ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR LABELS AND THE LIKE

Abstract: Attachment means (1) by which accompanying and/or identifying obejcts (2), such as labels, are fastened on a polymeric injection moulded storage and/or transport article (3). The attachment means (1) is during the injection moulding produced as an integrated part of the article (3). The attachment means (1) consists of a ligulate clamp (4) comprising at least one in-turned cheek (5) providing a cavity (11) between the clamp (4) and a surface (12) therebeneath, a cleft (10) and an opening (15) between the cheek (5) and said surface (12). The attachment means furthermore comprises at least one lath (7) arranged beneath the clamp (4) inside the cavity (11). The cavity (11) can via the cleft (10) and the opening (15) receive a portion of an object (2). The object (2) is secured by said portion inside the cavity (11), which portion adapts a curved or meandric shape running above the lath (7) and beneath an outer edge (13) of the cheek (5).

Description: ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR LABELS AND THE LIKE The present invention refers to an attachment means by which labels, delivery notes, packaging lists, lists of contents and other accompanying and/or identifying objects are fastened on a storage or transport container, a crate, a cask, a pallet, a pallet container, a waste container and similar by injection moulding produced polymeric transport and storage articles. Transport and storage articles, such as various containers, are often permanently or temporarily provided with labels, bills, notes and the like identifying the container and/or its content. Identifying labels etc. are most often externally arranged and secured by means of clips, slip-in pockets, rails, tracks and the like, which securing means are glued, welded, bolted and/or riveted onto for instance a container wall. Clips, rails and tracks are often made of a metallic or polymeric material and a slip-in pocket include various disposable adhesive pockets being made of for instance PVC. Labels, bills, notes, etc. are normally made of paper, cardboard, laminated paper or cardboard, PVC and similar materials and can per se be adhesive. Above discussed attachments and securing methods exhibit a num¬ ber of disadvantages and drawbacks being desirable to eliminate or reduce. Externally glued, welded, bolted and/or riveted at¬ tachments imply an additional working operation as well as they due to for example damages, ageing and/or material fatigue dis¬ play a tendency to come loose and fall off, whereby important information may be lost. This is especially true for gluing, bolting or riveting, while welding normally result in stronger joints. The use of rails and tracks limits the size, shape and thickness of labels, notes, bilss etc. to that pre-determined by for instance the height, length and distance of and between said rails or tracks. Adhesive materials imply difficulties in changing labels or slip-in pockets etc., while removal of an adhesive material tends to give a sticky surface and/or a sur¬ face with remaining label or packet parts absorbing dirt and other contaminations and/or reducing the adhesive properties and/or securing power of a label or pocket affixed thereon. Attachments such as glued, welded, bolted and/or riveted clips, slip-in pockets, rails, tracks and the like, furthermore make recycling of containers etc. made of polymeric materials more difficult. All attachments made of a material not compatible with the polymeric material of the container must be removed prior to regrinding and reuse of said polymeric material. Through the present invention above disadvantages are overcome and an attachment means, by which accompanying and/or identi¬ fying objects, such as labels, delivery notes, packaging lists, lists of contents and the like are fastened on a transport and/or storage article, such as a storage and/or transport container, a crate, a cask, a pallet, a pallet container, a waste container and the like, is accomplished. At least one attachment means is produced during injection moulding of the article and constitutes an integrated part thereof. The attach¬ ment means according to the invention consists of: (a) a ligulate clamp comprising at least one in-turned cheek constituting a longitudinal side of said clamp, the clamp being of a design and having a location providing a cavity between the clamp and a surface therebeneath, the surface being a part of the article, a cleft between the cheek and said surface, whereby the cleft has a width corresponding to at least 5%, preferably 10-50%, of the inner maximum height of the cavity, and an opening between at least one transversal wall of the clamp and the surface, which