WO2012071617A1

WO2012071617A1 - Product labelling/identification

Info

Publication number: WO2012071617A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001558
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ian Peter Allen; Yuri Sokol
Original assignee: Ian Peter Allen; Yuri Sokol
Priority date: 2010-12-03
Filing date: 2011-11-30
Publication date: 2012-06-07

Abstract

A ribbon carrying a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data, the ribbon being applicable to a product for identification purposes.

Description

PRODUCT LABELLING/IDENTIFICATION

The present invention in one form relates to the labelling of products and more particularly to a system applicable to product labelling to facilitate discrimination between genuine product labels and hence genuine goods, from counterfeit labels/goods. The invention in another form relates more generally to product identification to facilitate identification of genuine or stolen product.

The various different aspects of the invention to be disclosed herein utilise coded identification tags (data tags) of a microscopic size that is barely discernible to the naked eye but having data readable under magnification. Figure 1 shows an embodiment of such a data tag. The data tag is a planar sheet cut into a hexagon shape although it may be cut into other shapes. The data tag has a unique identification number or other code permanently etched onto its surface or formed through its thickness and for additional security its surface may also carry an optical variable device (OVD) in the form of an image which can be generated by an electron beam or laser or by chemical etching giving the appearance of a hologram. The data tag is dimensioned in microscopic sizes of approximately 0.3 to 0.5mm in width (W) although in some cases the width could be up to lmm, and of only several microns in thickness, 6 to 10 microns in one practical example. In this size, the tag is barely visible to the naked eye and generally will require careful examination by a user before it can be observed and is so thin that it is unlikely to be sensitive to detection by touch. However a magnifying device such as a portable microscope, or electronic magnifier such as digital microscope or digital microscope- camera can be used to examine the tag to identify the identification code on its surface; the required magnification will be of the order of x45 to lOO. In the form just described by way of example, the tag is cut from metal sheet, preferably nickel, although other metals such as tungsten or molybdenum could alternatively be used. However, plastic sheet could be used instead of metal sheet. It is however to be understood that the invention is not confined to the use of coded microscopic data tags of that specific form. For example, the tags may be of greater thickness than that specifically described, and when the tags are cut from plastic sheet, polyester sheet for example, the thickness could be 60 microns or even more. Moreover, instead of incorporating an OVD as part of the security coding, a logo or other image could be created on the tag by a photographic process as could a unique alphanumeric code. Although counterfeiting is a major problem effecting a wide range of products, it is particularly prevalent in the clothing industry as counterfeiters are able to replicate quite readily the design of the genuine product including labelling applied to the product to the extent that it can be difficult to quickly distinguish the counterfeit from the genuine, at least to the "untrained" eye.

Most clothing garments include fabric labels stitched into or otherwise applied to the garment during manufacture to form an integral part of the garment. The present invention in one form relates to aspects of a system for permanently marking labels with a unique identifying code to facilitate identification of genuine goods. The identification is achieved by the use of a multiplicity of the coded identification tags (data tags).

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a thermoplastic ribbon containing a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data, wherein the tags can be applied to a product by applying the ribbon to a surface of the product under heat and pressure.

Advantageously the thermoplastic is formed as a layer on a substrate from which the thermoplastic layer removes upon application of heat and pressure during application to the product. The substrate may be paper appropriately coated to prevent the thermoplastic from permanently adhering thereto.

One significant usage is the application of the identification tags to a label for a garment, particularly a fabric label. For this purpose, the thermoplastic material has the following properties:

a low temperature melting point (from approximately 90° to 145°);

flexibility when cooled; and colourfast to washing, and durability at washing and tumble drying temperatures of up to approximately 60°C over 50 cycles.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the identification tags have a width of up to about 1mm and a thickness of only several microns, the data on the tags being readable by the eye under magnification.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a product label having identically coded identification tags of microscopic size fused onto its surface by melting of a thermoplastic into which the tags had been embedded.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of applying microscopically sized identification tags to a product label, comprising providing a ribbon of a thermoplastic material having embedded therein a multiplicity of identically coded identification tags of microscopic size, applying the ribbon to a label web consisting of a multiplicity of labels arranged in succession, and applying heat and pressure to the ribbon whereby to melt the thermoplastic material so as to cause the identification tags to fuse to the label web whereby the individual labels in the web are each permanently marked with a multiplicity of the coded tags.

