GB2408975A

GB2408975A - Label assembly and manufacture thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2408975A
Application number: GB0427100A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Geoffrey Atkins; Malcom Keith Exeter; Ian Thompson; Ricki Brent Smith
Original assignee: Field Group PLC
Current assignee: Field Group PLC
Priority date: 2003-12-13
Filing date: 2004-12-10
Publication date: 2005-06-15
Also published as: GB0328940D0; GB0427100D0

Abstract

A label assembly, and a method of making same, is provided. The label comprises a carrier substrate 10 having a front surface and a rear surface, an ink printed area which extends over at least a part of the front surface of the carrier substrate, a label component 44, such as a folded leaflet, and a region of adhesive 42 for releasably adhering at least part of the label component to the carrier substrate. The adhesive is applied directly to at least a portion of the printed area. It has been found that if a region of adhesive is applied directly to a region printed with ink, the printed area functions in the same manner as a "release" varnish. Therefore, the need to apply a separate layer of varnish in order to obtain the required resealable properties is obviated.

Description

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LABELS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

The present invention relates to a label and a method of manufacturing labels. In particular, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a multi-laminar label, comprising a carrier substrate, generally in the form of a self-adhesive base label, for one or more additional layers. The additional layers may include, for example, leaflets or booklets including information relevant to the product to which the label is to be applied.

It is known to provide a self-adhesive label comprising a base label portion. The base label is coated on its rear face with a pressure sensitive adhesive and is carried on a release backing material. At least part of the front surface of the base label is coated with a varnish layer.

A folded leaflet is adhered by a region of adhesive to the front surface of the base label portion. The leaflet comprises a folded sheet, having the front cover which extends beyond the remaining folded portions, providing a free edge. The region of the adhesive and varnish layers overlap in the region of the free edge.

In this way, because the varnish and adhesive layers overlap, the front cover of the leaflet can be peeled from the label. The varnish/adhesive combination prevents the leaflet from permanently adhering, thus rendering the leaflet resealable, and repeated access may be gained to the leaflet. Alternatively, the whole of the carrier label is adhered to the varnish layer, so that the entire leaflet is releasably adhered to the label base portion.

This arrangement has the advantage that it is relatively straightforward to manufacture, using one type of adhesive and one type of varnish. If the remaining visible surface :: .-.

Of the carrier label, not covered by the leaflet, is printed, then the varnish can cover this area too, and serves to protect the print and enhance the appearance of the print by providing a gloss finish.

However, the application of the varnish requires an additional processing stage in the manufacturing process, and each additional station along the length of the web increases the cost of the final label.

In addition, registration means also need to be provided to at each stage in the process to ensure the correct alignment and relative positioning of the leaflet, the carrier layer, the adhesive, the print and the varnish. If the varnish is not applied in the correct place relative to the other components, then the user may not be able to gain access to the leaflet contents.

Furthermore, it has been found that in existing resealable leaflet label arrangements, the tack of the resealable adhesive quickly diminishes with repeated opening or lack consistency of opening force characteristics between repeated leaflet label products.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improvements in relation to one or more aspects discussed above, and/or to provide improvements generally.

According to the present invention there is provided a label assembly comprising a carrier substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, an ink printed area which extends over at least a part of the front surface of the carrier substrate, a label component, such as a folded leaflet, and a region of adhesive for releasably adhering at least part of the label component to the carrier _9 _ .. : .e '. .: .. . e substrate; characterized in that the adhesive is applied directly to at least a portion of the printed area.

The present invention also provides a method of producing a label assembly, the method comprising the steps of providing a carrier substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, applying a printed area of ink over at least a part of the front surface of the carrier substrate, providing a label component, such as a folded leaflet, and a region of adhesive for releasably adhering at least part of the label component to the carrier substrate; characterized in the step of applying the adhesive directly to at least a portion of the printed area.

Surprisingly, it has been found that if a region of adhesive is applied directly to a region printed with ink, the printed area functions in the same manner as a "release" varnish. Therefore, if the carrier substrate is printed in this region, the need to apply a separate layer of varnish is obviated. Traditionally, adhesive has not been applied directly onto a printed surface, because it has always been considered necessary to protect the print from the adhesive with an intervening varnish layer.

