CN116034411A

CN116034411A - Pressure sensitive label

Info

Publication number: CN116034411A
Application number: CN202180047587.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: B·G·麦基里普; S·L·凯尼克; P·J·卡萨尼
Original assignee: Colorful Co
Current assignee: Colorful Co
Priority date: 2020-05-11
Filing date: 2021-05-11
Publication date: 2023-04-28
Also published as: EP4147223A1; CA3183144A1; WO2021231414A1; MX2022014169A; AU2021270517A1; BR112022023015A2; EP4147223A4

Abstract

The invention discloses a pressure-sensitive label and a preparation method thereof, wherein the pressure-sensitive label 10 comprises: (a) A support portion 12, said support portion 12 comprising at least a carrier layer 14; and (b) a transfer portion 18 above the support portion 12 for transferring the transfer portion 18 from the support portion 12 to the article 26 upon application of pressure to the transfer portion 18 when the transfer portion 18 is in contact with the article 26, the transfer portion 18 including at least a patterned adhesive layer 24 in facing relationship with a surface of the carrier layer 14, wherein the facing surface of the patterned adhesive layer 24 is less than substantially the entire surface of the carrier layer 14.

Description

Pressure sensitive label

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from PCT patent application 16/871,694 entitled "pressure sensitive Label" filed 11/5 in 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application 16/269943 entitled "pressure sensitive Label" filed 7/2 in 2019 (now U.S. patent 10,650,706, published 12/5 in 2020), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application 15/094,443 entitled "pressure sensitive Label" filed 8/4 in 2016 (now U.S. patent 10,325,528, published 18/6 in 2019), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application 14/724,021 entitled "pressure sensitive Label" filed 28 in 2015 (published 12/2016 2), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to labels for various articles, and more particularly to pressure sensitive labels for articles such as containers.

Background

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. It should be understood, therefore, that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Pressure sensitive labels are multi-layer structures that include a pressure sensitive adhesive and are used to mark an article by applying pressure to the label to adhere the label to the article via the pressure sensitive adhesive when the label is in contact with the article. Such pressure sensitive labels are popular because, among other things, they are versatile and allow for a high level of printability when the surface is printed with a bright color. In addition, they can be printed on a wide variety of materials, such as paper, foil, metal, plastic and other synthetic materials. They may also be compatible with a variety of finishing processes including, but not limited to, perforation, embossing, and hot stamping.

Referring to fig. 1, a typical prior art pressure sensitive label 1 is shown. When the articles are marked with pressure sensitive labels, the base pressure sensitive label stock 2 is typically obtained from a separate supplier. The base pressure sensitive label stock 2 typically comprises at least four laminate layers: (1) a carrier 3 (sometimes referred to as a "liner"), (2) a release layer 4 disposed on one surface of the carrier, (3) an adhesive layer 5 (including a pressure sensitive adhesive) disposed on the release layer, and (4) a facestock 6 disposed on the adhesive layer.

Thus, a typical base pressure sensitive label stock 2 may be considered to have a support portion 7 (carrier 3 and release layer 4) and a transfer portion 8 (adhesive 5 and facestock 6). The release layer 4 is used to allow the portion to be transferred to the article to be peeled off and released from the carrier 3 during label application.

Facestock 6 is typically made from a web or sheet of paper, film or foil and is applied or laminated to adhesive layer 5 sequentially at some time after the adhesive layer 5 is laid. Once the base pressure sensitive label stock 2 is obtained from the supplier, the facestock 6 may be printed with an ink layer 9 or layers (text, graphics, indicia, etc.) to create label decorations and information. Then, by removing the carrier 3 and release layer 4, a conventional pressure sensitive label construction is applied to the article surface to expose the adhesive layer 5 and place the adhesive layer 5 in contact with the desired surface and apply pressure to transfer the adhesive 5, facestock 6, and ink layer 9 onto the article (the "ink layer" as described herein may include more than one ink to create the appearance of label decoration and information).

Although these pressure sensitive labels are well known, there are a number of disadvantages to using the pressure sensitive labels described above. As described above, the original substrate pressure sensitive label stock (carrier, release layer, adhesive layer, and facestock) is typically provided by a third party, followed by the addition of the label design (i.e., ink graphics, text, indicia, etc.). This does not allow the entire label (e.g., carrier, release layer, adhesive layer, facestock, and ink layer) to be constructed in one location and/or time. Thus, current pressure sensitive labels require a multi-location, multi-step manufacturing process, thereby extending the time required to manufacture a complete pressure sensitive label. (references herein to "label structure" and the like are intended to refer to a structure of a single label and/or a web structure of multiple single labels.)

In addition, the supplier of the base pressure sensitive label stock has no prior knowledge of what size, shape, contour, etc. of ink layer indicia will be printed on the base stock to form the final label web ("label web" is the length of the base pressure sensitive label stock, with multiple individual labels printed along its length via ink/indicia). Thus, the base pressure sensitive label stock is formed from a flood coat of adhesive and a facestock that matches or substantially closely matches the area of the carrier (to accommodate any size, shape, contour, etc. of the printable ink layer or layers, as well as any size, shape, and/or contour of the label or label). Thus, after the printing ink design, the label web must be die cut to produce the final web (carrier/release with the individual cut labels thereon). This process requires the carrier to be made of a strong material-such as polyester-so that it can withstand the die cutting process without itself being cut (since only the ink layer, facestock, adhesive and release agent are cut). The cut matrix that does not contain a label is then removed and discarded. The use of strong materials for the carrier (e.g., polyester) presents a problem in that the carrier cannot be recycled because the material cannot be placed into the recycling stream of the label web. Although the carrier is typically polyester, this does not prevent the use of other materials as carriers (e.g., paper liners, cellophane, polypropylene, or mixtures of such materials).

Furthermore, since the base pressure sensitive label stock needs to be provided by a third party, followed by printing of the ink layer, it is necessary to order the layers of the final label in such a way that the adhesive is adjacent to the carrier (e.g., adjacent to the release layer) and the ink is remote from the carrier. This configuration results in a further disadvantage of the prior art pressure sensitive labels. Furthermore, since the substrate pressure sensitive label stock needs to be provided by a third party, followed by printing of the ink layer, it is necessary to order the layers of the final label in such a way that the adhesive is adjacent to the carrier (e.g., adjacent to the release layer) and the ink is remote from the carrier. This configuration results in a further disadvantage of the prior art pressure sensitive labels. First, the fact that the adhesive is in close proximity to the carrier requires a release layer or coating between the carrier and the adhesive to allow the adhesive, facestock, and ink layers to be released from the carrier when applied to an article. The need for such a release layer increases the material of these conventional pressure sensitive labels, thereby increasing costs. Second, the positioning of the ink layer away from the carrier means that once the ink layer is applied to the article, the ink layer will become the outer surface of the label. This means that the ink layer is easily scratched or damaged, spoiling the aesthetic appearance of the article. This also means that metallic materials cannot be used as inks in these conventional pressure sensitive labels (as they are easily damaged). Thus, the inks available for these labels are limited and the design is vulnerable to damage. A protective layer may be added to the label (to the outside of the ink layer), but this adds another layer to the label and increases costs, as with the release layer described above.

Furthermore, when the label is to be adhered to a contoured or irregular surface, and a high degree of flexibility is required, the rigidity of the facestock (and any rigidity due to the multiple layers of the label) may interfere with the application and adhesion of the label.

Furthermore, one common phenomenon in pressure sensitive label applications is the presence of various defects, such as wrinkles and blisters. These defects can occur when the label is not aligned with the article to which the label is applied and/or air is trapped between the label and the article. The result is poor visual effect (poor aesthetics), labels that fail due to wear or tear of unsupported labels, and even products that are not marketable.

In view of the many drawbacks of pressure sensitive labels as described above (particularly the many layers required, the use of third party base structures, and the possible damage to label indicia), many people often turn to heat transfer labels as an alternative type of labels. The heat transfer labels are preferably resistant to abrasion and chemical effects to avoid loss of label information and desirably have good adhesion characteristics to the articles to which they are attached.

The heat transfer label is a multi-layer structure, each layer having its own function. For example, heat transfer labels typically include an adhesive layer, an ink layer, and a release layer. The release layer may be a wax release layer and is typically directly adjacent to the carrier sheet, for example on a roll or web of labels. Thus, in such examples, the label may be considered to include a "support portion" (e.g., carrier sheet and release layer) and a "transfer portion" (i.e., ink layer and adhesive layer). When heated, the wax release layer melts, allowing the transfer portion to separate from the carrier sheet, and the adhesive layer adheres the ink layer to the marked article. Alternatively, all or part of the wax release layer may also be transferred to provide protection to the ink layer. Additionally or alternatively, the label may include a separate protective layer overlying the ink layer to protect the ink layer from abrasion.

