Abstract:
A pouch label assembly having an overlaminate sheet cleanly removable from an expanded content device to prevent destruction of the device. The pouch includes a self-adhesive base layer, a plastic overlaminate sheet disposed over the base layer to form a pouch, and an expanded content device disposed in the pouch. The expanded content device is anchored to the overlaminate sheet with an emulsion acrylic adhesive. Use of this adhesive provides clean, non-deforming removal of the expanded content device from the overlaminate sheet, and consequently the pouch. Perforations or grasping tabs may be included on the overlaminate sheet adjacent the perimeters of the expanded content device to facilitate removal of the device from the pouch.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to expanded content device retaining pouches that are securable to articles including packaging items such as a bottles, cans, boxes and other containers. 
     It is desirable to attach an expanded content device such as a booklet or a sheet of printed instructions to a product, and to avoid soiling of the booklet or sheet during handling of the product or to avoid loss of the booklet or sheet during such handling. Labels including pouches for containing expanded content devices are known. These labels typically include a base layer including an adhesive for adhering that base layer, and consequently the entire label, to a container. An expanded content device is secured to the base layer with an overlarninate sheet. The overlaminate sheet overlaps at least two edges of the expanded content device and is marginally adhered to the base layer in the regions of overlap. 
     These expanded content device pouches include perforations disposed adjacent the marginal overlap so that a user may tear these perforations and remove the expanded content device entirely from the base layer for viewing. After removal, the expanded content device cannot be reattached to the base layer. 
     Conventionally, the overlaminate sheet is permanently attached to the cover panel of the expanded content device to hold the device in a fixed position relative to the base layer. Several problems are associated with this permanent attachment of the overlaminate to the cover panel. First, if a user tries to remove the overlaminate from the cover panel of expanded content device, that panel is rendered illegible or worse, destroyed. Second, the overlaminate inhibits unfolding of the expanded content device because it makes one sheet, that is the top panel, thicker than the rest of the panels in a multi-panel expanded content device. Finally, the perforations along the edges of the remaining overlaminate attached to the cover panel are aesthetically displeasing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention wherein a pouch label assembly includes a low-tack adhesive between the overlaminate sheet and the expanded content device to prevent destruction of the top panel when the overlaminate sheet is removed therefrom. 
     The label pouch includes a base layer, an overlaminate sheet removably affixed to the base layer to form a pouch, and an expanded content device disposed in the pouch. The overlaminate sheet is coated with an adhesive to prevent the expanded content device from falling out of the pouch. This adhesive forms a high-tack permanent-like bond with plastic and films, but does not bond well to materials constructed partially or completely from paper. At most, the adhesive forms a low-tack, easy-release bond with the paper material. 
     In use, the overlaminate sheet is torn away from the base layer to expose the expanded content device. The expanded content device may be completely removed from the overlaminate sheet by simply pulling the cover panel away from the overlaminate. Because of the low-tack characteristic of the adhesive to paper, two advantages are realized. First, images on the top panel remain legible, and second, the expanded content device may be removed completely intact from the pouch. 
    
    
     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expanded content device pouch of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the expanded content device pouch; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of expanded content device partially removed from an overlaminate layer of the pouch; 
     FIG. 4 is an elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the pouch; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of the pouch. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A pouch for an expanded content device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 and generally designated  10 . The label pouch includes a base layer  14 , an overlaminate sheet  16 , and an expanded content device  50  releasably adhered to the overlaminate sheet  16  with film adhesive  70 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the base layer  14  may be adhered to a release backing  40  by a layer of adhesive  13  which is applied initially to the base layer  14  by an appropriate adhesive applicator. The label pouch  10  may be peeled from the release backing  40  and attached to an article to be labeled with the layer of adhesive  13 . The base layer  14  is constructed of paper material, plastic, synthetic resin, metal foil, or any other suitable material. As used herein, paper material means any material constructed partially or completely from paper and/or exhibits paper-like properties. The base layer may also include indicia  55  (FIG. 3) printed thereon. 
