rigidity and are not shown in Figure 1 for the sake of clarity.

A peripheral rim 117 is provided as an integral upward and outward extension of the side walls 111, 112 and the end walls 114, 115 and an integral downturned lip 118 is also present, as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. In this example the height of the rim 117 above the top surface of the partitions 113 and 116, as indicated at "h" in figure 2, is approximately Smm.

Significantly enhanced strength and rigidity is imparted to the tray by the configuration of the partitions 113, 116 in the regions where they intersect one another where upraised elongate lands 120 are formed. In this embodiment, the lands 120 are longitudinally in alignment with the second partition 116.

The wells 110 have generally rectangular bases and each of these is provided with a central circular aperture 121 and with an inwardly projecting transverse ridge 122, the aperture being cut into the ridge and having a diameter substantially equal to an co-identical with the width of the ridge 122. The aperture 121 is for purpose of drainage.

Exactly the same principles and feature as described in relation to the six well tray of figures 1 to 3 could be applied to a tray with any number of wells, such as a single, four or nine well tray. It will be appreciated that different sizes and numbers of wells are required to accommodate different types of seedlings and/or different stages of their growth.

The tray includes one or more (in this case three) apertures 130 for receipt of an engagement portion or leg 202 (see figure 8) of a label 200. In this example, the apertures are located at junctions of the partitionSs 113, 116 with the side walls 118 of the seed tray.

The present embodiment shows a seed tray incorporating the label mounting aperture(s) of the present invention, but such aperture(s) could be incorporated into other bodies to which it is desired to attach a suitable label.

The location of the apertures enables them to be provided on the seed tray without reducing the capacity of the wells 110 significantly. As can be seem more clearly in figures 2 and 3, the basically square shape of the wells 110 is modified slightly to accommodate raised lands 132 on which the apertures 130 are located. One of the corners 134 of each well 110 adjacent an aperture 130 is chamfered to provide sufficient space for the land 132 on which the aperture 130 is located.

Preferably (though not essentially), the aperture(s) are located on raised lands 132. In figure 3 the rim 118 of the seed tray is shown cut away to reveal the land 132.

As can be seen from figure 4 the aperture 130 is located below the upper level 136 of the raised land 132. In effect, this means that the aperture 130 is surrounded by raised beams or walls 138, 140, 142. The height "X" of the beams 138-142 is selected to cooperate with the engagement portion 202 of the label 200, as seen in figure 5.

The tray may be produced from sheet form plastics material, e.g. lmm thick ABS, by vacuum forming.

The base unit, shown in figures 6 to 8 is similar in construction to the tray of figure 1. It has nine wells 10 of substantially equally size defined by opposing side walls 11, 12 and a pair of substantially parallel first partitions 13 extending therebetween and by opposing end walls 14, 15 and a pair of substantially parallel second partitions 16 extending therebetween. The first partitions 13 are arranged substantially perpendicular to the second partitions 16. The partitions of each set 13, 16 are of inverted trough shape, as is evident from figures 7 and 8. The side walls 11, 12, the end walls 14, 15, and the sides of the partitions 13, 16 may be formed with substantially vertical ribs, but this is not essential and is not shown for this particular embodiment.

A peripheral rim 17 is provided around the base unit as an integral upward and outward extension of the side walls 11, 12 and the end walls 14, 15 and an outwardly downturned lip 18 is also provided around the tray is an integral extension of the rim 17. The configuration of the lip 17 is best shown in figures 7 and 8. It will be noted that it may differ slightly at the sides compared to the ends of the tray.

The wells 10 have generally rectangular bases and, as is apparent from figure 1, each of these is formed with a plurality of diagonally arranged ribs. This is an optional measure to enhance the overall rigidity of the base unit tray.

Figure 9 shows one embodiment of a label 200 according to an aspect of the present invention. The label 200 includes a main body portion 204 suitable, for example, for carrying information 206 written or printed thereon.

Depending downwardly (in use) from the label 200 are a pair of penetrating portions or spikes 208, 210 which, in use, may for example each locate in one of the wells 110 on either side of the aperture 130, thereby guiding the engagement portion 202 towards the aperture 130 and stabilising the label when in position. The penetrating portions 208, 210, or penetrating spikes, may be provided with a score mark or crease 212, 214 respectively, in order to aid bending or folding of the spikes to improve their rigidity.

Depending downwardly from the body 204 of the label 200, and being located between the pair of spikes 208, 210, is an engagement portion 202. In this embodiment, the engagement portion is roughly arrowhead-like in shape, being attached to the body 204 of the label by a neck portion 216, which broadens into an upper (wider) portion 218 and then narrows to a point 220. Between the neck portion 216 and the upper portion 218 are provided a pair of shoulders 222, 224.

As can be seen from figure 5, the gap "Y" between each of the shoulders and the body 204 of the label 200 is such that the engagement portion 202 cooperates with the beams 138, 140 surrounding the aperture 130. Typically dimension "X" (the depth of each beam) may be around 5mm and the dimension "Y" (the gap at the shoulder of the engagement portion) may be around 6mm. Thus in use the shoulders 222, 224 may lie adjacent to and abut or engage the bottom edges 142, 144 of the walls 138, 140, thereby helping to resist removal of the engagement portion 202 from the aperture 130 and thereby preventing removal of the label from the tray.