More specifically, during heat transfer labeling, the label-bearing sheet is subjected to heat and the label is pressed onto the article with the ink layer in direct contact with the article. When the paper is heated, the wax layer begins to melt, so that the paper sheet can be released from the ink layer. (and, as described above, a portion of the wax layer may be transferred with the ink layer and a portion of the wax layer may remain with the paper sheet.) after transferring the ink layer to the article, the paper sheet is removed, leaving the ink layer firmly attached to the article. In another embodiment, where the wax layer is also transferred, the wax layer may thus serve two purposes: (1) Providing release of the ink layer from the sheet upon application of heat to the sheet, and (2) forming a protective layer over the transferred ink layer. After the label is transferred to the article, the transferred wax release layer may be subjected to post-combustion techniques that enhance the optical clarity of the layer (so that the underlying ink layer is better visible) and that enhance the protection of the transferred wax layer.

However, a major disadvantage of using heat transfer labels is the need to apply heat during the label process, which may be undesirable. It is therefore desirable to configure the pressure sensitive label structure for use as a label, for example, which avoids the need to use conventional facestock formed from paper, film or foil. It is also desirable that the pressure sensitive label structure have printability, switchability and dispensability that are superior or equal to the prior art pressure sensitive label structures (as described above). It is also desirable that such pressure sensitive label structures be designed in a manner that reduces the manufacturing time required to complete the structure, as compared to prior art pressure sensitive structures. In addition, wrinkles and/or blisters that may form during label application may be reduced and/or eliminated. Further, it is desirable for such pressure sensitive label structures to have reduced layers, thereby reducing costs, increasing recyclability, increasing ease of application to the labeled article, and reducing the incidence or likelihood of damage to the ink layer.

Disclosure of Invention

Certain exemplary aspects of the invention are set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms the invention might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

Aspects of the present invention address any and/or all of the shortcomings of the prior art pressure sensitive labels described above by providing pressure sensitive labels having, among other features, reduced layers, reduced cost, increased recyclability, increased ease of application to marked articles, and reduced incidence or likelihood of ink layer damage (as compared to prior art pressure sensitive labels described in the background). To achieve this, one aspect of the present invention provides a pressure sensitive label comprising: (a) a support portion comprising at least a carrier layer; and (b) a transfer portion comprising at least a printable layer in contact with the carrier layer. Typically, the transfer portion may overlie the support portion when the transfer portion is in contact with the article to transfer the transfer portion from the support portion to the article when pressure is applied to the transfer portion. In one aspect of the invention, the carrier layer does not include any release layer between the carrier layer and the printable layer. This eliminates the prior art label layer, thereby reducing the cost of the label.

Furthermore, in another aspect of the invention, the printable layer may be applied in a softened, melted, thixotropic, liquid, etc., form, which allows it to be applied as a pattern (e.g., shape, size, outline, etc., of the label image, i.e., graphics, text, indicia, etc.), rather than being provided as a facestock that matches (or substantially matches) the area of the carrier layer (as in prior art labels). The formulation of the printable layer allows it to receive ink thereon after cooling, curing, UV curing, etc. The ability to apply the printable layer in a pattern also reduces the amount of material required for the label web (and thus reduces costs), eliminates the need for a die cutting process (and waste of waste die cutting process material), and can be used to allow the entire label to be built in one location (as opposed to the need to acquire a base pressure sensitive label blank from a third party supplier).

In other aspects, the label may include an ink layer positioned such that the printable layer is between the carrier layer and the ink layer. Also, the label may include an adhesive layer positioned such that the ink layer is between the printable layer and the adhesive layer. With this configuration, the pressure sensitive labels described herein include a printable layer closest to the carrier and an adhesive layer furthest from the carrier (this is a slightly opposite configuration compared to prior art pressure sensitive labels). With this configuration, the transfer portion (e.g., printable layer, ink layer, adhesive layer) of the pressure sensitive labels described herein does not have to be peeled off of the carrier to expose the adhesive for adhesion to the article. Instead, the label is configured such that the adhesive is already the outer layer of the label structure prior to application to the article, so the adhesive is pre-exposed and ready to contact the article-thereby increasing the ease of application to the article.

The arrangement of the layers in this aspect and embodiment of the present label also results in the ink being located below (and thus protected by) the printable layer once the transfer portion is transferred to the article. This results in the ink layer (indicia, graphics, designs, text, information, etc.) being protected from damage once the label is transferred to the article. This protection is achieved without the addition of any additional protective lacquer layer (sometimes using prior art pressure sensitive labels). The configuration that allows the printable layer to protect the ink layer after transfer also increases the amount of material that may be used in the ink layer-e.g., materials that are easily damaged, such as metallic inks, can be used.

In another aspect, the pressure sensitive label may further comprise a release layer positioned such that the carrier layer is between the printable layer and the release layer. In other words, the release layer is not on the side of the carrier adjacent to the transfer portion of the label, but on the underside or back side of the carrier. For example, the release layer allows the label web to be wound onto a roll while preventing blocking (i.e., the problem of adhesive on the label adhering to the underside of the carrier when the label web is wound onto a roll).

Another aspect of the present invention provides a pressure sensitive label comprising: (a) a support portion comprising at least a carrier layer; and (b) a transfer portion comprising at least a printable layer in facing relationship with the carrier layer, and an ink layer may be present between the printable layer and the carrier layer. Depending on the nature of the ink layer, at least a portion or portions of the printable layer may contact the carrier layer (i.e., in any region where no ink or ink layer is present). Typically, the transfer portion may overlie the support portion when the transfer portion is in contact with the article to transfer the transfer portion from the support portion to the article when pressure is applied to the transfer portion. In one embodiment, the carrier layer does not comprise any release layer on the side of the carrier layer facing the ink layer. This eliminates the prior art label layer, thereby reducing the cost of the label. In this configuration, the pressure sensitive label of this aspect includes an ink layer closest to the carrier and an adhesive layer furthest from the carrier. Because of this configuration, the transfer portion (e.g., ink layer, printable layer, adhesive layer) of the pressure sensitive label described in this aspect does not have to be peeled off of the carrier to expose the adhesive for adhesion to the article. Instead, the label is configured such that the adhesive is already the outer layer of the label structure prior to application to the article, so the adhesive is pre-exposed and ready to contact the article-thereby increasing the ease of application to the article. In addition, this version of the label may also include a release layer positioned such that the carrier layer is between the ink layer and the release layer (to prevent clogging, for example, when the label web is wound on a roll).

Another aspect of the invention may include one or more methods for manufacturing a pressure sensitive label. Another aspect of the invention may include one or more methods for applying a pressure sensitive label to an article.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a typical pressure sensitive label construction of the prior art.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a construction for making a pressure sensitive label in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a completed pressure sensitive label on a roll of labels in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic illustration of the application of a pressure sensitive label structure to an article in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 8 depicts an article with a pressure sensitive label in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a method of making a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a method of making a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a method of making a pressure sensitive label structure in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Detailed Description

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

As described above, aspects of the present invention address the above-described shortcomings of prior art pressure sensitive labels by providing a pressure sensitive label that has, among other features, reduced layers, reduced cost, increased recyclability, increased ease of application to marked articles, and reduced incidence or likelihood of ink layer damage (as compared to prior art pressure sensitive labels described in the background). To achieve this, one aspect of the present invention provides a pressure sensitive label comprising: (a) at least a support portion comprising a carrier layer; and (b) a transfer portion comprising at least a printable layer in contacting relationship with the carrier layer. Typically, the transfer portion may overlie the support portion to transfer the transfer portion from the support portion to the article when pressure is applied to the transfer portion when the transfer portion is in contact with the article. In one aspect of the invention, the carrier layer does not include any release layer between the carrier layer and the printable layer. This eliminates layers in prior art labels, thereby reducing the cost of the labels.

Referring now to FIG. 2, one embodiment of such a pressure sensitive label 10 is shown. As shown in fig. 2, the pressure sensitive label 10 of the illustrated embodiment is a multi-layer structure, each layer having its own function. Other embodiments also have a multi-layer structure. In general, the label includes a "support portion" 12 (e.g., carrier layer 14) and a "transfer portion" 18 (e.g., at least one printable layer 20-although various embodiments may also include, for example, an ink layer 22 and an adhesive layer 24). When subjected to pressure, as will be described in more detail below, the transfer portion 18 may be separated from the carrier 14 to adhere to an article. This occurs when the label 10 is placed in facing relation with the article 26 and pressure is applied such that the transfer portion 18 is in direct contact with the outer surface 28 of the article 26 (the article 26 can be seen in fig. 7 and 8). After transfer portion 18 is in contact with article 26, carrier sheet 14 is removed such that transfer portion 18 is secured to article 26 via adhesive layer 24 of transfer portion 18.

