CA2491622A1 - Novel bottle label and label removal system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a label for affixing to a bottle by an adhesive bond which is adapted to be broken down by a washing liquid such as a caustic solution. The label has a front or obverse side and is provided with channel means on its reverse side which contacts the bottle, the channels facilitating the ingress of hot caustic liquid into the interior of the label to contact the adhesive bond. This leads to rapid breakdown of the adhesive bond and the consequential removal or release of the label from the bottle. Moreover, the number and location of the channels can be chosen not only to facilitate the release of the label but to assist in the breakdown of the label into small units leading to environmentally advantageous re-use or disposal.

Description

NOVEL BOTTLE LABEL AND LABEL REMOVAL SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a label for an article, in particular for a re-usable container, the backing material layer of the label being bondable onto the container by means of an adhesive layer and the label being removable from the article under the effect of a hot washing fluid. The articles are mainly beverage, in particular, beer bottles.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
In the beverage and in particular the beer industry, the containers used, especially bottles, are subject to a high rate of re-use. In Canada, for example, there is an industry standard bottle which has a re-use rate of from ten to twenty cycles. The bottles are cleaned upon return before re-filling, the labels also being detached during the washing of the bottles.
Then the bottles are re-filled and re-labelled corresponding to the beverage type. In the case of such beer bottles, the bottles returning to the brewery do not need to be re-sorted according to product type as would be the case with permanently pre-decorated bottles, such as, those carrying an applied ceramic label or even embossed bottles. The later-applied labels for the specific type of beer now in the bottle are applied after filling and, usually, after pasteurizing. In the beverage industry, the removal of the labels on returned bottles is generally carried out with a washing liquid, such as dilute caustic soda, heated to 60 ° Celsius or more, often without additional mechanical aids suck as brushes, high pressure nozzles, etc.
Generally, paper labels with wet-glue or melt-adhesives are used for the labelling of these re-usable containers. In this case, the wet or molten-glue adhesive is applied to the full surface of the label or in strips thereon, the adhesive only being applied to the paper immediately prior to labelling. In either case, the label sits essentially flush with the bottle surface and this presents an obstacle to the wash liquid from rapidly contacting the adhesive and delays removal of the label.
This disadvantage is avoided by self adhesive labels, which are obtained from the label suppliers already provided with adhesive. Pressure sensitive labels have certain advantages, such as elimination of liquid gluing equipment in the labelling station of the production line but they are expensive and not readily removable. Attempts to overcome this and other associated problems have been made; refer to the complex laminated label of U.S. Patent 6,680,097, but these are not widely used for the reasons given above. Because of the standardized washing-off conditions in the beverage industry, it was practically only possible to use paper-based labels until now. During washing off of the labels in the wash station, the water permeability of paper is exploited with the object that the wet-glue adhesive comes relatively quickly into full-surface contact with the washing liquid and is completely detached in the pre-determined washing time -in the order of some minutes, most of the adhesive then usually going into a solution in the washing liquid. This high permeability for washing liquid and water is not possessed by the thermoplastic films used for many labels - such as polylefins, polycarbonates, polyesters, polyvinyl chlorides, polystyrenes, etc. Such films prevent the access of the washing liquid to the interface of the adhesive and container surface, so that the impermeable film labels can only be slowly detached from the label edge which, without additional mechanical support, such as brushes, high-pressure nozzles, etc., does not permit complete removal of the labels within an economically justifiable time span. These mechanical means are undesirable because, inter alia, of the higher capital outlay.

In the case of a paper/wet-glue label, the adhesive swells and is then detached. In the case of paper labels pre-coated with adhesive, re-dispersible adhesives are also used.
Film-based labels pre-coated with adhesive have also been proposed. Such film labels, in contrast to earlier paper labels, can be decorated in an extremely wide range of ways. In contrast to paper, they are also available in transparent form, have wet strength and can be dispensed onto the containers at high speeds in standardized machines, sometimes without the need to work with adhesives. Their mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and extensibility, are greatly superior to those of paper labels, but they are expensive. Moreover, it is also required that they be readily washed off with existing washing systems as easily as the paper labels often used until now and a difficult task.
In order, nevertheless, to be able to use film-based labels for reusable beverage bottles, label systems have now been developed, which permit complete removal of the labels after each return. In the so-called Contiroll system, all-around labels are not full surface adhesively bonded. Adhesive spots between the label and container surface are only provided in the region of the overlapping joint. To detach the label, the labels are required to be slit in the axial direction of the container. In this process, the container can easily be damaged. Furthermore, the slitting devices require high capital outlay. This system does not allow labelling over only a partial circumference of a bottle, since no continuous adhesive is present.
Such all-around labels may be displaced on the container and foreign matter may penetrate between the label and the container surface, so that these label do not come into consideration for the so-called "no label look" applications, that is to say, for applications in which, through the use of highly transparent film materials, the labels allow a view of the bottle or contents at the places where the label is unprinted.

