Abstract:
Labels and methods for removing a portion of a release liner from a label are disclosed. An example baggage label includes a release liner includes a first line of weakness including a first tapered or curved portion. The first line of weakness includes a first end that intersects the first edge and a second end between the first edge and the second edge and substantially orthogonally coupled to a score. A tab is formed in the release liner and defined by at least the first edge, the second edge and the first line of weakness. The tab is structured so that removal of the tab from the substrate forms a first tear in the release liner that diagonally extends from the second end of the first line of weakness and forms a tail between the first tear and the score to enable removal of the tab.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent arises from a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/756,174, filed May 31, 2007, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to multi-layer forms and, more particularly, to identification labels and methods of using the same. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Adhesive-backed identification labels have been used in the airline industry to identify an owner of a bag and a destination city. A known identification label  100  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Prior to applying the label  100  to a piece of luggage, a passenger or ticketing agent pulls a backing liner tab  102  to remove the backing liner tab  102  and expose an area of adhesive  104 . Typically, conventional identification tags include a full perforation  106  across the entire backing liner tab  102 . The full perforation  106  forms a point at which the backing liner tab  102  is designed to separate from the remainder of the backing liner  108  and the label  100 . 
         [0004]    Often, a passenger rushes to make a flight and/or a ticketing agent is pressured to quickly process each passenger to help passengers make their flights, ensure luggage is delivered to the correct flights, reduce wait times, etc. During such haste, the passenger or ticketing agent may quickly pull the backing liner tab  102  without ensuring that the backing liner tab  102  rips at the full perforation  106 . Consequently, the backing liner tab  102  does not detach at the full perforation  106 , and the remainder of the backing liner  108  continues to detach to completely separate the label  100  or otherwise expose more of the adhesive  104  than intended. 
         [0005]    If too much adhesive  104  is exposed, the label  100  may inadvertently become adhered to surfaces, including folding over upon itself in a manner that causes the label  100  to become very wrinkled such that bar codes or other identifying information that appears on a surface  110  of the label  100  is no longer machine- or human-readable. Further, any attempt by the passenger or ticketing agent to reattach or otherwise fix the label  100  may result in further damage to the label  100 , often to the point that the label  100  is ruined entirely. Consequently, in addition to wasted material and costs associated therewith, the passenger and ticketing agent may have to take the time to reprint and attach an additional label. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  depicts a known a prior art identification label prior to separation of a backing liner. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  depicts the known label of  FIG. 1  with the backing liner partially removed or separated from the identification label. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  depicts an example identification label prior to removal or separation of a portion of a release liner. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  depicts the example identification label of  FIG. 3  after the portion of the release liner has been removed or separated. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  depicts the portion of the release liner removed from the example identification label shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the example label of  FIG. 3  taken along the A-A line. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  depicts the example identification label of  FIG. 4  adhered around a handle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    This description relates generally to an example label that, for example, may be used as a baggage identification tag in connection with travel. The example label described herein includes a substrate, a layer of adhesive on the substrate, a layer of release coating in contact with the layer of adhesive, and a release liner. The release liner includes a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge, and a first line of weakness. A portion of the first line of weakness is tapered or curved and extends from the first edge of the release liner to between the first edge and the second edge of the release liner. In some examples, when the release liner is removed, the first line of weakness causes the release liner to tear so that a portion of the release liner remains with the label. 
         [0014]      FIGS. 3-7  illustrate an example label  200 . The example label  200  includes a substrate  202  ( FIG. 3 ) and a backing or release liner  204 , which may be made from an easily tearable material. In the example, one side of the substrate  202  is at least partially coated, with an adhesive layer  206 . In addition, a release coating layer  208  is disposed between the release liner  204  and the adhesive  206 . 
         [0015]    The example label  200  also includes a first line of weakness  210  and a second line of weakness  212 , though in some examples there may be only one line of weakness. The lines of weakness  210  and  212  may be implemented using a cut, a score, a fold, a perforation, or any other type of fault that may be used to facilitate the separation of a portion of the release liner  204 , as described in greater detail below. The lines of weakness  210  and  212  may extend through the release liner  204  and one or more of the release coating layer  208  and the adhesive layer  206 . 
         [0016]    The release liner  204  includes a first edge  214  and a second edge  216 . The first line of weakness  210  extends from the first edge  214  of the release liner  204  to between the first edge  214  and the second edge  216 . Similarly, the second line of weakness  212  extends from the second edge  216  to between the second edge  216  and the first edge  214 . A least a portion of each of the first and second lines of weakness  210  and  212  is tapered or curved so that at least portions of the lines of weakness  210  and  212  converge inwardly toward one another and/or a centered portion of the label  200 . In some examples where there is one line of weakness, the line of weakness may converge with an edge of the liner  204 . The lines of weakness  210  and  212  may be tapered in a variety of ways including via an inwardly curving path, a diagonal or rectilinear path, or any other path causing at least portions of the lines of weakness  210  and  212  to either tear across the release liner  204  and/or to converge inwardly toward a central portion of the label  200 . 
