GB2395936A

GB2395936A - Self adhesive labelling tag

Info

Publication number: GB2395936A
Application number: GB0325806A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Young
Original assignee: DITONE LABELS Ltd
Current assignee: DITONE LABELS Ltd
Priority date: 2002-11-06
Filing date: 2003-11-05
Publication date: 2004-06-09
Also published as: GB0225863D0; GB0325806D0

Abstract

A tag adapted to be secured to an article is made from flexible sheet material and has a tag-forming portion integral with a tab-forming portion (22), the tab-forming portion (22) being coated with adhesive and by which the tag is secured to the article, characterised in that the tag-forming portion defines a loop (18). Additionally a method of making the tag is disclosed comprising the steps of; providing a backing layer (52) onto which a base layer (12) is adhered, providing a laminate layer (14) and bonding the laminate layer (14) to the base layer (12) to form a tag-forming portion. The laminate layer extends beyond the base layer (12) to define at least one tab-forming portion (22), the tab-forming portion (22) having an exposed adhesive surface. Additionally a loop (18) is created in the tag-forming portion. In a preferred embodiment the tag may be adapted to receive print to form a label. The loop portion of the tag may also form a handle.

Description

5 TITLE: TAG

10 DESCRIPTION

À - Àe À À À À.. À Àe Àe À: À.ÀÀ TECHNICAL FIELD

15 The present invention relates to tags, and more À particularly, but not exclusively to tags for use on À articles such as containers, e.g. necked or ridded containers. BACKGROUND ART

20 It is known to provide stationery labels, e.g. under the trade-name "Post-it" and made by 3M and which comprise a sheet of paper with peelable pressure-sensitive adhesive along one edge.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

25 In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tag adapted to be secured to an article, the tag being made from flexible sheet material and having a tag-forming portion integral with a tab

forming portion coated with adhesive and by which the tag is secured to the article, characterized in that the tag-

forming portion defines a loop.

The tag may be for use with a container, e.g. a necked 5 container such as a bottle, in which case, in use, the or each tab may be bonded to a surface of the container to reduce undesired movement of the label. Only the or each tab is bonded to the container since no other part of the label has an exposed adhesive surface.

10The size of the or each tab may be small relative to Àe À the overall size of the tag, e.g. the total area of the or a. À À. each tab may be approximately 5-10% of the total area of : the tag. Accordingly, if only the exposed adhesive of the À À. tab is left blank, a large amount of information may be 15 included on the remaining portions of the tag which thus À À À. acts as a label. Alternatively, the total size of the or À each tab may be large compared to that of the tag and may represents approximately two-thirds of the area of the tag.

The tag may be elongate with a tab at one or both 20 ends. The adhesive may be selected so that the or each tab is releasable bonded to the container so that the tag can be removed and retained by a user. Alternatively, the adhesive may be selected to form a permanent bond between the container and the tag. By permanent it is meant that 25 removing the tag from the container will damage or even destroy it. In this way, the tag may be grasped to pick up the container, for example, the tag may comprise two tabs connected by an elongate section of bonded base and

laminate layers. The tabs may be adhered to two opposed faces of a container so that the elongate rectangular section forms a loop handle by which the container can be lifted. 5 The tag may comprise at least one hinge whereby the tag may be bent to follow the contours of the container, or to stand away from the container.

The base layer and/or the laminate layer may be printed with information or designs of any colour.

10 Scratch-off panels or leaflets may be printed or mounted on ee he :.. the tag. The base layer may be printed on its surface À. À. adjacent to the adhesive. The laminate layer may be . printed on its surface opposed to the surface on which the . adhesive is present.

15 The base layer may be transparent so that printed À À Àe information or a design is visible on the rear face of the À.e À. tag. The base layer may be made of any suitable sheet material e.g. polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, vinyl, PVC or acetate. The laminate layer may be opaque, 20 e.g. white, and may be made any suitable sheet material e.g. paper, polypropylene, polyethylene, or PVC.

The tag or a series of tags may be mounted on a backing layer with the base layer being attached by a "dry peel" adhesive. The backing layer may be silicone coated.

25 According to a second aspect of the invention, a method of making a tag comprises providing a base layer; providing a laminate layer having an adhesive coated surface and bonding the laminate layer to the base layer

so that the laminate layer extends beyond the base layer to define at least one tab having an exposed adhesive surface, and forming a loop in the tag.

The base layer may be supported on a carrier, e.g. a 5 backing layer. The method may comprise removing at least one section of the base layer so that when the laminate layer is applied, the laminate layer extends beyond the base layer in the at least one removed section. The method may comprise printing the base layer before the laminate 10 layer is applied.

