Patent Publication Number: US-11040801-B2

Title: Custom graphic film

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/143,096, filed Apr. 29, 2016, titled “Custom Graphic Film,” now U.S. Pat. No. 10,259,614, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Consumers may desire to create custom graphics and convey information on surfaces, such as surfaces of beverage containers. 
     SUMMARY 
     A film is disclosed. The film may be used on a label for consumer goods such as a bottle. The film may include a background layer, an upper layer, and a movable material layer disposed between the background layer and the upper layer. The movable material of the movable material layer may move from a first location relative to the background layer to a second location relative to the background layer in response to a force applied to the first layer and the movable material may remain in the second location after the force is removed from the first layer. Upper layer and background layer may form a pouch containing movable material layer. 
     The label may further include a lower layer under the background layer. The background layer and the moveable material layer may be different colors or different degrees of translucency (e.g., opaque, transparent, or in between) and the movable material layer may be disposed over less than 25% of the surface area of the label. The movable material layer may move to visually expose the background layer in response to an applied force. The movable material may be a water-based polymer or other polymers or combinations of polymers. The upper layer may be transparent and may be a biaxially oriented polypropylene film so the contrast between the movable material layer and the background layer may be more visible. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention by way of example, and not by way of limitation. Together with the description they further serve to explain principles of the invention and enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of a film applied to a label of a beverage container according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2 . is an illustration of a film according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a film applied to a label according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A-4E  illustrate an operation of applying a custom mark to a film according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5A-5E  illustrate an operation of applying a custom mark to a film according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 6A-6C  illustrate an operation of applying a custom mark to a film according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are illustrations of a film applied to a label according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Similarly, other embodiments may include additional features, structures, or characteristics. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. When a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with the embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. 
     The term “invention” or “present invention” as used herein is a non-limiting term and is not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompasses all possible embodiments as described in the application. 
     The systems and methods described herein may be used to produce a film capable of displaying a user customized graphic. More particularly, these systems and methods describe a multiple layer film. The film may include a writeable layer for a consumer to create a custom graphic in the film. 
     Films may be applied to a wide variety of product packaging to create durable and effective labels. Such films may be formed of, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polylactic acid (PLA). Films may also be used to create an entire package or container. Examples of film labels include wraps around beverage containers or candy wrappers. Films used to create containers may include snack pouches or beverage pouches. Films may include printed layers to display messages or graphics. The graphics may be used to identify a beverage or a brand. 
     The inventors of the invention described herein have recognized the need for a new product, system, and method of customizing a graphical representation on product packaging, including beverage containers. For example, at social gatherings or sporting events, guests or participants may use beverage containers. The beverage containers may be, for example, cans, bottles, flasks, cups, mugs, or other container types. Additionally, the beverage containers may be designed for single use or may be reusable. These beverage containers may also be made of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, glass, metal, aluminum, or plastics. Many commercial beverage containers, such as bottled waters, sodas, energy drinks, juices, or electrolyte sports drinks have similar or identical packaging and when used by many people at the same location, such as a team sporting event or social function, the beverage containers can be mixed up leading to confusion about which beverage container belongs to which person. For example, at a social function, a host may purchase several dozen beverages for guests, or at a sporting event a coach may purchase a case of beverages for the participants. Identical beverage containers may lead to confusion over which beverage container belongs to which person. A person who has selected a beverage but subsequently loses track of it may not have confidence that the beverage they subsequently pick up belongs to them. This confusion may cause a person to dispose of their beverage container out of concerns that the beverage container may not belong to them. This increases both beverage product waste and beverage container waste because a person may unnecessarily dispose of their own beverage container, simply due to a lack of confidence that it is theirs. 