According to aspects of the present invention, there are a number of embodiments of the pressure sensitive label 10. All embodiments include the general support portion 12 and the transfer portion 18 described above. The support portion 12 of each embodiment includes a carrier layer 14, which carrier layer 14 may have a release coating 16 (e.g., a wax or silicone coating) on one side thereof (as can be seen in the embodiment shown in fig. 2A). In alternative embodiments, the carrier 14 may not have a release coating, but may be treated in other ways, such as by corona treatment. In other embodiments, the carrier 14 may be untreated and have no release coating. The transfer portion 18 of each embodiment is positioned adjacent to and in facing relationship with the carrier 14 prior to transfer from the carrier 14. The transfer portion 18 of the embodiment includes at least (1) a printable layer 20 in facing relationship with the carrier 14. This facing relationship does not require contact between the two layers (although contact is possible). Although there may be a layer or coating between the carrier 14 and the printable layer 20, these layers need only be adjacent and proximate to each other, for example, as shown in fig. 2A. Transfer portion 18 may also include an ink layer 22 and an adhesive layer 24. As shown in the embodiment of fig. 2 and 2A, the ink layer 22 may be positioned such that the printable layer 20 is located between the carrier layer 14 and the ink layer 22. Also, in those embodiments, the adhesive layer 24 may be positioned such that the ink layer 22 is between the printable layer 22 and the adhesive layer 24. Additional layers may be included within transfer portion 18.

Some layers of the pressure sensitive label 10 may be made of UV curable material (and in some embodiments, all layers may include UV curable material). UV curable materials are generally known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, certain inks, coatings, and adhesives are formulated with photoinitiators and resins. When exposed to the correct energy and irradiance of a particular band of UV light, polymerization occurs and thus the material cures. This reaction may take only a few seconds. The UV sources used may include UV lamps and UV LEDs. Fast processes such as flexographic printing (which may be used on some or all of the layers on some embodiments of the pressure sensitive label) may use high intensity light.

Still referring to fig. 2, the illustrated embodiment includes a carrier layer 14, a printable layer 20, an ink layer 22, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 24, and a backside release layer 27. As shown in fig. 2, the release layer 27 is positioned such that the carrier layer 14 is between the printable layer 20 and the release layer 27. As will be described in further detail below (in a more detailed discussion of the various layers of the label 10), the backside release layer 27 prevents blocking, for example, when the web of labels is wound onto a roll.

As described above, various pressure sensitive label embodiments in accordance with the principles of the present invention include a carrier layer 14. The carrier layer 14 (and in the embodiment shown in fig. 2) used in some embodiments is made of a material that allows the transfer portion 18 of the label 10 to be separated from the carrier layer 14 without the need for a separate release layer (e.g., a release layer as in the prior art). This allows for a reduction in the materials and costs used in current pressure sensitive labels. Thus, in embodiments of the present invention, the carrier layer 14 is made of or includes a material having a surface tension that allows the printable layer 20 to be releasably bonded thereto. Also, in more specific embodiments of the invention, the surface of the carrier layer 14 that contacts the printable layer 20 may have a dyne level of less than about 32.

Further, as described above, the web of labels 10 may be wound onto a roll (see, e.g., fig. 6). In the rolled state, the adhesive layer 24 of the label will contact the carrier portion 12 of the label web (and may in particular contact the back side release layer 27) at its top. In such an embodiment, the bond of the transfer portion 18 to the carrier 12 needs to be stronger than any bond between the adhesive layer 24 and the release layer 27 (or back surface of the carrier 14) of the adjacent portion of the wound web. This prevents the transfer portion 18 from prematurely separating from the support portion 12 during the unwinding of the roll.

The carrier layer 14 of the various embodiments of the present invention may comprise a variety of materials so long as the materials allow for releasable bonding of the printable layer 20 thereto (as described above). For example, the carrier layer 14 maySelected from materials such as plastic film, foil, parchment, light weight paper and heavy weight paper. In a particular exemplary embodiment, the carrier layer 14 may include polypropylene. And, more specifically, in certain embodiments, the carrier layer may be a biaxially oriented co-extruded polypropylene film having an oriented polypropylene core, a treatable polyolefin layer on the underside of the core, and a corona-treated polyolefin layer on the top side of the core (i.e., the treatable polyolefin layer is the side that will face and/or contact the printable layer—the treatable layer includes a surface that receives the printable layer when the printable layer contacts the treatable layer). In a particular embodiment, the carrier layer may comprise Rayofae ^TM C160 Films are commercially available from Innovia Films, inc.

The second film was purchased from AmTopp, li Wenston, N.J., under the product name TT-common non-heat sealable BOPP film. The film is also a coextruded film having an oriented polypropylene core, a disposable polypropylene layer on the underside of the laminate and a high energy treated polypropylene layer on top. As with the film embodiments described above, the underside is the layer to be printed.

In another embodiment of the invention, another film is referred to by the product name

447CRL clear non-silicone release liner was purchased from mitsubishi polyester film company, gripe, south carolina. The film is coated with a chemical primer on one surface for adhesive release and low coefficient of friction, and on the other surface to promote adhesion.

In other embodiments (such as the embodiment shown in fig. 2A), the carrier layer may have a coating 16, with the coating 16 applied to the surface of the printable layer 20 facing the label 10. Thus, the carrier layer 14 has two surfaces: (1) A top surface 29 having a sufficiently low surface tension to allow the printable layer 20 to be releasably bonded thereto (as described above, this may be achieved by various treatments of the top surface, such as the use of silicone and/or wax in the embodiment of fig. 2A); and (2) a bottom surface 31 that is treated (as will be described in more detail below) to prevent adhesive 24 from adhering thereto-thereby allowing the completed label web to be wound into a roll (and subsequently unwound during label application) without damaging the labels by adhering the labels to each other and to the web (i.e., blocking).

In more specific embodiments of the carrier described above, the surface of the carrier layer 14 that contacts the printable layer 20 may have a dyne level of less than about 32.

As described above, the pressure sensitive label 10 of various embodiments further includes a printable layer 20 that may be disposed on the carrier layer 14 and may be in contact with the carrier layer 14. This is in contrast to prior art pressure sensitive labels (as shown in fig. 1) which include a pressure sensitive adhesive 5 against a release layer 4 on a carrier layer 3. Referring again to fig. 2 and 2A, the printable layer 20 may be a thin film layer in facing relationship with the carrier layer, or may be a material that can be printed onto the carrier layer, such as a varnish, and then cured (or cured) to a state that allows printing of ink designs (text, graphics, and all other indicia) thereon. By using a printable layer 20 that may be applied in a softened, melted, thixotropic, liquid, etc., form, the printable layer 20 may be applied as a pattern (e.g., shape, size, outline, etc. of the label to be produced) rather than as a facestock (e.g., a prior art label) that matches (or substantially matches) the area of the carrier layer. The formulation of the printable layer 20 allows it to receive ink thereon after cooling, curing, UV curing, etc. The ability to apply the printable layer 20 in a pattern also reduces the amount of material required for the label web (thereby reducing costs), eliminates the need for a die cutting process (and waste of waste die cutting process material), and can be used to allow the entire label to be built in one location (as opposed to the need to acquire a base pressure sensitive label blank from a third party supplier).

In certain embodiments, the printable layer 20 may comprise a material formulated from a base resin. In various embodiments, the base resin may be selected from vinyl, acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy, polyester, and alkyd resins. Furthermore, the printable layer 20 is solvent-based, water-based or ultraviolet-based cured. Printable layer 20 comprising these solvent-basedWater-based and/or UV-curable chemicals formulated from a base resin, can be formulated into printable liquids having viscosities and rheologies suitable for use in various printing processes, such as screen printing, inkjet printing, flexographic printing, rotogravure printing and lithographic printing. In a particular embodiment, the printable layer may comprise a printable varnish comprising triacrylate monomers, diacrylate monomers, aromatic urethane acrylates, difunctional acrylates, acrylate oligomers, triethanolamine and 4-phenylbenzophenone. In more specific embodiments, the printable layer may comprise a printable varnish comprising from about 30% to about 50% triacrylate monomer, from about 10% to about 12.5% diacrylate monomer, from about 10% to about 12.5% aromatic urethane acrylate, from about 10% to about 12.5% difunctional acrylate, from about 5% to about 7% acrylate oligomer, from about 3% to about 5% triethanolamine, and from about 1% to about 2% 4-phenyl benzophenone. The printable varnish may be provided in liquid form and has a density of about 1.07g/cm ³ (about 8.92lb/gal or about 1070 g/l), flash point greater than about 93 deg.C, boiling point about 106 deg.C. An example of such a printable varnish is available from INX International Ink co of Schaumburg, il under the product name ProcureTM KCC5185 (and product code 1487893). Another such printed photosensitive coating is JRX-1253, available from Dyna-Tech adhesive and paint Inc. of Grafton, west Virginia. JRX-1253 is a UV radiation cured printable and metallized coating suitable for use on plastics such as PET, PE and the like. It can be printed with UV, classical solvents and water-based inks. At 100% solids, transparent after curing. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other materials having the same or similar characteristics may be used in embodiments of the present invention.