À. Àe À e - À À The laminate layer may be applied by unwinding the À.e. À. À. laminate layer from a reel and rolling the layer on to the I. base layer. The method may comprise printing the laminate À. layer, for example, using flexography, letterpress, 15 digital, lithographic, screen, hot and cold foil, or À. inkjet printing processes. The method may further comprise À cutting the tag to the desired dimensions. The method may comprise winding the cut tag onto a reel and may comprise winding waste onto a waste reel.

20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure la is a crosssectional view of a base layer of 25 a tag embodying the present invention; Figure lb is a cross-sectional view of a laminate layer of a tag embodying the present invention; Figure lo is a cross-sectional view of a tag

comprising the base layer and laminate layer of Figures la and lb; Figure 2 is a plan view of a series of tags mounted on a backing sheet; 5 Figure 3a is a schematic side view of apparatus for use in the first stage of manufacturing the tag of Figure lc; and Figure 3b is a schematic side view of apparatus for use in the second stage of manufacturing the tag of Figure 10 lc; À -.. : À.. Figure 4a is a plan view of a first tag embodying the Àe À. present invention; : Figure 4b is an underside view of the tag of Figure À À.' 4a; 15 Figure 4c is a side view of the tag of Figure 4a; À À À. Figures 4d and 4e are side and front views I À. respectively of a container on which the tag of Figure 4a is mounted; Figure 5a is an underside view of a second tag 20 embodying present invention; Figures 5b, 5c and Ed are front, side and rear views respectively of a container on which the tag of Figure 5a is mounted; Figure 6a is a plan view of a third tag embodying the 25 present invention; Figure 6b is a side view of the tag of Figure 6a; Figures 6c and 6d are side and front views respectively of a container on which the tag of Figure 6a

is mounted; Figure 7a is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of tag of the present invention; Figure 7b is a perspective view of the tag of Figure 5 7a attached to a pair of articles; Figure 8a is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of tag of the present invention: Figure 8b is a perspective view of the tag of Figure 8a attached to a pair of articles; 10 Figure 9a is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment ee he of tag of the present invention; À. À À. Figure 9b is a perspective view showing the tag of : Figure 9a attached to a pair of articles, and À À. Figure 9c is a perspective view showing the tag of 15 Figure 9a erected to form a handle À À À. BEST MODES FOR CARYING OUT THE INVENTION

À In the drawings, Figure la shows a base layer 12 mounted on a backing sheet or carrier 52 by a layer of dry peel adhesive 54. The base layer 12 is made from a 20 transparent flexible sheet material such as PVC, polypropylene or polyester. Figure lb shows a laminate layer 14 which is mounted on a backing sheet 56 by a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive 16.

The materials of Figures la and lb are combined to 25 give the tag 10 of Figure lc. The tag comprises a base layer 12 mounted on a backing sheet 52 by a layer of dry peel adhesive 54. A laminate layer 14 is bonded to the base layer 12 by the layer of adhesive 16. Information 24

is printed on the surface of the base layer 12 adjacent the adhesive 16 and on the opposed surface of the laminate layer 14 to the adhesive 16, so that the tag forms a label.

Figure 2 shows a series of the tags 10 of Figure lc 5 supported on the backing sheet 52.

Figures 3a and 3b together are a schematic illustration of apparatus used to produce a tag according to the invention. Figure 3a shows the apparatus used to prepare the base layer. The apparatus comprises a reel 60 10 of a first sheet material 62 which comprises the base layer Àe.. :.. mounted on a backing layer and a cutting station 64 in the me À À. form of a rotary and/or flat bed cutter. The cutting . station cuts the base layer to reduce its surface area À.. compared to the laminate layer to be applied. Waste 15 material is rolled onto a waste reel 66 and the second À À À. sheet material with the cut base layer on the backing À layer is drawn on to a reel 68.

Figure 3b shows the apparatus used to manufacture tags according to the present invention from the second 20 sheet material 70 which is unrolled from reel 68. The apparatus comprises a printing station 72 which prints on the base layer. More than one printing station may be provided. Downstream from the printing station 72, are reels 78 from which a third sheet material 80 comprising 25 the laminate layer mounted on a backing sheet is unwound.

The backing sheet is removed to bond the laminate layer to the base layer.

Further downstream are a series of printing stations

74 which print on the laminate layer, followed by a pair of cutting stations 76 which cut the tags to size and add any necessary perforations, where the tag is to be formed with a hinge portion. Waste material is rolled onto a 5 waste reel 82 and a fourth sheet material 86 comprising the finished tags on the backing layer are drawn on to a reel 84.

The apparatus operates according to the following method steps: 10 a) Sections of the base layer 12 are removed so that when . -. :.. the laminate layer 14 is applied, tabs 22 are defined.

I . For example to provide a tag having tabs at both ends : as shown in Figure 5a, strips of the base layer are À I removed along the length and at both edges of the 15 backing layer.

