Abstract:
A label includes a sheet having an outer side and an inner side, an abrasive attached to the outer side, an adherent attached to the inner side, and a display connected to the sheet. The adherent is fixable to a container and the display is thereby visible towards the outer side.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention generally relates to labels, and more particularly relates to product labels providing an abrasive surface. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A typical label is a printed sign or notice attached to products or a container for products. The label may include a product name or identifier, logos, instructions, as well as information about the product. Conventional labels are paper, polymer, cloth, metal or similar material affixed to a product or container, or may be printed directly on a container or article. 
         [0003]    Labels are employed for a variety of reasons, including identifying product, informing about product quantity, source, use, shelf-life and disposal, and alerting to dangers or warnings, among others. Content of labelling may be governmentally regulated, such as can be the case for various food, drugs, and other articles. In any event, labels have typically served merely as a notice or sign to consumers and those obtaining products. 
         [0004]    Labels do not typically serve any purpose beyond notification. For example, labels have not been useable for extended or ancillary purposes or those purposes have been very limited. This is because labels have been merely paper, polymer, cloth or similar material fixed to products or containers for notification. 
         [0005]    Recently, labels have employed security or mechanical identification mechanisms. For example, radio frequency identification (RFID), antimicrobial, bar code, and other mechanisms may be incorporated in labels; however, purpose of the label remains primarily notification or identity. Moreover, these mechanisms are typically for benefit of other than the ultimate consumer, such as for tracking in distribution channels and the like. 
         [0006]    Labels that provide new and additional uses, beyond mere notification, can benefit consumers. Rock climbers, mechanics, cosmetics users, and other consumers of labeled products, would find beneficial a label that serves purpose beyond notification or other conventional purpose. A multi-purpose label, providing notification as well as other function, would therefore be desirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    An embodiment of the invention is a label including a sheet having an outer side and an inner side, an abrasive attached to the outer side, an adherent attached to the inner side, and a display connected to the sheet. The adherent is fixable to a container and the display is thereby visible towards the outer side. 
         [0008]    Another embodiment of the invention is a method of manufacturing a label. The method includes providing a sheet having an outer side and an inner side, forming an abrasive attached to the outer side, depositing an adherent attached to the inner side, and printing a display on the sheet. 
         [0009]    Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method of manufacturing a label. The method includes providing a sheet having an outer side and an inner side, forming an abrasive attached to the outer side, depositing an adherent attached to the inner side, and dying the sheet to form a display. The abrasive is sufficiently translucent for the display when viewed towards the outer side. 
         [0010]    Another embodiment of the invention is a method of manufacturing a label. The method includes providing a sheet having an outer side and an inner side, forming a display comprised of an abrasive attached to the outer side, and depositing an adherent attached to the inner side. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a label including an abrasive outer surface and outward display, for attachment to a wall of a container or other article, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front side view of an abrasive outer surface of a label, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates an end view of a label with abrasive of the outer surface adherent of the inner side, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates an end view of a sheet of label, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-section along line A-A′ of the label of  FIG. 4 , of an ink of the outer surface applied to the abrasive of the label, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates another cross-section along line A-A′ of an alternative label of  FIG. 4 , of an ink of a sheet covered by the abrasive of the label, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-section along line A-A′ of another alternative of the label of  FIG. 4 , of a dye of a sheet covered by the abrasive of the label, according to certain embodiments; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-section along line A-A′ of another alternative of the label of  FIG. 4 , of a colored or hued abrasive of the label, according to certain embodiments; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  illustrates a cross-section along line A-A′ of another alternative of the label of  FIG. 4 , including a matrix or bonded material sheet with covering abrasive of the label, according to certain embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The following description refers to certain specific embodiments; however, the specific embodiments are merely illustrative and variations and changes may be made in the embodiments without diverting from the broad scope encompassed by the disclosure. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a label system  100  includes a sheet  102  having an inner side  104  and an outer side  106 . The outer side  106 , at least in part, forms an abrasive surface. The outer surface  106  also, at least in part, forms a display  107 , which may be printed, dyed, or otherwise disposed on or in the outer surface  106 . The inner side  104  forms a surface fixable to an item, such as, for example, a container  108  for a product (e.g., skin moisturizer, balm, or other completely different product), which container  108  may be paper, cardboard, glass, metal or other material. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , in conjunction with  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the system  100  includes the sheet  102  of the system  100 . An abrasive  202  is formed in the outer surface  106  of the sheet  102 . The abrasive  202  is a material useful to shape or finish a workpiece or body part (e.g., finger nails, callouses) through rubbing which leads to filing, scraping, grinding, shaving, trimming, grating, rasping or sloughing away of part of the workpiece or body part (e.g., dead skin cells), as applicable. Suitable materials of the abrasive  202  may, as non-exclusive examples, be granules, such as glass, sand, or other mineral or mineral-like substance such as synthetic stones, striations, such as crisscross valleys and peaks, tooths, such as file or saw features, bonded material, such as an impregnated or other matrix, or other abrasive material. The abrasive  202  may be man-made or not. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in conjunction with  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment  300  of the system  100  includes the sheet  102  and the abrasive  202  on the outer side  106 . The system  100  also may include an adherent  204  on the inner side  104 . The system  100  is fixed to the container  108  or other article, for example, on an outwardly disposed container or article surface, via the adherent  204 . As so fixed to the container  108  or other article, the article supports the inner side  104 , thereby supporting the outer side  106  for use of the abrasive  202  for shaping and finishing. 
         [0025]    The outer side  106  of the system  100  further includes a display  107 . The display  107  is, for example, a printed or dyed product name and/or information of or integral to the sheet  102  and/or abrasive  202  as hereafter disclosed. The system  100  may be planar, curled or other configuration for application. The system  100  may also be any shape or size, such as for example, but not limitation, round, square, hexagonal, triangular, large, small or other. The size or shape may be limited by the shape or configuration of the container  108  or other article to which the system  100  is applied. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , another embodiment of the system  100  includes a planar sheet  102  having an outer side  106  and an inner side  104 . The outer side  106  forms the abrasive  202 . The abrasive  202  may be relatively uniform in texture, or may include segments or portions of varying texture. 
         [0027]    In operation, the system  100  is fixed by attachment to the container  108  or other article via the adherent  204  of the inner side  104 . The adherent  204  may be glue or other adhesive material placed or formed on the inner side  104 . In certain embodiments, the sheet  102  is made available with the adherent  204 , such as, for example, the adherent  204  is placed on the inner side  104  and covered by a removable pane or film. In such embodiments, the pane or film is removed prior to connectedly affixing the sheet  102  to the container  108  or other article by the adherent  204 . The adherent  204  may form a substantially permanent or removable label on the container  108  or other article. 
         [0028]    As fixed to the container  108  or other article, the system  100  is a label of the display  107 , showing product name, information, or other desired content. In addition to operation as the label display, the abrasive  202  provides a shaping or forming surface for a workpiece or body part, such as finger nail or callous. In use, the abrasive  202  is rubbed on a surface for shaping or forming the surface by sloughing, filing, scraping, grinding, or shaving away or removing the surface. As may be understood, variation of the abrasive  202 , such as for a more or less rough surface of the system  100 , provides for different possible uses of shaping or forming, such as with different workpiece or body part. 