Although it is known to apply coded identification tags of a microscopic size to a product to enable identification of the product in the event of theft, typically this is undertaken by applying the tags to small discreet areas of the product using an adhesive. While many different types of product are able to be satisfactorily marked in this way, not all products can. A particular problem exists in relation to electrical cable, particularly copper cable, which is especially prone to theft. Although in principle it is possible to apply the identification tags to the copper core prior to application of the outer sheathing by sprinkling the tags onto the core, this is not particularly effective as it is likely to result in a rather random distribution of tags along the length of the cable.

Another aspect of the invention seeks to provide a solution to the marking of electrical cable.

According to this aspect of the invention there is provided a ribbon carrying a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data, the ribbon being suitable for application to an electrical cable prior to sheathing whereby the tags are enclosed within the cable. Preferably the ribbon is applied to the core of the cable prior to sheathing.

The ribbon used for tagging cables may be a thermoplastic ribbon of the general type defined above but that is not essential as in this particular application the thermoplastic is not specifically required to melt as it, together with the identification tags, will be retained within the body of the cable by subsequent sheathing steps. Accordingly, in an alternative the ribbon could instead be formed as a substrate having a thin layer of adhesive to bond ^• the tags to the surface of the substrate. A ribbon of this latter type could also be used for application to a wide variety of other products, with the substrate being preferably formed from a thin transparent or coloured plastic film.

Therefore, according to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a ribbon comprising a substrate having a layer of adhesive which bonds to the substrate a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data.

The thermoplastic ribbon with the embedded tags could also be applied to a wide variety of other products without the need to melt the thermoplastic. Therefore, according to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a ribbon, preferably of thermoplastic, carrying a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data, the ribbon being applicable to a product for identification purposes.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an identification tag of which a multiplicity of identically coded tags are used in the preferred embodiments;

Figure 2 shows to an enlarged scale a substrate carrying a thermoplastic ribbon with embedded identification tags;

Figure 3 is a schematic side view of apparatus for applying onto a label web a ribbon of thermoplastic embedded with identification tags;

Figure 4 is a schematic plan view corresponding to Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a schematic section through^' a power cable to which a ribbon carrying identification tags can be applied prior to sheathing of the cable core.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention identically coded identification tags (data tags) are applied to a garment label of a fabric material by being permanently fused in the surface of the label. Prior to application, the data tags are incorporated within a thin layer of a thermoplastic having the following properties:

a low temperature melting point (from approximately 90° to 145°C);

flexibility when cooled; and

colourfast to washing, and durability at washing and tumble drying temperatures of up to approximately 60°C over 50 cycles. A thermoplastic of these properties can be applied to a fabric label when melted without harming the fabric material of the label and when applied it can withstand without deterioration the normal washing and drying processes to which the label itself would be subjected throughout the working life of the associated garment. Suitable thermoplastics include the following: polyamide for example nylon, PES (polyethersulfone), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), EAA (polymer ethylene acrylic acid copolymer) or other similar thermoplastics.

The thermoplastic with the data tags embedded therein can be supplied as a continuous ribbon for application by heat and pressure to labels being produced, as an extra stage in a mass production process for the labels. This will be described in greater detail in the subsequent example. In one form, the ribbon consists of a substrate of paper carrying the thermoplastic layer with embedded data tags so that with the thermoplastic layer applied directly against the face of the label, and heat and pressure applied via the exposed paper substrate, the thermoplastic with the embedded data tags will melt and fuse onto and into the surface of the fabric label thereby permanently bonding the data tags to the label. The paper substrate is provided with a wax or other coating to prevent permanent adhesion of the thermoplastic layer and thereby to permit ready release of the substrate from the thermoplastic upon application of heat. Substrates of other materials which inherently resist permanent adhesion of the thermoplastic or with a treatment to provide that effect may alternatively be used..

In one form, the ribbon is produced by cutting into thin strips a wide roll of the paper substrate carrying the thermoplastic layer and embedded data tags; the roll may be 1 metre in width, possibly more, and cut into strips of between 2 to 3mm according to requirements. To form the thermoplastics layer with embedded data tags, raw plastics material in the form a powder can be mixed with the data tags and extruded onto the surface of the paper substrate. Alternatively the data tags can be applied to the surface of a thermoplastic layer already applied to the paper substrate and then embedded therein by the use of heat and possibly also pressure. Whichever method is used, the wide roll consisting of paper substrate and data tag embedded thermoplastic layer is cut into thin ribbons according to the customer's requirements, the cut ribbons themselves being wound into roll form for transportation and storage purposes, and for subsequent feeding into a production line for the labels.