. À. b) The base layer 12 is printed with information or any À required design at the printing station 72.

c) A laminate layer 14 having an adhesive coating 16 on its underside is unwound from the reels 78, its 20 backing sheet removed and applied over the base layer 12. Where the base layer 12 has been cut away, the laminate layer 14 bonds to the backing sheet on which the base layer is supported.

d) The laminate layer 14 is printed with information or 25 any design at the series of printing stations 74.

e) The tags are cut to size and any perforations added by the cutting stations 76.

f) The finished tag on its backing layer is wound onto a

reel 84.

The tag is supplied on the reel 84, the diameter of which may be dictated by a customer. Usually however the reel of tags 84 will be flitted and trimmed before being 5 supplied to a customer. The reels 84 may be fed into conventional labelling equipment and thus no extra time is required to apply tags according to the invention.

Furthermore, investment costs in specialist equipment or extra costs for hand-applying the tags may be avoided. It 10 will be appreciated, however, that the tags may be applied À. he by hand, if required. Alternatively, the process may be À-ac r . adapted to supply the tag on sheets if required.

' Figures 4a, 4b and 4c show a tag 10 which may be À -r. manufactured as described above and which is adapted for . 15 use on articles such as a container 26 with a generally . À cone-shaped lid as shown in Figures 4d and 4e. The tag 10 À comprises a base layer 12 and a laminate layer 14. The surface of laminate layer 14 in contact with the base layer 12 is coated with an adhesive 16 whereby the two layers are 20 bonded together. The tag 10 is elongate and generally rectangular with a curved end 20 and a circular loop-

defining aperture 18 towards the curved end.

At the opposed end of the tag 10 to the curved end 20, the laminate layer 14 extends beyond the base layer 12 to 25 define a tab 20 with an exposed adhesive surface. The size of the tab 20 is small relative to the overall size of the tag, e.g. the area of the tab 22 is approximately 10% of the total area of the tag 10. No other part of the tag has

an exposed adhesive surface and thus the rest of the tag is not adhered to the container.

As shown in Figure 4c, information 24 is printed on the surface of the base layer 12 adjacent the adhesive 16 5 and on the opposed surface of the laminate layer 14 to the adhesive 16. The base layer 12 is transparent and thus as shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the information 24 printed on the base layer 12 is visible on the lower face of the tag 10. The laminate layer 14 is made of white material and 10 the information 24 printed on the base layer 14 is visible À. er If.' on the upper face of the tag 10. Alternatively the . - laminate layer 14 may be of coloured material or may be of I..: clear material which is printed with the required colour.

i. As shown in Figures 4d and 4e, the tag 10 is mounted 15 to container 26 with the circular loop forming aperture 18 À. fitting over the lid 28 of the container 26. The tab 22 is À releasably bonded to the surface of the lid 28 to reduce undesired movement of the tag 10 but to allow a user to remove and retain the tag 10.

20 Figure 5a shows a tag 30 which is generally similar to that of Figure 4a. In this embodiment, the laminate layer 14 extends beyond the base layer 12 at both ends to define two tabs 16, one at each end of the tag 30. The area of the tabs 16 is small in relation to that of the tag 30 and 25 represents approximately 5% of the total area. The tag also comprises hinges 32 whereby the tag 30 can be shaped to follow the contour of the container. The hinges 32 are formed from frangible connections, e.g. perforations in the

sheet material of the tag.

As shown in Figures 5b, 5c and 5d, the tag 30 is adapted for use with necked containers, e.g. bottles, and is mounted to a necked container 34 with the neck 36 5 passing through the circular loop forming aperture 18. The tag 30 is bent along the hinges 32 to follow the contour of the container and is secured to the container 34 by pressing the exposed adhesive surface of the tabs 16 to the container. One tab 16 adheres to the rear of the container 10 34 and one to the front.

se a, À..Figures 6a and 6b show a tag 40 which is generally À.similar to that of Figure 5a. The tag 40 comprises two . rectangular tabs 42 connected by an elongate rectangular À ace. section 44 of base layer 46 bonded to laminate layer 48 and . 15 forming the tag portion. In contrast to the other À À embodiments, the size of the tabs 42 is large compared to that of the tag and represents approximately 66% of the tag 40. As shown in Figures 6c and 6d, in use, the tabs 42 are 20 adhered to two opposed faces of a container 50 with the elongate rectangular tag-forming section 44 forming a loop handle by which the container 50 can be lifted.

In Figures 7a and 7b there is shown a tag 90 which is generally similar to those described above and which 25 comprises a tag-forming portion 94 separated by a hinge 96 and with the tab 94 having adhesive on one face, which is the under-face as shown in Figure 7a. The tag-forming portion 92 is formed with a loop-forming aperture 98,

forming a handle.