The engagement portion 202 is provided with a score mark or crease 230 to aid bending of the engagement portion 202 along the longitudinal axis of the engagement portion Z-Z, thereby to improve ease of insertion of the engagement portion 202 into an aperture (see figures 1214) Figure 10 shows a second embodiment of a label 250 according to the present invention. The label 250 includes an engagement portion 252 similar to that of the label of figure 9. The significant difference is that the label 252 does not have any penetration spikes 208, 210.

Figure 11 shows one optimum configuration of an aperture 300 according to the present invention. The aperture consists basically of a semi-circular portion 302 with a notch 304 cut out of the semi-circle at a point furthest from the base 306 of the semi-circular portion 302. For ease of manufacturing convenience, this shape may be approximated to a triangle (shown by a dashed line in figure 11).

As can be seem from figures 12 and 13, to insert an engagement portion 202 of a label through the aperture, the engagement portion is bent and inserted through the aperture at its widest part i.e., through the notch 304 or between the apex 312 of the triangle and its base.

Clearly, the aperture may be of many different shapes and correspondingly the engagement portion 202 of the label may be folded along many different longitudinal axes in order to permit insertion.

In figure 12, the engagement portion is inserted through the aperture with its bend axis adjacent the base 310 of the triangle. In this embodiment, this requires folding of the engagement portion almost double, but results in a very secure attachment of the label to the tray.

In figure 13 the engagement portion is inserted in the opposite orientation to that of figure 12 i.e. with the bend axis 230 being adjacent the apex 312 of the triangular aperture. In this case, the engagement portion 202 does not need to be bent as much as in the example of figure 12 and as the engagement portion approaches the aperture the sides 314, 316 of the triangular aperture help to bend the halves 318, 320 of the engagement portion. Thus insertion of the engagement portion in this orientation may be easier than in the example of figure 12, but the resulting engagement with the tray may be less strong.

Figure 14 (not to scale) shows a view of the engagement portion in the inserted condition, with the portions 318, 320 having straightened out around the bend axis 230 and the shoulders 222, 224 being in engagement with the rim of the aperture.

Thus there is provided a body with an aperture which allows the engagement portion or leg of a label to be inserted therethrough in a folded state and permits the engagement portion to unfold or expand once inserted.

Preferably the engagement portion has a neck which must be bent in order to insert and/or remove the engagement portion from the aperture. The neck can straighten in the aperture when the engagement portion is located therein.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. In combination, a label and means defining an aperture, the label having a body portion and an engagement portion extending therefrom, the engagement portion being receivable in the apertured wherein the engagement portion is bendable about a longitudinal axis thereof, and the aperture is shaped so as to permit insertion of the engagement portion therethrough when bent about said axis.

2. A combination according to claim 2, wherein in use the engagement portion may be inserted through the aperture in a bent condition and, once at least a part of the engagement portion has passed through the aperture, that part may move to a second, partiallybent or non-bent, condition in which removal of that part of the engagement portion from the aperture is resisted.

3. A combination according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the means defining the aperture is the body of an object to which it is desired to attach a label.

4. A combination according to claim 2 wherein the engagement portion is resiliently biased so that it moves to the second condition once it has passed through the aperture.

5. A combination according to claim 4 wherein the biasing is provided by the resilience of the material of the label.

6. A combination according to any one of the above claims wherein the engagement portion and/or the label is generally flat and the engagement portion or a part thereof is bendable so as to extend out of the overall plane thereof, and so as to be insertable through the aperture in such a bent condition.

7. A combination according to claim 6 wherein the engagement portion is insertable through the aperture in a direction generally similar to the longitudinal axis about which it is bendable.

8. A combination according to any one of the above claims wherein the engagement portion has one or more barbs extending away therefrom, which barb(s) is/are passable through the aperture in the bent condition and engage(s) a wall of the aperture when in the engagement condition.

9. A combination according to claim 8 wherein the engagement portion is arrowhead shaped, thereby having two barbs, with the point of the arrow pointing away from the main body of the label.

10. A combination according to any one of the above claims wherein the engagement portion is predisposed towards being bent around the bending axis.

11. A combination according to claim 10 wherein the engagement portion is scored, marked or creased along the longitudinal bending axis.

12. A combination according to any one of the above claims wherein the aperture is substantially semi circular in shape, with an additional notch at some part of the circumference of the semi-circle.

13. A combination according to any one of the above claims wherein the aperture is on a raised "boss" or "land", with the sides of the aperture being raised.

14. A label for use in a combination according to any one of the above claims.

15. A label for a seed tray, the label having a body portion and an engagement portion extending away therefrom, the engagement portion having a crease along a longitudinal axis thereof to facilitate bending of the engagement portion to permit insertion in the longitudinal axial direction into an aperture of a seed tray.

16. A seed tray having an aperture for insertion of an engagement portion of a label therethrough, the aperture being shaped so as to permit insertion of the engagement portion therethrough when the engagement portion is bent about a longitudinal axis thereof.

17. A method of attaching a label to means defining an aperture, the method including the steps of (i) bending an engagement portion of the label about a longitudinal axis thereof, (ii) inserting the bent engagement portion through the aperture, and (iii) unbending the engagement portion so that a part thereof engages a part of the rim of the aperture to resist withdrawal thereof.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the engagement portion is inserted with the fold axis abutting, or being adjacent to, the straight side of a generally semi-circular aperture.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the engagement portion is inserted with the fold axis passing through a notch of the aperture.

20. A combination of a label and means defining an aperture substantially as any one embodiment herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A label substantially as any one embodiment herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A seed tray substantially as any one embodiment herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings