Abstract:
There is disclosed a fabric label, a method of making a label, a method of marking a garment, and a tool for inserting a marker. The label preferably has a closed or essentially closed pocket, into which a marker, such as an electronic article surveillance (EAS) or radio frequency identification device (RFID) marker is inserted after the pocket has been formed. In one embodiment the marker is inserted through a slit in the pocket and in other embodiment the marker is inserted into a closed pocket by a hollow needle which has penetrated through a wall of the pocket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a label, a method of making a label, a method of marking a garment or the like, and a tool for inserting a marker. 
   2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,489 to Thomas R. Loemker et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,612 to Dennis M. Gadonniex et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,015 to Ming-Ren Lian et al are made of record. 
   It has been known to insert a marker into the open end of a tubular label prior to permanently closing that open end using a push rod having a terminal end which abuts the marker and pushes the marker to the inside of the tubular label. 
   As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,489, markers such as security devices have been disclosed as being applied to garments, soft goods such as towels and socks, shoes and the like. The marker is included in the label during the label manufacturing process. It is necessary to provide labels on garments and the like in order to provide care information relating to washing or dry cleaning, and as to the material or materials of which the garment is composed, country of origin, and so on. While every garment requires a label for this purpose sewn into or heat sealed by the garment manufacturer during the manufacturing process, not every retailer desires that garments in the retailer&#39;s store incorporate a marker such as an electronic article surveillance (EAS) device, a radio frequency identification device (RFID) or the like. This may be due to the fact that different retailers have different EAS and RFID systems, or that the retailer may desire to have markers in labels for only certain merchandise, or use them only in stores which have suitable EAS or RFID, as the case may be, sensing gates. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the invention, the markers are typically inserted into the labels only after the labels have been attached to the garments. In fact to save costs, the retailer may desire to seed some of the labels on the tagged garments with dummy markers which do not have detectability. Dummy markers are used because of their lower cost. 
   In accordance with the invention, there is provided an improved label into which a marker can be inserted subsequent to the manufacture of the garment and after the label is attached to the garment or other article. 
   The invention also provides improved methods of inserting markers into labels subsequent to manufacture of labels and their attachment to garments or the like. 
   The invention also relates to improved tools for inserting markers into labels. 
   The invention also relates to improved methods of making labels for use with markers. 
   According to a specific embodiment of the invention, fabric label material in web form can be printed and/or woven on one or both sides with the the desired indicia. The web can be provided with openings, for example, slits at longitudinally spaced intervals before being formed into a label with a pocket. The label material can be in tubular form and the label stitched, heat sealed, or otherwise suitably closed off at longitudinally spaced intervals to provide a pocket, wherein there is one opening preferably in the form of a slit between spaced apart closed off ends of each label in the web. The printing of indicia can be performed at any stage before the labels are cut from the web, however weaving of indicia into the web is preferably done before the web is folded. Likewise, the slits can be made either before or after printing or weaving of indicia, and the slits can be made at any stage before the labels are cut from the web. The labels can be cut apart from each other and used or stacked ready for subsequent use. The labels are typically sewn into or otherwise attached to garments by the garment manufacturer and eventually shipped to a retailer for sale. The manufacturer, the manufacturer&#39;s distributor, or the retailer can utilize the invention by inserting a marker of the type described herein into the pocket through the opening in the pocket. It is preferred to have a coating of adhesive on the outside of the marker so that once the marker is inside the pocket, slight pressure between the adhesive-coated part of the marker and the inside of the pocket causes the marker to adhere to the label so that the marker cannot be removed through the opening. It is preferred that the adhesive be of a permanent, aggressive, type. 
   Alternatively, the marker may include a chip such as an adhesive-coated RFID chip or an elongated electromagnetically responsive element such as a long small diameter steel wire which can be detected or sensed by sending gates. By using a hollow, pointed needle which passes through the wall of the label, the chip or the wire may be passed through the needle into the pocket. 
