GB2333088A

GB2333088A - Adhesive labels carrying extra information

Info

Publication number: GB2333088A
Application number: GB9721122A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ioannis Malkoutzis; David John Canterbury; Gary Patrick Mears
Original assignee: Rational Labelling & Marking Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Rational Labelling & Marking Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1997-10-07
Filing date: 1997-10-07
Publication date: 1999-07-14
Also published as: GB2333088A9; GB9721122D0; GB2333088A8

Abstract

A composite adhesive label (10) is formed from an adhesive-backed label sheet (12) peeled from a release coated web, which carries on its rear surface a flyer sheet (14) of the web material that was delineated by a parting line cut in the web on which the label was carried. The flyer sheet (14) was retained by the label when the label was separated from the underlying web material by peeling, before application to a container or packaging. Perforations in the label define tear lines (18) enabling part of the label over the flyer to be lifted, by a tab (16), and retained by a hinge portion (24), to reveal the flyer. Since the flyer can be printed on either face, and can be separated from the lifted portion of the label, three additional surfaces (the rear of the label and both sides of the flyer) are available for product information and the like. The tear lines (18) may be closer together so that the flyer sheet (14) extends beyond them, Figure 2.

Description

ADHESIVE LABELS This invention relates to adhesive labels, and especially to labels that can be affixed to packaging or containers for consumer products while allowing customers access to additional information printed behind the face of the label.

Many products require the display of statutory or promotional information along with the basic product information. For example, foodstuffs must carry information about their ingredients, and manufacturers often wish to add further information such as recipes. Where production volumes are uncertain, or the information might need to be changed, it is often useful to add this information to a label that can be applied to the product, typically by application to a container or packaging for the product, at the point of manufacture.

However, the size of labels is often limited by the size of the product, or a desire for a particular appearance to the product. This then limits the quantity of information that can be placed on the face of a label.

The application of additional labels to the product may be undesirable because of the changed appearance, and may not be appropriate if the product has insufficient available surface area.

Another approach is to print the additional information on the back of the label. It can then be viewed in one of two ways.

One way involves using transparent packaging, so that the information can be read through the packaging. This is not always available, since the packaging may need to be opaque, or the back of the label may contain material that should not be seen by the customer before purchase, such as security or competition information.

Information on label backs can alternatively be made available by using a peelable adhesive for the label so that it can be removed from the product after purchase. One disadvantage of this approach is that, applied to certain materials, peelable labels may be insecurely retained, so that the label separates from the product during manufacture or afterwards.

Another known approach is to use piggy-back label stock. This involves a label having two layers. The top layer is attached to the lower layer using a peelable adhesive, and the lower layer is attached to the product using permanent adhesive. The purchaser can then peel the top layer from the lower layer to see the additional product information. A disadvantage of this approach is the material cost, and the increased thickness of the label which can make application to the product difficult.

All of the above approaches use self-adhesive labels. The labels are printed on a long web which is a laminate consisting of a carrier web, often called a substrate or release liner, and a label sheet web consisting of one or more layers of face material. The carrier web is coated on the face material side with a release agent, typically a silicone, and the label sheet web is coated on its carrier facing side with an adhesive which sticks peelably to the release coated surface of the carrier.

After printing the face material, a die cutter cuts each label on the web, and the waste face material around each label, which is known as the matrix, is peeled off the web and discarded. The resulting label stock is typically wound on reels, to form roll stock, or folded into boxes, to form fan fold stock. The label stock can then be sent to the product manufacturing plant, where the labels are removed from the web and applied to an article of manufacture by means of mechanical applicators, or occasionally by hand.

In accordance with the present invention, we cut around part of the carrier web behind the label so that when the label is stripped off the label stock, the cut part of the carrier forms a flyer that remains attached to the back of the label and, when the label is applied to the product, the flyer is caught between the self-adhesive label and the product. This gives the label three surfaces that can be printed with concealed additional information, namely the two faces of the flyer and the adhesive face of the label.

When the label has been applied to the product, the flyer can be revealed by peeling back the section of label above it. The flyer can be left in position or removed, and the peeled portion of the label can be reapplied to the product.

Among the advantages that can be achieved by means of the invention are a free choice of label adhesive, for instance allowing permanent label-to-product adhesive to be used instead of peelable adhesive on difficult surfaces, or specialist adhesives on plastic surfaces; the use of less material for the same display area, as compared to piggy-back labels or additional labels; no change in the external appearance of the labelled product; the labels being usable in existing applicators; an increase in display area at low additional cost; and the ability to conceal hidden information on clear packaging until after purchase.

