Display device and processes for making and using the same

A self-standing display device (10) formed from front (18) and rear (20) panels, and methods for making and using the same, are disclosed. The rear panel (20) includes an easel portion (12) which is foldable to provide standing support for the display device (10). The front (18) and rear (20) panels are interconnected by an adhesive coating (48) which can extend across the interface between the front (18) and rear (20) panels. Adhesion between the front panel (18) and the easel portion (12) is substantially prevented by barrier layer (46) which can be applied by lithographic printing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to laminated products formed from 
materials such as paper, cardboard, paperboard or the like and, in 
particular, to such laminated products incorporating a detachable window 
or flap. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In a number of applications, it is desirable to provide laminated products 
with a detachable window or flap. As used herein, the term "laminated" 
includes products formed from layers of materials adhesively 
interconnected, e.g., by mounting or other laminating technique. For 
example, display devices, such as point-of-purchase paperboard displays, 
may conveniently be provided with fold-out, easel flaps to support the 
display devices in an inclined position. In this manner, display devices 
can be shipped and stored in a substantially planar configuration and then 
the flaps can be deployed so that the devices are self-standing. 
Similarly, cardboard game pieces, for use in promotional sweepstakes, can 
have pop-out windows which a contestant removes to reveal prize 
information. In addition, packages such as cardboard boxes may have a flap 
which folds out to form or provide access to a spout to facilitate pouring 
of the package contents. Many other examples of laminated products having 
a window or flap are possible. 
A problem associated with such products is that the process for producing 
the products is typically relatively complex, time-consuming and 
expensive. The case of paperboard display devices having fold-out easel 
flaps is illustrative. Such devices are commonly constructed from front 
and rear panels which are adhesively interconnected, e.g., by applying 
glue therebetween, to form the display device. Often, the front panel has 
a forwardly facing display surface and the rear panel includes an easel 
flap which can be deployed by folding the flap rearwardly to provide 
support. Alternatively, an easel may be formed separately and adhesively 
attached to the display device. As is readily appreciated, it is desirable 
to avoid adhesive attachment of the flap to adjacent portions of the 
display device so that the flaps can be easily deployed. 
One known process for producing such paperboard display devices involves 
applying an adhesive across the extent of the interface between front and 
rear panels, wherein the rear panel includes a detachable easel flap, 
except for that portion of the interface where the easel flap is located. 
Accordingly, glue can be applied to portions of the rear panel around the 
easel flap in a pattern which complements the shape of the easel flap. 
Because glues are often tacky and highly viscous and therefore are poorly 
suited for certain high speed application techniques such as lithographic 
printing, the glue is commonly applied by silk-screening or a similar 
relatively slow and labor intensive process, thereby limiting production 
output and increasing production costs. Silk screening processes also 
result in usage of relatively large quantities of glue, further increasing 
production costs. 
Manually coating panels with an adhesive by a process such as described 
above typically results in coating rates below about 120 panels per labor 
hour. Machines have been developed to mechanize the above-described 
process, including a machine known as the Automatan manufactured by Mirus 
Co. However, such machines are typically relatively expensive and are 
usually dedicated to particular coating applications, thereby increasing 
costs. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention, a laminated product including a 
detachable flap or window and methods for making and using the same are 
provided. An adhesive barrier layer is provided to substantially prevent 
adhesion between the window or flap and adjacent portions of the laminated 
product. The barrier layer can be applied by various printing techniques 
including lithographic, gravure, letter press, rotary screen or 
flexographic printing. It is an advantage of the present invention that 
the barrier layer can be applied by lithographic printing or other, 
preferably high speed, application techniques, thereby enhancing 
efficiency, economy and production rates. 