Also known are so-called "sleeve labels" of shrinkable film. A film tube is slipped over the container and then shrunk on to the container by the application of heat.
Adhesive bonding between the label and container can be entirely absent in this case. For removal, the label must in this case be elaborately slit open. A further disadvantage of these labels is that no enhanced decoration such as metallic effects or embossed sheet printing is possible, since these sleeves are printed directly from behind by reverse printing, and such enhanced decorations are not shrinkable to the same degree as the printed film substrate. In this case, displacements and loss of brilliance would occur. Furthermore, both the last-mentioned labelling systems are material-intensive, since complete all-round coverage of the object is always necessary, and some of the plastics materials used may not readily be degradable and might cause a long term environmental hazard.
Generally, materials used in the manufacture of label must have various characteristics including:
~ must be amenable to printing at high speed;
~ must not develop a hole or allow the backing to show through in either the wet or dry condition;
~ the resulting labels must be somewhat resistant to water when in position on the container since the latter are often cooled in a waterlice bath or under refrigeration condition where they collect water via condensation;
~ they must allow for rapid and complete release of the labels in the cleaning plant thus requiring inter alia rapid washing liquid penetration;

~ in many countries, partial breakdown of the label in the caustic is required.
An object of the present invention provides a label which creates increased access of the washing liquid to the adhesive and to the backing material to improve the release of the label from the bottle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved in that the label backing material layer is modified to present ready ingress of the washing liquid to the material making up the label backing so as to rapidly neutralize or overcome the retention force of the adhesive bond used to secure the label to the bottle. The label is therefore easily removed or released from the bottle within the short time frames required for such step in a modern fast bottling line, Moreover, the provision of channels in the backing allows the label to be more receptive not only to its being more readily removed but subsequently broken down into readily dispersible parts which may be environmentally more easily handled.
The hot washing liquid usually contains inter alia an alkali, in particular caustic soda is preferred. The liquid usually contains other components including surfactants, antifoaming agents etc. (refer to Technology Brewing and Malting - Wolfgang Kunze for more details). The labels are detached from the bottle particularly quickly under the effect of the hot washing liquid.
The washing liquid used can penetrate the interior of the label to reach the adhesive bond even faster from the label edge or edges through the channels, and neutralize the adhesive bonds in a short time. The adhesive, even if water-based is usually such that it is not readily affected under the effect of water alone, especially when cold, but is inactivated relatively quickly to allow the label to be separated from the container under the effect of the hot washing liquid which may, for example, be 1 % - 2% hot caustic soda, as is conventionally used in the beverage industry. The treatment may be effected by transporting the labelled bottles through successive tanks of washing liquid and, subsequently, rinsing water.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a preferably paper label which can be secured via an adhesive bond to a bottle and removed by a, preferably caustic, hot washing liquid adapted to eliminate said adhesive bond, the label having a first and obverse surface which is adapted to accept informational material and a second and reverse surface which is provided with channels which extend from an edge of said label into the interior thereof and are adapted to allow washing liquid to rapidly penetrate said backing material and essentially eliminate the adhesive bond between the label and the bottle.
In one embodiment, the preferably paper label which can be secured via an adhesive bond to a bottle and removed by a, preferably, caustic hot washing liquid adapted to eliminate said adhesive bond, the label comprising a first layer which is adapted to carry informational material and a second and backing layer attached to said first layer, said backing layer being provided with parallel channels which extend from an edge of said label into the interior thereof and are adapted to allow washing liquid to rapidly penetrate said backing material and eliminate the adhesive bond between the label and the bottle.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a system for removing labels secured to a bottle or the like comprising securing a preferably paper label via an adhesive bond to a bottle and removing same by treating the labelled bottle with a hot washing liquid adapted to eliminate said adhesive bond, the label comprising a first layer having a facing surface which is adapted to accept informational material and a second layer to which is, or is attached to, a backing material, said backing material being provided with channels which extend from an edge of said label into the interior thereof and are adapted to allow the washing liquid to rapidly penetrate said backing material and eliminate the adhesive bond between the label and the bottle.
