GB2447615A

GB2447615A - Label sheet providing non sticky detachable labels

Info

Publication number: GB2447615A
Application number: GB0705169A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Pattison
Original assignee: Augustus Martin Ltd
Current assignee: Augustus Martin Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-17
Filing date: 2007-03-17
Publication date: 2008-09-24
Also published as: GB0705169D0; GB0800453D0; GB2447720A

Abstract

A label sheet 10 has one or more labels 18a attached to a backing sheet 14, with adhesive 16 such that when a label 18a is removed from the backing sheet 14, there is substantially no adhesive, or adhesive effect, remaining on the back of the removed label 18a. This is provided by the provision of an adhesive 16 which has a greater tendency to stick to the backing sheet 14 than the labels 18. The sheet 10 may find application in the provision of non-sticky back shelf display cards, from a sheet, which may also carry data as to which shelves certain products should be displayed on and how they should be labelled, carried in the areas peripheral to the labels.

Description

* 2447615

IMPROVED LAYERED SHEET COMBINATIONS

AND/OR THEIR USES

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

This invention relates to layered sheet combinations particularly layered sheet combinations of the kind where the sheets are temporarily attached to one another. The invention is also concerned with possible uses for such layered sheet combinations.

Background

Layered sheet combinations of the said kind commonly take the form of a utility sheet of paper, card or the like affixed temporarily to a carrier sheet by an intermediate layer of an adhesive, e.g. a dry-peel adhesive, that permits the utility sheet to be readily removed from off the carrier sheet by a light, manual peeling-away operation. This form of construction is particularly appropriate where the utility sheet is divided into a plurality of zones by cut lines extending at least partially into the utility sheet but not through the carrier sheet. The provision of these cut lines, often referred to as kiss-cutting, permits any one of the individual zones to be removed from off the common carrier sheet for further use. Constructions of this kind of combination are well known and described in many sources (including, for example, French Patent Specification No. FR-846583).

Heretofore such combinations have provided for the adhesive to have greater tenacity to the utility sheet than to the carrier sheet whereby the removed utility sheet or zone retains an adhesive backing and its further use can then comprise adhesively affixing it to a desired article.

mmary of the Invention In contrast, one aspect of the present invention provides a layered combination of a utility sheet, e.g. of paper, card or other planar material, affixed temporarily to a carrier sheet by an intermediate layer of an adhesive which has a greater tenacity to the carrier sheet than to the utility sheet. Such an arrangement permits the utility sheet or pre-cut zones thereof to be readily removed from off the carrier sheet with substantially no residual or effective adhesive remaining on the removed utility sheet or pre-cut zone whereby the utility sheet or pre-cut zone can be used in a substantially non-adherent manner.

Advantageously the adhesive layer is co-extensive with the carrier and utility sheets so as to extend over the entirety of the area of the superimposed carrier sheet and utility sheet.

Preferably the outerwardly facing surface of the utility sheet is printed or otherwise marked with indica appertaining to the further use of the utility sheet or said pre-cut zones. The printing may be effected before, during or after any kiss-cutting operation is effected to the layered combination such kiss-cutting being to provide the utility sheet with individually separable zones.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method for the production of printed display material for use in association with differing shelf-mounted products, wherein the existing or intended placement of said products on the shelves is determined as a sequence of shelving locations, and data appertaining to the product(s) at each location is prescribed in a data sequence related to the sequence of shelving locations, and wherein said data is printed in neighbouring zones of the utility sheet of a layered combination according to said one aspect of this invention, said zones being separated from one another by kiss-cutting of the utility sheet before, during or after said data is printed and such that the resultant neighbouring printed zones of planar material can be readily removed from the layered combination individually and in a sequence corresponding to the sequence of shelving locations.

By matching the sequence of neighbouring zones to the sequence of shelving locations, mis-labelling of the products can be better avoided.

Preferably the layered combination is also printed with indicia indicative of place where andlor time when the printed planar material is to be used. For example, where the data is for a sale promotion in a store forming part of a chain of such stores, the said indicia may include the store number or address, and/or the date when the promotion is to commence.

Advantageously each of the individually removed zones of planar material is mounted on the edge of the shelf upon which (or below which) is/are mounted the product(s) to which the printed data on that zone relates. The removed zones of planar material may, for example, provide point-of-sale display messages in a self-service store.