According to one aspect of the present invention, a laminated assembly is 
provided. The assembly includes first and second panels positioned in a 
superimposed relationship. The second panel includes a flap portion which 
is at least partially detachable from the remaining portion of the second 
panel. The flap portion may be totally removable from the assembly. An 
adhesive coating is disposed between the first and second panels and a 
barrier coating is disposed between the first panel and the flap portion, 
wherein the barrier coating resists adhesion between the flap portion and 
the first panel. The adhesive coating can be a layer of glue applied to 
the first panel and/or the second panel. The barrier coating is preferably 
formed from a material which can be applied by lithography or a similar 
high speed coating technique. The barrier coating can have a room 
temperature, application viscosity between about 100 centipoise and 600 
centipoise, or even higher values for certain applications such as screen 
printing. Preferably, the barrier coating has a room temperature, 
application viscosity between about 100 centipoise and 400 centipoise for 
lithographic printing. More preferably, the barrier coating has a room 
temperature, application viscosity no greater than about 200 centipoise. 
In addition, the barrier coating may be formed from an ultraviolet or 
infrared radiation curable, heat curable, or electron beam curable 
material. 
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for 
constructing a laminated assembly including first and second layers is 
provided. The method includes the steps of applying a barrier coating 
which resists adhesion in a selected pattern on one side of one of the 
layers, applying an adhesive coating to one side of one of the layers, and 
positioning the first and second layers in a superimposed relationship. In 
addition, the method includes the step of forming a line of weakness in 
the first layer to define a detachable flap portion, wherein the flap 
portion and the barrier coating are arranged in a superimposed 
relationship in the assembly. The barrier coating can be applied by 
lithographically printing the barrier coating on one of the layers or by 
another printing technique. For example, the line of weakness can be 
formed by providing a continuous or perforated cut line in the first layer 
to define an outline of the flap. 
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for use in 
displaying visual information is provided. The method includes the steps 
of providing a display device having front and rear sheets arranged in a 
face-to-face relationship, the front sheet including a display surface and 
the rear sheet including a fold-out easel portion, defined by a line of 
weakness, to provide support for the device in a standing position. The 
front and rear sheets are adhesively attached, wherein adhesion between 
the easel portion and the front sheet is substantially prevented by a 
barrier coating applied to the easel portion or the front sheet. The 
method includes the further steps of detaching the easel portion from a 
remaining portion of the rear sheet at the line of weakness, folding the 
easel portion rearwardly away from a plane of the rear sheet to an 
extended position wherein the easel portion is separated from the adhesive 
coating, and leaning the device against the easel portion in the extended 
position, wherein the easel portion supports the device such that the 
display surface is inclined for ease of viewing. 
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, an assembly 
is provided. The assembly includes a first sheet of material having a line 
of weakness defining a fold-out easel portion. The fold-out easel portion 
is adapted for folding rearwardly relative to a plane of the first sheet 
so as to provide support for the assembly in a standing position. The 
assembly further includes a second sheet of material having a front 
exposed surface and a rear surface in registration with the front surface 
of the first sheet. An adhesive coating is applied to at least one of the 
surfaces of the first sheet or the second sheet to attach the sheets 
together. In addition, a barrier coating is applied to an area on either 
sheet corresponding to the easel portion such that adhesion between the 
easel portion of the first sheet and the second sheet is substantially 
prevented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a device constructed in accordance with the present 
invention is generally identified by the reference numeral 10. Generally, 
the device 10 comprises a laminate constructed from panels, e.g., sheets 
or webs, and includes at least one detachable flap or window of any shape. 
The panels can be constructed from papers, polymers and/or other 
materials. Preferably, the panels are formed from fibrous materials such 
as paper, wood, cardboard, paperboard or other paper stock. In the 
illustrated embodiment, the device 10 comprises a display device including 
an extendible easel portion 12 which can be extended by folding the 
portion rearwardly from the device 10, e.g., by pivotably folding the 
portion 12 about axes 14 and 16, such that the easel portion 12 supports 
the device 10 in an inclined, standing position as shown in FIG. 2. 