In addition, label stock in accordance with the invention can be produced with little alteration to existing machinery, simply by providing additional die cutting facilities on the substrate or release liner side of the web.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are set out more particularly in the accompanying claims and include a composite label for labelling an article by self-adhesion thereto, an article of manufacture provided with a composite label, label stock comprising an elongate carrier web having a release coating on a front surface thereof and a plurality of adhesive-backed label sheets mounted thereon, and a method of making label stock.

Examples of different embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a composite label; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan view of a second embodiment of a composite label; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic elevation of label cutting apparatus for making label stock; and Figures 4-7 inclusive illustrate diagrammatically four stages in the manufacture of label stock.

Figure 1 shows a label 10 of arbitrary shape composed of a label sheet 12, typically of paper, with appropriate primary labelling indicia (not shown) printed on its front face, which will be visible to the consumer at the point of sale. Its rear surface is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, which is partially covered by a flyer sheet 14 which has a release coating on its surface in contact with the adhesive of the label sheet, so that the label sheet and the flyer can be separated by peeling.

A lift tab 16 is formed in an edge of the label that is a trailing edge during the manufacturing process, as will be described below. The lift tab is formed from a region of the label at which both the label sheet and the flyer sheet together extend to the edge of the label, so that when the label is affixed to an article of manufacture, such as a container or packaging for a product, the tab provides lift means whereby a user can manually separate the label sheet from the underlying flyer sheet and lift that edge of the label sheet.

A portion of the label including all of the area over the flyer sheet is delineated by two spaced apart parallel lines of cuts 18 which provide preferential tear lines in the label sheet, so that when the tab 16 is lifted, the label between the tear lines can be stripped from the article, lifting the flyer on the back of the label sheet.

The flyer has been printed on either side with secondary indicia (not shown in the drawings), such as additional product information, recipes or competition details, and any printing on the underside of the flyer can be read by the user directly.

Printing on the release coated face side of the flyer, and on the underside of the label sheet covered by the flyer, can be read by the user after peeling the flyer from the label sheet, and the label sheet can be stuck down again if required.

The lines of cuts can be discontinuous, as illustrated, forming perforations, or may be continuous, so that lifting tab 16 simply separates the central delineated portion of the label from the outer parts that remain adhered to the labelled article. The resistance to lifting can be varied, to give a different feel, by altering the thickness of tear control strips 20 that are defined between the cut lines 18 and the adjacent side edges of the flyer.

The flyer sheet 14 does not extend as far as the leading edge 22 of the label, so leaving a hinge zone 24 defined between the adjacent edge of the flyer, the leading edge of the label, and the two parallel cut lines. This hinge zone, in which the leading edge of the label sheet is secured to the carrier web by adhesive during advance of the label stock into a mechanical label applicator, helps to prevent premature peeling of the label from its carrier web, and also allows the user to remove the flyer from the lifted label and replace and re-secure the label sheet to the article more accurately, if this is required.

The cut lines 18 are shown extending to the leading edge of the label, but may stop short of the leading edge.

Figure 2 shows a label 30 that is similar to label 10 but is provided with two parallel tear lines of cuts 32 that are closer together and overlie the edges of the flyer 14, so that the peelable portion of the label does not include all of the area covered by the flyer sheet. In this case, the portion of the flyer sheet that extends towards the trailing edge of the label to form the lift tab 16 is separated from the main body of the flyer by a tab cut 34. In this way, when tab 16 is lifted, the label sheet peels off the flyer sheet, which is retained on the article by virtue of its edges that remain trapped between the label sheet and the article. Secondary indicia printed on the front of the flyer sheet and optionally on the back of the lifted portion of the label are now exposed It may not be necessary to provide the cut lines 18 or 32 at all, if the label sheet material is suitable. Some label sheet materials consisting of highly oriented fibres will naturally tend to tear in straight lines, and may tear satisfactorily over the side edges of a lifted flyer sheet. The lifted portion of the label will correspond approximately to the area covered by the flyer.

The adhesive-backed areas of the label outside the peelable portion must be of sufficient area to ensure adequate adhesion between the label and the article to which it is to be applied.

Although the lift means shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a lift tab 16 formed in an outer cut edge of the label sheet overlying the flyer sheet, alternative lift means could be provided in a cut edge of the label sheet formed by cutting a hole in the label sheet over the flyer sheet.