Brief Description of the Drawing

By way of example one embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a layered sheet combination according to this invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of an element that has been removed from the combination shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic side view (not to scale) of the removed element of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view (not to scale) along the line IV-IV of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view (not to scale) along the line V-V of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention The layered sheet combination 10 illustrated in Fig 1 comprises a utility sheet or face sheet 12 of paper, card or like planar material affixed temporarily to a base sheet or carrier or backing sheet 14 by an intermediate adhesive layer 16. The adhesive layer 16 has a greater tenacity to the carrier sheet 14 than to the utility sheet 12. The utility

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sheet 12 is divided into a plurality of zones 18, 18k, 18 by cut lines 15 extending at least partially into the utility sheet 12 (preferably wholly through it) but not wholly through the carrier sheet 14. The cut lines 15 can define each zone as a rectangle as shown, or a circle or any other desired shape. The cut lines 15 (shown broken for illustration only) may be continuous or physically broken or staggered such as to provide a perforated effect when a zone 18,l8, 18 of the utility sheet 12 is removed. One such removed zone 18n is shown in Figs 2 and 3, and the gap arising in the layered sheet combination 10 is shown referenced 19 in Fig 1.

From a comparison of Figs 1 and 3 it will be apparent that the removed zone 1 8i is substantially free of adhesive on its underneath surface 21; and a comparison of Figs 4 and 5 illustrates that the adhesive layer 16 remains affixed to carrier sheet 12 even after a zone (such as zone 18) has been removed. The absence of adhesive on underneath surface 21 of removed zone 1 8n means that the label or card provided by removed zone 18n is not "sticky" i.e. is non-adherent.

In one preferred arrangement giving effect to the above-described and illustrated embodiment, the carrier sheet 14 is a sheet of Glassine, the adhesive layer 16 applied to sheet 14 is an adhesive called "URP14 UItraLITE" [available from SureTECH Adhesive Tapes Ltd, Daventry, Northants, NN 11 8QJ] and this sub-combination of layers 14,16 is laminated onto a utility sheet 12 provided by smooth uncoated 4CC Premier paper of preferably l6Ogsm to l9Ogsm thickness rating. The resultant three-layer combination 10 is then slit to a convenient cutting and/or printing width, and the upper surface 22 of utility sheet 12 is kiss-cut along the lines 15 and/or is printed with desired indica 23,24.

If the zones 18a, 18k, 18 are printed, they may all be printed alike (i.e. with the same indica). Alternatively, as illustrated in Fig 1, they may be printed with different indica 23,24.

One preferred use for the removable cards or labels defined by the printed zones 1 8, 18b, 18c,.... of utility sheet 12 is as edge cards for supermarket shelves, i.e. individual price or sale-offer cards that are to be mounted non-adhesively into card holders on the store's shelf edges. To provide one such arrangement, specifically for use as retail display material, the sales message is printed on the top utility sheet 12 which has been adhered to the carrier sheet 14 with a low tack or air-drying adhesivel6. The label or other point-of-sale planar material is printed in zones in the order in which they are to be removed for each individual store. The sheets are either then kiss-cut or are provided pre-cut to the size of the point-of-sale element required.

The kiss-cut' penetrates the utility sheet 12 only and not the carrier sheet 14. As a low tack or air-drying adhesive 16 is used, it will either favour the carrier sheet when the point-of-sale element is peeled away or will evaporate. In either case it means that the back of the removed label is not adherent or sticky' and this provides for ease of use.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, as a generality, a method is disclosed for the production of printed display material for use in association with differing shelf-mounted products. These may be in a warehouse, store room, a wholesale establishment or a retail store such as a supermarket. For this method, the existing or intended placement of the products is determined as a sequence of shelving locations.

Then data appertaining to the product(s) at each location is prescribed and consolidated as a data sequence related to the sequence of shelving locations. This data sequence is printed in a sequence of neighbouring zones upon a utility sheet that is temporarily affixed to a carrier sheet by an intermediate layer of an adhesive -preferably an adhesive having a greater tenacity to the carrier sheet than to the utility sheet. The zones are defined by kiss-cut lines extending through the utility sheet but not through the carrier sheet, such cutting being effected before, during or preferably after the printing. By such kiss-cutting the individual zones can be readily removed from the combination of layered sheets 12,14,16 by peeling away the individual zones from off the carrier sheet so as to provide labels for mounting on the shelves (e.g. the shelf edges).

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Because the sequence of neighbouring zones on the utility sheet corresponds to the pre-set sequence of shelving locations, correct labelling of the products on (or below) the shelves, or information messages relating to those products, can be provided.

For example, an A4-size layered sheet combination 10 may have a 6 x 5 array of like-sized zones in landscape format. The first and second "zones" of the first row (of the 6 rows) may not be pre-cut, but instead may simply be marked with indicia indicative of the place where the labels defmed by the other zones are to be used, e.g. the store number and/or address identification. Alternatively or additionally, the first and second "zones" of the first row (of the 6 rows) may not be pre-cut, but instead may simply be marked with indicia indicative of the time when the labels of the other zones are to be employed, e.g. the date when a particular promotion is to be announced. For those other zones, in this example, identical first product data relating to the same first product may be printed on the remaining 3 zones of the first row, on all the 5 zones of the second row, on all the 5 zones of the third row and on the first 4 zones of the fourth row. Identical second product data relating to the same second product may be printed on the remaining zone of the fourth row and on all 5 zones of the last row.

