Abstract:
A combination wristband and label form comprises a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion has a plurality of labels die cut therein. Each of the labels is configured to be removable from the form. The bottom portion has a wristband configured to receive an indicia, and an outer portion surrounding the wristband. The wristband is separable from the form and is formed of a single ply of water-resistant and tamper-resistant material. The wristband has a first lateral end and a second lateral end. The first lateral end has an adhesive area comprising adhesive adjacent the first lateral end. The second lateral end comprises perforations. The form includes a release liner having a release material. Removal of the wristband from the form exposes a first area of the release liner. The form is configured for multiple passes through a printer after the wristband is removed therefrom.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/175,055, filed on Jun. 12, 2015, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/247,863, filed on Oct. 29, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/256,465, filed on Nov. 17, 2015, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The wristband is a frequently-used instrument for distinguishing among various groups of people. For example, wristbands may be used to identify persons in short term healthcare facilities, or to distinguish between levels of access (e.g., at a concert) or permissions. Thus, there is a significant market for wristbands. Wristbands with improved performance capabilities are desirable. 
         [0003]    Many wristband designs require multiple steps to remove the wristband from its liner and subsequently affix it to the wearer. For example, the user may be required to remove the liner in order to expose adhesive, or to fold a part of the wristband over the face portion in order to secure the wristband in place. Some wristbands include adhesive on both ends thereof, which may make it difficult for the user to affix the wristband without attaching the adhesive to unattended areas. Additionally, this may make it difficult to remove the wristband when desired. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify critical elements of the invention or to limit the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description presented below. 
         [0005]    According to an embodiment, a combination wristband and label form comprises a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion has a plurality of labels die cut therein. The bottom portion has a rectangular wristband configured to receive an indicia, and an outer portion surrounding the wristband. The wristband is separable from the form and is formed of a single ply of water-resistant material. The wristband has a first lateral end and a second lateral end. The first lateral end has an adhesive area comprising adhesive adjacent the first lateral end. The second lateral end comprises perforations. There is no adhesive on the wristband outside the adhesive area. The form further comprises a release liner having a release material. Removal of the wristband from the form exposes a first area of the release liner. The first area is devoid of a void space. The outer portion is permanently secured to the release liner. 
         [0006]    According to another embodiment, a combination wristband and label form comprises a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion has a plurality of labels die cut therein. Each of the labels is configured to be removable from the form. The bottom portion has a wristband configured to receive an indicia, and an outer portion surrounding the wristband. The wristband is separable from the form and is formed of a single ply of water-resistant and tamper-resistant material. The wristband has a first lateral end and a second lateral end. The first lateral end has an adhesive area comprising adhesive adjacent the first lateral end. The second lateral end comprises perforations. The form includes a release liner having a release material. Removal of the wristband from the form exposes a first area of the release liner. The form is configured for multiple passes through a printer after the wristband is removed therefrom. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a front side view of a combination wristband and label form according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a back side view of the combination wristband and label form according to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a backing sheet that is attached to a back side of the form of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a front side view of an alternative embodiment of the form of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a front side view of another alternative embodiment of the form of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Many wristband designs require multiple steps in order to remove the wristband from its liner and subsequently affix it to the wearer. For example, the user may be required to remove the liner in order to expose adhesive, or to fold a part of the wristband over the face portion in order to secure the wristband in place. Some wristbands include adhesive on both ends, which may make it difficult for the user to affix the wristband without attaching the adhesive to unattended areas. Additionally, this may make it difficult to remove the wristband when desired. 
         [0013]    Other wristbands may be configured to include two layers of material, fastened together with adhesive. The wristband is thus thicker and heavier. Still further designs include a paper layer which is not water resistant that tends to get torn and tattered. According to these designs, a wristband portion is permanently adhered to a paper backing sheet which is die cut in a form, to form a two-layer wristband. The wristband, consisting of the backing layer and the wristband portion, is removed from the form leaving a wristband-shaped hole in the form. This may be undesirable, because the holes in the form may prevent the form from being able to pass through a printer multiple times. 
         [0014]    One embodiment of the present invention, described in detail herein, provides for a wristband which may be removed from a form via one generally continuous motion, and which, upon removal, may be conveniently secured to a wearer as-is. The wristband may have adhesive on one end only. Further, the wristband may be configured to include only a single layer of a light, synthetic (or other similar) material, thus making the wristband approximately half of the thickness of traditional wristbands currently on the market. Finally, the synthetic material may be water and tear resistant such that the wristband will not tear when removed from the backing sheet prior to affixing the wristband to the person. The wristband may be configured to be removed from a form without leaving a hole in the form, thus leaving the backing sheet intact such that the form may be passed through a printer multiple times. 
         [0015]    With reference now to the figures,  FIG. 1  shows a combination wristband and label form  100  according to one embodiment of the invention. The form  100  includes a front sheet  102  adhered to a backing sheet  140 . The front sheet  102  has a front side  102   f  and a back side  102   b.  The front sheet  102  may in some embodiments be separated into a top portion  104  and a bottom portion  106  having a relatively small gap therebetween. The top portion  104  and the bottom portion  106  may each have a front face  104   f  and  106   f,  respectively. 
         [0016]    The front surface  104   f  of the top portion  104  may include a plurality of labels  110 . The labels  110  may be arranged in columns and rows, for example, 4×6. However, the labels  110  may be provided in any combinations of columns (e.g.,  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 , etc.) and rows (e.g.,  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 , etc.). The labels  110  may be configured to receive indicia. Accordingly, the front surface  104   f  may be constructed of paper or other appropriate textile sufficient for receiving ink, e.g., from a printer or other marking device. 