     The overlaminate  16  is attached to the base layer  14  along margins  18  and  20  by layers of adhesive  24  and  26 . The overlaminate  16  is preferably made of a transparent plastic material to facilitate viewing of information  53  on the top panel  54  of the expanded content device. Alternatively, the overlaminate may be constructed of synthetic cloth, synthetic resin films, metal foils, any other suitable material that is transparent, opaque or colored as desired. Perforations  32  are adjacent the margins  18  and  20  and releasably attach the central portion  20  of the overlaminate sheet  16  to the margins. Alternatively, the central portion  20  may be coupled to the margins  18  and  20  with zipper perforations, V-notched tear lines or any other construction that facilitates detachment of the central portion from at least one of the margins. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an expanded content device  50  is disposed between the base layer  14  and overlaminate  16 . The expanded content device  50  is generally rectangular and formed as a number of pages or panels. “Expanded content device” means any booklet or construct of single or multiple leaflets formed as a single page or number of pages or single panel or number of panels. The pages or panels may be printed with any indicia including text or graphics of any kind. As depicted, the pages or panels of the expanded content device  50  are stacked in overlying relationship and may be folded over like a map; however, any other desirable configuration may be used as desired. For example, expanded content devices that open like the pages of a book, or any other configuration that makes viewing of the information printed on the sheets or panels convenient may be used. The information may be printed on the sheets using offset, screen or any other suitable printing techniques. 
     As best depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the uppermost panel  54  of the expanded content device  50  is in contact with adhesive layer  70 . The preferred film adhesive  70  of the present invention is unique; it bonds very well to plastic, but it does not bond well to paper material. In the preferred embodiment, the expanded content device is constructed from a paper material and the overlaminate is constructed from a plastic. Thus, the film adhesive adheres to the paper material top panel  54  of the expanded content device  50  to prevent it from sliding out of the pouch, but still allows the expanded content device  50  to be easily removed from the overlaminate sheet  16 . Alternatively, the overlaminate may be made from a paper material and the expanded content device made from a plastic so that the two substrates separate easily from one another when bound together with the film adhesive of the present invention. 
     The preferred film adhesive is an emulsion acrylic available from Sunbelt Corporation of Atlanta, Ga. Any adhesive that exhibits sufficient tack to a paper material but still remains cleanly and readily removable from the paper material may be used. It is also desired that the film adhesive require a greater peel force to remove the adhesive from a plastic substrate than the peel force necessary to remove the adhesive from a paper material substrate. 
     Method of Use 
     To label an article, the label pouch  10  is stripped off from the backing  40  of the release material  40  (FIGS.  1  and  2 ), for example, by an automatic labeling machine. As depicted in FIG. 3, the label pouch  10  is adhered to an article  100  by adhesive  13 . To open the label pouch  10  and access the expanded content device  50 , a user must tear at least one of the perforations  32 . The torn perforations  32  may also indicate to a user of the label assembly that the expanded content device has been tampered with. 
     With particular reference to FIG. 3, central region  21  of the overlaminate sheet  16  is pulled away from margin  20  along with perforations  32  to expose the expanded content device. The top panel  54  of the expanded content device  50  has been partially detached from the adhesive  70  of overlaminate sheet  16  and the top panel  54  is not destroyed or rendered illegible. The expanded content device may be completely detached from the central portion  21  of the overlaminate  16 . The user may then view the expanded content device  50  and indicia  55  on the base layer  14  as conventionally known. 
     After the expanded content device is removed from the base layer the overlaminate sheet  16  may be re-laid over the base layer  14 , or torn along the other set of perforations  32  to completely remove the central portion  21  of the overlaminate sheet from the label pouch  10 . 
     Alternative Embodiments 
     In an alternative embodiment as depicted in FIG. 4, the label pouch  10  is formed without a base layer. The overlaminate sheet  16  is adhered along margins  18  and  20  to the article  100  to be labeled with adhesive layers  24  and  26 . The expanded content device  50  is disposed under the overlaminate sheet  16  and releasably adhered thereto with the film adhesive  70  having tacking, anchoring, adhesive, and peel force properties as explained above. The central portion  21  is releasably attached to the margins  18  and  20  with perforations, or in the alternative, zipper perforations, V-notch tear lines, or any other suitable construction that facilities release of the central portion from at least one of the margins. 
     In a second alternative embodiment as depicted in FIG. 5, the overlaminate sheet  16  includes a pull tab  80  along margin  18 . Preferably there is no adhesive  26  under the pull tab  80  to facilitate grasping of the tab. This pull tab is used in place of perforations or other similar release devices so that the overlaminate sheet  16  may be removed. 
     The use of the alternative embodiments is similar to that of the preferred embodiment explained above. To expose the expanded content device  50 , the overlaminate sheet  16  is removed from or partially detached from the base layer or article to expose the expanded content device  50 . 
     The above descriptions are those of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any references to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.