INSERTED LABEL FOR MONITORING USE OF A CONTAINER
Technical Field
The present invention relates to technology for monitoring, characterizing, and
recording information and traits regarding the use and reuse of containers. More specifically, the invention is directed toward a system and a label for monitoring the use of a labeled
container.
Background of the Invention
The world trend in recent years is to be environmentally friendly and to preserve
resources. Many countries, such as Germany, are very concerned about recycling products
through refilling and reusing containers. This invention is directed toward such recycling
efforts to reuse or refill containers rather than sliredding containers to be reprocessed into new
containers. Recycling is extremely important in the container and bottling industry where tlirowaway yet recyclable containers are becoming more popular and growing in number. To
control this increasing concern, governments and businesses are considering regulating or monitoring the minimum number of cycles for each container and the capability of recycling,
primarily refilling or reusing, a container. For such efforts to be successful, technology is
needed to monitor recycling activities.
The present invention involves a system of using labels for monitoring the use of containers for numerous types of information and traits, including the number of cycles that
the container is used or exposed to an energy pulse. The preferred embodiment of this
invention uses techniques to insert-mold a label inside a container wall. Insert molding is
significant to recycling because the washing and handling of containers during recycling are
designed to remove labels and their adhesives. The preferred embodiment also uses regular ink and an indicating ink that changes gradation (either color or shade) when subjected to an
energy source, which may be monitored or read by a spectrophotometer or other machine or electronic means.
Other methods of monitoring use information include permanently numbering each container or batch of containers and monitoring that numbering system. Also, on a small
scale, containers may be cumulatively marked during each cycle, and the number of marks can be counted. Further, permanent information can be included on containers, such as the
type of plastic, which is sometimes indicated by a numerical code on the bottom of a plastic
container, for example "1" is formed in the bottom of a PETE container. Since billions of
containers are used annually, these methods could be very cumbersome, ineffective, and
costly on a large scale.
The prior art methods greatly reduce line speeds and add prohibitive expense to recycling efforts that monitor container use. Monitoring the cycle count or gathering
information regarding the containers is presently a serious limitation for high speed recycling
of containers.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system, which has an automatically
generated energy signal and which is machine-readable for high speed processing. It has therefore been found beneficial to produce a label that can be monitored at high line speed
and that can be read with a spectrophotometer or other monitoring device.
Summary of the Invention
It is a primary objective of the present invention to enhance the capability to recycle
containers primarily through reuse or refilling. The system, container, and label for monitoring the use of a container include a label that is preferably inserted into the wall of the
container. The label substrate preferably includes an indicating ink that incrementally
changes gradation (either a color or shade change) when an external energy source is applied.
The labeled container can be used in a system of monitoring, characterizing, and recording information and traits regarding containers. The information, such as counting cycles of container use, is preferably machine-readable, as well as human-readable.
The present invention overcomes certain problems with reduced line speeds while still
having an embodiment that is human readable as well as machine-readable to determine the
cycle count or other information.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention may include a label with incrementally
changeable ink that is insert-molded between the wall surfaces of the container. Insert
molding makes the label durable and able to withstand the processing to which containers are
subjected. It is contemplated that other information can be included on the label.
Brief Description of Drawings
The above mentioned and other features of this invention and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a labeled container of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a top view that shows a cross section of the labeled container of Figure 1
taken at line A-A;
Figure 3 shows a human or machine-readable label with an indicating ink and control
colors;
Figure 4 shows another embodiment of a human or machine-readable label with an
indicating ink and control colors;
Figure 5 shows yet another embodiment of a human or machine-readable label with an
indicating ink and control colors;
Figure 6 shows a machine-readable label with an indicating ink;
Figure 7 shows a cross section of a preformed plug;
Figure 8 shows a modified form of a label with both an indicating ink and a code containing color;
Figure 9 shows a possible location of a label behind standard labels that may act as
filters;
Figure 10 illustrates another possible location of a label;
Figure 11 shows possible readily viewable locations of a label; and
Figure 12 shows another possible readily viewable location of a label located in the
bottom of a container.
Detailed Description of the Invention
In the Figures, like reference numerals indicate the same elements throughout. Figure
1 shows a container 10, specifically a bottle, that includes an insert-molded label 12. An example of such a container 10 is a clear plastic, i.e., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), water bottle.