In another example, an A4-size layered sheet combination 10 may have a 3 x 7 array of zones in portrait mode, with each zone containing different data appertaming to a different one of 21 different products.

It will be apparent that these examples of use embodying the present invention provide a layered sheet combination having mutually adjacent, pre-cut zones of the combination's utility sheet arranged in an ordered array of labels (paper, card or like planar material) that can be readily removed in a progressive sequence corresponding to the progressive pre-ordained sequence of locations associated with the products to which the labels relate, and thus provide a simple technical way of improving the accuracy of human association between articles available to be picked (from off a shelf) and the data information relaiing to them.

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After use as an individual card or label, that removed card or label l8 can be re-attached to the carrier sheet 14 by placing its underneath surface 21 onto the revealed zone 19 of adhesive layer 16 from which it, or a similarly dimensioned label or card, had been removed. It can then be again removed from the carrier sheet 14 at a future time for reuse. Re-attachment of several cards or labels can be likewise effected in sequence.

It will be appreciated that the removable labels or cards provided by zones 18a, 18b, 1 8c, ... may, when removed, have no residual tackiness or residual adhesive on them.

They can be provided by a Continuous peripheral line cut 15 for each zone so as to provide no perforations and thus be simply peelable from off the carrier sheet 14 without tearing. The labels or cards provided by zones 18a, l8b, 18ç can be of any desired shape and several different shapes may be provided on any single sheet 12 of the layered combinations 10. It will also be appreciated that the construction provides ease of use and handling, and any one zone 18a, 18b, 18 can be removed individually without removing an adjoining zone, and can be readily replaced after use (or if removed in error).

It will be further appreciated that embodiments of this invention may employ suitable materials other than those specified above. For example, it is envisaged that the carrier sheet need not be Glassine but may be an alternative release liner or base paper such as a super-calendered Kraft paper or a clay-coated Kraft paper.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

Claims

S CLAIMS

1. A method for the production of printed display material for use in association with differing shelf-mounted products, wherein the existing or intended placement of said products on the shelves is determined as a sequence of shelving locations, data appertaining to the product(s) at each location is prescribed in a data sequence related to the sequence of shelving locations, and wherein said data sequence is printed in a sequence of neighbouring zones upon a utility 1.0 sheet that is temporarily affixed to a carrier sheet by an intermediate layer of an adhesive, said zones being separated from one another by kiss-cutting of the utility sheet such that the resultant neighbouring printed zones of planar material can be readily removed from the layered combination individually and in a sequence corresponding to the sequence of shelving locations.

2. A method according to Claim I wherein said adhesive has a greater tenacity to the carrier sheet than to the utility sheet.

3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said kiss-cutting is effected before, during or after said data is printed.

4. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein the kiss-cutting provides a Continuous non-perforated boundary around each zone.

5. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein the layered combination is also printed with indicia indicative of place where and/or time when the printed planar material is to be used.

6. A method according to Claim 5 wherein said indicia is printed onto the utility sheet of the layered sheet combination.

7. A method according to Claim 5 wherein said indicia is printed onto the carrier sheet of the layered sheet combination.

8. A method according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the data is for a sale promotion in a store forming part of a chain of such stores, and the said indicia includes the store number or address, and/or the date when the promotion is to COmmen

9. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein each of the individually removed zones of planar material is mounted on the edge of the shelf upon which (or below which) is/are mounted the product(s) to which the printed data on that zone relates.

10. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein the utility sheet is of paper, card or other planar material.

11. A method according to any preceding Claim wherein the adhesive layer is co-extensive with the carrier and utility sheets so as to extend over the entirety of the area of the superimposed carrier sheet and utility sheet.

12. A method acording to Claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A layered combination for use in a method according to Claim 2, or to any one of Claims 3 to 12 when dependant from Claim 2, said layered combination comprising a utility sheet affixed temporarily to a carrier sheet by an intermediate layer of an adhesive which has a greater tenacity to the carrier sheet than to the utility sheet.

14. A layered combination according to Claim 13 wherein said utility sheet comprises paper, card or other planar material, printed in a sequence of neighbouring zones upon the said utility sheet, said zones being separated from one another by kiss-

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cutting of the utility sheet such that the resultant neighbouring printed zones of planar material can be readily removed from the layered combination individually and in sequence and corresponding to a predetermined sequence of use locations.

15. A layered combination according to Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the wherein the kiss-cutting provides a continuous non-perforated boundary around each zone.

16. A layered combination according to any one of Claims 13 to 15, wherein the adhesive layer is co-extensive with the carrier and utility sheets so as to extend over the entirety of the area of the superimposed earner sheet and utility sheet.

17. A layered combination substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.