Patent Publication Number: US-2022238046-A1

Title: Method For Forming A Label Web

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/735,378; filed on Sep. 24, 2018; entitled “Label Web with Longitudinally-Spaced Arrays of Double-Sided Adhesive Labels”; the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to adhesive labels, and more particularly to production and delivery of labels coated on both sides with a releasable adhesive that are used in a group of multiple labels for attaching objects to one another. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are many circumstances in which it is desirable to use a group of adhesive tabs or strips to attach one object to another. For example, tabs of single or double-sided tape individually torn from a roll are sometimes used for hanging a poster on a wall. Tabs of tape or adhesive strips are also sometimes used to attach the trailing end of a roll of paper or other material to a cylindrical cardboard core to facilitate winding a roll of the paper or other material about the core. 
     Sometimes multiple adhesive tabs or strips must be used at substantially the same time for securing the objects together. Having to individually tear the tabs or strips from a roll of single or double-sided tape can be undesirably time consuming and cumbersome. This is particularly true where groups of double-sided adhesive-coated tabs or strips are needed, because such tabs or strips often require the removal of individual backing and protective covering webs that keep the tabs from inadvertently sticking to themselves or the wrong surface. 
     It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved form of double-sided adhesive tabs or strips that can be readily freed as a group from backing and protective covering webs. It is also desirable to provide such improved double-sided adhesive tabs or strips in a form that is amenable to use in high volume applications requiring effective and efficient application of groups of double-sided adhesive tabs or strips as part of manufacturing, shipping, or other operations. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides such improvements through utilization of a label web and method incorporating a substrate, first and second longitudinally spaced label arrays each including two or more double-sided adhesive labels removably attached to the substrate, and a peelable protective covering web extending generally coextensive with the substrate. The label arrays and the peelable protective web are configured such that the peelable protective web is selectively removable to expose the first label array while remaining removably attached to the second label array, with both the first and second label arrays remaining removably attached to the substrate, to thereby facilitate removal of all labels in the first label array as a group while the peelable protective covering web remains in place over the second label array. 
     In one form of the invention, a label web, includes a substrate, first and second label arrays, and a peelable protective coating web. At least one of the first and second longitudinally spaced label arrays includes two or more double-sided adhesive labels removably attached to the substrate. The peelable protective covering web extends substantially coextensively with the substrate. The peelable protective covering web is removably attached to the first and second label arrays of double-sided adhesive labels in such a manner that the peelable protective covering web is selectively removable to expose the first label array while remaining removably attached to the top surface of the second label array. During removal of the peelable protective web from the first label array, both the first and second label arrays remaining removably attached to the substrate, to thereby facilitate removal of all labels in the first label array as a group, with the peelable protective covering web remaining in place over the second label array. 
     Some forms of the invention may further include a first layer of releasable adhesive disposed between the substrate and the label arrays, and a second layer of releasable adhesive disposed between the label arrays and the peelable protective covering web. A first layer of a release agent may be disposed between the first layer of adhesive and the substrate, and a second layer of release agent may be disposed between the second layer of adhesive and the peelable protective covering web. The layers of adhesive and release agent may be configured such that the releasable bond formed between the peelable protective covering and the label arrays has a lower peel strength than the releasable bond between formed between the label arrays and the substrate. 
     In some forms of the invention, the first and second label arrays may be identical. The delineation between the first and second label arrays may be defined by a single die cut. The label web may be formed into a roll with sequential first and second label arrays disposed in a longitudinal direction along the roll. 
     In a label web according to the invention, the substrate may define a longitudinal axis of the substrate extending generally in a feed direction of the label web, a transverse axis of the substrate extending generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the substrate, top and bottom surfaces of the substrate, leading, and trailing ends of the substrate, and first and second longitudinally extending edges of the substrate. The first and second longitudinally spaced label arrays of two or more double-sided adhesive labels may have bottom surfaces thereof removably attached to the top surface of the substrate. The peelable protective covering web may extend generally coextensively with the substrate and be removably attached to the top surfaces of the first and second label arrays of double-sided adhesive labels. The first and second label arrays may each define respective leading and trailing edges thereof, with the leading edge of the second label array being disposed longitudinally adjacent the trailing edge of the first label array to form a generally transversely extending delineation between the first and second label arrays. The peelable protective covering web may be selectively longitudinally detachable from the top surface of die first label array to the delineation between the first and second label arrays while remaining removably attached to the top surface of the second label array, with both the first and second label arrays remaining removably attached to the substrate, to thereby facilitate removal of all labels in the first label array as a group with the peelable protective covering web remaining in place over the second label array. 
     The invention may also take the form of a method for removing a group of double-sided releasable adhesive coated labels from a substrate, or a method for forming a label web in accordance with the invention. 
     Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a label web in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic isometric illustration of an apparatus and method for forming the label web of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 , illustrating the layered construction of the label web of  FIG. 1 , 
     