In other aspects, the label 10 may include an ink layer 22, the ink layer 22 being positioned such that the printable layer 20 is located between the carrier layer 14 and the ink layer 22. Also, label 10 may include an adhesive layer 24, with adhesive layer 24 positioned such that ink layer 22 is between printable layer 14 and adhesive layer 24. With this configuration, the pressure sensitive label 10 described herein includes the printable layer 20 closest to the carrier 14 and the adhesive layer 24 furthest from the carrier 14 (this is a slightly opposite configuration compared to prior art pressure sensitive labels). With this configuration, the transfer portion 18 (e.g., printable layer 20, ink layer 22, adhesive layer 24) of the pressure sensitive labels described herein does not have to be peeled away from the carrier to expose the adhesive for adhesion to an article. Instead, the label 10 is configured such that the adhesive 24 is already the outer layer of the label structure prior to application to the article 26, so the adhesive 24 is pre-applied and ready to contact the article 26-thereby increasing the ease of application to the article.

The configuration of the layers in these embodiments of the present label (e.g., those shown in fig. 2 and 2A) also results in the ink being located below the printable layer 20 (and thus protected by the printable layer 20) once the transfer portion 18 is transferred onto the article 26. This results in the ink layer 22 (indicia, graphics, designs, text, information, etc.) being protected from damage once the label 10 is transferred to the article 26. This protection is achieved without having to add any additional protective lacquer layer (sometimes using prior art pressure sensitive labels). The configuration that allows the printable layer 20 to protect the ink layer 22 after transfer also increases the amount of material that can be used in the ink layer 22-e.g., materials that are easily damaged, such as metallic inks, can be used.

The ink used in the ink layer 22 is used to create various indicia (e.g., text, graphics, etc.) of the label. The indicia may be printed using any printing process including, but not limited to, offset printing, flexographic printing, rotogravure printing, letterpress printing, digital printing, inkjet printing, and screen printing. Furthermore, for example, the invention described herein contemplates combinations of standard printing effects such as combination printing (combination of gravure printing and flexography in a single printer), decoration using cold and hot foils, and pattern embossing.

In one embodiment, the ink layer 22 may comprise a UV curable ink. In a particular embodiment, the UV curable ink may include a mixture of at least a multifunctional component and a photoinitiator. In particular, the multifunctional component may be a multifunctional acrylate. In one embodiment, the UV curable ink may include greater than 30% of the multifunctional acrylate based on the total resin weight. More specifically, one embodiment of the UV curable ink may include a multifunctional acrylate in an amount of 65-95% and a photoinitiator blend in an amount of 1-20%. An example of such an ink is FP-500UV treated red ink, commercially available from the brother ink company of vanbao, ma. Another such ink is available from INX International ink company, style Besche, illinois, which uses only polyfunctional components (and thus does not include any monofunctional components) in its ink formulation and is supplied under the trade name INXFIe2000 UV HTL. Another ink that may be used is the "ITX Free" ink, commercially available from INX International ink Co.

Another embodiment of an ink that can be used includes: polyester acrylates, glycerol propoxytriacrylates [ e.g., poly (oxy (methyl-1, 2-ethylene glycol)), α, α', α "-1,2, 3-propanetriacyl tris (ω - ((1-oxo-2-propenyl) oxy) -; e.g., CAS No. 52408-84-1 ]Hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (CAS number 947-19-3) and acrylic monoester with propane-1, 2-diol (CAS number 25584-83-2). In one specific embodiment of the ink, the polyester acrylate may be present in an amount of about 1% to about 5%, the glycerol propoxytriacrylate may be present in an amount of about 1% to about 5%, the hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone may be present in an amount of about 0.5% to about 1.5%, and the monoester of acrylic acid and propane-1, 2-diol may be present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 1%. The ink may have a flash point above about 93.3C, a boiling point/condensation point of about 100℃, a density of about 1049g/l (about 8.7539 Ibs/gal), and a viscosity [ movement (room temperature)]Greater than about 2.2cm ² S (greater than about 220 cSt). The VOC content of such inks may be about 0.5% by weight. One such ink is available under the trade name Ekucure F from Flint Group Narrow Web of Prlimus, minnesota ^TM Commercially available UV LED cured flexible inks.

In another embodiment, the ink may be a solvent-based ink, and may include ethanol, propylene glycol methyl ether, propyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, and aluminum flakes. In a specific embodiment, the solvent-based ink may include about 25% to about 35% ethanol, about 20%To about 25% propylene glycol methyl ether, about 15% to about 20% propyl acetate, about 15% to about 20% isopropyl alcohol, and about 3% to about 5% aluminum flakes. The density of this ink was about 0.888g/cm ³ The flash point is estimated to be greater than about 23 ℃ and the boiling point is about 78.5 ℃ to 119.9 ℃. One such ink is commercially available from INX International ink company, schlemm, illinois under the designation "Platinum Plus F124 Metallic" and product code 1489010.

Other inks that may be used include digital inks, such as those available from Indigo Ink of columbia, maryland. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the above-described inks are not the only inks that can be used.

Various embodiments of the pressure sensitive label 10 (such as those shown in fig. 2 and 2A) also include a pressure sensitive adhesive 24. In various embodiments of the present invention, the adhesive chemistry for the pressure sensitive adhesive 24 may include any formulation capable of being applied in a pattern that is the same as or similar to the contour, size, and shape of the printable layer 20 applied to the carrier 14.

Pressure sensitive adhesives are well known adhesives that form an adhesive when pressure is applied to bond the adhesive to an adherend. In this case, no solvent, water or heat is required to activate the adhesive. As the name suggests, the degree of adhesion is affected by the pressure used to apply the adhesive to the surface. In addition, the pressure sensitive adhesive is manufactured with a liquid carrier or 100% solids form. Articles such as labels are made from liquid pressure sensitive adhesives, typically in a hot air dryer, the adhesive is coated on a support and the organic solvent or water carrier is evaporated. The dried binder may be further heated to initiate the crosslinking reaction and increase the molecular weight. The 100% solids pressure sensitive adhesive may be a low viscosity polymer that is coated and then reacted with radiation to increase molecular weight and form an adhesive (radiation cured pressure sensitive adhesive); or they may be high viscosity materials that are heated to reduce enough viscosity to allow coating and then cooled to their final form (hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive).

The pressure sensitive adhesive used may be consistent with typical intaglio printing but is modified to allow the use of flexographic printingPrinting is performed by brush technology. The formulation for such solvent adhesives may be UV curable. In a particular embodiment of the invention, one particular adhesive may be a high tack pressure sensitive adhesive suitable for flexographic printing and having a viscosity of 1500-2000 cPs. Such binders may include from about 37.5% to about 80% acrylate and from about 2.5% to about 10% photoinitiator (as well as additional materials making up the remainder of the formulation). The adhesive provided according to this formulation had a flash point of about 94℃and a specific gravity of about 1.06g/cm at 20 ℃ ³ (about 8.85 lbs/gal). One such adhesive is available from Craig Adhesives of New York New Jersey&Coatings are available under the product name Craigbond 1029BTJ UV High Tack PSA.

Another such adhesive in one embodiment of the present invention may have a formulation that includes at least nonylphenol ethoxylated acrylate (CAS No. 50974-47-5) and ethoxyethoxyethyl acrylate (CAS No. 7328-17-8) materials. The binder may also include 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone. One such adhesive is available from Craig Adhesives & Coatings, new zealand, new jersey under the product name Craigcote 1029J.

Another adhesive that may be used in various embodiments of the present invention includes a self-crosslinking acrylic polymer that cures after removal of the solvent. Such binders may be about 53% to about 56% non-volatile and have a Brookfield viscosity at 77°f of about 3500 to about 6000. The solvent of the binder may be ethyl acetate/heptane with a solvent ratio of 83/17. The adhesive may have a density of about 7.7 to about 8.1Ibs/gal (about 0.92 to about 0.98 gm/cm) ³ ) The flash point is below about 20°f. An example of such an adhesive is available under the trade name AROSET from Ashland Performance Materials of dublin, ohio ^TM PS-6416 was purchased.

Another adhesive that may be used in various embodiments of the present invention includes hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives. The adhesive was 100% solids, had a viscosity of about 66500 at 300F, a Metrele softening point of about 250F, and a density of about 7.8lbs/gal. Such adhesives may also include piperidine copolymers and modified terpene resins. In one embodiment, the adhesive may comprise about 10% to about 30%And about 10% to about 30% of a modified terpene resin. The binder may have a boiling point greater than about 260 ℃, a melting point of about 110 ℃, a specific gravity of about 0.98, and a flash point greater than about 260 ℃ (by the cleveland open cup method). An example of such an adhesive is available under the trade name from Hagao corporation of Luoji Hill, connecticut

And product number Technomert ^TM PS 9197 is available.