         [0029]    In non-exclusive embodiments, the abrasive  202  may be wholly or partially located on the outer side  106  of the sheet  102 . For example, the entire outer side  106  may include the abrasive  202 , or otherwise a part, portion or segment of the outer side  106  may include the abrasive  202 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a non-exclusive embodiment  500  of the system  100 , in partial section, includes the sheet  102  and the abrasive on the outer side  106 . The inner side  104  may include the adherent  204 . For the display  107  for use as a label, ink  502  deposits are located on abrasive  202 . In the embodiment  500 , the abrasive  202  may be opaque or translucent and will not block or obscure the display  107  of the ink  502 . Although the ink  502  is illustrated as deposited in only part(s) or portion(s) of the exposed abrasive  202 , the ink  502  may, in fact, be deposited across the entire abrasive  202  or in part, as desired. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , another non-exclusive embodiment  600  of the system  100 , in partial section, includes the sheet  102 . The outer side  106  of the sheet  102  includes ink  602  deposits, overlaid by the abrasive  202 . In the embodiment, the abrasive  202  must be relatively translucent to allow the display  107  of the ink  602  as a label. Although the ink  602  is illustrated as deposited in only part(s) or portion(s) of the outer side  106  of the sheet  102 , the ink  502  may, in fact, be deposited across the entire sheet  102  or in part, as desired. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , yet another non-exclusive embodiment  700  of the system  100 , in partial section, includes the sheet  102  and the abrasive  202  on the outer side  106 . The sheet  102  is dyed  702  or otherwise colored to provide the display  107  as a label. In the embodiment, the abrasive  202  must be sufficiently translucent to allow visibility of the display  107  of the dye  702  through the abrasive  202 . Although the dye  702  is illustrated in only parts of the sheet  102 , the dye  702  may be over entirety or only portion(s) of the sheet  102 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , in another embodiment  800  of the system  100 , the abrasive  202  provides color or hue as the display  107 . In the embodiment  800 , the sheet  102  is covered on the outer side  106  by the abrasive  202 . The abrasive  202  includes segments or portions  802  of varied color or hue. Because different (or possibly same) materials are possible for the abrasive  202 , selection may be made among the materials in order to provide the differing color or hue desired for the display  107 . In such embodiment, the abrasive  202  provides the display  107  of the label because of the segments or portions  802 . 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , another embodiment  800  includes a matrix or bonded material  902  as the sheet  102 . The matrix or bonded material  902  may be embedded or covered with the abrasive  202 , or alternately, though not shown in the figure, the material  902  may itself be the abrasive  202  on the outer side  906  of the material. The inner side  904  of the material  902  may include the adherent  204  (not shown in detail). In the embodiment  800 , the matrix or bonded material  902  may include ink, dye or color elements serving as the display  107 . In such case, any abrasive  202  overlaying the outer side  906  may be sufficiently translucent to provide the display  107  as the label. Alternately, the abrasive  202  may include color or hue, or ink or dye may be overlaid the abrasive  202 . As will be understood, variations of the display  107  provided for the matrix or bonded material  902  are possible in accordance with various others of the embodiments. 
         [0035]    Numerous variations in the foregoing are possible. Inks, dyes, abrasive, or other display may be any of a wide variety of colors and combinations of colors. For example, the sheet may be one or more color and inks or dyes may provide one or more different colors to the display. The material of the abrasive may be widely varied, including both natural and man-made materials. Same or different abrasives may be employed and more than one type of abrasive may be combined either in segments or within segments. Adherent may be applied or included in the label system. A variety of adherents, and various combinations thereof, may be employed to achieve desired tacking of labels to a surface, such as a container or other article. In certain alternatives, labels are pre-sized and/or pre-shaped for application or formed of a larger or continuous sheeting and cut or otherwise shaped and sized. Label sizes vary widely, and labels may include perforations or similar for label removal (e.g., for peel off of product information or indicators) or twist break (e.g., twist off cap that would break the label). Where the sheet is a matrix or bonded material, the material may itself, in certain alternatives, serve as the abrasive, and the material may have color or hue forming the display or else ink or dye may be printed or otherwise deposited or impregnated on or in the material. 
         [0036]    In the foregoing, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, however, that various modifications, substitutions, deletions, and additions can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications substitutions, deletions, and additions are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. Any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems that may have been described above with regard to specific embodiments, as well as device(s), connection(s), step(s) and element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced, are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element.