However, it has been discovered the provision of inked regions or areas can facilitate to provide a label assembly with the required resealable properties.

The discovery that in a printed region can function successfully as a release strip, means that the process step of applying a release varnish, including the attendant registration step, can be removed from the manufacturing process.

In addition, the printing of the ink "release" strip can be completed in the same stage of the manufacture as the . :: cee. e. .. . printing of the carrier substrate. The printed area can be printed so that it forms part of the overall print design, e.g. using a contrasting colour to the carrier substrate, or the colour of the ink can be selected so that it matches the colour of the substrate, such that the strip is not readily visible to the user.

The printed area may extend over the entire, surface of the carrier substrate, or only in a defined area. If the size and position of printed area corresponds to that of the label component, then the entire label component may be repeatedly removed and replaced.

In an embodiment, the carrier substrate may comprise conventional label stock, i.e a self-adhesive sheet which is releasably adhered with a pressure sensitive adhesive to a backing of release material, such as a web coated with wax or polysiloxane. The carrier substrate is formed into a carrier label by die-cutting the carrier label shape from the label stock, and stripping the waste material. In one embodiment, the carrier labels are manufactured off-line, but in an alternative, the entire label assembly may be made in-line.

Alternatively, the carrier substrate may be formed from the release sheet. In this way, the carrier substrate is only a temporary carrier up until the point that the label component is applied to the product. In this embodiment, the printed matter is retained on the release sheet. This may be retained as a record as to the label components which have been dispensed, which may be useful for quality control purposes.

The printing step may be completed either as part of the manufacture of the carrier labels, or subsequently, but . ce' .e : ..

before the adhesive and label components are applied. It is envisaged that the printing of the printed area would take place at the same time as the printing of any other text or images on the carrier substrate. The inks are typically dried and cured using UV technology, but can also be dried drying by heat set, IR or other radiation form such as EB.

In an embodiment, the label component comprises a folded leaflet, as described previously, having a front cover which extends beyond the remaining sheets. The printed area on the carrier substrate thus corresponds, at least, to the position of the overhang of the front cover. In an alternative embodiment, the label component comprises an overlaminate web of film or other material, a booklet, a label, or a composite structure of two or more other components.

Whilst it is envisaged that in one embodiment, a single region of adhesive is applied to the carrier substrate, to adhere the label component to the substrate, it is also envisaged that different types of adhesive could be used in different areas on the carrier substrate. For example, a region of permanent adhesive may be applied to one region of the carrier substrate to permanent fix the label component to the carrier, and a second region of pressure sensitive adhesive may be applied to the region of overlap of the printed area and the leaflet flap.

In one embodiment, in which the label component is a folded leaflet, the leaflet in adhered at its "spine" with a strip of permanent adhesive, whilst the front cover of the leaflet is adhered to the carrier substrate with a releasable adhesive. In this embodiment, once the leaflet is opened using the releasable seal, it is hinged on its . :: .. .e ë.e spine, so that the area under the carrier substrate may also be printed. This provides additional copy area.

In one embodiment, the print on the carrier substrate under the leaflet may duplicate some or all of the information contained within the leaflet itself. This provides an extra security feature. In the event the leaflet becomes detached from the carrier, then certain essential information will be retained on the carrier substrate, which will generally be affixed to the end product. This is a particularly important feature, when the label assembly is to be used on a pharmaceutical product or an agro-chemical product.

The label assemblies of the present invention may be manufactured as a series of single labels along the length of the web, or with multiple carriers across the width of the web.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following illustrative drawings in which: Figures la and lb illustrate two different carrier substrates according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates the structure of the base carrier web used to produce the base carrier labels of Figure la; Figures 3a and 3b illustrate show the process steps of two embodiments of the present invention; e' be. .. #.

Figure 4 illustrates the application of the process steps of the application of the label component to the carrier substrate) and Figure 5 illustrates a finished label assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in the drawings, Figure la shows a typical carrier substrate used in the production process. The carrier label 10 has been formed on a web of release sheet 20, and is held in place using a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive. Multiple labels 10 are provided across the width of the carrier substrate 20 (with two labels being illustrated in Figure la). This configuration is repeated down the length of the web 20. The top surface of the release sheet 20 is coated with a silicone material so that the carrier labels 10 can be easily removed.