In greater detail, with reference first directed to Figure 2, a label 12 embodying one
aspect of the invention is illustrated. Ideally, the label 12 is inserted between the container
outside wall surface 14 and the container inside wall surface 16. The preferred inserted label
12 is insulated from the contents of the container 10 and from wear and tear of the
environmental and external conditions. Permanently inserted labels are also significant to
recycling because the washing and handling of containers during recycling are designed to
remove labels and their adhesives and printing from the container wall surfaces 14 and 16. If a label were affixed to the outside wall surface, the removal of the label would not allow the
cycle of the container 10 to be counted. In-mold labels will usually survive the wash or
sterilization cycle during recycling. For the counting or information gathering system to work, however, it is not required that the label 12 be inserted between the container wall
surfaces 14 and 16, but merely that the label 12 remain on the container 10 through more than
one cycle.
Examples of the numerous possibilities of labels 12 are found in Figures 3-6. The size, shape, geometry, and configuration of these examples can be readily changed to provide
labels envisioned within the scope of the invention. The labels 12 of Figures 3-5 are human-
readable or machine-readable with an indicating ink 22 and the series of control colors 24 that
represent groups of refill counts. For the labels 12 of Figures 3 - 5, either a human or a
machine can identify the best color match between indicating ink 22 and a series of control colors 24 to determine the number of times that the container 10 has been refilled, sterilized,
or otherwise used and exposed to a controlled energy source. For example, in Figure 4, the
indicating ink 22 matches the gradation for 15-20 refill counts as shown by control color 24. The label of Figure 6 shows a machine-readable label 12 with an indicating ink 22 that can be
sensor-read spectrophotometrically. As with all indicating inks 22 of Figures 3-6, the spectral
response can be machine-correlated to the number of exposure cycles that are accumulated
recycle or refill counts.
The label substrate 18 can be a variety of films. Flexible film, such a polymeric film,
is preferred. The surface of the substrate 18 is ink-receptive so that an ink can be printed on
that surface.
Also, the label 12 should be flexible if it is used in a standard preformed mold plug 20
that is formed into a container 10 so that the label 12 can be insert-molded between the
container outside wall surface 14 and the container inside wall surface 16. Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the preformed plug 20 contains a label 12 with an indicating ink 22 that
incrementally changes gradation, either a change in color or shade. The label 12 may be in the form of a rectangular label or preformed ring (Figure 8). The plug 20 can be formed into
a container 10 with the label 12 insert molded between the container outside wall surface 14 and the container inside wall surface 16. Techniques are known for blowing a plug and
forming a container.
A preferred ink 22 is an indicating ink that changes color or changes shade when an
external energy pulse is applied, such as an electrochromatic or photochromatic pulse. The
preferred inks 22 provide a predictable response to the external energy source. For example,
the predictable response could be a certain degree of color change or change in shade. A
predetermined dose of an energy pulse, such gamma radiation or far ultraviolet (UV)
radiation, will produce a measurable difference in color or shade. The dose of the energy pulse can be regulated by a combination of time, power, frequency, wavelength, and the like.
The changes in color or shade are preferably incremental so the process of changing color can be repeatedly performed and measured. The preferred indicating ink 22 can accumulate
exposures to the energy pulse that results in a gradual and incremental change in the color or
shade of the ink each time an energy pulse is applied. This readily predictable color or shade
can be correlated to the number of exposures to the energy pulse, which could indicate the
number of cycles that a container 10 has been used or the number of times it has been
sterilized or other information.
The preferred inks 22 are not significantly responsive to ambient conditions, such as
sunlight or heat, that a container 10 may face outside of its processing. Immunity to ambient
conditions will prevent changes in color or shade that may alter the measurements from the monitoring or information gathering process. Thus, far UV radiation is preferred to wavelengths in or just beyond the visible spectrum. Other techniques and energies outside
the normal ambient or visible conditions are acceptable, such as x-ray (a relatively high-
energy photon with a wavelength in the approximate range from 0.05 angstroms to 100 angstroms) or other high-energy photons, such as gamma rays. Still other exposures and wavelengths are within the scope of this invention if inks with a predictable response are used.
An indicating ink 22 that is preferred to count cycles in the far UV range is an ink
manufactured by Sherwood Technologies of Nottingham, England. Gamma ray sensitive inks
and inks responsive to other energy pulses are also acceptable.
In addition to being readily suitable for a countable pulse on refilling the container 10,
UV light is known for photobiological effects, and gamma rays have also been used to
sterilize containers. Sterilization may be used as part of the cycle counting method, or the
information regarding the number of such sterilizations may be information that may be read using the preferred inks and a measuring device, such as a spectrophotometer.
A control color 24 or series of control colors to contrast or compare the indicating ink 22 or any other spectrophotometer-readable color 26 may be included on the label 12. A
control color 24, as shown in Figures 3-5, can be used so that the color or shade match of the
indicating ink 22 with the control color 24 can be human read. If the color or shade match is
only intended to be machine-read, then a control color 24 is not necessary.