In another alternative, the ribbon can consist of a mesh of the thermoplastic material with the data tags being deposited on the surface of the mesh which is then passed through an oven whereby the tags sink and bond into the body of the mesh. The mesh may be an unwoven mesh and in this case the mesh may have sufficient inherent strength to avoid the need for the paper or other substrate to ^"provide a support for the ribbon during its processing and application stages.

' .

In practice, batches of ribbon will be produced with identically-coded data tags, the coding being unique to the manufacturer/supplier of the garment to which the label is to be applied. The coding on the tags and which may include a holographic image is permanent and difficult to replicate. Depending on the customer's requirements, the ribbon can be applied to the outer (exposed) side of the label or to the reverse side of the label where it will be less visible but nevertheless still able to be accessed for identification purposes when required, and it may be applied either in the length direction or in the width direction of the label again according to the customer's requirements. Although a short length of thin ribbon applied in the width direction of a typical fabric label is likely not to contain a large number of data tags, perhaps 10 or 20 at most, nevertheless that number will be more than sufficient for identification purposes. A short length of ribbon to an enlarged scale is shown in Figure 2 in which the substrate is designated 2 and the multiplicity of data tags embedded into the thermoplastic layer on the substrate are designated 4.

Figures 3 and 4 show purely schematically apparatus for the application of the ribbon to fabric labels in a production line for the manufacture of the labels. As shown in these figures, the fabric labels stored in a roll 10 containing several rows of labels (as shown four rows) are associated with rolls 12 of the ribbon, one for each row of labels. When stored in their roll 10, the fabric labels are interconnected to form an endless web of labels. The label web is unwound from the roll 10 and passes along a horizontal processing path designated 14. Ribbon from each of the rolls^' 12 is applied to the upper surface of its associated row of labels on the processing path 14 and the label web and the applied ribbons pass via heating rollers 16 into a heating/cooling unit 18 where the ribbons are heated with pressure being applied (this occurs almost momentarily) to a temperature to fuse the data tags into the fabric of the labels. The labels with the applied data tags are then cooled. After that, the individual labels 20 can be separated by cutting the label web or alternatively the label web consisting of the rows of interconnected labels can be rewound into a roll for further processing.

*

Although this embodiment has been described specifically with reference to garment labels of a fabric (most garment labels are of that type) nevertheless it is equally applicable to garment labels of other materials.

In another embodiment, the ribbon consisting of the data tags embedded into a thermoplastic layer can be applied to labels in the form of swing tags which are usually formed from card. If the thermoplastic is substantially transparent, its presence will be virtually undetectable to the naked eye after application. Moreover, as the data tags themselves are only several microns in thickness their presence should not be detectable to the touch. A transparent laminate layer applied over the face of the label after application of the data tags will provide added security against unauthorised removal. As it is the practice of some manufacturers to laminate the surface of swing tags to provide a better surface finish and for improved durability, minimal additional cost will be incurred in the manufacture by the inclusion of the data tags. Although the invention has been described thus far with reference to the application of the microscopic data tags to garment labels as this represents a significant usage of the invention, the invention is also applicable to other labels and, indeed, a variety of other products. An example of the application of the invention to products other than labels is the tagging of electrical cables, especially copper power cables. In this regard, ribbon consisting of data tags embedded into a thermoplastic layer is applied' in a continuous length to the copper core on the cable production line prior to sheathing of the core. Figure 5 shows by way of example a typical copper power cable comprising copper core 30, copper sleeve 32, steel sleeve 34, inner plastic sleeve 36 and outer plastic sleeve 38. The thermoplastic ribbon is preferably applied to the copper core 30 prior to application of the copper sleeve 32. In this application of the ribbon, the thermoplastic layer into which the tags are embedded is principally acting as a carrier for the tags to facilitate a more controlled and uniform distribution of tags along the length of the cable than could be achieved by applying loose tags onto the core. The ribbon is manufactured according to one or other of the methods previously described, with the tag density being determined according to the requirements of the cable maker. In one practical example the ribbon for this usage is approximately 0.5mm in width with a tag density of 10 to 20 tags per 10cm length, although given that cables of several kilometre lengths are sometimes stolen, a tag density of 10 to 20 per metre might be sufficient in most cases. The use of the ribbon to carry the tags not only results in a more controlled and uniform distribution of tags along the length of the cable, it also enables the application of the tags to be integrated into the overall cable-making process as it can readily be interwoven with or interleaved with other standard components during manufacture of the cable.

