Adhesive closure for identification band and method

An identification bracelet includes a shield or cover such as a liner affixed thereto. The bracelet includes an adhesive closure acting between the ends of the bracelet to maintain the bracelet in a desired encircling relationship about an object, and the cover prevents the premature exposure and attachment of the adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, the shield includes a bonding strip to accomplish the relatively permanent affixation of the shield to the bracelet. The shield preferably includes a non-adhesive surface on the portion of the shield that confronts the adhesive prior to engaging the bracelet about the object to be identified.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to closures for identification bands, and 
specifically to an improved adhesive closure. 
The use of identification bracelets is substantial, both in traditional 
areas such as hospital patient admissions and in relatively new 
applications such as crowd control and patron identification. In many such 
applications, adhesive closure bracelets may be effectively utilized. Such 
bands typically include an elongated bracelet or strap with an adhesive 
portion near one end. A disposable, throw-away shield covers the adhesive 
until just prior to use, at which time the shield is removed from the 
adhesive and discarded, permitting the ends of the bracelet to be joined 
to each other. 
As indicated, in conventional adhesive closures for identification bands, 
the shield is separate from the band. Upon the required removal of the 
shield to expose the adhesive, the shield becomes waste which must be 
disposed of in some way. Among other things, appropriate disposal 
(especially in view of the large volumes of bracelets which are frequently 
used) necessarily requires an increase in the labor associated with use of 
the bracelet. Additionally, if the shields are not properly disposed of, 
the separation of the shields from the bands at the point of application 
can pollute the environment, especially in outdoor applications. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide an improved adhesive 
closure for identification bracelets. In its preferred embodiment, the 
closure includes adhesive means disposed near one end of the band and 
adapted to adhesively engage the other end of the band to retain it about 
an object. The closure further includes shield or cover means such as a 
liner affixed to the band in a relatively permanent manner. A portion of 
the shield is adapted to releasably overlie the adhesive prior to use of 
the band, to prevent inadvertent adhesion of the adhesive. That portion of 
the shield must be moved or folded out of the way to expose the adhesive, 
thereby permitting the ends of the band to be adhered to each other. Even 
during use, however, the shield is not separated from the bracelet but 
remains attached thereto. 
It is a further object of my invention to provide a bracelet having a 
closure of the aforementioned character, in which the shield liner 
includes a non-adhesive surface on the overlying portion, whereby the 
non-adhesive surface overlies and confronts the adhesive means prior to 
use of the bracelet, permitting the overlying portion of the shield to be 
moved from the adhesive at the desired time. 
Another object of my invention is to provide a bracelet having a closure of 
the aforementioned character, in which the cover has permanent adhesive 
means on a portion or edge thereof to accomplish the attachment to the 
band. For certain methods of manufacture and assembly of the bracelet, 
such permanent adhesive means on the cover is beneficial and economic as 
compared to mechanical or other methods of fastening the cover to the 
band. The permanent adhesive means may include, for example, an adhesive 
bonding strip. 
Thus, the preferred cover liner for the improved closure of my invention 
includes a permanent adhesive portion to attach the cover to the band, and 
a portion having a non-adhesive surface to overlie the adhesive on the 
band itself (which adhesive acts to hold the band in its operative 
encircling relationship about the object to be identified). 
Yet another object of my invention is the provision of an identification 
band with closure means having no disposable parts. The band has first and 
second ends adapted to be joined together to encircle an object to be 
identified, and adhesive means acting between the first and second ends to 
accomplish that joinder. A cover or shield means is relatively permanently 
affixed to the band means, and has a portion adapted to temporarily 
overlie the adhesive means prior to the joinder of the first and second 
ends of the band. The portion is also adapted to be moved from the 
overlying relationship to expose the adhesive means and permit the joinder 
of the first and second ends. 