Other spectrophotometer-readable colors 26 may also be included that do not change
color so that information particular to the container 10 may be encoded, such as a batch
number, the container supplier, the type of plastic, the year of production, or other information. Also, the label 12 could contain information that may only change once, which may be related to the history of the container 10, such as the maximum temperature exposure
or if a container is exposed to a certain amount or type of energy pulse. The codes contained in the label 12 can reflect any information that needs to be monitored.
The size and the shape of the control color 24 or code-containing color 26 are dictated
by the processing technologies used to perform the desired functions. The control color 24
and code-containing color 26 can be printed to very specific wavelengths that can be verified for quality control, such as by a spectrophotometer, before the container 10 reaches the end of the production line.
Also, as shown in Figure 9, a filter 28 may be applied on either side of the inserted
label 12 to filter out energies other than the desired wavelength. This filter 28 may be in the form of a standard label 30 on the outside wall surface 14 of a container 10 that filters
undesirable energy sources from hitting the inserted label 12, but may be removed during recycling or information gathering process. A standard label 30 may be any type of label,
such as a metallized label, which may include trademarks, product content, or advertising
material.
The location of the label 12 in the container 10 can be varied depending on the processes used, the label content, or the size and configuration of the label 12. Factors such
as the philosophy of the manufacturer can dictate where the label 12 will be located, such as
whether the manufacturer wants to hide the label 12 (as in Figures 9 and 10) or wants to make
the label readily viewable to promote its efforts in protecting the environment and providing
readily refillable or reusable containers (as in Figures 11 and 12).
Examples of possible locations in the container 10 are shown in Figures 1, 9-12. Figure 1 shows the label 12 in the side wall of the container. Figure 9 shows the label 12 either in the side wall of the container or on the neck but hidden under a standard label 30.
Figure 10 illustrates that the label 12 can be hidden under a bottle cap when the cap is applied
to the container 10. Figures 11 and 12 show labels that are readily visible to a customer if
human reading or promotion of recycling efforts are desired. In Figure 12, the label is
inserted in the bottom of the container 10, which is a preferred location when first inserted in a preformed plug 20.
The labels 12 described above can be used in a system for bottle or container refillers to count the number of times that a bottle or container 10 has been filled or to otherwise
monitor, characterize, or record information and traits regarding containers.
Preferably, the system of recording the numerous cycles or other container
information begins with the formation of a container 10 from a plug 20. Referring to Figure
7, the preformed plug 20 contains a label 12 with an indicating ink 22 that incrementally changes color or changes shade. The label 12 may be in the form of a rectangular label or
preformed ring (Figure 8). The plug 20 can be formed into a container 10 with the label 12
insert molded between the container outside wall surface 14 and the container inside wall surface 16. Teclmiques are known for blowing a plug and forming a container. The container 10 is then used in its normal manner, and hopefully recycled being refilled or reused.
The recycling process of cleaning and/or sterilizing the container 10 is performed.
During the recycling or sterilization process, the container 10 is given a predetermined dose
of energy, such a gamma radiation or far UV radiation. This energy, which is preferably machine-induced, causes an incremental change in the color or shade of the indicating ink 22.
A measuring or counting device preferably machine-reads the incremental change in
the indicating ink 22 to provide information regarding the container 10, such as the number of
times it has been recycled or refilled. Processing technologies, such as using a spectrophotometer, are acceptable methods of gathering such information by measuring the
incremental changes to the indicating ink 22.
A human inspector or preferably a machine will compare the color or shade of the
indicating ink to a calibration scale or a series of control colors 24. Labels 12 that are suitable for both are shown in Figures 3-5. The information is then recorded to reflect the desired
results.
Similarly, the container 10 could be coded with very specific wavelengths of color as
shown in Figure 8 that can be read by a spectrophotometer to gather information regarding the
container in processing. As mentioned, information related to the history of the container 10,
such as the maximum temperature exposure can be monitored. For example, to remove a
container from the refilling line that has been exposed to excessive heat, such information
related to the history of the container 10 can be monitored. A spectrophotometer can read various information at the same station to process the proper function.
Any machine induced and machine read indicia in the processing line are preferred to human induced or read indicia. The measurements, calibration, processing, or evaluation
from the incremental changes in the ink 22 or in the coded information 26 can be processed
by a computer. These steps allow for a cost-effective, quick, and highly accurate process of
monitoring, characterizing, and recording information and traits regarding containers.
Although the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and described in
connection with a particular type of label and container, it can be adapted for use with a
variety of containers and systems. Preferably, the system can be used with plastic molded containers, but other types of containers could be adapted to this system. Other embodiments and equivalent labels, containers, systems, and methods are envisioned within the scope of the invention. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described
in connection with the illustrated embodiments of the invention, however, it must be
understood that these particular embodiments merely illustrate and that the invention is to be
given its fullest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.