As shown in Figure 7b, the tag 90 can be used to secure two box-like articles 100 together and also as a carrying handle for the articles 100.

5 It will be appreciated that the tag of Figure 6 might also be used to secure an abutting pair of similar box-like articles together and to form a carrying handle for the pair of articles. In this case however the tabs will preferably be secured to opposite sides of the articles and 10 across the junction between the articles, whereby the tag A.. portion forms a loop extending over the top of the pair of . articles.

À.. Figures 8a and 8b show an embodiment of tag 110 which e À is similar to that of Figures 8a and 8b and comprises a tag Àe.. À 15 portion 112 and a tab portion 114. In this case the tab is À. À À À. coated with adhesive on both sides and can be used to À.....

secure together a pair of box-like articles 100 on contacting the opposed faces of the articles 100, and with the tag portion 112 projecting to form a handle with the 20 aid of the loop-forming aperture 98.

In Figures 9a to 9c there is shown an embodiment of tag 120 which is generally similar to those described above, and which, like those of Figures 7 and 8, can be used to secure a pair of box-like articles 100 together.

25 In this case the tag 120 comprises an opposed pair of tabs 122 with adhesive on their undersides as viewed in Figure 9a, the tabs 122 separating a central tag-forming portion 124. At the junctions between the tabs 122 and the tag

portion 124, a parallel pair of cuts 126, 128 extend across the tag 120 from opposite edges of the tag and part-way across the tag 120. The tag portion 124 is also formed with a pair of parallel cuts 130, 132 extending from 5 opposite edges of the tag 120 and extending part-way across the tag.

The arrangement of the cuts 126, 128, 130, 132 is that they are mutually parallel and extend alternatively from opposite edges of the tag 120. Thus when the tag is fixed 10 across the upper faces of an adjacent pair of box-like : containers 100 as shown in Figure 9b, the tag portion 124 À. À can be raised and extended as shown in Figure 9c to form a handle defining a loop aperture 134.

I e. À: age.... À À. À À À. A.... À

Claims

1. A tag adapted to be secured to an article, the tag being made from flexible sheet material and having a tag 5 forming portion integral with a tab-forming portion, the tab-forming portion being coated with adhesive and by which the tag is secured to the article, characterized in that the tag-forming portion defines a loop.

2. A tag according to claim 1, wherein the loop is 10 defined by an aperture in the tag-forming portion.

A.. 3. A tag according to claim 1, comprising two tab-forming À portions integral with the tag-forming portion.

4. A tag according to claim 3, wherein the two tab À.... À forming portions are at opposed ends of the tag-forming À 15 portion.

Àe À À À. 5. A tag according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the À.....

tag-forming portion is formed with opposed generally parallel transverse slits together defining the loop.

6. A tag according to any preceding claim, comprising a 20 base layer and a laminate layer having adhesive on one surface whereby the base layer and laminate layer are bonded together, wherein the laminate layer extends beyond the base layer to define the at least one tab-forming portion having an exposed adhesive surface.

25 7. A tag according to claim 6, wherein the base layer and laminate layer are mounted on a backing layer.

8. A tag according to any preceding claim, wherein the size of the at least one tab-forming portion is small

relative to the overall size of the tag.

9. A tag according to any preceding claim, wherein the adhesive is selected so that the at least one tab-forming portion is permanently bonded to the article.

5 10. A tag according to any preceding claim, wherein the loop is adapted to receive a necked container or the like.

11. A tag according to any preceding claim, comprising at least one hinge between the tag-forming portion and the tab-forming portion.

10 12. A tag according to any preceding claim, wherein the : tag-forming portion is adapted to receive print to form a À. . label. 13. A tag according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein e. e. À the tag-forming portion is transparent.

À. À 15 14. A tag according to any preceding claim, comprising an À. À. . À. adhesive coating on both sides of at least one tab-forming I À À portion.

15. A tag according to any preceding claim, wherein the loop forms a handle.

20 16. A method of making a tag comprising providing a base layer providing a laminate layer having an adhesive coated surface bonding the laminate layer to the base layer to form a tag-forming portion and so that the laminate layer extends beyond the base layer to define at least one tab 25 forming portion having an exposed adhesive surface, and forming a loop in the tag-forming portion.

17. A method according to claim 16, comprising removing at least one section of the base layer so that when the

laminate layer is applied, the laminate layer extends beyond the base layer in the removed sections.

18. A method according to claim 16 or claim 17, comprising printing the base layer before applying the 5 laminate layer.

19. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, comprising printing the laminate layer.

20. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, comprising cutting the tag to the desired dimensions.

À..- À À À À À... ..e À Àe-.e À Àe À À À. À.....

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