Preferably, the label comprises a first layer having a facing surface which is adapted to accept or actually carries informational material and a second surface to which is attached the backing material, said backing material being provided with parallel channels which extend from an edge of said label into the interior thereof and are adapted to allow washing liquid to rapidly penetrate said backing material and eliminate the adhesive bond between the label and the bottle.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a label for a bottle comprising a layer of paper-based material, an obverse side of which comprises a substantially flat continuous surface adapted to accept information and a reverse side of which comprises discrete particles at least portions of which are laterally separated from each other by channels extending from an edge of said label, which channels are adapted to allow ingress of said washing liquid which is adapted to reduce or eliminate said bond and release said label from said bottle when said label is affixed to a bottle.
In yet a further aspect, the invention provides a system for the removal of a label affixed to a bottle by an adhesive bond susceptible to breakdown under the influence of a hot washing liquid wherein said label comprises a layer of paper-based material, an obverse side of which comprises a substantially flat continuous surface carrying information and a reverse side of which comprises discrete particles at least portions of which are laterally separated from each other by channels extending from an edge of said label and adapted to allow ingress of said hot washing liquid which is adapted to reduce or eliminate said bond and release said label from said bottle.
The label may be formed in known manner by providing the reverse side of the label while being formed with indentation or score lines using analogous systems to those used to provide such lines in paperboard and the like. An alternative is to secure a plurality of particles individually or in groups to the reverse side of a paper layer, this process leaving the individual particles, or such groups thereof secured only to the paper layer and not to each other. This effectively leaves the desired channels between individual particles or the groups.
The hot washing liquid can then readily penetrate through the channels, contact the adhesive forming the bond between the particles and the bottle surface to which it is attached.
Subsequently, the liquid can access the adhesive between the particles and the paper layer and facilitate the rapid breakdown of the label, an environmental advantage in the more rapid recycling of the label materials. This more rapid breakdown also occurs when the channels are formed by simple indentations.
The present invention will be further described but limited by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an exaggerated cross-section through a label of the present invention showing one set of channels;
FIG. 2 is an exaggerated cross-section through another embodiment of the present invention showing a backing surface formed of discrete units;
FIG. 2a is an angled perspective view from above of the label of FIG. 2;
_g_ FIG. 2b is a bottom plan of the label of FIG. 2 showing the channels between the individual units;
FIG. 3 is a part plan view from underneath showing the intersection of two sets of parallel channels;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic top view of a labelling device; and FIG. 5 is a detailed diagrammatic view of the gripper label transfer device.
Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a paper label 10 which comprises a first layer or facing sheet 12 made of paper secured by an adhesive to second layer or backing 14. The outermost or obverse surface 16 of facing 12 is adapted to be essentially waterproof and carry information in the form of the product brand name and associated artwork or mnemonics. A
second surface 18 is secured to a backing material 14, which material is provided with a series of channels 20 formed by scoring in the usual manner which extend from one edge 22 of the label across to the opposing edge 24. The backing 14 is made of paper fibre and the channels 20 essentially divide the label into a number of segments 26 joined by reduced thickness web portions 28. In this embodiment having one set of channels 20, segments 26 are rectangular and extend the length or width of label 10.
Turning to FIG. 2, this shows another embodiment of a label 10 of the present invention.
In this case, facing 12 is the same as described above with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1 but backing material 14 comprises a layer 14 of discrete units 30, each separately secured to inner surface 18 of facing 12. Since units 30 are not secured to each other, a series of channels are located between the units 30. In this embodiment, the channels will not be exactly in parallel sets since the production of the label material at high speed does not allow for the units 30 to be configured in strict alignment as the units 30 are secured to the facing 12.
Turning to FIG. 2A, this is an angled perspective of the label 10 showing the units 30 and associated channels 20 along two edges of the label. The facing 12 carries brand and other information such as alcoholic content and bottle volume. It will be appreciated that all thicknesses are exaggerated to better show how the channels 20 show constitute liquid ingress ports into the interior of the backing material and further, to the adhesive used to secure the units 30 to the lower surface 18 of the facing 12. The adhesive bonding the units 30 to the facing surface 18 is chosen so as to be broken down or even essentially dissolved by the washing liquid.
Turning to FIG. 3, this illustrates the underneath of a paper label of the present invention, similar to that described with respect to FIG. 1 but wherein there are two sets of channels 20 oriented at right angles to each other. The small rectangular segments 26 are defined by channels 20. The thickness of the material making up the backing 14 at the base of the channels is relatively small and easily broken down under the influence of the hot washing liquid which thereby breaks down the label including the front or obverse surface into small seconds for disposal.
Turning to FIG. 5, this shows a known and commercially available labeller 50 which includes the following components:
~ 51 is a magazine containing a supply of labels;
~ 52 is a roller which transfers adhesive to the outer surface of the label backing via 53 which is an adhesive transfer pallet;