However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these are not the only adhesives that may be used. For example, other UV curable adhesives may be used. Ultraviolet (UV) light curable adhesives, also known as Light Curable Materials (LCMs), have become popular in manufacturing due to their fast cure time and strong bond strength. The photocurable adhesives can cure in a short time, in a matter of seconds, and many formulations can bond different substrates (materials) and withstand harsh temperatures. Unlike conventional adhesives, uv curable adhesives not only bond materials together, but also can be used to seal and coat products.

In this embodiment of the pressure sensitive label 10, the adhesive layer 24 is UV cured after the printing step. In this way, the label 10 can be wound in roll form without blocking (due to tackiness). During the decoration step, heat (or heat and pressure) is applied and the adhesive becomes soft, fluid and tacky prior to application, at which point the label 10 is bonded to the substrate.

One type of UV curable heat activated adhesive is HS30, available from Actega Radcure, inc. According to MSDS, HS30 is used as UV/EB curable adhesives, primers and coatings. Another such heat-activated UV curable adhesive is FP-500NUV85 from Marlboro, massachusetts, mass. FP-500NUV85 is a proprietary material mixture. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these are not the only UV curable adhesives that can be used, and that other UV curable adhesives that provide similar characteristics can be used.

In another aspect, the pressure sensitive label 10 as shown in the embodiment of fig. 2 and 2A may further include a release layer 27, the release layer 27 being positioned such that the carrier layer 14 is between the printable layer 20 and the release layer 27. In other words, the release layer 27 is not on the side of the carrier 14 adjacent to the transfer portion 18 of the label 10, but on the underside of the carrier 14. This release layer 27 allows, for example, the web of labels 10 to be wound onto a roll while preventing blocking (i.e., the problem of adhesive on the labels adhering to the underside of the carrier when the label web is wound onto the roll). The presence and positioning of this release layer 27 thus allows the label web to be wound into a roll after printing of the labels 10. In particular, the bonding of the patterned printable layer 20 to the top surface of the continuous web of carrier layer 14 is greater than the bonding to the release layer 27 on the bottom side of the carrier layer 12. Thus, when the web is unwound, the label 10 is positioned with the adhesive side up to allow for easy application to the marked article 26.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, one particular release formulation for the release layer may comprise a UV curable release material, and in one embodiment, such material may be a cationic release coating. Such release formulations may include dimethicone and silicone (CAS No. 67762-95-2). One example of such a material is available from Craig Adhesives and Coatings of new valance, new jersey under the trade name Craigcoat UV9300 and product code UV9300. In one embodiment of the present invention, the release material may include a photocatalyst material used in combination therewith. In one embodiment, such photocatalyst materials may include 2-isopropylthiodioxane, C12 and C14 alkyl glycidyl ethers, bis (4-dodecylphenyl) iodonium hexafluoroantimonate, and linear alkylated dodecylbenzenes. More specifically, particular embodiments may include from about 1% to about 5% 2-isopropylthiodioxane, from about 30% to about 60% C12 and C14 alkyl glycidyl ethers, from about 30% to about 60% bis (4-dodecylphenyl) iodonium hexafluoroantimonate, and from about 5% to about 10% linear alkylated dodecylbenzenes. An example of such a photocatalyst material is available under the trade name UV9390C from Craig Adhesives and Coatings of new vac, new jersey.

As described above, referring now to fig. 3 and 3A, another aspect of the present invention provides a pressure sensitive label comprising: (a) at least a support portion comprising a carrier layer; and (b) a transfer portion comprising at least a printable layer in facing relationship with the carrier layer. In the label of this aspect, the ink layer may be present between the printable layer and the carrier layer. Depending on the nature of the ink layer, at least a portion or portions of the printable layer may contact the carrier layer (i.e., in any region where no ink or ink of the ink layer is present). Typically, the transfer portion may overlie the support portion when the transfer portion is in contact with the article to transfer the transfer portion from the support portion to the article when pressure is applied to the transfer portion. In one embodiment, the carrier layer does not comprise any release layer on the side of the carrier layer facing the printable layer. This eliminates the prior art label layer, thereby reducing the cost of the label. In this configuration, the pressure sensitive label of this aspect includes an ink layer closest to the carrier and an adhesive layer furthest from the carrier. Because of this configuration, the transfer portion (e.g., ink layer, printable layer, adhesive layer) of the pressure sensitive label described in this aspect does not have to be peeled off of the carrier to expose the adhesive for adhesion to the article. Instead, the label is configured such that the adhesive is already the outer layer of the label structure prior to application to the article, so the adhesive is pre-exposed and ready to contact the article-thereby increasing the ease of application to the article.

Referring now to fig. 3, a particular embodiment of such a pressure sensitive label 10 is shown. As shown in fig. 3, the pressure sensitive label 10 of the illustrated embodiment is a multi-layer structure, each layer having its own function. Other embodiments also have a multi-layer structure. The embodiment of the label shown in fig. 3 includes the general support portion 12 and the transfer portion 18 described above. The support portion 12 of each embodiment includes a carrier layer 14, which carrier layer 14 may have a release coating 16 (e.g., a wax or silicone coating) on one side thereof (as can be seen in the embodiment shown in fig. 3A). In another embodiment, the carrier 14 may be free of a release coating (on the ink layer facing carrier-see the embodiment of fig. 3), but may be subjected to other treatments, such as by corona treatment. In other embodiments, the carrier 14 may be untreated and have no release coating. The transfer portion 18 of each embodiment is positioned adjacent to and in facing relationship with the carrier 14 prior to transfer from the carrier 14. The transfer portion 18 of the embodiment includes at least (1) a printable layer 20 in facing relationship with the carrier 14. This facing relationship does not require contact between the two layers (although contact is possible). These layers need only be close and adjacent to each other. Transfer portion 18 may also include an ink layer 22 and an adhesive layer 24. The ink layer 22 may be positioned such that it is between the carrier layer 14 and the printable layer 20. Also, the adhesive layer 24 may be positioned such that the printable layer 22 is between the ink layer 22 and the adhesive layer 24. Additional layers may be included within transfer portion 18.

Still referring to fig. 3, the illustrated embodiment includes a carrier layer 14, an ink layer 22, a printable layer 20, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 24, and a backside release layer 27. As shown in fig. 3, the release layer 27 is positioned such that the carrier layer 14 is located between the ink layer 22 and the release layer 27. As will be described in further detail below (in a more detailed discussion of the various layers of label 10), for example, the backside release layer 27 prevents blocking when the label web is wound onto a roll.

As described above, various pressure sensitive label embodiments in accordance with the principles of the present invention include a carrier layer 14. The material of the carrier layer 14 (and in the embodiment shown in fig. 3) used in certain embodiments allows the transfer portion 18 of the label 10 to be separated from the carrier layer 14 without the need for a separate release layer (e.g., a release layer as in the prior art). This allows for a reduction in the materials and costs used in current pressure sensitive labels. Thus, in embodiments of the present invention, the carrier layer 14 is made of or includes a material having a surface tension that allows the printable layer 20 to be releasably bonded thereto. Also, in more specific embodiments of the present invention, the surface of the carrier layer 14 that contacts the printable layer 20 may have a dyne level of less than about 32.

In other embodiments (such as the embodiment shown in fig. 3A), the carrier layer may have a coating 16 applied to the surface of the ink layer 22 that will face the label 10. Thus, the carrier layer 14 has two surfaces: (1) A top surface 29 having a surface tension low enough to allow the ink layer 22 to be releasably bonded thereto (as described above, this may be accomplished by various treatments of the top surface, such as the use of silicone and/or wax in the embodiment of fig. 3A); and (2) a bottom surface 31 that is treated (as will be described in more detail below) to prevent adhesive 24 from adhering thereto-thereby allowing the completed label web to be wound into a roll (and subsequently unwound during label application) without damaging the labels by adhering the labels to each other and to the web (i.e., blocking).

Once the label is applied to the article, the printable layer 20 (in the embodiment of fig. 3 and 3A) will be positioned behind the ink of the ink layer 22. Printable layer 20 is a thin film layer that provides a mass and volume to the label. In addition, the printable label may include pigments in its formulation or to provide a degree of opacity (i.e., background) to any label information, text, graphics, etc. provided by the ink layer. Such opacity may be provided in any desired color. Alternatively, the printable layer may be transparent. The use of pigments to provide a degree of background coloration is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The layers of the embodiment of fig. 3 and 3A (carrier 14, ink layer 22, printable layer 20, adhesive layer 24, backside release layer 27, etc.) may comprise a variety of materials, including those described above with respect to the embodiment of fig. 2 and 2A.