In addition to any usual text and images 25 printed on the top surface of the carrier label 10, according to the present invention a specific area 30 is also printed to facilitate in later processing stages the resealability of components to this carrier label 10.

In another embodiment shown in Figure lb, the images 25 and additional print area 30 are applied directly to the release web 20. In this way, the carrier substrate is only a temporary carrier up until the point in time when the label component is applied to the product. In this embodiment, the printed matter 25 (which may, for example, be a series of sequential numbers) is retained on the release sheet. The release web 20 may be retained as a record as to the label components which have been dispensed. The retention of the printed release sheet may : B; .e.e l'--\ a be useful for quality control, or other administrative, purposes.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the carrier labels 10 may have previously been formed by cutting the shape of the labels from the upper layer of a typical multi-layer pressure sensitive label substrate stock. The stock would normally comprise a paper carrier layer 20 with an appropriate silicone or wax release surface, a plastic (typically Polyethylene {PE}, Polypropylene {PP}, Polyester {PET}, Polyvinyl chloride {PVC}) or paper upper layer 5 and pressure sensitive glue layer 6.

Once the labels 10 have been cut to the required shape (depicted as dotted lines 7), the waste material 8 from the upper layer 5 is removed. Printed, foiled and/or holographic images or information 10 may have been applied to the labels 10, either before the substrate stock is processed, or after the labels 10 have been cut to the required shape.

It is envisaged that this process of forming the base carrier labels 10 to provide the carrier substrate (as in Figure la)or the directly imaged carrier web 20 (as in Figure lb) may be carried out as a separate process off- line, or it may be carried out in-line, as an initial stage of the process.

Figure 3 further illustrates the process of applying printed areas to the carrier substrate. The label stock, as shown in Figure 2 is unwound from a reel of such material 40, which may have been be pre-imaged and pre-printed, as discussed above, through a web tension control and correction device 11 which is connected to a roller ë:e..:: it...

mechanism 12 for sensing the tension being created in the web material 10.

The web tension device 11 controls the feed rate from the reel into the image forming units 14 by means of a speed controlled nip roller pairs 13.

The images formed at 14 are typically achieved by means of foil blocking, thermal transfer, printing of inks by such means as Flexographic, Lithographic, Screen, Gravure, Letter Press using direct, off-set or indirect means such as ink jet printing. The order, combination, colours, type and quality of ink, adhesive, number of foils or holograms may vary according to the application.

It is at one or more of these ink printing application stages 14 that the specific region of ink or inks for resealability is applied.

The cutting of the web to form the carrier labels 10 is achieved by means of cutting and finishing processes 15 which may include creasing and/or embossing and/or serrating by means of rotary and platen technologies.

The waste material area 8 is stripped from the carrier web by means of a roller, bar or blade 14 and taken away 17 to be chopped, compacted 18a or wound on to a reel as in 18b.

The carrier web 20 with carrier labels 10 may then progress to a rewind station 19. In some instances, such as where there are only one carrier label stream across the web, the web may progress directly to the further processing stages to apply the leaflet or other label component to the web.

i.. .e. : .. .e Sensor devices 20 placed at suitable positions along the process line detect register printed regions on the web 20 or carrier label 10, and control the positioning of subsequent printing or other stages 9, 14 eta using the appropriate register control systems.

Having printed the carrier substrate with the ink region and any other text or images, the web is then processed as illustrated in Figure 4. The web 21 is unwound through a web tension control and correction device 22 which is connected to a roller mechanism 23 for sensing the tension being created in the web material 21 and infeed roller systems 24. Register control sensing and control devices 25 detect the position, timing and phasing of the carrier web 2 being fed in.

Adhesive or glue guns 26 dispense various adhesives and glues (both cold and hot based systems) at the appropriate time and duration on to the carrier web/carrier label.

These adhesives may be placed in a spot or line fashion typically across and down the web, or in a diagonal form.

Because of the requirement for a resealable element, the glues/adhesives may have different properties to give properties of resealability or permanence to the fixing of the later label components such as the leaflets, booklets, labels eta to give peel-back or peelable properties and with some region of the label components permanently bonded.