   The marker can be applied through an opening in the pocket by an elongate tool having a handle and an elongate cavity having an open end opposite the handle, wherein a retainer disposed opposite the open end helps the user remove the marker from a web and hold the marker in the cavity. The improved tool assists the user in inserting the marker through the opening in the pocket. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMMATIC DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a fragmentary elevational view of a garment showing one side of a fabric label attached thereto; 
       FIG. 2  is a view of the label similar to  FIG. 1  but showing only the other side of the label; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  wherein the label is partially cut away to show a marker; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 1 , wherein the marker is shown of exaggerated thickness for clarity of illustration; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a web of markers and a tool for removing one marker at a time from the web and then capturing the marker; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the marker captured by the tool just prior to being inserted through the label wall into the pocket; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the label with the marker carried into the pocket by the tool; 
       FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the tool shown in  FIGS. 6 through 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view taken along line  10 — 10  of  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  but showing a fragmentary portion of a marker in a cavity of the tool held captive by a retainer; 
       FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a sectional view through a label showing a needle as having penetrated a continuous uninterrupted wall of the pocket in preparation for inserting a marker through the needle into the pocket; 
       FIG. 14  is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a marker being pushed into the pocket through the needle by a push rod; and 
       FIG. 15  is a sectional view of a label with the marker of  FIGS. 13 and 14  having been inserted into the pocket. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference initially to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , there is shown a label generally indicated at  20  attached to a garment  21 , only a fragmentary portion of the garment  21  being illustrated. The label  20  may be attached by a variety of means such as by heat sealing the label to the garment using a thin layer of heat seal adhesive as shown, or by sewing, or by a fastener such as a fastener sold by Paxar Corporation under the registered trademark “TAGGER TAIL”. A side  20 ′ of the label shown in  FIG. 1  typically bears printed and/or woven indicia  23 , as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,489, which patent is incorporated by reference. Such indicia, in the case of a garment, for example, can be care instructions (e.g., machine washable), garment materials, size, country of origin, and/or brand name(s). In the event of items other than garments, information appropriate to the product can be applied. A cut line  24  is also preferably printed as in U.S. Pat. No 5,583,489 and a representation of a pair of scissors  25  can also be printed on the label  20 . The label  20  is shown to have another side  20 ″ providing the remaining part of a wall  20 W. The sides  20 ′ and  20 ″ are shown to be tubular. The label  20  is woven as a tube having one continuous, one-piece, seamless side panel or wall. Alternately, the wall  20 W can be a folded web heat sealed, stitched, ultrasonically sealed, welded, adhesively bonded or otherwise attached along one side to provide a wall, or two webs or panels can be attached using any one of these techniques at their side edges to provide a tubular wall. The material of which the fabric label  20  is composed can for example be acetate, cotton, nylon, polyester and combinations thereof, in woven or non-woven form, and can be coated to enhance its durability and/or to its printability. If the label is to be used as a garment label, the label including its seams, and the printing must be able to endure repeated washings or dry cleaning, as the case may be. If the label is to be used for other less rigorous purposes, it may even be comprised of paper or the like. 
   Side  20 ″ of the wall  20 W has a small opening generally indicated at  27  preferably in the form of a slit  27 ′. The slit  27 ′ provides a through opening into the inside of the label  20  into which a marker generally indicated at  28  can be inserted to the position shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  5  and  8 . The label  20  defines a pocket generally indicated at  20 P into which the marker  28  is received. As shown, the pocket  20 P is closed except for the opening  27 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , both ends of the elongate label are sealed at  29  as by heat sealing, however, the portion of the label  20  at the place of attachment to the garment  21  can be open until sewn into or sealed to the garment  21 . 
   The marker  28  can be of any suitable type such as a marker as illustrated of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,969,612 and 6,067,015 and sold by Sensormatic Electronics Corporation, of Boca Raton, Fla., U.S.A. The marker  28  has a hollow section or panel  30  hat-shaped in section in both the transverse and longitudinal directions as shown in respective  FIGS. 4 and 5 . A transparent plastic film layer  31  is sealed to a continuous flange  32  on the panel  30 . The space between the panel  30  and the layer  31  inboard of the flange  32  receives a thin magnetostrictive plate or element  33 . For the sake of clarity, the element  33  is shown to be suspended in air between the panel  30  and the layer  32 . The element  33  is capable of vibrating when excited at a selected exciting frequency and the vibrations are capable of being sensed by a receiver. A magnetizable plate  33 ′ is positioned captive between a transparent film or layer  34  and a transparent film or layer  34 ′ and provides a proper magnetic bias field for the magnetostrictive plate  33 . The film  34  is coated with a permanent-type, aggressive, pressure-sensitive adhesive  35  which adheres the marker  28  to the wall  20 W. The edges of the layers  34 ,  34 ′ and the flange  322  are secured together. The marker  18  is activated by magnetizing the plate  33 ′ and thus the plate  33  can vibrate detectably when excited. Other types of markers such as electromagnetically detectable flat or round strips or fibers, markers with LC circuits, RFID devices and the like are within the contemplation of the invention. The size of the opening  27  need only be large enough to enable the marker  28  to be inserted therethrough. For convenience the length of the slit  27 ′ is greater than the width of the marker  28 , as shown. 