    
    
     While the invention is described herein in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of a label web  10  wound around a core  12  to form a roll  14  of the label web  10 . 
     As further illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the exemplary embodiment of the label web  10  includes a substrate  16 , first and second longitudinally spaced label arrays  18 , 20 , and a peelable protective coating web  22 . In the exemplary embodiment, the first and second label arrays  18 , 20  are identical and each respectively include two double-sided adhesive labels  18   a,   18   b,   20   a,   20   b  that are removably attached to the substrate  16 . The peelable protective covering web  22  extends substantially coextensively with the substrate  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the peelable protective covering web  22  is removably attached to the first and second label arrays  18 , 20  of double-sided adhesive labels  18   a,   18   b,   20   a,   20   b  in such a manner that the peelable protective covering web  22  is selectively removable to expose the first label array  18  while remaining removably attached to the second label array  20 . The label web  10  is further configured such that during removal of the peelable protective web  22  from the first label array  18 , both the first and second label arrays  18 , 20  remain removably attached to the substrate  16 , to thereby facilitate removal of both labels  18   a,   18   b  of the first label array  18  as a group with the peelable protective covering web  22  remaining in place over the second label array  20 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a method for forming the exemplary embodiment of the label web  10  by attaching a web of label material  24  to the substrate  16 , cutting the web of label material  24  to form the first and second label arrays  18 , 20 , and subsequent longitudinally disposed label arrays, and then attaching the peelable protective covering  22  on top of the cut web of label material  24 . In the method illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the substrate  16 , the web of label material  24  and the peelable protective covering  22  are all supplied from respective supply rolls  26 , 28 , 30 , and are coiled onto the core  12  (shown in FIG. 1 ) to form a completed roll  14  of the label web  10 . 
     The substrate  16  defines a longitudinal axis  32  of the substrate  16  extending generally in a feed direction of the label web  10 , a transverse axis  34  of the substrate  16  extending generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the substrate  16 , top and bottom surfaces  36 , 38  of the substrate  16 , leading and trailing ends  40 , 42  of the substrate  16 , and first and second longitudinally extending edges  44 , 46  of the substrate  16 . The trailing end  42  of the substrate is attached to the core  12  of the roll  14  of the label web  10 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a bottom surface  48  of the web of label material  24  is attached to the to the top surface  36  of the substrate  16  by a first layer of releasable adhesive  50  and a first layer of a release agent  52  disposed between the first layer of adhesive  50  and the top surface  36  of the substrate  16 . 
     As shown in Fla  2 , after the web of label material  24  is attached to the substrate  16 , it passes through a cutting arrangement having a rotating cutting die  54  that forms the arrays  18 , 20  of labels  18   a,   18   b,   20   a,   20   b  in the web of label material  24 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a top surface  56  of the web of label material  24  is attached to a bottom surface  58  of the peelable protective covering web  22  by a second layer of releasable adhesive  60  and a second layer of a release agent  62  disposed between the second layer of adhesive  60  and the bottom surface  58  of the peelable protective covering web  22 . 
     The layers of adhesive  50 , 60  and release agent  52 , 62  may be configured such that the releasable bond formed between the peelable protective covering  22  and the label arrays  18 , 20  has a lower peel strength than the releasable bond between formed between the label arrays  18 , 20  and the substrate  16 , to thereby preclude inadvertently pulling the label arrays  18 , 20  away from the substrate  16  when the peelable protective web  22  is peeled back, 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the web of label material  24  is cut to form the first arid second longitudinally spaced label arrays  18 , 20  in such a manner that the first and second label arrays  18 , 20  each define respective leading and trailing edges  18 L, 18 T, 20 L, 20 T thereof, with the leading edge  20 L of the second label array  20  being disposed longitudinally adjacent the trailing edge  18 T of the first label array  18  to form a series of generally transversely extending delineations  64  between adjacent successive label arrays  18 , 20 , et sec. 
     With the label web  10  constructed in this manner, it will be appreciated that each successive group of double-sided adhesive labels forming an array may be uncovered by peeling the protective web  22  back to the respective delineation  64  at the trailing end of that array, and removing the group of labels forming that label array, without exposing the adhesive on the upper surface of the next label array. 
     The invention thus provides significant advantages over prior approaches to joining objects together with groups of adhesive tabs or strips. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted, All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. For example, although the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein are directed to a rolled embodiment of a label web, it is contemplated that in other embodiments the invention may be practiced with efficacy using sheets of substrate material rather than a continuous web of substrate material. 
     The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein, Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.