GB2410934A - An apertured tag - Google Patents

Abstract

A tag 10 has an end surface 14 formed with a recess 16 and a hook portion 20 defining the boundary of an aperture 22. The end portion has a path between the recess 16 and the aperture 22 to allow a band to be received in the aperture via the recess. That path is under the tip 24 of the hook portion 20 where it abuts the base of the recess 16. Prior or use, a plurality of the tags may be adhesively mounted on a backing sheet or detachably interconnected along perforated joins.

Description

The present invention relates to a tag and in particular to a tag that can

be applied to loose products which are bound together by, for

example, a band.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tag for attachment to a band being used to hold one or more articles together, an end portion of the tag having an end surface formed with a recess in which to receive the band in use, and a hook member defining the boundary of an aperture within the end portion of the tag, the end portion having a path between the recess and the aperture to allow, in use, the band to be received within the aperture via the recess.

Preferably, the tag is made from card or other semi-rigid material.

Alternatively, the tag may be made from a plastics material.

Preferably, the tags are formed as a continuous strip, the sides of neighbouring tags being separable via perforations.

Preferably, the tags are affixed to backing material using a dry adhesive.

Preferably, the tags have indicia and/or other information printed thereon.

By "band" it is meant any thin elongate material, such as string, cord, elastic band or wire that can be used to bind one or more loose articles together.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a tag constructed in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic view of a continuous strip of tags of Figure 1.

Referring to the Figures, a tag 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention is made from cardboard or plastics material. Other materials, however, can be used which have the required amount of rigidity to enable the tag 10 to be strong enough to be retained on the article to which it is applied. The tag 10 is generally rectangular in shape and, as an example, has dimensions of 22mm by 68mm.

An end portion 12 of the tag 10 has an end surface 14 with a recess 16 formed therein. The recess 16 is of sufficient width to receive a band (not shown) being used to bind loose articles together. One wall 18 of the recess 16 extends back on itself in the form of a hook 20 thereby providing a triangular aperture 22 within the end portion 12. The tip 24 of the hook 20 abuts the base of the recess 16. In use, once the band is located within the recess 16, rotation of the tag 10 allows the tip 24 to be momentarily displaced from the base thereby to allow the band to be received within the aperture 22. Once the band is received within the aperture 22, the tip 24 of the hook 20 returns to its position abutting the base of the recess 16 to retain the band within the aperture 22.

Consequently, the tag 10 can be easily and quickly affixed to the band (and therefore the articles bound by the band) by a simple "push-on and rotated action.

Referring now to Figure 2, the tags are formed as a sheet of successive tags 10 attached to a backing paper 26 using dry-peel adhesive. The use of dry-peel adhesive allows each tag to be detachable from the backing paper 26 with the result that engaging surfaces of both the paper 26 and the tag 10, when separated, are dry and non-stick.

The fact that the tags 10 are initially attached to backing paper 26 enables the tags 10 to be fed through a label overprint machine to allow printing of information data (such as, for example, price and batch code), advertising or other forms of indicia to be printed on one or both surfaces of the tag 10. The tags 10 are then individually detached from the backing paper 26 and applied to the products by pushing the tag 10 onto the band and rotating the tag 10 in a manner as hereinbefore described.

In an alternative unillustrated embodiment, a reel of successive tags 10 is produced, each tag 10 being separated from its neighbour (and being detachable from the reel) by lateral perforations. This enables a multiplicity of tags 10 to be held, and then individual tags 10 to be broken off as and when they are required.

The above described embodiments have been given by way of example only, and the skilled reader will naturally appreciate that many variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

1. A tag for attachment to a band being used to hold one or more articles together, an end portion of the tag having an end surface formed with a recess in which to receive the band in use, and a hook member defining the boundary of an aperture within the end portion of the tag, wherein the tip of the hook member abuts the base of the recess, the end portion having a path between the recess and the aperture to allow, in use, the band to be received within the aperture via the recess.

2. A tag according to claim 1, wherein the tag is made from a semi rigid material.

3. A tag according to claim 2, wherein the tag is made from card of a card-like material.

4. A tag according to claim 2, wherein the tag is made from a plastics material.

5. A tag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the tag having a backing material affixed to one surface thereof.

6. A tag according to claim 5, wherein the backing material is affixed to the tag using a dry adhesive.

7. A tag according to any one of claims 1 to 6 having indicia printed thereon.

8. A plurality of tags according to any one of claims 1 to 7 formed as a continuous strip. r

9. A strip of tags according to claim 8, wherein the sides of neighbouring tags are separable via perforations.