A further object of my invention is the provision of an identification 
bracelet with cover means relatively permanently affixed to the bracelet, 
a portion of the cover means overlying an adhesive material on the 
bracelet prior to use of the bracelet. The overlying portion confronts the 
adhesive to prevent its premature adhesion to anything, and is adapted to 
be displaced from the overlying relationship without being removed from 
the bracelet, thereby exposing the adhesive and permitting the adhesion 
between the first and second ends of the bracelet. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the 
following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the 
purpose of illustration only.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-4 thereof, I show an 
identification bracelet or band 10 having an adhesive closure assembly 
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention. The band is 
fabricated from plastic or paper or other suitable material, and is 
adapted to include identifying information thereon or to otherwise serve 
an identifying function relating to an object or person. 
The band 10 includes a first end 12 and a second end 14 remote from the 
first end 12. The band, and its first and second ends, is sized and shaped 
so that it can encircle the object to be identified (or, for a further 
example, encircle a person's wrist) and be usefully retained thereon. In 
the preferred embodiment, this retention is accomplished by closure means 
which adhere the first and second ends to each other about the object, as 
will now be described in further detail. 
The first end 12 is provided with adhesive means such as an adhesive layer 
of material 16. This adhesive is preferably applied across the full width 
of the bracelet and along a short distance thereof, but those skilled in 
the art will understand that the particular type, shape and size of the 
adhesive layer is not critical, so long as it provides sufficient 
adherence to retain the band about the object to be identified. The 
adhesive must of course be one which adheres to the particular materials 
of the bracelet, so that the ends of same can be operatively joined 
together by the adhesive 16. 
The adhesive closure means includes cover means or shield means such as a 
plastic liner 18. The liner 18 is preferably of the same width as the band 
10 and the adhesive 16, but may be of a wide range of sizes and 
configurations so long as it covers the adhesive 16 prior to use of the 
bracelet, thereby preventing the premature and undesirable or inadvertent 
adhesion of the adhesive 16 to an adjacent surface. 
Although the cover 18 could be wider than the band 10, it is preferably 
less than or equal to the band's width for ease of manufacture and 
handling. Similarly, the cover or shield 18 could be larger than the 
adhesive means 16 without affecting the efficacy of the closure. 
The cover means 18 preferably includes a portion 20 having a non-adhesive 
surface 22 affixed thereto. The surface 22 may be formed integrally with 
the cover (or the cover may be fabricated from a suitably non-adhesive 
material) or may be a separately applied layer or disposition 22 of a 
material such as silicone, as shown in FIGS. 2-5. Prior to using the 
bracelet, the non-adhesive surface 22 confronts the adhesive means 16 and 
prevents the permanent adhesion of the shield means 18 to the adhesive 16. 
Those skilled in the art will understand that the non-adhesive surface 22 
is preferably at least as large as, and is preferably positioned so as to 
confront the entirety of, the adhesive means 16. Exceptions would include, 
for example, embodiments in which the adhesive means underlies the 
affixation portion 24 described below. 
The cover means 18 is affixed to the bracelet 10 in a relatively permanent 
manner, so that it cannot easily be removed from the bracelet. This 
relatively permanent affixation may be accomplished in a variety of ways, 
such as by sonic welding, adhesive means, mechanical fastening, heat 
bonding or the like. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the 
drawings, this affixation is provided by the adhesive means 16 contacting 
an affixation portion 24 of the cover liner 18. Those skilled in the art 
will understand that, if appropriate materials are utilized for the 
adhesive 16 and the shield 18, if the adhesive 16 extends under the 
affixation portion 24, and if the affixation portion 24 does not include a 
confronting non-adhesive layer such as surface 22, the portion 24 may be 
sufficiently permanently adhered to the band 10 by simply adhering the 
portion 24 directly to the adhesive means 16, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-8. 
To increase the adhesion therebetween, however, a relatively permanent 
adhesive means such as an adhesive bonding strip 26, FIGS. 9-14, may be 
provided between the liner 18 and the band 10. The bonding strip 26 can by 
any of a wide variety of suitable materials and constructions, as will be 
understood by those skilled in the art. 