The device 10 includes front 18 and rear 20 panels arranged in a 
superimposed relationship. The panels 18 and 20 can be formed from a 
material such as cardboard, paperboard or the like which is sufficiently 
stiff so as to be suitable for use in a self-standing display device. In 
addition, the front panel 18 can be provided with a front, display surface 
22 capable of receiving printed matter, e.g., promotional information. The 
illustrated panels 18 and 20 can be formed from 24 point paperboard which 
is suitable for a variety of self-standing display device applications. As 
will be understood upon consideration of the description below, the panels 
may be provided with a non-porous surface or coating to reduce absorption 
of materials applied thereto, thus reducing production costs. 
The easel portion 12 can be provided as a portion of the rear panel 20. The 
easel portion 12 is positioned and shaped so that the device 10 can lean 
on the portion 12 for support when the portion 12 is extended. In this 
regard, it will be appreciated that many shapes and positions of the easel 
portion are possible. For example, a single, triangular flap, 
appropriately positioned, could be utilized to provide support for the 
device 10. The illustrated easel portion 12 includes a pair of generally 
triangular flaps 24 arranged in a mirror image relationship about a 
centerline 26 of the panel 20. This arrangement has been found to provide 
excellent standing stability for the device 10. 
The illustrated easel portion 12 includes a number of other useful 
features. For example, the easel portion 12 includes tabs 28 to facilitate 
folding of the portion 12 to the extended position. The tabs 28 can 
comprise generally semi-circular, partially cut-out portions of the easel 
portion 12 sized to allow the user to insert a finger therethrough. The 
illustrated tabs 28 are defined by lines of weakness 30 through panel 20 
extending nearly around tabs 28 and terminating a short distance before 
edges 32 of flaps 24. The lines 30 can, for example, be continuous or 
perforated cut-lines formed by die-cutting or other cutting technique. It 
will thus be appreciated that the tabs 28 can be pivotably folded about 
axis 34 such that the user can pull on tabs 28 or insert a finger 
underneath flaps 24 adjacent tabs 28 to facilitate folding of the easel 
portion 12 to an extended position. 
The easel portion 12 also includes a flap 36 for securing the easel portion 
12 in the extended position. As shown, the flap 36 has a generally 
semi-circular shape including a pair of generally triangular indentations 
38. The flap 36 is foldable about axis 40 such that the indentations 38 
can securingly receive corresponding indentations 42 of flaps 24 when the 
portion 12 is in the extended position. The flaps 24 and 36 are defined by 
lines of weakness 44 in or through panel 20, shown as solid lines in FIG. 
1, which can be continuous or perforated cut-lines formed by die-cutting 
or other cutting technique. 
The panels 18 and 20 are adhesively interconnected in a manner such that 
the easel portion 12 does not stick to the front panel 18. This can be 
accomplished according to the present invention by applying a barrier 
layer 46 which resists adhesion between the easel portion 12 and the front 
panel 18 as shown. The barrier layer 46 can be applied to either panel 18 
or 20. Similarly, the adhesive coating 48 can be applied on either the 
front panel 18 or the back panel 20. It is an advantage of the present 
invention that the adhesive coating 48 can be applied across the extent of 
the interface between the panels 18 and 20 such that it is unnecessary to 
apply the adhesive coating 48 in a pattern so as to avoid bonding the 
easel portion 12 to the front panel 18. It will thus be appreciated that 
the adhesive coating 48 can be simply applied through spray coating, 
roller coating, or other high speed coating technique. Any suitable 
adhesive, for example, the adhesives identified by product codes OG2-37188 
or 37117BX manufactured by Swift, can be utilized in accordance with the 
present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive is water 
soluble and is non-toxic upon curing. 
The dimensions of the device 10 can vary broadly. The device 10 is 
preferably about 3 inches to 3 feet wide and 5 inches to 5 feet tall. The 
easel portion 12 is preferably between about 1/4 and 3/4 the height of the 
device 10 and preferably extends perpendicularly from the device 10 a 
distance of about 5% to 50% of the height of the device 10. In addition, 
the lower extremity of the easel portion 12 should be located a distance 
from the bottom of the device 10 of about 5% to 20% of the height of the 
device 10. The illustrated device 10 is about 18 inches wide and 30 inches 
tall. The easel portion 12 is about 19-20 inches tall and extends about 
4-5 inches from the device when deployed. The easel portion 12 is 
positioned about 4-5 inches from the bottom of the device 10. 