ope¬ ning has a height being egual to at least the width of the cleft, preferably corresponding to the inner maximum height of the cavity; and (b) one or more laths arranged beneath the clamp inside the ca¬ vity, each lath being an integrated part of the surface, each lath running in the longitudinal direction of the clamp and the cavity and each lath having a height equal to 0.5-5 times the width of the cleft, the lath or laths being situated at a distance of at least 1 mm from the cleft; whereby the cavity via the cleft and the opening can receive a portion of an object, such as a label, a bill, a note and/or a list and whereby the object is secured by said portion inside the cavity, which portion adapts a curved or meandric shape running above the lath or laths and beneath an outer edge of the cheek. The attachment means is furthermore preferably vertically, horizon¬ tally or diagonally arranged in relation to for instance the rim, the upper edge or the bottom of the transport/storage article. Properties deciding to what extent a portion of an object, which portion is inside the cavity will adapt a curved or meandric shape are for instance the thickness and type of the object material, the number and the height of the laths, the width of the cleft, th.e maximum height of the cavity and the distance between the lath or laths and the cleft. In preferred embodiments of the attachment means according to the present invention, the maximum height of the cavity is 2- 50 mm, preferably 4-20 mm, and the height of the lath or laths 1-10 mm, preferably 2-5 mm. The distance between the lath or laths and the cleft is 1-20 mm, preferably 2-10 mm. Further embodiments of the invention include one or more laths and/or elevations, such as pegs, pins and the like arranged in one or more rows outside the cavity, whereby the curved or meandric shape obtained inside the cavity will continue above said elevation or elevations. The distance between the cleft and the closest elevation is at least 1 mm, preferably 1-20 mm, and most preferably 2-10 mm. An elevation is preferably made of the same polymeric material as the transport and/or storage article and is preferably produced during the injection moul¬ ding thereof or is alternatively glued or welded, chemically or ultrasonically, onto the article. Each lath or elevation, inside or outside the cavity, may independently be of equal or different height, length and/or width. The clamp comprises, in certain embodiments of the attachment means, at least two cheeks of which at least one is formed by means of at least a portion of an outwards directed profile, such as a reinforcement, a handle, a rim, a decoration or the like, being an integrated part of the transport and/or storage article. A single or several attachment means according to the present invention can suitably constitute a holder for one or more objects, such as labels, notes, lists, etc. In an especially preferred embodiment, two parallelly arranged attachment means, which means are each other's mirror image, constitute such a holder. One or more attachment means can be used for fastening one or more accompanying and/or identifying objects regardless of material thickness and size of the object. The ligulate clamp is due to its constructional design to a certain degree elas¬ tic, an elasticity strengthened by the flexibility of the polymeric materials normally used for injection moulding of transport and/or storage articles. Polymeric materials often used are for instance polyolefines, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. The only limitation are objects made of comple¬ tely rigid materials, which means that even for instance thin metallic labels and the like can be used with the attachment means according to the invention. Adhesive labels and the like can also be used with the attachment means. The release paper should, however, preferably not be removed. A label holder comprising two or more attachment means accor¬ ding to the invention, will of course compared to a single at¬ tachment means give a more secure fastening of an object. All parts of the attachment means according to the invention are in preferred embodiments integrated parts of a transport and/or storage article and any tendency to come loose due to ageing, material fatigue, damages etc., is thus eliminated. This also means that the article and all parts of the attach¬ ment means are made of the same material, which facilitates recycling. These and other objects and the attendant advantages will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with appended Figures 1-10, wherein like reference numerals have been applied to like parts throughout the various figures and wherein: - Figure 1 shows a transport and storage container