JP6181052B2 - Label assembly - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a label assembly, and more particularly, to a label assembly in which a label can be easily removed.

  Adhesive labels are widely used for various arrangements and transmission purposes. Broadly, these labels have a basic structure that includes a body or face stock (sometimes called label stock) with an adhesive on the back. The body may be a single ply or a multilayer structure. The surface is typically adapted to receive a headline, for example, via typing, handwriting, printing with a computer printer, or the like. For example, an image receiving layer may be provided on the surface of the body to facilitate placement of the desired heading or information thereon. Examples of materials used for the label body include paper, polymer films, fabrics, etc., selected depending in part on the desired performance characteristics of the resulting label. A number of different adhesives used in the label construction are known and are selected depending in part on factors such as the desired label performance, the intended substrate, body properties and the like.

  Many label assemblies currently on the market (sometimes referred to as “label sheets”) peel off individual labels from a carrier sheet or liner, or smaller label assemblies with each label adhered to the liner. Includes die-cut labels that are removable from the label assembly, either by individualization into the label assembly. These individual labels are either provided on a perforated separable label assembly or are already individualized.

  Examples of some known label assemblies are US Pat. Nos. 6,803,084 (Do et al.), 6,837,957 (Flynn et al.), And 6,860,050 (Flynn et al.). And 7,208,212 (Do et al.) And 7,709,071 (Wong et al.), US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0089663 (Wong et al.), And 2009/0075010. (Flynn et al.). Other examples include Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-271986 and Publication No. 2006-514335.

  Despite numerous variations of known label assembly structures, there is a need for an improved label assembly that can be easily removed. For example, labels that are highly visible and provide a satisfactory aesthetic are desired in many applications.

  The present invention provides a label assembly in which individual labels can be easily removed for subsequent use.

  Briefly summarized, the label assembly of the present invention comprises a carrier sheet having a front major surface and a back major surface, and a label stock sheet. The carrier sheet is comprised of two or more segments comprising at least one liner segment and one or more carrier strip segments. The back main surface of the label stock sheet is removably attached to the front main surface of the carrier sheet. A label stock sheet is composed of one or more segments comprising one or more labels and one or more strips or frames. The carrier strip segment overlaps the edge of one or more labels.

  The present invention will be further described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the label assembly shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of another embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of another embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a portion of the label assembly shown in FIG. 1 in use. FIG. 6 is a front view of a second exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the label assembly shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of a portion of the label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of another embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of another embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of another embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a rear view of a portion of the label assembly shown in FIG. 6 in use. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of a label assembly of the present invention.

  These figures are not to scale and are merely illustrative and not limiting. In the description of the drawings, the same number is assigned to the same element, and redundant description is omitted. Similarly, the ratio of dimensions on the drawing does not necessarily match the ratio of actual dimensions.

Reference code list used in drawings.

  As described above, the label assembly of the present invention includes a carrier sheet having a front main surface and a back main surface, and a label stock sheet. The carrier sheet is comprised of two or more segments comprising at least one liner segment and one or more carrier strip segments. The back main surface of the label stock sheet is removably attached to the front main surface of the carrier sheet. A label stock sheet is composed of one or more segments comprising one or more labels and one or more strips or frames. The carrier strip segment overlaps the edge of one or more labels.

  Each of the carrier sheet and label stock is often provided as a continuous sheet that is converted into a plurality of segments such that the label stock sheet is releasably adhered to the carrier sheet, as described later herein. .

  The front side of the label stock sheet desirably has a printable surface. The phrase “printable surface” refers to any type of object that allows a person or machine to create, print, color, color, photocopy, write, emboss, or any other type of mark or figure Means the surface. Laser printers, inkjet printers, impact printers, thermal transfer printers, direct thermal printers, typewriters, or any other suitable graphic printing device are preferred for use on printable surfaces in accordance with the present invention, although not necessarily. Not exclusively.

  The label stock sheet is preferably composed of, but not necessarily limited to, any suitable paper, paper composite, plastic, fabric, non-metallic and / or metal sheet material that can be used as a label. The selection of a suitable material will depend in part on the desired application, including factors such as desired color, moisture stability, flexibility, elongation, elasticity, sensitivity to imaging materials, and the like.

  One skilled in the art will be able to easily select a label stock material suitable for the desired application. In many embodiments, the label stock sheet will comprise a face layer on its front major surface and an adhesive layer on the rear major surface of the face layer.