The method of making label stock is illustrated in Figures 3 to 7.

Figure 3 illustrates a web 40, consisting of an elongate carrier web 44 with a release coated upper surface peelably laminated to an elongate label sheet web 42 with an adhesive coated lower surface, passing through three consecutive die cutting stations 50, where a cutter makes a continuous cut forming and defining the overall label shape in the label sheet web 42, 60, where an inverted cutter makes a continuous cut defining and forming the flyer sheet in the carrier web 44, and 70, where a cutter cuts continuous or perforated lines in the defined label sheet to delineate the portion of the label sheet to be lifted to reveal the flyer.

The method of cutting at each cutting station is according to any known method, and typical label cutters such as rotary or flat bed cutters may be used. Each cutter is provided with an appropriately shaped die and operates in synchrony with the movement of the web 40.

The number of cutting stations may be reduced to two by combining the operation of the dies at stations 50 and 70, which both operate on the label sheet stock 42, on the same side of the web 40. It is further possible to reduce the number of cutting stations to one, by operating the die cutter at station 60 immediately opposite the combined stations 50 and 70, such that a non-cutter area of each acts as the anvil for the other.

Figures 4 to 7 show diagrammatically the steps taking place at the cutting stations. For clarity , the label web 42 is shown apart from the carrier web 44, but in practice they will be peelably bonded together. Figure 4 shows the initial stock, in which the label web has already been printed with primary labelling indicia on its top surface, and optionally with secondary indicia on its rear surface, and the carrier web has already been printed with secondary indicia on one or both surfaces. Any printing on the facing surfaces may be done while the webs are temporarily delaminated.

Figure 5 shows the label sheet 12 formed by a single continuous cut in the label sheet web at cutting station 50.

Figure 6 shows the flyer sheet 14 formed by a single continuous cut in the carrier web under the label sheet at cutting station 60.

Figure 7 shows the perforations 18 cut into the label sheet 12 at cutting station 70.

The waste matrix is thereafter removed conventionally to leave label stock ready for folding or reeling.

The invention can be applied to all conventional label and web materials. Suitable label materials include cast coated, high gloss, matt, vellum, uncoated, thermal, and metallised papers, and pvc, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene and acetate films and synthetic papers. Suitable web materials include glassine, clay coated papers, and films such as 30 and 50 micron orientated polypropylene and low density and high density polyethylene.