         [0017]    In the illustrated example, the first and second lines of weakness  210  and  212  are separated by a distance  218 . The distance  218  between the lines of weakness  210  and  212  may be spanned by a third line of weakness  219  that may be any of a cut, a score, a fold, a perforation, or any other type of fault that may be used to facilitate the separation of a portion of the release liner  204 . Alternatively, the distance  218  may not be spanned by a line of weakness at all but, rather, an un-modified portion of the release liner  204 . In yet other examples, the distance  218  between the lines of weakness  210  and  212  may not be present if the first and second lines of weakness  210  and  212  meet, for example, at a point. 
         [0018]    A removable tab  220  is formed within the release liner  204 . In the illustrated example, the removable tab  220  is defined by the first edge  214 , the second edge  216 , the first line of weakness  210 , the second line of weakness  212 , the line of weakness  219  or the distance  218  and an end  222  of the label and an end of the tab  225 . To adhere the label  200  to an object  224  such as, for example, a piece of luggage, a stroller, an animal carrier, a bag of skis or golf clubs, etc., a passenger, ticketing agent, gate agent, or other person removes the removable tab  220  of the release liner  204  to separate the removable tab  220  from the substrate  202  by overcoming the adhesive bond between the substrate  202  and the removable tab  220  release liner  202  or the adhesive bond between the adhesive layer  206  and the release coating  208 . 
         [0019]    As the removable tab  220  is pulled and separated from the substrate  202 , the first and second lines of weakness  210  and  212  cause edges  221  and  223  of the removable tab  220  to curve or converge inwardly from the edges  214  and  216  and toward a middle central portion  226  of the release liner  204 . By causing the edge  221  and  223  of the removable tab  220  to curve or converge inwardly, the first and second lines of weakness  210  and  212  facilitate a break (or separation of the removable tab  220  from the substrate  202 ) at the line of weakness  219  or the distance  218 . 
         [0020]    In one example, the removable tab  220  is separated from the substrate  202  and the remainder of the label  200  via an edge defined by the line of weakness  219  spanning the distance  218 . In particular, the end  225  of the tab  220  is peeled back from the substrate  202  and is pulled toward the line of weakness  219 . When the tab  220  is separated from the substrate  202  up to the line of weakness  219 , the tab  220  may separate from the remainder of the release liner  204  at the lines of weakness  219  (i.e., the release liner  204  may be severed at or about the line of weakness  219 ). However, if the liner  204  fails to separate at the line of weakness  219  (e.g., due to a line of weakness  219  being insufficient to enable such separation or the absence of the line of weakness either intentionally or as a result of a manufacturing defect), then the liner  204  may tear along converging tear lines  228  and  230  as the tab  220  is pulled further. As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the tear lines  228  and  230  converge toward a central portion  226  of the liner  204 , and when the tear lines  228  and  230  meet, the tab  220 , including a triangularly-shaped tail portion  232  can be separate from the remainder of the liner  204 . 
         [0021]    The removable tab  220  along with a tail  232  of material from the middle  226  of the release liner  204  are separated from the substrate  202  and may be discarded, recycled, etc. In addition, the tab  220  may be used, for example, as a baggage claim stub or otherwise as a source of information for the passenger. 
         [0022]    The side of the substrate  202  of the label  200  opposite from the release liner  204  includes one or more pieces of information  234 . The information  234  may include travel information such as one or more of flight information, passenger information, baggage information, an origin of a journey of a passenger, a destination of a passenger, information regarding a security status for a passenger and/or the object to which the label is coupled, and other information. In addition, the information  234  may appear in one language or multiple languages. Further, the information  234  may appear as human readable information and/or machine readable information such as for example, a bar code. Finally, the information  234  may be embedded into or coupled to the substrate  202  as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag  236  without requiring any written indicia of the information to appear on a surface of the substrate. 
         [0023]    The release liner  204  may also include information such as, for example, instructions  238 . Similar to the information  234  on the substrate, the information or instructions  238  may be a variety of information, appear in one or more languages, etc. 
         [0024]    After the removable tab  220  has been removed, the label  200  may be coupled to an object such as, for example, the handle  224  of a piece of luggage. In the illustrated example shown in  FIG. 7 , the label  200  is folded or looped over itself so that at least a portion of the adhesive  206  is positioned opposite a portion of the release liner  204  on the side of the release liner  204  opposite the release coating  208 . Pressure is added to couple the adhesive  206  and the release liner  204  to secure the label  200  to the desired object. 
         [0025]    In an alternative example (not shown), once the removable tab  220  has been separated from the substrate  202 , the label  200  may be coupled to an object by facing the exposed adhesive  206  toward a surface of the object. Pressure is added to couple the adhesive  206  to the object to secure the label  200  to the desired object. 
         [0026]    Because only the removable tab  220  and the tail  232  are removed from the substrate  202 , an excessive amount of the adhesive layer  206  is not exposed. Thus, the label  200  may be manipulated and otherwise handled and remain substantially flat without becoming unintentionally or inadvertently adhered to itself, an unintended part of an object, or an unintended object. In addition, the information on the label  200  does not become obscured, destroyed or otherwise illegible by either a human and/or a machine. 
         [0027]    Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.