  In addition to releasably adhering to the carrier sheet, the adhesive allows the label of the present invention to adhere to the adherend as desired after removal as provided herein. If desired, an activated adhesive can be used depending on the desired labeling performance, but in many embodiments the adhesive will be pressure sensitive. A re-adhesive, removable, permanently adhesive adhesive can be used as desired. When using light transmissive adhesive, the color of the substrate to which the label is applied is thought to have a specific effect through the label, for example, when using the label as a name tag, people wearing different colored clothing The label attached to will have a unique appearance. If desired, colorants such as one or more pigments and dyes can be incorporated into the adhesive layer to impart the desired appearance to the resulting label.

  One skilled in the art can readily select a suitable adhesive for the selected labeling application. Some examples of adhesives that can be used in the adhesive layer 5 include acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives, silicone pressure sensitive adhesives, natural rubber pressure sensitive adhesives, synthetic rubber pressure sensitive adhesives, and urethane pressure sensitive adhesives. Can be mentioned. In addition, any type of pressure sensitive adhesive can be used, a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive and a removable pressure sensitive adhesive. Specific examples of acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives include Toagosei Co. , Ltd., Ltd. Arontack ™ HV-C9500 and Arontack ™ HV-C7559 from DIC Corporation, FINETACK ™ CT-5030 from DIC Corporation, and Toyochem Co. , Ltd., Ltd. BPW6112 and BPW6116.

  For example, a suitable stripping process and coating, such as silicone resin, may be applied to the front major surface of the carrier sheet to obtain the desired removable adhesion to the label stock sheet. The choice will depend in part on factors such as adhesive properties, label storage, use, and application conditions.

First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a front view showing a label assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the label assembly shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the label assembly 1 includes a carrier sheet 2 in the form of a sheet and a label stock sheet 3 that is detachably bonded to the main surface of the sheet. The carrier sheet is formed with a fixed dimension, for example, a rectangle.

  The carrier sheet 2 has a number of cuts 8 constituting the carrier sheet 2 into a plurality of segments, ie, in this embodiment, four elongated carrier strip segments 9 surrounded by the carrier frame segment 2a.

  The label stock sheet 3 is composed of a plurality of segments including five adjacent rows of adjacent labels 7 and frame segments 3a surrounding the array of labels by the cut 6.

  The cuts 6 in the label stock sheet may be perforations, partial cuts through the label stock sheet 3, etc., but typically the label 7 is easily removed from the assembly 1 and has a smooth edge after removal. Is preferably a substantially complete cut through the sheet 3.

  The cut 8 in the carrier sheet 2 is a weak separation line in the carrier sheet 2, and examples thereof include perforations and partial cuts through the sheet. The cut 8 does not reach the outer edge of the carrier sheet 2. Since the cut 8 does not reach the outer edge of the carrier sheet 2, the outer edge of the carrier strip segment 9 and the outer edge of the label assembly 1 will be placed at different positions. Therefore, when using the label 7 as described later, it will be easy to grip the end of the carrier strip segment 9 with a finger.

  The width of the carrier strip segment 9 is generally about 2 to about 60 mm, preferably about 4 to 40 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the edge of the carrier strip segment 9 can also be equipped with a tab 9a that is wider than the carrier strip segment 9 to facilitate holding the carrier strip segment 9 with a finger.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the label stock sheet 3 includes a face layer 4 including, for example, a film or paper, and an adhesive layer 5 formed using, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive layer 5 on the face material layer 4 is formed on the side facing the first side of the carrier sheet 2 and removably joins the face material layer 4 to the first side of the carrier sheet 2.

  A grid of cuts 6 is made on the label stock 3 to form a rectangular label 7. Typically, the cut 6 is provided so as to form adjacent labels 7 with no portion of the label stock sheet 3 in between. As shown in FIG. 1, the grid of cuts 6 is disposed only on the inner portion of the label stock sheet 3 and does not reach its outer edge, thereby defining a face frame 3 a that surrounds the array of labels 7. However, if desired, depending on the purpose, one or more of the cuts 6 can be arranged to reach the outer edge of the label stock sheet 3 as shown in FIG. It can be a label 7 arrangement region.

  The cuts 8 on the carrier sheet 2 are arranged so that their longitudinal central axes are aligned with the border edges of the two rows of labels 7. As a result, each carrier strip segment 9 is under the edge of the two rows of labels 7. The remaining part of the label 7 is juxtaposed over the other part of the carrier sheet 2, ie the liner segment.

  When using labels 7 in a label assembly 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the two rows of labels 7 and their respective edges placed on both sides of the carrier strip segment 9 are the edges of the label assembly 1. By holding the end of the carrier strip segment 9 that does not come into contact with the fingers, it can be exposed at once, and the carrier strip segment 9 is peeled from the second side of the carrier sheet 2 along the cut 8. Thus, the label 7 can be easily removed from the label assembly by grasping and removing by hand.

