Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to labeling, and particularly to retail shelf labels and methods of making the same. A sheet having a retail shelf label according to an embodiment includes a liner, a transparent face layer, and a cover layer having graphics printed thereon. Adhesive couples the face layer atop the liner, and adhesive couples the cover layer atop the face layer. Cut lines in the face and cover layers define a perimeter of the label, and a cut line in the cover layer separates the cover layer into two distinct portions respectively separable from the face layer. At least a portion of the adhesive coupled to the face layer inside the label perimeter releases from the liner to removably couple the label to a shelf edge.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to and claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/051,241, filed on May 7, 2008, and entitled “Label”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is also related to and claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/052,017, filed on May 9, 2008, and entitled “Label”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates generally to labeling, and in particular to retail shelf labels and methods of making the same. 
     Printed labels comprise an important form of communication. Labels are commonly used for conveying information in a wide range of applications. In the retail sector, for example, labels are commonly applied to product displays (i.e., “point-of-sale” displays) to identify objects and to convey information about those objects to customers. Retail establishments may employ various types of labels to communicate such product information as pricing, product identification, etc. 
     In retail establishments, product information tends to be dynamic in that product offerings and pricing undergo frequent changes. Point-of-sale product labeling is often changed by applying new labels to shelves on which the products are displayed. Such shelf labeling is a significant part of the labeling activity in retail commercial establishments. 
     Labels and manufacturing methods set forth herein include novel improvements to the prior art labels and manufacturing methods, as will be evident from reviewing the description below and the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     A sheet having a retail shelf label according to an embodiment includes a liner, a transparent face layer, and a cover layer having graphics printed thereon. Adhesive couples the face layer atop the liner, and adhesive couples the cover layer atop the face layer. Cut lines in the face and cover layers define a perimeter of the label, and a cut line in the cover layer separates the cover layer into two distinct portions respectively separable from the face layer. At least a portion of the adhesive coupled to the face layer inside the label perimeter releases from the liner to removably couple the label to a shelf edge. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a label according to an embodiment, with graphics on the cover omitted. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the label of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the label of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the label of  FIG. 1 , the label being coupled to a shelf according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the label of  FIG. 1 , the label being coupled to a shelf according to an embodiment. 
         FIGS. 7A through 7D  collectively show a diagram representing a manufacturing process for a sheet of the labels of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of a label according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of the label of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a rear view of the label of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of a label according to still another embodiment, with graphics on the cover omitted. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view of the label of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a front view of a label according to yet another embodiment, with graphics on the cover omitted. 
         FIG. 14  is a rear view of the label of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  a front view of a label according to still yet another embodiment, with graphics on the cover omitted. 
         FIG. 16  is a rear view of the label of  FIG. 15 . 
         FIG. 17  is a side view of the label of  FIG. 15  before the face layer is separated from the liner. 
         FIG. 18  is a front view of a label according to yet still another embodiment, with graphics on the cover omitted. 
         FIG. 19  is a rear view of the label of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  is a side view of the label of  FIG. 18 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 through 6  show an embodiment of a new label  100 . The label  100  has front and rear sides  102   a ,  102   b  and includes a face layer  110 , a liner  130 , and a cover  150 . The face layer  110  has outer and inner sides  112   a ,  112   b , upper and lower ends  114   a ,  114   b , and opposed sides  116   a ,  116   b  and may be constructed of vinyl and/or any other suitable material. While the ends and sides  114   a ,  114   b ,  116   a ,  116   b  of the presentation face layer  110  are shown to collectively be generally rectangular, non-rectangular configurations may alternately be defined. Material for face layer  110  may be chosen for transparency, printability, durability, and/or other properties that are required or suitable for particular applications. 
     The face layer inner side  112   b  includes an adhesive material  120  which may be used to couple the face layer  110  to the shelf edge  10  and which may couple the face layer  110  to the liner  130 . The adhesive material  120  may comprise any suitable pressure-sensitive, self-adhesive material, such as acrylic adhesive, which is releasable for repositioning purposes and which leaves little or no residue. Acrylic adhesive has a further advantage of not being susceptible to melting during printing operations, such as in laser printers. In  FIGS. 4 and 6 , a corner of the face layer  110  is separated from the shelf  10  to show the adhesive material  120 . 
     An adhesive deadening agent  125  may extend over the adhesive material  120  along the lower end  114   b  of the face layer  110  and/or along a portion of each side  116   a ,  116   b  of the face layer  110  to neutralize the adhesive material  120  in those areas. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , the deadening agent  125  extends between the lower end  114   b  of the face layer  110  and the liner  130 , between the side  116   a  of the face layer  110  and the liner  130 , and between the side  116   b  of the face layer  110  and the liner  130 . 