     To avoid this confusion, a person may wish to personalize their beverage container (e.g., on its label). For example, a person may mark their beverage container using a permanent marker. While this method may reduce confusion among people with similar-looking beverage containers, it has drawbacks. For example, if two people mark their containers with the same name, distinguishing between the two could be difficult. Also, it requires use of a secondary instrument—a marker—which may not be available. In some cases, adhesive labels may be used to distinguish beverage containers. Adhesive labels may be attached to the exterior of the beverage container. People may write their names or make other distinguishing marks on the label. However, adhesive labels have drawbacks in addition to requiring a secondary instrument to mark the label. Adhesion of labels becomes less effective due to condensation that may develop on the exterior of the beverage container. The effects of condensation or continued contact with the holder&#39;s hand may also cause the label to wear and come apart leaving small pieces of the label in the holder&#39;s hand. Additionally, in the case where a scratch-away film is applied to a beverage container (allowing a mark to be scratched into the film by removing portions of the film, similar to a scratch off lottery ticket) this, like the adhesive label, leaves undesirable residue and flakes due to the removal of the film material. 
     The new products, systems, and methods described herein have improved capabilities, thus offering end point consumers, distributors, and producers a greater ability to customize a graphical representation on a consumer good. Further, embodiments of the present invention have reduced production costs and improved health and environmental effects. 
     The film disclosed herein allows consumers to create custom graphics on a film. The disclosed film may be applied to labels of any shape or contour and may be used with industrial printing equipment. The film may also be applied in a wide variety of shapes to create visually pleasing and space-appropriate custom graphic areas. For example, the custom graphics film may be applied in the shape of a square, circle, rectangle, star, or scroll. The film is flexible enough for consumer use and may be placed on a wide variety of products. 
     The products, systems, and methods disclosed herein present films used in the context of product labeling for descriptive purposes. However, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to use solely as a label. Some embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying figures. 
     In some embodiments, a label  400  may be adhered to or attached to a beverage container  500 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Beverage container  500  may be, for example, a can, bottle, flask, cup, mug, or other variety and may be made of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, glass, metal, aluminum, or plastics. In some embodiments, label  400  may include a film  100  to aid in identifying or otherwise marking the goods. Film  100  may be formed of a material that allows it to be marked and retain a representation of that mark (e.g., to help distinguish it). Label  400  may also be used on various other goods (e.g., individually wrapped snack bars, prepackaged meals, lunch bags, other food storage containers, or toys). 
     In some embodiments, a user wishing to display a mark such as a custom graphic  114  on a film  100  may form depression  102  in film  100 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Depression  102  may leave a mark  115  in film  100  forming custom graphic  114 . Depression  102 , and mark  115  in film  100  created by depression  102 , will remain in film  100  until a user deforms film  100  in a way that deforms the original depression  102  to the extent that it is no longer visible (e.g., by applying pressure to the surface of film  100  around the original depression  102  or by creating another depression  102  near the original depression  102 ). As shown in  FIG. 3 , in some embodiments film  100  may be applied to a label  400  allowing a user to create a custom graphic  114  on label  400 . This configuration may be beneficial in the consumer goods market because film  100  may be applied to only a small area of label  400 , thereby allowing companies to continue to brand the majority of label  400  while still giving consumers the ability to customize label  400 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , in some embodiments, film  100  is composed of an upper layer  104 , a movable material layer  106 , a background layer  108 , and a lower layer  110 . In some embodiments, upper layer  104  may be a biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film. In some embodiments upper layer  104  may be a polymeric film between 6 and 50 microns thick, and may be applied to other layers of film  100  by, for example a lamination process. In some embodiments upper layer  104  may be a clear coating or film between 0.5 to 50 microns thick, and may be applied to other layers of film  100  by, for example, a surface printing process. Upper layer  104  may be transparent. In some embodiments it may have a color hue. 
     Upper layer  104  may enclose movable material layer  106  against background layer  108 . Movable material layer  106  may be made of a variety of materials. Movable material layer  106  may be movable within the area beneath upper layer  104 . For example, it may be flowable. In some embodiments, for example, movable material layer  106  may be composed of gel that is flowable in response to an applied force, and that retains its position in the absence of an applied force. In some embodiments, movable material layer  106  may be opaque or translucent, so that it obscures background layer  108  over which it is disposed. In some embodiments, movable material layer  106  may have a viscosity between 50 cP (centipoise) and 5000 cP (e.g., between 200 cP and 500 cP). 