As described above, various embodiments of the tag may include other layers. One such layer may be a protective layer that may be used to protect the ink layer from abrasion after the label is transferred to the article (e.g., the version shown in fig. 3 and 3A, where the ink layer would be the externally exposed layer of the transferred label. This embodiment including protective layer 33 is shown in fig. 4 and 4A. The transfer portion 18 of this embodiment includes at least (1) a printable layer 20 in facing relation to the carrier 14. This facing relation does not require contact between the two layers (although contact is possible.) these layers need only be proximate to and adjacent to each other. The transfer portion 18 may also include an ink layer 22 and an adhesive layer 24. The ink layer 22 may be positioned such that it is between protective layer 33 and the printable layer 20. And, the adhesive layer 24 may be positioned such that the printable layer 22 is between the ink layer 22 and the adhesive layer 24. And, the protective layer 33 may be positioned such that it is between the carrier 14 and the ink layer 22. The embodiment shown in fig. 4A has a similar structure, although it includes a separate release layer 16 on one side of the carrier 14.)

Still referring to fig. 4, the illustrated embodiment includes a carrier layer 14, a protective layer 33, an ink layer 22, a printable layer 20, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 24, and a backside release layer 27. As can be seen in fig. 3, the release layer 27 is positioned such that the carrier layer 14 is located between the protective layer 33 and the release layer 27. For example, the backside release layer 27 prevents blocking when the label web is wound on a roll (as described above with respect to the embodiments of fig. 2 and 3).

The protective layer 33 may be of various types including, but not limited to, UV-curable or UV-curable overprint varnishes. However, the protective layer may be of other types (e.g. solvent gravure HTL protective layer).

In one embodiment, the protective layer 33 may be a UV curable chemical coating, wherein the formulation has been modified with additives that will increase scratch and/or chemical resistance. Such coatings can have high gloss, chemical resistance, good UV reactivity, absence of benzophenone and bisphenol a, and non-yellowing properties. One particular coating for the protective layer may have a film weight of 0.40-0.70lbs/1000sqft using 180-250ipi,6-90 hundred million cubic micrometers (bcm) per square inch anilox roller; viscosity 160 centipoise (cps), using a Brookfield RV, #3 spindle at 100 revolutions per minute (rpm) @77°f (25 ℃); curable under a 150-250 feet per minute (fpm) per 400 watts per inch (wpi) lamp; may appear as a translucent liquid; the gloss at 60 ° angle may be greater than 90 ° (on the black part of Leneta N2A-3); with 200 grams of sled, the static CoF measured was less than 0.30, with a dynamic CoF between 0.15-0.21; and may have >Solvent resistance of 50 Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) double rubs (one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that properties such as gloss CoF and solvent resistance will depend on the coating film thickness, degree of cure, and substrate type). One specific example of such a coating for the protective layer is

HG (highlight)Zeping) TL 4098 coating (available from Sun Chemical, pasiponi, new jersey under product number RCYFV 0484098). Such a coating may be applied using a flexographic, tower or roll coater.

Although the above-described embodiment (fig. 4 and 4A) describes the protective layer 33 separate from the ink layer, alternative embodiments may include a protective layer in combination with providing an ink layer pattern. This may be accomplished by coloring the protective layer with a desired ink of one or more colors (and configured as various desired graphics, text, etc. of the label).

As described above, another aspect of the invention may include one or more methods for manufacturing a pressure sensitive label. Another aspect of the invention may include one or more methods for applying a pressure sensitive label to an article. Referring now to fig. 5, the pressure sensitive label 10 of the embodiment shown in fig. 2 may be prepared as follows: printable layer 20 may be placed on carrier layer 14 by, for example, a first roller/cylinder 34, followed by a second roller/cylinder 36 to place ink layer 22 on printable layer 22, and then a third roller/cylinder 38 to place adhesive layer 24 on ink layer 22 to form label 10 having these separate and distinct layers. During laying of the printable layer 20, ink layer 22 and adhesive layer 24, the release layer 27 may also be applied to the side of the carrier layer opposite the transfer portion of the label by a fourth roller/drum 40. In embodiments where one or more of these layers (printable layer, ink layer, adhesive layer, release layer) are UV curable, they may be exposed to UV radiation provided by ultraviolet light that cures the various UV curable layers. The UV curing may be performed while each individual UV curable layer is laid down, or may be performed after all UV curable layers are laid down. (furthermore, while FIG. 5 is shown and described as first placing a printable layer and then placing an ink layer, those skilled in the art will recognize that for label embodiments having different layer sequences, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the layers may be placed in a different order than shown in FIG. 5, e.g., first placing an ink layer and then placing a printable layer.)

Furthermore, flexographic printing techniques may be used to apply to any UV curable component. The UV component does not present a "swelling" problem when used in flexographic printing (unlike some typical rotogravure solvent components). Flexographic printing is a process well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Typically, in a flexographic printing process (for UV curable inks), the flexographic printing plate (not shown) includes an image area raised above a non-image area. Components such as ink are transferred from an ink roller (not shown) partially submerged in the ink tank to a second roller (not shown) whose texture holds a specific amount of ink. Then, a doctor blade (not shown) removes excess ink from the second roller before inking the flexographic plate. The substrate is then positioned between a plate and an impression cylinder (not shown) to transfer the image. Although the panels are described as having "image areas," the "image" of these areas may be designed as a flood coat that provides a protective paint layer on the substrate.

By using flexographic printing techniques on the various layers of the label 10, this aspect of the invention provides cost savings over previously manufactured pressure sensitive labels 10 (or labels 10 comprising UV curable layers) using rotogravure printing techniques. This is because gravure printing techniques are expensive, especially compared to printing techniques such as flexographic printing. By eliminating intaglio printing of the layers of the pressure sensitive label 10, particularly those comprising the most complex design, i.e. the ink layer 22, a great cost saving can be achieved, since it is not necessary to provide a plurality of different etched intaglio cylinders for different production runs.

However, the layers of the label 10 are not limited to flexographic printing techniques and may be applied using other techniques including gravure printing techniques. In rotogravure printing techniques (which are also well known to those of ordinary skill in the art), a printing plate (not shown) is cylindrical and includes holes etched or engraved to different depths and/or sizes to provide an image. Components such as protective paint or adhesive are applied directly to the cylinder by rotation in a bath (not shown). A doctor blade (not shown) wipes off excess paint or adhesive, and capillary action of the substrate and pressure from an embossing roll (not shown) withdraws paint or adhesive from the holes and transfers it to the substrate.

Thus, an apparatus (not shown) for gravure printing a layer comprises a gravure printing unit (not shown) for a rotary printer, wherein a gravure sleeve (not shown) is supplied with lacquer or adhesive from a gravure tray (not shown), and a platen roller (not shown) in facing relationship with the gravure sleeve to form a roller gap (not shown) therebetween. When the rotary press is running, the carrier to be printed (e.g. sheet material) passes through the roller gap, absorbing paint or adhesive from the outer peripheral surface of the gravure sleeve. At the same time, the intaglio sleeve rotates in the opposite designated direction to the embossing roller, its rotational movement consisting of a leading rotational sector from the printing unit to the roller gap and a trailing rotational sector from the roller gap to the printing unit. Devices and techniques for gravure and flexographic printing are common and well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Further, as described above, certain layers of the label (e.g., printable layer 20, ink layer 22, and adhesive layer 24) may be laid down or printed in a particular pattern corresponding to the size, shape, and/or outline of the desired end label image. This also results in solving the problems of the prior art (which results in too much material being used, thereby increasing the cost of the label). Since the ink design is printed on only a portion of the base structure purchased (in the prior art) from a third party, this requires that the facestock on which the ink is printed be a film that spans the entire carrier (the die cutting process will be performed later). It also requires that the adhesive (which in the prior art is part of the base structure) be applied to the carrier (as this is done before the base structure is sold). In other words, since the carrier suppliers have no prior knowledge of what ink designs the label manufacturer will apply, they apply the entire carrier with adhesive and cover the entire carrier with facestock to allow for any size, shape, configuration and registration of the ink designs. The use of such large amounts of facestock and flood adhesive results in large amounts of unused adhesive, resulting in excess adhesive, and excess facestock that must be die cut and discarded. The use of such excess adhesive and facestock results in increased costs of the prior art labels because the excess facestock and adhesive results in increased carrier costs, thereby increasing the cost of the label preparation and the label itself.

However, the design of the present pressure sensitive label 10 allows for the printable layer 20 and the patterned ink layer 22 and adhesive 24 to be printed in a pattern. This is due in part to the fact that the construction of the labels is somewhat reverse to the order of the previous pressure sensitive labels. In other words, the prior art labels have adhesive disposed on the release layer of the carrier with the facestock on top of the adhesive and the ink on top of the facestock. In the labels of the present application, the printable layer may be applied at the location of the label with ink on top of the printable layer and adhesive on top thereof. Since this occurs at the location of the label, the entity that provided and created the label will know the design of the label at the time of printing. Thus, the present invention does not use a facestock rather than providing a facestock of the same area as the carrier. Instead, the typical facestock of prior art pressure sensitive labels is eliminated and instead a printable layer (e.g., a printable varnish) may be placed on the carrier. This allows one to print the printable layer into the shape of the final label design-this allows one to create a label without the need to die cut any additional facestock. In one embodiment, the printable layer may be applied using a 30bcm anilox roller.