     The deadening agent  125  may further extend between the face layer  110  and the liner  130  (i.e., sandwiched between the face layer  110  and the liner  130 ) near the perimeter of the liner  130  so that tolerances for applying the deadening agent  125  may be increased. However, if the adhesive  120  is used to couple the face layer  110  to the liner  130 , it may be preferable for the deadening agent  125  to not extend between the face layer  110  and the liner  130  to an extent that the face layer  110  is not coupled to the liner  130 . It may be undesirable for the deadening agent  125  to extend between the face layer  110  and the liner  130  to an extent that allows the perimeter of the liner  130  to separate from the face layer  110  and allows the liner  130  and the face layer  110  to become visibly curled away from one another. 
     The cover  150  has outer and inner sides  152   a ,  152   b , upper and lower ends  154   a ,  154   b , and opposed sides  156   a ,  156   b  and may be constructed of paper and/or any other suitable material. The cover  150  may be cut (represented by cut line  155 ) to separate the cover  150  into two portions  155   a ,  155   b . While the ends and sides  154   a ,  154   b ,  156   a ,  156   b  of the cover  150  are shown to collectively be generally rectangular, non-rectangular configurations may alternately be defined. In at least one embodiment, the perimeter of the cover  150  generally corresponds to the perimeter of the face layer  110 . Material for cover  150  may be chosen for printability, durability, and/or other properties that are required or suitable for particular applications. 
     The cover inner side  152   b  includes an adhesive material  170  which may be used to couple the cover  150  to the face layer  110  (i.e., to the face layer outer side  112   a ). The adhesive material  170  may or may not be the same as the adhesive  120  and may comprise any suitable pressure-sensitive, self-adhesive material, such as acrylic adhesive, which is releasable for repositioning purposes and which leaves little or no residue. Acrylic adhesive has a further advantage of not being susceptible to melting during printing operations, such as in laser printers. 
     The cover  150  may include graphics  140  viewable from the label front side  102   a . The graphics  140  ( FIGS. 4 and 6 ) may be printed on the cover  150  using a laser printer, a dot matrix printer, or any other appropriate method or device. Additionally, the face layer  110  may include graphics. If the cover  150  is transparent, the graphics  140  on the cover  150  and the graphics on the face layer  110  may be viewed when the cover  150  is attached to the face layer  110 . If the cover  150  is not transparent, the graphics on the face layer  110  may be viewed when the cover  150  (or a portion of the cover  150 , e.g., portion  155   b ) is separated from the face layer  110 . 
     By including the liner  130 , graphics viewable from the label front side  102   a  may be at least partially created or accented by the liner  130  if the face layer  110  is transparent and viewable from the label front side  102   a . In other words, if graphics are printed around certain indicia on the face layer  110 , the appearance of the graphics and/or the indicia may be affected by the color of the liner  130 . For example, if the face layer  110  is clear (or substantially clear), and graphics are printed on the face layer  110 , the absence of print at the indicia allows the indicia to substantially be the color of the liner  130  (e.g., white). Further, the liner  130  may enhance the graphics by making the label  100  less transparent from the front side  102   a . Transparency has been a problem experienced in the prior art, in that certain colors have sometimes been difficult to read while prior art labels are in use. In addition, prior art transparent labels have been unable to effectively utilize certain colors (e.g., white). It should also be appreciated that the label  100  may incorporate an extra color than prior art transparent labels without using an extra color of ink, which can provide a substantial cost savings. It should further be understood that, in some embodiments, graphics may be printed on the liner  130  and visible through the face layer  110 . 
     If a transparent material is used for the face layer  110  and the face layer  110  is viewable from the label front side  102   a , information on the shelf edge  10  (e.g., a previous label having product or price information) may be viewed while the label  100  is coupled to the shelf edge  10 . This may be desirable, for example, to show a product&#39;s original price if it is currently on sale, or to avoid having to print a barcode for the product on the label  100 . 
     In use, the adhesive material  120  may be used to couple the face layer  110  to the shelf  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the cover  150  may remain attached to the face layer  110  and present the graphics  140 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the portion  155   a  of the cover  150  may be removed from the face layer  110 , and a portion of the face layer  110  may be viewable from the label front side  102   a . If the face layer  110  is transparent, a previous label on the shelf  10  may be viewed, allowing a customer to easily make comparisons between information on the label  100  and the previous label. This may also eliminate the need for a product&#39;s barcode or other static data to be printed on the label  100 . Though not shown, the entire cover  150  may be removed from the face layer  110 . If the portion  155   a  of the cover  150  is removed from the face layer  110 , the portion  155   a  may be used independently as a label (e.g., coupled to the shelf  10 ). 
     One manufacturing process  700  for a sheet  701  of the labels  100  is shown in  FIG. 7A  through  FIG. 7D . At step  710 , the adhesive  120  is applied to the material  702  that forms the face layer  110 , and the adhesive  170  is applied to the material  703  that forms the cover  150 . The adhesive  120  may be applied to the face material  702  in any suitable manner at the same facility where other manufacturing steps described herein are performed, or the face material  702  may be purchased having the adhesive  120  and coupled to the material  704  that forms the liner  130 , and, to add the deadening agent  125 , the face material  702  may be separated from the liner material  704  as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,579,585 and 6,926,942, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The process  700  proceeds from step  710  to step  720 . 