  In addition, since the labels 7 are arranged in the matrix without any gaps, many labels 7 can be arranged in contact with the carrier sheet 2 in the present label assembly 1. On the other hand, the carrier strip segment 9 may extend so as to protrude from the outer edge of the label 7, as shown in FIGS. The carrier strip segment 9 may also extend to a position overlapping the label 7 at the innermost farthest end of the label 7.

  In addition, it is not necessary to place the carrier strip segments 9 to correspond to all the spacings between the labels 7, and the carrier strip segments 9 are also placed in alternating rows, i.e. every other row of labels. It can be placed only under the border edge. By placing the carrier strip segment 9 in the minimum number of places required, the operation of forming and peeling the carrier strip segment 9 can be reduced to a minimum. Typically, each label 7 will have at least one carrier strip segment 9 below its edge.

Second Embodiment FIG. 6 is a front view showing a label assembly 11 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the label assembly shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the label assembly 11 differs from the label assembly 1 of the first embodiment because the face strip segments 12 are formed between the labels 7 in adjacent rows in the label stock 3. .

  In the label assembly 11, a narrower spacing than the carrier strip segment 9 is created in the label stock sheet 3 between adjacent rows of labels 7, and in the produced area along the label 7 and its edges. By forming approximately elongated rectangular cuts 13 in 3, approximately elongated rectangular face strip segments 12 are formed between the labels 7 at approximately equal intervals.

  The length of the face strip segment 12 rectangle is shorter than the length of the carrier strip segment 9 and any part of the face strip segment 12 is configured so that no part extends beyond the outer boundary of the carrier strip segment 9. . As shown in FIG. 8, with the addition of a tab 9 a wider than the carrier strip segment 9 to the end of the carrier strip segment 9, the end of the face strip segment 12 is also wider than the face strip segment 12. A wide tab 12a may be provided. Thus, the face strip segment 12 can be easily held with a finger.

  As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the end of the face strip segment 12 can coincide with the boundary between the face frame 3a and the label 7 if desired, or in FIG. 9 (b). As shown, the end of the face strip segment 12 can be placed outside the boundary line between the face frame 3 a and the label 7. The face strip segment 12 can also be placed inside the boundary line between the face frame 3a and the label 7 placement area, as shown in FIG. 9 (c).

  The width of the carrier strip segment 9 in the label assembly 11 can be selected as the spacing between adjacent rows of labels 7 by additive measurement. For example, if the width of the face strip segment 12 is X, the width of the carrier strip segment 9 can be set as X + about 2-60 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when using the label 7 in the label assembly 11 having such a configuration, the end of the carrier strip segment 9 placed inside the outer edge of the label assembly 11 is held, and the carrier strip segment is held. By stripping 9 from the second side of the carrier sheet liner 2 along the cut 8, the face strip segment 12 is stripped simultaneously following the carrier strip segment 9 and is therefore placed on both sides of the carrier strip segment 9. Two rows of labels 7 and their edges can be exposed at once. Thus, the label 7 can be easily grasped by hand and removed from the label assembly 11.

  In addition, the label 7 in the label assembly 11 can be removed with a finger, as a gap is formed between the label 7 and its edge when the carrier strip segment 9 and the face strip segment 12 are peeled off. Can be easily retained. Again, even in the second embodiment, the carrier strip segment 9 and the face strip segment 12 do not necessarily have to be placed in correspondence with all the spacings between the labels 7. 12 can be placed in alternating rows. By placing the carrier strip segment 9 and the face strip segment 12 in the minimum number of places required, the operation of forming and stripping the carrier strip segment 9 can be minimized.

Other Embodiments FIG. 11 is a front view showing a label assembly 21 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the carrier strip segment 9 has a perforated cut 22 in its middle portion and a continuous cut 23 in its end portion. And is defined by Similar to the embodiment described above, the two edges on the sides of the two rows of labels 7 are on the carrier strip segment 9 and can be exposed by removing the carrier strip segment 9 and the face strip segment 12. In addition, having the perforation line 22 as an intermediate portion of the boundary of the carrier strip segment 9 may cause the carrier strip segment 9 to be unintentionally removed, for example, during label assembly processing and handling, such as passing through a desktop printer. Printing is facilitated by reducing the possibility of jamming as the label assembly 21 passes through the printer. In addition to this, the convenience of the label assembly 21 is increased because the label 7 can be peeled after peeling only the face strip segment 12.