In the same way, this allows one to also print adhesive onto the ink design in the shape of the ink design (i.e., having the same or similar outer contour as the ink design) to avoid the waste of excess adhesive created in the prior art via flood application. In one embodiment, an anilox roller of 8bcm may be used to apply the ink layer. In one embodiment, the adhesive layer may be applied using a 4.5bcm anilox roller. In another embodiment, an anilox roll of 8bcm may be used to apply the adhesive layer.

For example, then, another aspect of the invention provides a method for applying the printable layer 20, the ink layer 22, and/or the adhesive layer 24 to a carrier, wherein the printable layer 22, the ink layer 24, and/or the adhesive layer 24 cover substantially the entire surface of the first side of the carrier. Thus, printable layer 20, ink layer 22, and/or adhesive layer 24 may be applied in a patterned form and/or may be applied to match any size, shape, configuration, or registration desired for the label. More specifically, the process may include contacting the material for the printable layer 20, the ink layer 22, and/or the adhesive layer 24 with a surface having at least one etched area thereon, and facing the carrier 14 (for example) with the surface such that at least a portion of the printable layer 20 is transferred from the surface to the carrier 14. The transferred printable layer may in particular be received by and transferred from etched areas of the surface. Thus, the method may include (a) softening the material for the printable layer 20 (e.g., by melting the formulation), (b) contacting the softened printable layer and/or adhesive formulation with a gravure sleeve having at least one etched portion, wherein the formulation adsorbs onto the surface of the gravure sleeve, (c) removing excess printable layer from the surface of the gravure sleeve such that the printable layer formulation adsorbs only to the etched portion of the gravure sleeve, and (d) contacting the gravure sleeve with the carrier to deposit the printable layer and/or adhesive formulation onto the carrier, thereby forming the printable layer 20 on a portion of the carrier 14. The ink layer 22 may then be printed onto the printable layer, and then the adhesive layer may be printed onto the ink layer to form a label having a support portion and a transfer portion. The transfer portion of the label may then be transferred to the article.

In use, referring now to fig. 7 and 8, a label 10 according to the principles of the present invention is applied to an article 26 as follows. In the illustrated embodiment, the labels 10 are carried on a web that has been wound into a roll 42. The transfer portion 18 of the label 10 may be released from the support portion 12 (e.g., carrier 14) and the web travels from the feed reel 44 to the take-up roller 46. After unwinding from the rotating feed reel 44, the web of labels will typically be proximate to the marked article 26. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various rollers listed above are merely exemplary and are not required for the principles of the present invention. When approaching the article 26 (see 48 of fig. 7), contact occurs between the adhesive layer 24 of the transfer portion 18 of the label 10 and the surface of the article 26. At this point, pressure may be applied to adhere the adhesive layer 24 of the label 10 to the surface of the article (by methods and apparatus generally known to those of ordinary skill in the art). This pressure assists in adhering the transfer portion of the label 10 to the article 26. After transfer portion 18 is applied to article 26, the bond between adhesive layer 24 and the article is stronger than the releasable bond between printable layer 20 and carrier 14 (or printable layer 10 and release composition 16-or ink layer 22 and carrier 14). As the web of labels and articles continues to move, this causes transfer portion 18 to peel away from support portion 12. The now empty carrier web (i.e., the support portion 12) can proceed to the take-up spool 46 where it can be recovered (or discarded). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the particular amounts, types, and configurations of the above components are merely illustrative. After the web moves past the label point, the article 26 (shown in FIG. 8) now includes the transfer portion 18 of the label adhered thereto.

The application of the labels described herein may be performed with the labels wrapped around the article in the same or similar manner as the heat transfer labels, which eliminates the opportunity for wrinkling and blistering, thereby reducing and/or eliminating one of the problems of the prior art pressure sensitive labels.

As described above, in various embodiments of the present invention, one or more layers of the label 10 may be applied as a pattern (e.g., shape, size, outline, etc. of the label to be produced) rather than as a facestock having layers that mate with a carrier layer (as in the prior art). Thus, referring now to fig. 9, an alternative embodiment is shown that includes an adhesive layer 24 applied in a pattern. In such embodiments, the adhesive chemistry for the pressure sensitive adhesive 24 may include any formulation capable of being applied in a desired pattern. While certain embodiments described above are described as having the adhesive layer 24 as the outer layer of the label (i.e., away from the carrier 14), the embodiment of fig. 9 shows the adhesive layer 24 adjacent to the carrier 14. While this differs from the previous embodiments, it also solves some of the problems of the prior art (which have not been addressed so far), such as the need for folding the coating adhesive when providing separate label facestock (as described in the background of the invention). This embodiment eliminates this excess adhesive.

Thus, referring to FIG. 9, one aspect of the present invention provides a label 10, and a method for applying a layer, such as an adhesive layer 24, to a carrier 14, wherein the adhesive layer 24 covers substantially the entire surface of one side of the carrier 14. As previously described, the carrier 14 may generally be a paper sheet, film or other material having a first side 29 to which other label components may be applied, and a second side 31 opposite the first side 29. Thus, the adhesive layer 24 may be applied to the first side 29 of the carrier 14 in a patterned fashion, and/or may be applied to match any size, shape, configuration, or alignment with the ink design or other layers of the label relative to the carrier 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier 14 may be designed to facilitate release of the adhesive layer therefrom when the adhesive layer contacts the carrier. Thus, in such embodiments, the carrier 14 may be a silicone release liner [ i.e., the top surface of the carrier 14 (continuous web of substrate) may have a silicone release coating that creates a releasable bond ]. The adhesive layer 14 may be applied thereto using any conventional printing process including rotary screen, flexographic printing, ink jet, and the like.

Still referring to fig. 9, additional layers may be added adjacent to the adhesive layer. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the ink layer 22 is applied to the adhesive layer 24 such that the adhesive layer 24 is located between the ink layer 22 and the carrier 14. As shown in fig. 9, the ink layer 22 may be patterned to match the pattern of the adhesive layer 24. The ink layer 22 (e.g., adhesive layer 24) may be applied using any conventional printing process including rotary screen, flexographic printing, ink jet, and the like. Although not shown in fig. 9, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the label may include other layers (as previously described) in addition to the adhesive layer 24 and the ink layer 22, and that such other layers may also be patterned.

The carrier 14 may be formed from a variety of materials, and the following is a non-limiting list of materials for the various embodiments of the carrier 14: raw polypropylene films (e.g., PSPL 10264), silicone coated paper liners, silicone coated polyester films (e.g., 2slkn 1.2 sill silicone coated polyester films commercially available from mitsubishi), polyester films (e.g., 447CRL series 92 polyester films commercially available from mitsubishi, or 39RL series 200 polyester films commercially available from mitsubishi), and biaxially oriented polypropylene films (e.g., BRT35T BOPP films commercially available from intelplast). For structures where the adhesive layer 24 is located adjacent to the carrier 14 (as shown in fig. 9), a silicone coated film may be used as the carrier to facilitate separation of the adhesive layer 24 from the carrier 14. For constructions having an adhesive layer 24 remote from the carrier 14 (as in fig. 2, 2A, 3A, 4 and 4A), films of polypropylene or mylar (such polypropylene and mylar-and possibly other films-have been described above with respect to other embodiments of the label 10) may be used.

Various adhesive materials and various ink materials may be used for adhesive layer 24 and ink layer 22, the following being a non-limiting list of adhesive and ink materials: siegwerk SF RS opaque white MP a08 (commercially available from Siegwerk USA, inc.) Siegwerk EXP linerless OPV (commercially available from Siegwerk USA, inc.) Siegwerk RS DC SF Extender A02 (commercially available from Siegwerk USA, inc.), 1249385INXFIex UV ink warm red (commercially available from INX International), novamet gravure silver ink 2155 (commercially available from Novamet), and 1029FST UV high tack PSA5g 401R (commercially available from Craig Adhesives & Coatings.

One particular embodiment includes a Siegwerk white ink with 22 wires and an adhesive with 2.5 wires (1029 FST UV high tack PSA5G 401R). Another embodiment includes a polyester film with Siegwerk EXP unlined OPV and Mitsubishi 2SLKN 1.2 sil silicone coating. Another embodiment includes Siegwerk EXP unlined OPV and virgin polypropylene film PSPL20164. Different wires and manual proofreading may be used for various printable material applications. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, wires include #2.5, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 16, 22. One manual calibrator may be used for the 500/3.32 anilox roller. One particular embodiment includes a Siegwerk white ink applied with 22 wires and an adhesive applied with 2.5 wires (1029 FST UV high tack PSA5G 401R). In embodiments including a Siegwerk EXP linerless OPV, the Siegwerk EXP linerless OPV may be applied with a 2.5 wire.