provided with two attachment means according to an embodiment of the present invention. - Figure 2 shows in a front view substantially the same embodi¬ ment of an attachment means as Figure 1. - Figures 3-10 show crosscuts, seen from a transversal side, of eight embodiments of attachment means according to the invention. Figure 3 also shows an inserted label. The proportions between the various parts of the attachments means shown in Figures 3-10 are not fully according to scale, some parts are for the sake of clarity enlarged. Figure 1 show one long side 18 of a transport/storage container 3 provided with two attachment means 1 and 1 ' according to an embodiment of the invention. The attachment means 1 and 1' are identical and each other's mirror image. Each attachment means 1 and 1' comprises a ligulate clamp 4 having an in-turned cheek 5 constituting a longitudinal side 6 of said clamp 4. Each of the attachment means 1 and 1' furthermore comprises a cleft 10 (see Figures 3-10) between the cheek 5 and a container surface 12 and an opening 15 between the cheek 5 and an upper transver¬ sal side 16 of the clamp 4. The clamp 4 is an integrated part of a horizontal 9 and a vertical 14 reinforcing profile. Each of the attachment mearts 1 and 1' comprises a base 17 formed by the profile 9 and a second cheek 5' formed by the profile 14. A lath 7, arranged inside a cavity 11 (see Figures 3-10) between the surface 12 and the clamp 4, and an elevation 8 arranged outside said cavity 11, are included in the attachment means 1 and 1'. The lath 7 has a length exceeding that of the clamp 4. The lath 7 and the elevation 8 are both integrated parts of the surface 12 (see also Figures 3-10). Figure 2 show essentially the same attachment means 1 as Figure 1 with the exception that two elevations 8 and 8' instead of one are arranged outside the cavity 11 (see Figures 3-10). All other included parts are the same as in Figure 1. The attach¬ ment means 1 is an integrated part of a container 3 (see Figure 1), which container 3 is similar to that of Figure 1. Figures 3-10 show in crosscuts, seen from a transversal side, eight embodiments of an attachment means 1 (see Figure 1) ac¬ cording to the invention. Each attachment means is an integra¬ ted part of a container 3 and comprises a ligulate clamp 4 having one (Figure 7) or two (Figures 3-6 and 8-10) cheeks 5 and 5' each constituting a longitudinal clamp 4 side 6. Each attachment means 1 furthermore comprises one or two laths 7 and 7' arranged in a cavity 11 between the clamp 4 and a surface 12 therebeneath. The attachment means 1 shown in Figures 3-8 and 10 also includes one or two elevations 8 and 8' arranged out¬ side the cavity 11. All embodiments have a cleft 10, for in¬ sertion of an identifying object 2 (see Figure 3) or the like. The cleft is situated between the cheek 5 and the surface 12. Figures 4 and 10 show embodiments wherein the cheek 5' is equal to a portion of a reinforcing profile 14 (see also Figure 1). Figure 7 show an embodiment wherein the clamp 4 and hence the cheek 5 is a semicircle. Figure 3 show an attachment means 1 (see Figure 1) into which an object 2, in this case a label, has been inserted. A portion of the label has adapted a meand¬ ric shape inside and outside the cavity 11. The label portion runs above the lath 7, beneath an outer edge 13 of the cheek 5 and finally above the elevation 8, thus receiving its meandric shape which secures the label. While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and it is, therefore, contemplated to cover by the appended claims any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Attachment means (1)' by which one or more accompanying and/ or identifying objects (2), such as labels, delivery notes, packaging lists and/or lists of contents are fastened on a transport and/or storage article (3), such as a storage and/or transport container, a crate, a cask, a pallet, a pallet container, a waste container or the like, produced by injection moulding of at least one polymeric material c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that at least one attach¬ ment means (1) produced during the injection moulding of the transport and/or storage article (3) constitutes a holder for at least one accompanying and/ or identifying objects (2), whereby the article (3) and the attachment means (1) is an integrated unit, the attachment means (1) consisting of (a) a ligulate clamp (4) comprising at least one in-turned cheek (5) constituting a longitudinal side (6) of said clamp (4), the clamp (4) being of a design and having a location providing a cavity (11) between the clamp (4) and a surface (12) therebeneath, which surface (12) is a part of the article (3), a cleft (10) between the cheek (5) and said surface (12), whereby the cleft (10) has a width corresponding to at least 5%, preferably 10-50%, of the cavity's (11) inner maximum height, and an opening (15) between at least one transversal side (16) of the clamp (4) and the surface (12), which opening (15) has a height being equal to at least the width of the cleft (10), preferably equal to the inner maximum height of the cavity (11); and (b) one or more laths (7, 7') arranged beneath the clamp (4) inside the cavity (11), each lath (7, 7') being an inte¬ grated part of the surface (12), each lath (7, 7') run¬ ning in a longitudinal direction of the clamp (4) and the cavity (11) and each lath (7, 7') having a height equal to 0.5-5 times the width of the cleft (10), the lath or laths (7, 7') being situated at a distance of at least 1 mm from the cleft (10); whereby the cavity (11) via the cleft (10) and the opening (15) can receive a portion of the object (2) and secure said object (2) by said portion inside the cavity (11), whereby the ob¬ ject (2) is secured by said portion adapting a curved or meandric shape running above the lath or laths (7,7') and beneath an outer edge (13) of the cheek (5). 2. Attachment means (1) according to claim 1 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that the maximum height of the cavity (11) is 2-50 mm, preferably 4-20 mm. 3. Attachment means (1) according to claim l or 2 c h a r a c¬ t e r i s e d i n, that the height of the lath or laths (7, 7') is 1-10 mm, preferably 2-5 mm. 4. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 3 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that the distance between the cleft (10) and the closest lath (7) is 1-20 mm, prefe¬ rably 2-10 mm. 5. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 4 c h a r a c t e r s e d i n, that one or more laths and/or elevations (8, 8'), such as pegs, pins and the like arranged in one or more rows, are situated outside the cavity (11) and at a distance of at least 1 mm between the cleft (10) and the closest elevation (8), whereby the cur¬ ved or meandric shape adapted by a portion of an object (2) inside the cavity (11) continue above the elevation or ele¬ vations (8, 8') outside the cavity (11). 6. Attachment means (1) according to claim 5 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that the distance between the cleft (10) and the closest elevation (8) is 1-20 mm, preferably 2-10 mm. 7. Attachment means (1) according to claim 5 or 6 c h a r a c¬ t e r i s e d i n, that an elevation (8, 8') is made of the same polymeric material as the transport and/or storage article (3) . 8. Attachment means (1) according to claim 7 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that an elevation (8, 8') is produced during the injection moulding of the article (3). 9. Attachment means (1) according to claim 7 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that an elevation (8, 8') is glued or welded, chemically or ultrasonically, onto the article (3). 10. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 9 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that each lath (7, 7') and each elevation (8, 8') independently is of equal or different height, length and/or width. 11. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 10 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that the clamp (4) comp¬ rises at least two cheeks (5, 5') and that at least one cheek (5') is formed by means of at least a portion of an outwards directed profile (9, 14), which profile (9, 14) is an integrated part of the article (3). 12. Attachment means (1) according to claim 11 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d i n, that the profile (9, 14) is a rein¬ forcement, a handle, a rim, a decoration or the like. 13. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 12 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that the attachment means (1) is vertically, horizontally or diagonally arranged in relation to a rim, an upper edge or a bottom being a part of the transport and/or storage article (3). 14. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 13 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that two or more attach¬ ment means (1) constitute a holder for one or more accom¬ panying and/or identifying objects (2). 15. Attachment means (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 14 c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n, that two parallelly ar¬ ranged attachment means (1) being each other's mirror image constitute a holder for one or more accompanying and/or identifying objects (2).

Inventors: SYLEGAARD INGVAR, SYLEGAARD, INGVAR
Applicants: PERSTORP AB, SYLEGAARD INGVAR, SYLEGAARD, INGVAR
Application year: 1995
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: G09F3