It is to be noted that in the earlier description of the application of the ribbon to labels of various types, the thermoplastic was melted in order to permanently bond the tags to the label. In the application of the ribbon to cables, the thermoplastic layer is not specifically required to melt (as it together with the embedded data tags will be retained within the body of the cable by the subsequent sheathing steps) although depending on the temperature attained during manufacture the thermoplastic may melt. Accordingly, while ribbon consisting of data tags embedded into a thermoplastic layer is suitable for tagging power cable as just described, as the thermoplastic is not required to melt in this application, the ribbon could instead be formed as a substrate, paper or thin plastic film for example, having a thin layer of adhesive sufficient to bond the tags to the surface of the substrate for the purposes of application to the core of the cable prior to sheathing. An adhesive-coated ribbon of this form can be produced in a width as small as 0.5mm, although for this and other applications (as discussed below) the width is more likely to be of the order of lmm-2mm. It is to be noted that in this application, the ribbon need not be flat, although that is preferred to facilitate manufacture; it could alternatively be of a more rounded cross-section, iri effect forming a string which carries the tags.

One particularly suitable material from which the data tags can be fabricated is nickel having a thickness of only several microns as previously discussed. While data tags fabricated from nickel can be used in all of the applications described herein, it is of particular advantage when used with copper cable as the melting point of nickel is significantly higher than that of copper (copper- 1084°C; nickel-1453°C). Accordingly if the copper from stolen cable is reconstituted by melting into ingots, the tags should still remain intact and be unaffected by the melting of the copper to thereby enable subsequent identification. Ribbon consisting of a substrate, particularly one of thin plastic film, to which the tags are adhered can also be applied as an identifier to a range of other products such as cigarettes or pharmaceuticals with the ribbon being applied to the usual transparent wrapping which encloses the outer pack. In that case the ribbon may have a coloured substrate similar in appearance to that of a conventional tear strip or the substrate may be transparent. It is to be understood that these are simply two examples of many possible applications of the ribbon.

The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A ribbon carrying a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data, the ribbon being applicable to a product for identification purposes.

2. A ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein the ribbon is of thermoplastic whereby the tags carried by the ribbon can be applied to a product by applying the ribbon to a surface of the product under heat and pressure.

3. A ribbon comprising a substrate having a layer of adhesive which bonds to the substrate a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data whereby the tags can be applied to product by application of the ribbon to the product.

4. A ribbon according to claim 3, wherein the ribbon is a transparent plastic or a coloured plastic.

5. A ribbon carrying a multiplicity of identification tags of microscopic size coded with identification data, the ribbon being suitable for application to an electrical cable prior to sheathing whereby the tags are enclosed within the cable.

6. A ribbon according to claim 5, wherein the tags are of nickel whereby the tags have a higher melting point than that of copper or other conductive metal within the cable.

7. A ribbon according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tags have a width of no more than substantially 1mm, preferably 0.3 to 0.5mm, and a thickness of up to about 10 microns, preferably 6 to 10 microns.

8. An electrical cable including a ribbon according to claim 5 or claim 6.

9. A product label having identically coded identification tags of microscopic size fused onto its surface by melting of a thermoplastic into which the tags had been embedded.

10. A product label according to claim 9, wherein the label is of a fabric material.

11. A product label according to claim 9 or. claim 10, wherein the label is a garment label and the thermoplastic has a melting point of from approximately 90° to 145°C, is flexible when cooled, is colourfast to washing, and is durable at washing and tumble drying temperatures of up to approximately 60^°C over 50 cycles.

12. A product label according to claim 9, wherein the label is formed from card and the surface of the card is laminated after application of the tags, the tags having a thickness of only several microns whereby their presence will be substantially undetectable to the touch through the lamination and the microscopic sizing of the tags is such that they are barely discernible to the naked eye.

13. A method of applying microscopically sized identification tags to a product label, comprising providing a ribbon of thermoplastic material having embedded therein a multiplicity of identically coded identification tags of microscopic size, applying the ribbon to a label web consisting of a multiplicity of labels arranged in succession, and applying heat and pressure to the ribbon whereby to melt the thermoplastic material so as to cause the identification tags to fuse to the label web whereby the individual labels in the web are each permanently marked with a multiplicity of the coded tags.