A preferred use of the bracelet is illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. The shield 
means 18 is moved from its confronting relationship with the adhesive 
means 16, and is folded so as to expose the adhesive 16. The shield 18 
remains affixed to the band 10, however, through the adhesion of portion 
24 to the adhesive means 16. As indicated above, this relatively permanent 
affixation may be accomplished by other means including mechanical 
fastening, bonding, or the use of a permanent bonding strip 26 (FIGS. 
9-14). The band 10 is then placed about the object to be identified, such 
as by encircling the bracelet about a person's wrist (not shown), and the 
second end 14 is brought into relatively permanent adhering relationship 
with the adhesive means 16, FIG. 5. 
The bracelet 10 thereby remains a unitary article, generating no separate 
refuse to be disposed of at the time the bracelet is applied to the 
object. 
A preferred device for enabling the ready manufacture and assembly of the 
closure is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, and a similar device is 
illustrated in FIG. 13 for an alternative embodiment including a permanent 
bonding strip 26. A continuous strip 18a of the liner cover is provided on 
a dispensing spool or reel 30. The spool may be mounted to dispense the 
strip 18a as part of a manufacturing process, such as by mounting the 
spool 30 on a bar 32 so it can rotate thereupon. An appropriate length of 
the strip 18a can be unwound from the spool 30, and then be severed (such 
as by cutting or by tearing along perforated dividing lines) from the 
strip 18a and affixed to one or more bracelets 10 in the relationship 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (or FIGS. 9 and 10); that is, overlying the 
adhesive means 16. 
For ease of manufacture, the strip 18a can be applied to a plurality of 
bracelets simultaneously (or even to a sheet of material from which a 
plurality of bracelets will eventually be cut or formed), and the 
individual bracelets 10 subsequently cut or torn apart from each other. 
Additionally, the adhesive 16 may be conveniently disposed on the 
non-adhesive layer 22 prior to assembly with the band 10. The adhesive 16 
is thus "carried" on the non-adhesive layer 22 until being juxtaposed to 
the band 10, whereupon the adhesive is transferred to the band 10 by the 
application of pressure or other suitable means. Thereafter, the adhesive 
16 is retained on the band 10 and may be exposed only as described above 
and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
In FIGS. 6-8 and 13-14, the extension "-a" is applied to the various 
components of the continuous strip 18a as they correspond to the 
respective components in the remaining Figures. For example, the 
continuous strip of adhesive 16a (FIGS. 7-8) corresponds to the adhesive 
means 16 in FIGS. 2-5. 
Additionally, in order to permit the preferred spooling and dispensing of 
the continuous strip 18a, FIGS. 6-8 and 13-14, a non-adhesive coating 23a 
(designated as coating 23 in FIGS. 1-5 and 9-12) is preferably provided on 
the surface of the cover or shield means opposite the adhesive 16. The 
coating 23a is configured to prevent undesired adhesion of the adhesive 
means 16a to the surface 20a under the coating. This is especially 
beneficial, for example, to permit the desired dispense of the strip 18a 
from the spool or reel 30. 
Those skilled in the art will understand that, if an appropriate material 
20a is utilized in manufacturing the bracelet (such as one having an 
appropriately non-adhesive surface already incorporated in the material), 
no separate coating 23a would be necessary. 
Thus, by my invention, I provide a simple and inexpensive construction of 
an improved adhesive closure for identification bracelets, which may be 
readily used in numerous applications with an improved ease of application 
and reduction of waste at the time of application. 
The identification bracelet closure assembly of my invention has been 
described with some particularity but the specific designs and 
constructions disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention 
in that various modifications will at once make themselves apparent to 
those of ordinary skill in the art, all of which will not depart from the 
essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are 
intended to be encompassed within the appended claims.