     At step  720 , the deadening agent  125  is applied to areas that correspond to the areas of the individual labels  100  having deadening agent  125  as discussed above. The process  700  proceeds from step  720  to step  730 , where the face material  702  is coupled to the liner material  704  and the cover material  703  is coupled to the face material  702 . The process  700  proceeds from step  730  to step  740 . 
     At step  740 , the cover material  703  and the face material  702  may be cut through (represented by cut lines  742 ) to define the individual covers  150  and face layers  110  for the individual labels  100 ; the cover material  703  may be cut through (represented by cut lines  743 ) to define the two portions  155   a ,  155   b  of each individual label  100 ; the liner material  704  may be cut through (represented by cut lines  744 ) to define the individual liners  130  for the individual labels  100 ; and the cover material  703 , the face material  702 , and the liner material  704  may be perforated (represented by perforation line  746 ) to allow the sheet  701  to be separated into multiple portions. 
     If the face material  702 , the cover material  703 , and/or the liner material  704  are provided in rolls, the material(s) may be cut into the sheet  701 . In at least one embodiment, no cut line  742  intersects or overlaps a cut line  744 . It should be understood that step  740  may actually be accomplished in multiple steps, and that the order of cutting and perforating is generally not critical. The process  700  proceeds from step  740  to step  750 . 
     At step  750 , graphics  140  are printed on the cover material  703  using a laser printer, a dot matrix printer, or any other appropriate method or device. Step  750  may be performed before the sheet  701  is delivered to the end user, or the end user may place the graphics  140  on the cover material  703 . Because front and rear sides of the sheet  701  are generally planar and are each formed from a respective single sheet of material, the printing process may be more easily completed than when printing on other labels that have various materials that comprise the front side or the rear side. It should be understood that step  750  may be completed at various times in process  700 , such as before step  710 , for example. In addition, if graphics are to be printed on the face material  702 , those graphics may be printed on the face material  702  using a laser printer, a dot matrix printer, or any other appropriate method or device before step  730 , for example. 
     In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 9 , and  FIG. 10 , a label  800  is substantially similar to label  100 , and similar elements are referenced by the same reference numbers used in relation to label  100  above. In label  800 , deadening agent  125  is omitted. 
     In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 , a label  1100  is substantially similar to label  100 , and similar elements are referenced by the same reference numbers used in relation to label  100  above. In label  1100 , the liner  130  extends closer to upper end  114   a  of the face layer  110 , and the liner  130  is cut (represented by cut line  1102 ) to separate the liner  130  into two portions  1104   a ,  1104   b . Portion  1104   a  may be of generally similar size or proportion as the liner  130  of label  100 , and portion  1104   b  may generally correspond to the amount the liner  130  is extended when compared to label  100 . 
     In label  1100 , the adhesive deadening agent  125  further extends over the adhesive material  120  along the upper end  114   a  of the face layer  110 , and more particularly, the deadening agent  125  extends between the upper end  114   a  of the face layer  110  and the liner  130 . The deadening agent  125  also extends between the side  116   a  of the face layer  110  and the portion  1104   b  of the liner  130  and between the side  116   b  of the face layer  110  and the portion  1104   b  of the liner  130 . 
     In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 14 , a label  1300  is substantially similar to label  1100 , and similar elements are referenced by the same reference numbers used in relation to label  1100  above. In label  1300 , deadening agent  125  is omitted. 
     In yet another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 15 ,  FIG. 16 , and  FIG. 17 , a label  1500  is substantially similar to label  100 , and similar elements are referenced by the same reference numbers used in relation to label  100  above. In label  1500 , the face layer  110  separates from the liner  130  before use. In other words, no portion of the liner  130  sits adjacent the face layer  110  when the face layer  110  is adhered to a shelf edge (contrast to  FIG. 5 , for example). A deadening agent  125  extends from the lower end  114   b  such that much of the face layer  110  is not adherent when in use, as shown in FIG.  16 , and the cut lines  744  discussed above may be omitted.  FIG. 17  shows the label  1500  while the face layer  110  is still coupled to the liner  130  (i.e., before the face layer  110  is adhered to a shelf edge. While the adhesive  120  between the face layer  110  and the liner  130  is shown separated from the liner  130  in  FIG. 17 , one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, in practice, the adhesive  120  couples the face layer  110  to the liner  130 . 
     In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 18 ,  FIG. 19 , and  FIG. 20 , a label  1800  is substantially similar to label  1500 , and similar elements are referenced by the same reference numbers used in relation to label  1500  above. In label  1800 , portion  1802  of the liner  130  remains coupled to the face layer  110  until separated immediately before use, when the adhesive  120  is exposed. Like in label  1500 , the liner  130  is entirely separated from the face layer  110  while the label  1800  is coupled to a shelf edge. 
     Those skilled in the art appreciate that variations from the specified embodiments disclosed above are contemplated herein and that the described embodiments are not limiting. The description should not be restricted to the above embodiments, but should be measured by the following claims.