LUGGAGE-LABEL

Abstract: A luggage-label separable from a web and comprising a luggage portion attachable to a luggage handle, and a ticket portion. The luggage-label is characterised in that it consists of a web of a face material comprising, for example, a printable resistant front layer (2) and an underlying protective layer (3), as well as an adhesive layer (4) and a release paper (5). The labels are separable by means of perforation lines through the web. The luggage portion and the ticket portion are separated by a cut transversely of the web and through the face material and the adhesive layer (4) down to the release paper (5). The release paper on the luggage portion (9) adjacent the ticket portion (10) is removable so as to expose the adhesive layer (4) by means of a cut (12) from below, transversely of the web and through the release paper (5) as well as the adhesive layer (4) up to the protective layer (3) of the face material such that the ends of the luggage portion can be joined. The cut (12) from below extends merely long the center of the web and leaves both edges of the release paper (5) uncut.

Description: LUGGAGE-LABEL The present invention relates to a luggage-label which is separable from a web and comprises a luggage portion attachable to a luggage handle or the like, and a ticket portion. The invention is particularly useful in commercial aviation but is, of course, not restricted thereto and can also be used for other applications. In commercial aviation, lost or missent luggage consti tutes a major problem whereby the airline companies every year incur heavy expense. One reason why luggage disappears or reaches the wrong destination is that the luggage-label is unclear or even wrongly marked. It also happens that the luggage-label comes off the suitcase. To avoid unclear or faulty marking of luggage-labels, a new check-in system has been developed. When the passenge checks in, the required number of luggage-labels are pro¬ duced in a printer connected to the system. The luggage-lab consists of a luggage portion which is attached around the suitcase handle or the like, and a ticket portion which is affixed to the ticket. Both the luggage portion and the ticket portion are printed with clear text showing the destination, airline and flight number and also any intermediate stops. By this new system, the checking-in time is shortened and the amount of missent suitcases is reduced considerably. To make the new checking-in system function adequately, rigid demands are, however, placed on the label itself. It must, of course, allow printing but also be strong and weatherproof and allow careless handling. Moreover, it must facilitate handling when checking in, i.e. the ticket portion must be easily separable from the rest of the label, and the luggage portion must be readily attachable to the luggage. It therefore is the object of the present invention to provide a label which satisfies the above requirements. This is achieved by a luggage-label in accordance with the characterising clause of claim 1. The invention will now be described in greater detail in the form of a preferred embodiment, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a luggage-label according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the luggage-label, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-section of a part of the luggage-label. The luggage-label consists of a long web of separable labels 1. The web comprises a face material which, according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, consists of a printable front layer 2 and a protective layer 3. Under these layers, an adhesive layer 4 and finally^a release paper 5 are provided. The front layer which has been processed in some suitable manner to permit printing in, for example, a thermoprinter, has high strength when combined with the protective layer, but is susceptible to tear initia- tion. The protective layer 3 is intended to protect the front layer when the web is being cut, as will be explained below. Alternatively, the front layer may comprise several layers, for example a top paper layer suited for printing and an underlying support layer having the necessary strength properties. As shown in Fig. 1, the luggage-label 1 comprises a luggage portion 9 and a ticket portion 10. The label 1 is separable from the web by means of a through perforation line . A cut 11 separates the luggage portion 9 from the ticket portion 10. The cut 11 penetrates the face material 2 and 3 and the adhesive layer 4 down to the release paper 5, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3. A second cut 12 is made from below through the release paper 5 up to the protective layer 3, as is best shown in Fig. 3. By means of this cut 12, the release paper 5 is removed and the adhesive layer 4 exposed such that the ends of the label can be joined. The cut 12 is, however. provided merely along the centre of the web, i.e. it does not reach the edges of the web but leaves about 2.5 mm of the release paper 5 uncut. This prevents tear initiatio in the edges of the face material when the cuts are being made, and substantial deterioration of its strength proper ties thus is avoided. In the embodiment shown, the web is provided with a pair of recesses 7 which are adapted on the one hand to reduce the width of the web at the perforation lines 6 and facilitate tearing off of the labels and, on the other hand, to indicate the ends of the labels when the web is supplied through a printer. These recesses 7 are unsym- metrical with regard to each other but may, of course, be symmetrical or shaped in some other manner, e.g. merely occur in one edge of the web. The web is further provided with two symmetrical recesses 8 in the intermediate part of the luggage portion 9 so as to facilitate attachment thereof around a luggage handle. The luggage-label 1, i.e. both the luggage portion 9 and the ticket portion 10, is suitably preprinted with particulars about the airline etc and is provided with fields in which particulars about the destination etc are to be printed. Preferably, the preprinted text and the printing are effected such that the same text is to be found on both halves of the luggage portion, the text on one half being upside-down relative to the text on the other half. When being used, i.e. when the printed label is dispensed by the printer, the label is separated along the perforation line 6. By a slight deflection, the ticket portion of the label is released from the releas paper along the cut 11 and is readily removed and attached to, for example, a flight ticket. Subsequently, the release paper 5 is removed from the luggage portion 9 adjacent the ticket portion 10 and is torn off along the cut 12 such that the adhesive layer 4 is exposed. The label can now be pulled through a luggage handle and the ends of the luggage portion can be joined. The "double" text on the luggage portion makes reading easy, no matter which side of the label is up. Besides, the strength of the face material prevents the label from being easily removed or coming loose. The invention is, of course, not limited to the embodi ment described above and shown in the drawing, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A luggage-label separable from a web and comprising a luggage portion attachable to a luggage handle, and a ticket portion, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the label (1) consists of a weh of a face material comprising e.g. a printable, resistant front layer (2) and an under¬ lying protective layer (3), an adhesive layer (4) and a release paper (5), that the labels (1) are separable by means of perforation lines (6) through the web, that the luggage portion (9) and the ticket portion (10) are separated by a cut (11) extending transversely of the web and through the face material as well as the adhesive layer (4) down to the release paper (5), and that the release paper (5) on the luggage portion (9) adjacent the ticket portion (10) is removable so as to expose the adhesive layer (4) by means of a cut (12) from below, transversely of the web and through the release paper (5) as well as the adhesive layer (4) up to the protective layer (3) of the face material such that the ends of the luggage portion (9) can be joined, said cut (12) from below extending merely along the centre of the web and leaving both edges of the release paper (5) uncut. 2. The luggage-label as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the front layer (2) consists of a paper and an underlying resistant support layer. 3. The luggage-label as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c e r i z e d in that said face material is a resistant composite material. 4. The luggage-label as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that in the intermediate part of the luggage portion (9) , the web is provided with semicircular recesses (8) to facilitate attachment of the label around the luggage handle. 5. The luggage-label as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that adjacent the through perforation lines (6), the edges of the web are provided with recesses (7) indicating the ends of the label when used in a printer.

Inventors: ANDERSSON PER-AAKE, ANDERSSON, PER-AAKE
Applicants: PRINTCOM ETIKETT AB
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: G09F3