~ 54 is a label gripper cylinder;
~ 55 represents bottles on a carousel; and ~ 56 is a label The arrows indicate the direction of rotation of the various rotating elements.
FIG. 6 is a detail of the mode of transfer of the adhesive coated label from the glue pallet 53 to the gripper cylinder 54. In this drawing, the glue pallet 53 having acquired a label 56 from the label supply 51 rotates until label 56's lead edge 57 meets gripper finger 48 which is mechanically activated by trip can 59. The finger 48 holds the label 56 which is thereby pulled off the glue pallet which rolls synchronously against the gripper cylinder 54, after which it is clamped by several gripper fingers 48, acting on adhesive free positions on the label against bar-shaped stop 60. The adhesive-free positions occur because there are appropriate recesses in the glue pallet. The label lies on the gripper sponge 61 and is carried to and applied to the rotating bottle 56 after it has been released by the gripper fingers 48.
The adhesive applied may fully coat the label backing or, as is more usual, it is applied to only selected areas of the backing. In the present case, it is preferred that the adhesive is applied in spaced apart horizontally parallel lines, the spaces between the lines being adhesive free as applied although when applied there will be some migration into the adhesive-free zone. It will be appreciated that the channels according to the present invention allow the hot washing liquid to gain ready access to the glued areas which become the adhesive bonded areas when the label is secured to the bottle.

Claims (13)

1. A paper label which can be secured via an adhesive bond to a bottle and removed by a hot washing liquid adapted to neutralize said adhesive bond, the label comprising a first facing surface which carries informational material and a second and reverse surface which is provided with channels which extend from an edge of said label into the interior thereof and are adapted to allow said washing liquid to rapidly penetrate said backing material and eliminate the adhesive bond between the label and a bottle to which the label is attached.

2. A label for a bottle comprising a layer of paper-based material, an obverse side of which comprises a substantially continuous surface carrying information and a reverse side of which comprises discrete particles at least portions of which are laterally separated from each other by channels extending from an edge of said label, which channels are adapted to allow ingress of said washing liquid which is adapted to reduce or eliminate said bond and release said label from said bottle when said label is affixed to a bottle.

3. A paper label according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein said channels extend from the same edge of the label and are substantially parallel to each other.

4. A label according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein there are two sets of channels, the channels in each set being generally parallel to each other and each set of channels originates at a different edge of the label and intersect the other set.

5. A label according to Claim 1 or 2 which is generally recyclable and wherein there are two sets of channels, the channels in each set extending from an edge of the label which is at an edge from which said other set extends and the channels are approximately parallel to each other and the channels of one set intersect the channels of the other set.

6. A label according to Claim 5 wherein the said sets of channels intersect at approximately right angles.

7. A label according to Claim 5 wherein said channels extend substantially across the label.

8. A label removal system wherein a label which is secured to a bottle via an adhesive bond is treated with a hot wash liquid adapted to breakdown said adhesive bond, said label comprising a layer of material, an obverse side of which comprises a substantially continuous surface carrying information and a reverse side of which is provided with channels extending from an edge of the label to an interior thereof and which are adapted to allow said hot liquid to rapidly penetrate thereinto, contact and breakdown said bond and thereby release said label from said bottle.

9. A label removal system wherein a label which is secured to a bottle via an adhesive bond is treated with a hot wash liquid adapted to breakdown said adhesive bond, said label comprising a lawyer of material, an obverse side of which comprises a substantially continuous surface carrying information and a reverse side of which comprises a plurality of discrete particles at least a portion of which are laterally separated from each other by channels extending from an edge of the label to an interior thereof and are adapted to allow said hot liquid to rapidly penetrate thereinto, contact and breakdown said bond and thereby release said label from said bottle.

10. A system according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein the label is a paper label.

11. A system according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein said channels extend substantially across the label.

12. A system according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein there are two sets of parallel channels which intercept each other.

13. A system according to Claim 8 or 9 wherein the washing liquid is a caustic solution have a concentration of up to 5% caustic.