     In some embodiments, background layer  108  and upper layer  104  may be sealed at defined areas to create a pouch  120  for movable material layer  106 . Moveable material layer  106  may occupy the pouch and may flow within the pouch. Movable material of movable material layer  106  may be the only substance within pouch  120 . Movable material layer  106  may be entirely sealed within pouch. Background layer  108  and upper layer  104  may be sealed at defined areas to create pouch  120 , or multiple pouches  120 , with different shapes. Pouch  120  may be sealed around its edges  122  formed by the contact between upper layer  104  and background layer  108  to prevent movable material layer  106  from exiting pouch  120 . For example, pouch  120  may be formed in the shape of a scroll to give film  100  the shape of a scroll or other visually pleasing shape. A scroll, for example, may reinforce in the user&#39;s mind that the film is a custom graphic film on which the user may create custom graphic  114 . 
     In some embodiments, the total thickness of film  100  is less than 20 microns (e.g., between 1 and 20 microns or between 3 and 10 microns). 
     A user wishing to create custom graphic  114  on film  100  may do so with an instrument  112  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 4B-4D ). Instrument  112  may be a variety of objects. For example, instrument  112  may be, but is not limited to, a coin, credit card, fingernail, writing instrument, stick, or shoelace aglet. Instrument  112  generally is sufficiently rigid to depress upper layer  104  towards background layer  108  when forced against upper layer  104 . 
     In some embodiments, instrument  112  may apply point pressure to a location  116  on film  100 . As instrument  112  is lowered further down into film  100  (i.e., below the original position of upper layer  104 ), upper layer  104  and movable material layer  106  begin to deform (see, e.g., the sequence of  FIGS. 4B-4E  in which a coin serving as instrument  112  is forced against upper layer  104  and deeper into film  100 , thereby displacing some portion of movable material layer  106 ). Upper layer  104  remains a cohesive, intact layer with minimal or no compression. Movable material layer  106 , in contrast, begins to flow away from instrument  112 &#39;s applied pressure, that is, away from location  116 . Movable material layer  108  may be displaced by point pressure applied to upper layer  104  causing upper layer  104  to move closer to background layer  108 . A distributed force (e.g., a non-point force applied by a rounded surface or otherwise distributed over upper layer  104 ) will generally not be sufficient to displace movable material layer  108 . Therefore, objects with narrow edges, such as, for example the tip of a fingernail, which concentrate the force applied into a small area may cause movable material layer to be displaced while a force applied over a larger area of film  100  may not cause movable material layer  108  to be displaced. For example, movable material layer  108  may not be displaced when the hand of the user is pressed against upper layer  104  or when upper layer  104  rubs against another object. 
       FIG. 4D  shows instrument  112  depressing upper layer  114  until it is in contact with background layer  108 . Upper layer  114  may or may not make contact with background layer  108 . However, as instrument  112  depresses upper layer  104  towards background layer  108 , writeable layer  106  flows away from pressure point  116 .  FIG. 4E  presents film  100  after instrument  112  is removed from film  100 . As shown in  FIG. 4E , writeable layer  106  does not flow back to pressure point  116 . Rather, writable layer  106  remains in the same position it was in just before instrument  112  was removed from film  100 . That is, movable material layer  106  remains away from pressure point  116 . In this way, the portion of background layer  108  at point  116  is visible through upper layer  106  (i.e., it is no longer obscured by movable material layer  106 ). This creates a visual distinction between pressure point  116  of film  100  (where background layer  108  is visible (or is more clearly visible)) and portions of film  100  where movable material layer  106  is still disposed over background layer  108  (where background layer is not visible (or is less clearly visible). This path (e.g., shape) of this visual distinction is customizable by a user dragging instrument  112  along upper layer  104  to further deform movable material layer  106 , thereby creating any desired mark appearing on film  100 . Film  100  may also be rewriteable. A user may alter the path of the visual distinction by dragging instrument  112  along upper layer  104  again to further deform movable layer  106  causing mark  114  to change in shape. Moveable layer  106  may move back into an area it previously flowed away from because of further deformation. Thus, portions of film  100  where background layer  108  is visible or is more visible may be obscured or may be more obscured than before by application of pressure that moves material of movable layer  106  back over areas of background layer  108  that it had previously been moved away from. In some embodiments, background layer  108  may be a BOPP film and may include a color or colors. The color or colors of background layer  108  may be different than the color of movable material layer  106  to provide a clear indication of where movable material layer  106  is displaced (e.g., through contrast between the different colors). In some embodiments, upper layer  104  may be clear, movable material layer  106  may be opaque, and background layer  108  may be colored a different color than movable material layer  106 . In this way, as a user marks on film  100  spreading writable layer  106 , background layer  108  shows through upper layer  104 . This combination will make the marks in writable layer  106  more visible to the user. 