The dispensing and affixing of each label component (i.e. the label, leaflet, booklet, electrical component, battery etc.) is applied to the carrier label 10 or carrier web 20 by means of a mechanical dispenser. The dispenser may use either a hopper-type single dispensation 27 with a e e. ;. ..

placement gate mechanism 28, or from a web or sheet with the specific layer pre-formed and pre-applied (in the case of the web or sheet dispensation) for continuous dispensing 29 onto the base carrier label 10 or carrier web 20, and/or previously applied label component 30, or even in some cases, directly to the carrier web 20 of Figure 1.

Registering devices 25 ensure that each label component is dispensed in a phased and controlled way with its respective carrier substrate.

Each label component is held in place by the use of adhesive pre-applied to specific areas on the carrier label through print, wheels or jets 26 on the base carrier label, the use of pressure sensitive adhesive already applied to the label component itself, or by such means as the use of static charge 31. The use of multiple label components is also envisaged.

At the end of the process, the carrier web 2 is re-wound by means of a tension-controlled re-winder 34. If multiples are required across the width of the web, the web is then slit or die cut, as required.

A label assembly produced by the method set out above can be seen in Figure 5. A self adhesive carrier label 10 is provided upon a release sheet 20. The top surface of the carrier label is printed (not shown). A label component in the form of a folded leaflet 44 is adhered to the carrier label. At the "hinged" end 46 of the leaflet 44 the leaflet is adhered by an permanent adhesive 40.

The free end 48 of the leaflet 44 forms a cover flap, and this is adhered with a region of temporary adhesive 42 applied to the carrier label 10. The adhesive 42 is applied . e c- over a printed portion the carrier label 10, and the print/adhesive 42 layer allows for repeated access to the leaflet contents.

In this embodiment, once the leaflet 44 is opened using the releasable seal, the leaflet 44 may be hinged on its spine 46, so that the area under the carrier substrate may also be printed. This provides additional copy area.

The print on the carrier label 10 under the leaflet 44 duplicates some or all of the information contained within the leaflet itself. This provides an extra security feature. In the event the leaflet becomes detached from the carrier, then certain essential information will be retained on the carrier label which is affixed to the end product. This is a particularly important feature, when the label assembly is to be used on a pharmaceutical product or an agro-chemical product.

Claims

eee e e eeeee CLAIMS

1. A label assembly comprising a carrier substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, an ink printed area which extends over at least a part of the front surface of the carrier substrate, a label component, and a region of adhesive for releasably adhering at least part of the label component to the carrier substrate; characterized in that the adhesive is applied directly to at least a portion of the printed area.

2. The label assembly of claim 1 wherein the label component comprises a folded leaflet having a front cover which extends beyond the remaining sheets, and wherein the printed area on the carrier substrate corresponds, at least, to the position of the overhang of the front cover.

3. The label assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the printed area extends over the entire surface of the carrier substrate.

4. The label assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the printed area forms part of the overall label print design.

5. The label assembly of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3 wherein the colour of the ink for the printed area is selected to match the colour of the substrate.

6. The label assembly of any one of the preceding claims 2 to 5 wherein the print on the carrier substrate under the leaflet duplicates some or all of the information contained within the leaflet itself.

.. a. . e.. .-. if

7. The label assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the carrier substrate may comprise conventional label stock.

8. The label assembly of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6 wherein the carrier substrate is formed from the release sheet, such that the printed area is retained on the release sheet.

9. A method of producing a label assembly, the method comprising the steps of providing a carrier substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, applying a printed area of ink over at least a part of the front surface of the carrier substrate, providing a label component, and a region of adhesive for releasably adhering at least part of the label component to the carrier substrate; characterized in the step of applying the adhesive directly to at least a portion of the printed area.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the printed area extends over the entire surface of the carrier substrate.

11. The method of claim 8 or 9 wherein the colour of the ink for the printed area is selected to match the colour of the substrate.

12. The method of claim 8 or 9 wherein the print on the carrier substrate under the leaflet duplicates some or all of the information contained within the leaflet itself.

13. A label assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

. .

14. A method of producing a label assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.