     FIG. 6  shows that the markers  28  are initially releasably adhered to the underside of a transparent, release coated film or web or carrier  36 . The adhesive  35  removably or releasably adheres the markers  28  to the release coating on the web  36 . A tool generally indicated at  37  is shown to include a one-piece elongate member  38  with a handle or handle portion  39  at one end portion of the member  38  and a cavity  40  in the form of a channel  41  at the other end portion of the member  38 . The profile of the channel  41  is shown in  FIG. 12  and includes a bottom wall  42  and a pair of laterally spaced lands or shelves  43  spaced from the bottom wall  42  and which terminate at ridges or guards  44 . One end of the cavity  40  is open as indicated at  45 , and the other end includes a retainer or keeper  46  in the form of a tang or ledge  47 . The keeper  46  overhangs the cavity  40 . When a marker  28  is received in the cavity  40 , the flange  27  rests on the shelves  43  and the guards  44  project above the flange  27  as shown for example in  FIGS. 6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  12  and  13 . Side walls  48  of the cavity  40  squeeze the panel  30  adjacent the flange  32  to hold the marker  28  in the tool  37  after the marker  28  has been removed from the web  36 . The retainer  46  helps in the removal of the markers  28 , one-by-one, as by sealing the markers  28  from the web  36  and also helps retain the marker  28  in the cavity  40  while the tool  37  and the marker  28  which it carries are being inserted into the pocket  20 P. 
   With reference to  FIG. 6 , the tool  37  is grasped by the handle  39  and is oriented so that the cavity  40  is aligned with a marker  28 . The tool  37  is moved in the direction of arrow A so that the open end  45  and the cavity  40  receives the marker  28  until the flange  27  at the end of the marker  28  is received under the retainer  46 . Whereupon the marker  28  is delaminated from the web  36  by prying or peeling. With the marker  28  captured in the cavity  40 , the tool  37  is thereafter aligned with the opening  27 . At this point the assembler can flex the label  20  as shown to open the pocket  20 P at the opening  27 . Thereupon the tool  37  with the captured marker  28  can be slid into the pocket  20 P to the position shown in  FIG. 8 . The guards  44  keep adhesive  35  on the marker  28  from catching on the inside of the pocket  20 P until the marker  28  has been fully inserted into the pocket  20 P. Thereupon, the installer can pinch the sides  20 ′ and  20 ″ of the label  20  lightly to cause the adhesive  35  to adhere to the inside of the pocket  20 P as best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Then the tool  37  can be withdrawn. With the adhesive  35  adhering the marker  28  in the pocket  20 P, a would-be thief cannot remove the marker from the pocket  20 P. 
   In the embodiment of  FIGS. 13 through 15 , the label  20 A shown is identical to the label  20  except that the label  20 A has a continuous uninterrupted wall  20 W and has no pre-formed opening for insertion of the marker  28 A. The label  20 A has a closed pocket  20 PA. A marker  28 A such as an electromagnetic rod or bar member as shown is inserted through the wall  20 WA through a pointed hollow needle  40 . The needle is shown to have a tubular needle portion  41  with a bore or lumen  42 . The needle portion  41  terminates at a point end  41 ′ which spreads the fibers of the fabric material to make a small closeable hole  46  but preferably does not make a permanent hole in the label  20 A. 
   After the needle is inserted as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , a push rod  43  abuts the end of the marker  28 A and pushes the marker  28 A into the pocket  20 PA. Thereafter, the needle  41  and the push rod  43  are withdrawn and the marker  28 A resides in the pocket  20 PA from which it cannot be removed. The small hole  46  made by the needle closes up after the needle  40  has been removed. 
   In the illustrated embodiments, the marker is inserted into the pocket  20 P or  20 PA after the label  20  or  20 A has been made and after the label  20  or  20 A has been attached to a garment. The manufacturer, distributor or retailer can selectively implant a marker  28  or  28 A or the like into as many of the labels  20  or  20 A as desired. Instead a dummy marker, that is one that is not functional, can be inserted through the wall of the label  20  or  20 A, if desired to spare the cost of responsive markers. The markers can be pre-tested for responsiveness prior to insertion, if desired. 
   Other embodiments and modifications of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and all such of these as some within the spirit of this invention are included within the scope as best defined by the appended claims.