Referring now to fig. 10-12, a method of providing a label having a patterned layer (as shown in fig. 9) is shown.

Fig. 10 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of a method of providing a label 10 having a patterned adhesive layer 24 and a patterned ink layer 22, in which the label 10 or labels 10 are configured without a conventional facestock, but rather by depositing a pattern of adhesive 24 (e.g., a pressure sensitive adhesive) onto a top surface 29 of a web of continuous substrate (carrier 14), which is then printed with indicia aligned with the adhesive pattern, by depositing the ink layer 22 adjacent to the adhesive layer 24 and aligned with the adhesive pattern.

Referring to fig. 10, the pressure sensitive label 10 of the embodiment shown in fig. 9 may be prepared as follows: the adhesive layer 24 may be placed on the carrier layer 14 by a first roller/drum 34, for example, and then the ink layer 22 may be placed on the adhesive layer 24 by a second roller/drum 36, thereby forming the label 10 with these separate and distinct layers. In embodiments where one or more of these layers (ink, adhesive) are UV curable, they may be exposed to UV radiation provided by ultraviolet light, which cures the various UV curable layers. The UV curing may be performed while each individual UV curable layer is laid down, or may be performed after all UV curable layers are laid down. (furthermore, although FIG. 10 is shown and described as first placing an adhesive layer and then an ink layer, those skilled in the art will recognize that for embodiments of labels having different layer sequences-as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A-these layers may be placed in a different order than that shown in FIG. 10).

As described above, certain layers of the label 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 (e.g., the ink layer 22 and the adhesive layer 24) may be laid down or printed in a particular pattern corresponding to the size, shape, and/or contour of the desired end label image. This also results in solving the problems of the prior art (which results in too much material being used, thereby increasing the cost of the label). Since the ink design is printed on only a portion of the substrate structure purchased from a third party (in the prior art), this requires the application of an adhesive (which in the prior art is part of the substrate structure) to the carrier (as this is done before the substrate structure is sold). In other words, since the carrier provider does not know in advance what ink designs the label manufacturer will apply, they will flood the adhesive over the carrier to allow for any size, shape, configuration and registration of the ink designs. The use of such large amounts of flood adhesive results in large amounts of unused adhesive and thus excess adhesive. The use of such excess adhesive results in increased costs of prior art labels, as the excess adhesive results in increased costs of the purchased base structure and thus the label preparation and the label itself.

However, the design of the present pressure sensitive label 10 (as shown in fig. 9 and 10) allows for the printing of the adhesive layer 24 and the patterned ink layer 22 in a pattern. Since this occurs at the location of the label, the entity that provided and created the label will know the design of the label at the time of printing. Thus, the present invention does not use a facestock rather than providing a facestock of the same area as the carrier. Instead, the typical facestock of prior art pressure sensitive labels is eliminated and instead a printable layer (e.g., printable adhesive) may be placed on the carrier. This allows one to print the adhesive and ink into the shape of the final label design-so that the label can be created without removing any additional material from the layers of the blank substrate structure of the third aspect.

Fig. 11 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a method for providing a label 10 having a patterned adhesive layer 24 and a patterned ink layer 22. In this embodiment, the label 10 or labels 10 are configured without a conventional facestock, but are printed using indicia aligned with the adhesive pattern and the cold foil image by depositing a pattern of adhesive 24 (e.g., a pressure sensitive adhesive) onto the top surface 29 of the web of continuous substrate (carrier 14), then laminating a cold foil film onto the adhesive, curing the adhesive, removing the cold foil film, and then depositing the ink layer 22 adjacent to the adhesive layer 24 and aligned with the pattern of adhesive and cold foil image.

Referring to the embodiment of fig. 11, the pressure sensitive label 10 may be prepared as follows: the adhesive layer 24 may be placed on the carrier layer 14 by, for example, a first roller/drum 34. Subsequently, the cold foil film 50 is laminated to the adhesive layer 24. The cold foil is pulled from cold foil unwind roll 52 and laminated to adhesive layer 24 at roll 54. Next, the adhesive is cured (e.g., UV cured) at 56, and then the excess cold foil film is removed onto cold foil rewind roll 58, leaving the remaining cold foil film 50' laminated to the adhesive as desired. Thereafter, the ink layer 22 is laid down by the second roller/drum 36, thereby forming the label 10 with separate and distinct layers as shown. (furthermore, although FIG. 11 is shown and described as placing the adhesive layer and ink layer after the cold foil process, those skilled in the art will recognize that for embodiments of labels having different layer sequences-as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A-these layers may be placed in a different order than that shown in FIG. 11).

One particular embodiment of the method according to fig. 11 may be printed on a cold foil using an ifex printer. In this example, the adhesive was applied to an untreated polypropylene film at a speed of 3-8BCM using a white cold foil (or holographic foil) at a speed of 33-100 fpm. In one specific embodiment, the adhesive operates at 3BCM and the press speed is 100fpm.

Fig. 12 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a method for providing a label 10 having a patterned adhesive layer 24 and a patterned ink layer 22. In this embodiment, the label 10 or label 10 is configured without a conventional facestock, but rather is printed with indicia aligned with the patterns of adhesive 24 and UV curable ink 60 by depositing a pattern of adhesive 24 (e.g., a pressure sensitive adhesive) onto the top surface 29 of the web of continuous substrate (carrier 14) followed by applying a matching pattern of UV curable ink 60 onto the adhesive layer 24, followed by depositing the ink layer 22 aligned with the adhesive and UV curable ink patterns.

Referring to the embodiment of fig. 12, the pressure sensitive label 10 may be prepared as follows: the adhesive layer 24 may be placed on the carrier layer 14 by, for example, a first roller/drum 34. Subsequently, UV curable ink 60 is deposited onto the adhesive layer 24 (e.g., in a pattern matching the adhesive pattern) via a second roller 62. The cold foil is pulled from cold foil unwind roll 52 and laminated to adhesive layer 24 at roll 54. Thereafter, the ink layer 22 is laid down by the third roller/drum 64, thereby forming the label 10 with separate and distinct layers as shown. (furthermore, although FIG. 11 is shown and described as laying down an adhesive layer followed by a UV curable ink and water-based ink layer, those skilled in the art will recognize that for label embodiments having different layer sequences-as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A-these layers may be placed in a different order than that shown in FIG. 11).

The embodiments of the invention described herein are intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art will be able to make various changes and modifications thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the particular type of material used in the adhesive, ink, and protective paint layers may be selected to optimize the performance of the label, interlayer adhesion, article adhesion, and/or mechanical and chemical resistance suitable for the intended use of the article. Furthermore, the above description may include disclosure of the particular materials used in each individual layer of the label (i.e., the particular ink may be described, and thus the specification discloses the use of the particular ink with any carrier, printable layer, and adhesive). Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that these descriptions include embodiments that comprise the particular materials described in each layer of the label (i.e., the particular inks, particular carriers, particular printable layers, and particular adhesives described at various locations in the specification will be understood to include particular embodiments that comprise each of these particular materials). Nevertheless, certain variations and modifications, while producing less than optimal results, may still produce satisfactory results. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pressure sensitive label comprising:

(a) A support portion comprising at least a carrier layer; and

(b) A transfer portion over the support portion for transferring the transfer portion from the support portion to an article upon application of pressure thereto when the transfer portion is in contact with the article, the transfer portion comprising at least a patterned adhesive layer in facing relationship with a surface of the carrier layer, wherein the patterned adhesive layer faces less than substantially the entire surface of the carrier layer.

2. The pressure sensitive label of claim 1, further comprising an ink layer positioned such that the adhesive layer is between the ink layer and the carrier layer.

3. The pressure sensitive label of claim 1, further comprising a silicone coating positioned on a surface of the carrier layer such that the silicone coating is between the carrier layer and the adhesive layer.

4. The pressure sensitive label of claim 1 wherein the carrier layer has a surface tension that allows the ink layer to be releasably bonded thereto.

5. The pressure sensitive label of claim 4, wherein the surface of the carrier layer contacting the ink layer has a dyne level of less than about 32.

6. The pressure sensitive label of claim 1 wherein the carrier layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and polyester.

7. The pressure sensitive label of claim 1 wherein the carrier layer is selected from the group consisting of virgin polypropylene film, silicone coated paper liner, silicone coated polyester film, and biaxially oriented polypropylene film.

8. The pressure sensitive label of claim 2 wherein the ink layer is a patterned ink layer.

9. The pressure sensitive label of claim 8, wherein the patterned ink layer is positioned in alignment with the patterned adhesive layer.

10. The pressure sensitive label of claim 2 further comprising a cold foil layer.

11. The pressure sensitive label of claim 10 wherein the cold foil layer is located between the adhesive layer and the ink layer.

12. The pressure sensitive label of claim 11 wherein the ink layer is a patterned ink layer.