The articles to which the labels can be applied may be any that will accept adhesive labels, but the particular advantages of the invention may be realised especially in high volume, short shelf life consumer goods packed in rigid or semi-rigid containers, such as bottles, cans, and moulded plastic and fibre packaging.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A composite label for labelling an article by self-adhesion thereto, comprising: a label sheet having a front surface bearing primary labelling indicia thereon; an adhesive rear surface; a flyer sheet bearing secondary indicia thereon, peelably covering part only of the adhesive rear surface of the label sheet while leaving enough adhesive uncovered to secure the label to a said article; and lift means connected to a portion of the label over the flyer sheet, whereby, when the label is adhered to a said article, the said portion of the label can be lifted to expose the secondary indicia on the flyer sheet without removing the whole label from the article.
2 A composite label according to claim 1 wherein the lift means comprise a cut edge of the label sheet peelably overlying the flyer sheet.
3 A composite label according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the said portion of the label is at least partially delineated by cuts through the label sheet.
4 A composite label according to claim 3 wherein said cuts form perforated tear lines.
5 A composite label according to claim 3 wherein said cuts form continuous peel lines.
6 A composite label according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the delineated portion includes all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the back of the flyer sheet facing away from the label sheet, whereby lifting the said portion of the label lifts the flyer sheet on the rear of the label sheet and exposes the secondary indicia on the back of the lifted portion of the label.
7 A composite label according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the delineated portion does not include all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the front of the flyer sheet facing the label sheet, whereby lifting the said portion of the label separates the label sheet from the flyer sheet and exposes the secondary indicia on the front of the flyer sheet.
8 An article of manufacture provided with a composite label comprising: a label sheet having a front surface bearing primary labelling indicia thereon; an adhesive rear surface securing the label to the said article; a flyer sheet bearing secondary indicia thereon, peelably covering part only of the adhesive rear surface of the label sheet between the label and the article while leaving enough adhesive uncovered to secure the label to the article; and lift means connected to a portion of the label over the flyer sheet, whereby the said portion of the label can be lifted to expose the secondary indicia on the flyer sheet without removing the whole label from the article.
9 An article according to claim 8 wherein the lift means comprise a cut edge of the label sheet peelably overlying the flyer sheet.
10 An article according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the said portion of the label is at least partially delineated by cuts through the label sheet.
11 An article according to claim 10 wherein said cuts form perforated tear lines.
12 An article according to claim 10 wherein said cuts form continuous peel lines.
13 An article according to any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the delineated portion includes all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the back of the flyer sheet facing away from the label sheet, whereby lifting the said portion of the label lifts the flyer sheet on the rear of the label sheet and exposes the secondary indicia on the back of the lifted portion of the label.
14 An article according to any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the delineated portion does not include all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the front of the flyer sheet facing the label sheet, whereby lifting the said portion of the label separates the label sheet from the flyer sheet and exposes the secondary indicia on the front of the flyer sheet.
15 Label stock comprising an elongate carrier web having a release coating on a front surface thereof and a plurality of adhesive-backed label sheets mounted thereon, wherein each label sheet has a front surface bearing primary labelling indicia thereon and an adhesive rear surface; wherein a portion of the release coated carrier web bears secondary indicia thereon and is delineated by a continuous cut, and is located under and peelably covers part only of the adhesive rear surface of the label sheet, whereby the said portion is removable with the label to form a flyer sheet adhered to the back of a label when the label sheet is peeled from the release coated web, leaving enough adhesive uncovered outside the flyer sheet to secure the label to an article; and lift means are connected to a portion of the label over the flyer sheet, whereby, when the label is adhered to a said article, the said portion of the label can be lifted to expose the secondary indicia on the flyer sheet without removing the whole label from the article.
16 Label stock according to claim 15 wherein the lift means comprise a cut edge of the label sheet peelably overlying the flyer sheet.
17 Label stock according to claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the said portion of the label is at least partially delineated by cuts through the label sheet.
18 Label stock according to claim 17 wherein said cuts form perforated tear lines.
19 Label stock according to claim 17 wherein said cuts form continuous peel lines.
20 Label stock according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein the delineated portion includes all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the back of the flyer sheet facing away from the label sheet, whereby lifting the said portion of the label lifts the flyer sheet on the rear of the label sheet and exposes the secondary indicia on the back of the lifted portion of the label.
21 Label stock according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein the delineated portion does not include all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the front of the flyer sheet facing the label sheet, whereby lifting the said portion of the label separates the label sheet from the flyer sheet and exposes the secondary indicia on the front of the flyer sheet.
22 A method of making label stock comprising: (a) providing an elongate carrier web printed on at least one surface with secondary labelling indicia and having a release coating on one surface, and an adhesive-backed elongate label sheet web mounted on the release coated surface of the carrier web and bearing primary labelling indicia on the front surface thereof in register with the secondary indicia on the carrier web; (b) making a continuous cut in the label sheet web around the primary indicia to form and define a label sheet and a residual matrix of waste label sheet material; (c) making a continuous cut in the carrier web around the secondary indicia to form and define a flyer sheet of carrier web material within the area defined by the cut label sheet; (d) forming lift means connected to a portion of the label sheet over the flyer sheet; and (e) removing the matrix of waste label sheet material from the carrier web.
23 A method according to claim 22 wherein steps (b) and (d) are performed simultaneously.
24 A method according to claim 22 wherein steps (b), (c) and (d) are performed simultaneously.
25 A method according to any one of claims 22 to 24 wherein step (d) comprises cutting an edge of the label sheet peelably overlying the flyer sheet.
26 A method according to any one of claims 22 to 25 including the step of at least partially delineating the said portion of the label by making cuts through the label sheet.
27 A method according to claim 26 wherein said cuts form perforated tear lines.
28 A method according to claim 26 wherein said cuts form continuous peel lines.
29 A method according to any one of claims 26 to 29 wherein the delineated portion includes all of the area of the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the back of the flyer sheet facing away from the label sheet.
30 A method according to any one of claims 26 to 29 wherein the delineated portion does not include all of the area covered by the flyer sheet and the secondary indicia are borne on the front of the flyer sheet facing the label sheet.
31 Label stock when made by a method according to any one of claims 22 to 30.
32 A composite label substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
33 Label stock substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
34 A method of making label stock substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.