     In some embodiments movable material layer  106  may be a mixture of a resin or emulsion (e.g., a styrene resin) and a coloring agent. In some embodiments movable material layer  106  may be composed of a commercially available water-based polymer combined with an opaque polymer. This combination may allow for clear visual distinction between movable material layer  106  and background layer  108 . Additionally, the uses of some water-based polymers may lead to improved printing performance from industrial printers, such that film  100  may be printed on label  400  using a typical industrial printing process. Since labels  400  typically go through such printing processes anyway during their manufacture, this allows the incorporation of film  100  into label  400  without complicating label manufacture by introducing new processes. 
     In some embodiments, lower layer  110  may be product packaging. Background layer  108  may be applied to lower layer  110  using a printer. Movable material layer  106  may also be applied to background layer  108  using a printer. In this way, minimal changes to existing manufacturing method need to be made to incorporate film  100  because both background layer  108  and movable material layer  106  may be printed directly on product packaging. 
     In some embodiments, film  100  may include more or fewer layers than those shown in  FIGS. 4A-4E . For example,  FIGS. 5A-5E  show an embodiment of the present invention with three layers. In this embodiment, the three layers are upper layer  104 , movable material layer  106 , and background layer  108 . These layers may have the same characteristics as already described above. 
       FIG. 6A  shows film  100  before custom graphic  114  is added. As shown, movable material layer  106  covers the entirety of film  100 . Movable material layer  106  is disposed below upper layer  104 , which is clear in this example. Movable material layer  106 , on the other hand, is opaque and can be seen under upper layer  104 . In  FIG. 6B , instrument  112  is moved down into film  100  and in a path along film  100  thereby causing writeable layer  106  to flow away from instrument  112  along the path, which forms custom graphic  114 . As noted above,  FIGS. 4A-4E  show that instrument  112  depresses upper layer  104  through movable material layer  106  until upper layer  104  meets background layer  108 .  FIG. 6C  shows background layer  108  seen through upper layer  104  after instrument  112  is removed from film  100 . Movable material layer  106  is shown on either side of the now-visible the background layer  108 . In some embodiments, such as is shown in  FIG. 6C , custom graphic  114  is formed in film  100  using the contrast between opaque movable material layer  106  and colored background layer  108 , both visible through upper layer  104 . 
     In some embodiments, film  100  may be applied to a packaging label or may be a packaging label.  FIGS. 7A and 7B  present label  400  with film  100  applied to a select area. Film  100  may occupy, for example, 5%, 10%, 20%, 25%, or 100% of the total area of label  400 . Embodiments where film  100  is applied to less than 100% (e.g., less than 25%) of the total area of label  400  allow the remaining area of label  400  to be used for other graphics and text. Film  100  may be applied in many shapes and may be continuous or discontinuous.  FIGS. 7A and 7B  show film  100  before custom graphic  114  is applied ( FIG. 7A ) and after custom graphic  114  is applied ( FIG. 7B ). In some embodiments film  100  may be applied to label  400  using a standard ink print printing process. In some embodiments, lower layer  110  may be a packaging wrap label. An industrial printer may apply background layer  108  to a select area of label  400 . The printer may also apply graphics or coloring background layer  108  and to other portions of label  400  where film  100  will not be used. The printer may apply movable material layer  106  to background layer  108 . Upper layer  104  may then be applied over movable material layer  104 . In some embodiments upper layer  104  may be applied across the entire label  400 , which may help to provide a consistent look and feel to the exterior of label  400 , and may help to maintain the layers of film  100  in place. 
     The Detailed Description section is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention as contemplated by the inventors, and thus, are not intended to limit the present invention and the appended claims to those particular embodiments. 
     The present invention has been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. 
     The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance. 
     The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.