  As shown in FIG. 11, by forming both ends of the boundary of the carrier strip segment 9 with continuous cuts 23 rather than perforated lines 22, the ends are the starting points when peeling the carrier strip segment 9. Can be.

  FIG. 12 is a front view of a label assembly involved in another embodiment of the present invention. In the label assembly 31, the two parts of the carrier strip segment 9 under the parts of the labels 7 in different rows are joined by a connecting joint 32. In this configuration, the edges of all labels 7 and their edges can be exposed at once by removing the carrier strip segment 9. As will be appreciated, the coupling joint 32 is not limited to the form of connecting the ends of the carrier strip segment 9 together, and any part, including intermediate parts, can be connected together. In addition, if the carrier strip segment 9 is placed in multiple rows, one of the other ends can be alternately joined to the other end using the connecting joint 32. The connection joint 32 can also be positioned in a region that overlaps the face frame segment 3a.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, in another embodiment, the label 7 is not placed in the area where the connection joint 32 is positioned. In this case, even after removing the carrier strip segment 9, the face layer 4 will remain on the carrier sheet 2 in an area corresponding to the position of the connecting joint 32, thereby enabling dimensional stability of the label assembly 31. Strengthen sex.

  FIG. 14 is a front view showing still another embodiment. In the label assembly 41, the label 7 does not abut, and a predetermined interval, that is, the face air gap segment 42 in the face sheet 3 is in contact with the label 7. Intersects with the corner. The face void segments 42 are each of the larger carrier strip segment 9 so that when the carrier strip segment 9 is removed, the face void segment is also removed, making it easier to grip the edge of the affected label. Fully overlaps the top.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the perforated lines 43 are formed on the carrier strip segment 9 in the direction crossing the longitudinal direction, the number of labels 7 used at one time is such that the peeling of the carrier strip segment is the perforated line 43. It can be adjusted so that it can be interrupted by the position of. As shown in FIG. 16, the face strip 44 can also be formed to contact two locations on each of the adjacent rows, other than the corners of the label 7, totaling four locations. is there.

  FIG. 17 is a front view showing a label assembly 51 according to another embodiment. On the exemplary label assembly 51, the corners of the label 7 are slightly rounded and the face strips 52 are formed without any gaps between the labels 7 in adjacent rows. In addition, the triangular protrusions 54 on the carrier strip segment 53 protrude in the direction of the boundary between the labels 7 that abut. In such a configuration, the edge of the label 7 can be exposed more extensively when the carrier strip segment 53 and the face strip segment 52 are removed.

  The convex portion 54 is not necessarily the boundary between the labels 7. If desired, the protrusions can also project in the direction of the center of the label 7 as shown in FIG. As will be appreciated, the shape of the protrusion 54 is not limited to a triangle, and may be other shapes such as a rectangle or a circle, as shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 19 is a front view showing a label assembly 61 of still another embodiment. On the exemplary label assembly 61, the face strip segment 62 and the carrier strip segment 63 are non-coaxial and asymmetrically formed. More specifically, on the label assembly 61, the face strip segment 62 is placed only in the center of the spacing between the labels 7 in adjacent rows, and the main part of the carrier strip segment 63 is on one side of the row of labels 7 Closely distributed and placed nearby. Next, a convex portion 64 protruding toward the center of the label 7 in the upper row on the other side of the main portion of the carrier strip segment 63 is formed on the carrier strip segment 63 so as to overlap the face strip segment 62. Is done.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to expose a sufficiently wide portion of the edge of the label 7 when the carrier strip segment 63 and the face strip segment 62 are peeled. This would make the removal of the single level label 7 very easy. In addition, even after peeling off the carrier strip segment 63, the label stock sheet 3 will remain on the carrier sheet 2 in the region where the face strip segment 62 is not formed between the labels 7, and therefore. The shape of the label assembly 61 can be maintained.

  Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included herein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (2)

A carrier sheet having a front main surface and a back main surface; and a label stock sheet removably attached to the front main surface of the carrier sheet; (a) the carrier sheet includes at least one liner segment; One or more segments comprising one or more carrier strip segments, and (b) the label stock sheet is one or more segments comprising one or more labels and one or more strips or frames is configured, (c) the carrier strip segments, have if overlap the edges of the one or more labels,
An array of labels arranged in two or more rows and a border of the label in an adjacent row on the label stock sheet that covers a portion of the carrier strip segment and is narrower than the carrier strip segment And a face strip segment that abuts the portion . · The catcher rear strip segment overlaps the edge of the in adjacent column labels, the label assembly according to claim 1.

Images