The barrier layer 46 is composed of a material which resists adhesion. 
Thus, for example, the barrier layer 46 can provide a hard, adhesive 
impermeable coating such that an adhesive applied thereto tends to bead up 
and adhere to the opposing material rather than to the barrier layer 46. 
Other desirable characteristics of the barrier layer 46 include the 
following. The barrier layer 46 can be curable, e.g., by ultraviolet or 
infrared radiation, heat or an electron beam, to ensure that the barrier 
layer 46 is cured quickly and completely thereby facilitating construction 
of the device 10. In addition, the barrier layer 46 can be suitable for 
application by a variety of printing techniques, including direct or 
offset techniques, such as screen, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic 
and gravure printing. Preferably, the barrier layer 46 is applicable by 
lithographic printing or similar high speed application techniques to 
enhance production speed and allow high speed construction without 
necessitating provision of an expensive machine dedicated to application 
of the barrier layer 46. It has been found that the barrier layer 46 can 
be lithographically printed in accordance with the present invention at 
rates greater than 3,500 prints per hour. In this regard, the barrier 
layer 46 should be formed of a material which has a low application 
viscosity, preferably below about 400 centipoise and more preferably below 
about 200 centipoise. Suitable barrier layer materials include various 
water-based emulsions and acrylic type materials such as, for example, 
MIRACURE J9312D and LATICOTE B7176X-1 manufactured by Pierce and Stevens. 
Referring to FIGS. 6a-6e, the device 10 can thus be constructed in an 
in-line process as follows. The panels 18 and 20 can be provided as 
pre-cut sheets or from a web of stock material. The barrier layer 46 
material can be applied to the front 18 or rear panel 20 in a pattern 
corresponding to the shape of the easel portion 12 by lithographically or 
otherwise printing the barrier material on the panel. Thereafter, the 
panel can be cured, e.g., by irradiation with ultraviolet or infrared 
radiation, heat, or an electron beam. A coating 48 of glue can be applied 
to either the front 18 or rear 20 panel by spray coating, roller coating 
or other high speed coating technique, and then the panels 18 and 20 can 
be positioned in a superimposed relationship and pressed together by 
rollers, pressure plates or the like. The easel portion 12 can be cut, by 
die cutting, knife cutting or other technique, preferably before, but 
alternatively after the panels 18 and 20 are coated and attached together. 
It will thus be appreciated that the device 10 can be quickly and simply 
constructed in accordance with the present invention without the need for 
an expensive machine dedicated to particular coating procedures. In this 
regard, it is noted that printing equipment utilized to apply the barrier 
layer 46 can be utilized for other printing applications. In addition, 
where the manufacturer does not desire to purchase additional equipment, 
the barrier layer 46 can be printed by a separate printing business in 
accordance with the present invention. 
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, alternative embodiments of the present 
invention are shown. FIG. 4 shows a box side panel portion 50 formed from 
front 52 and rear 54 panels wherein the front panel 52 is provided with a 
flap 56 to allow access to a pouring spout 58. It will be appreciated that 
a construction technique as described above may be utilized to form the 
side panel portion 50 so that the flap 56 can be easily opened without 
undesired adhesion between the flap 56 and rear panel 54. Similarly, FIG. 
5 shows a gamepiece 60 formed from front 60 and rear 64 panels of fibrous 
material including a number of removable windows 66 and associated pull 
tabs 68. The gamepiece 60 can be used in connection with a sweepstakes 
wherein a contestant removes a window 66 to reveal prize information 70. 
The gamepiece 60 can be constructed using a technique such as described 
above. Other embodiments of the present invention could include, for 
example, gameboards or picture-books that have pop-up figures. 
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in 
detail, it is apparent that further modifications and adaptations of the 
invention will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be 
expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within 
the spirit and scope of the present invention.