         [0017]    The labels  110  may have a variety of constructions. For example, the figures illustrate the labels  110  as having a generally rectangular configuration. However, the labels  110  may be square, circular, polygonal, etc. Additionally, a combination of label configurations may be employed on a single form  100 . 
         [0018]    The bottom portion  106  may comprise one or more wristbands  120 . The wristbands  120  may be configured to be printable. In some embodiments, the form  100  may be configured to be passed through a printer so that indicia (e.g., patient name, patient medications, machine readable information such as barcodes, et cetera) may be printed directly on the wristband  120 . 
         [0019]    The wristband  120  may be defined by two longitudinally opposing sides (or ends)  122  and  126 , which may be die cut into the bottom portion front face  106   f,  and two laterally opposing sides (or ends)  124  and  128 . One of the laterally opposed sides, e.g., side  128 , may include perforations  129 , and have no adhesive inwardly adjacent the perforations  129 . The other laterally opposed side, e.g., side  124 , may contain an area of adhesive  132  ( FIG. 2 ) on a backside  120   b  of the wristband  120 . The adhesive  132  may keep the end  124  secured to the backing sheet  140  as described below. The wristband  120  may be substantially held into position via the adhesive patch  132  and the perforated side  128 . The wristband  120  may contain no adhesive apart from the adhesive  132  adjacent the end  124 . 
         [0020]    The wristband  120  may be generally rectangular, as shown. Alternatively, the wristband  120  may take on other desirable shapes. In one embodiment, a height of the adhesive end (e.g., end  124 ) may be less than a height of the remainder of the wristband  120  (including being less than the height of the end  128 ). 
         [0021]    The wristband  120  may be further equipped with security slits  130 . The security slits  130  may be configured to tear, should the wristband  120  be tampered with after the wristband  120  is applied to a wearer. This may be beneficial to ensure that the wristband  120  remains associated with the intended wearer, particularly in a healthcare environment where the wristband  120  includes patient-specific information. 
         [0022]    The bottom portion  106  may be constructed of a synthetic material, such as polyester fabric or plastic, for example. Other materials may additionally, or alternately, be appropriate. Those of skill in the art may recognize that it may be beneficial for the wristband  120  material to be resistant to water or other liquid, which may cause the integrity of the wristband  120  to be prematurely compromised. 
         [0023]    Attention is now directed to  FIG. 2 , which shows the back side  102   b  of the form  100 . The back side  102   b  may include a back face  104   b  of the top portion  104  and a back face  106   b  of the bottom portion  106 . The back face  104   b  of the top portion  104  may include an adhesive area  136 . The adhesive area  136  may allow for the labels  110  to be releasably secured to the backing sheet  140 . The back face  106   b  of the bottom portion  106  may additionally have adhesive areas  132 , described above, and  134 . The adhesive area  134  may correspond to the area surrounding the wristband  120  which remains in place when the wristband  120  is removed from the form  100 . 
         [0024]    The adhesive areas  132 ,  134 , and  136  of the back faces  104   b  and  106   b  may adhere to the backing sheet  140 , illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The backing sheet  140  may be constructed of paper or a synthetic resin, and may include a layer of silicone (or another similar release material) in the areas corresponding to the adhesive areas  132 ,  134 , and  136 . For example, the adhesive area  136  may releasably adhere to the silicone material  142 , adhesive area  132  may releasably adhere to silicone material  146 , and adhesive area  134  may adhere to silicone material  144 . The silicone material  144  may be applied in a pattern. The patterned silicone  144  may allow for a more permanent adhesion between the backing sheet  140  and the front sheet  102  in areas void of silicone (e.g., the bond between the area of the bottom portion  106  surrounding the wristband  120  and the backing sheet  140  may be stronger than the bond between the top portion  104  and the backing sheet). This may keep the area of the bottom portion  106  surrounding the wristband  120  in place on the backing sheet  140 . In some embodiments, the silicone material  144  may be omitted so that the area of the bottom portion  106  surrounding the wristband  120  permanently adheres to the backing sheet  140 . 
         [0025]    When the wristband  120  is removed from the form  100 , the area  143  of the backing sheet  140  behind the wristband  120  may remain intact. Such may provide several benefits over prior art wristbands. For example, as noted above, prior art methods consisting of “punching out” the wristband from the form leaves a void that may prevent the rest of the form from being used at a later time. However, if the form remains intact, as in the present invention, it may be used multiple times, for example, to print on the labels  110 . This may be beneficial because it is often desirable to print the labels  110  at different times (for example, it may be desirable to print new labels  110  to reflect changes made to medications prescribed to a patient during the course of his treatment). A new label  110 , such as a label  110  leftover on the form  100 , may thus be printed with the new information until all the labels  110  have been used. Of course, the labels  110  may be used for any desirable purposes, such as for labeling patient files and other documents, vials, etc. The labels  110  may all be printed with information in a single pass through the printer, or the form  100  may be passed through the printer multiple times such that the labels  110  are printed as needed. 
         [0026]    In use, after the wristband  120  has been printed, the user may peel the side  124  of the wristband  120  up and away from the form  100 , inserting his or her finger under the wristband side  126  until the finger exits at side  122 . The user may then tear the side  128  along the perforations  129  to free the wristband  120  from the form  100 . Alternately, the user may hold the wristband  100 , e.g., from side  122  or  126 , between his index finger and thumb, tear the side  128  along the perforations  129 , and then separate the wristband  120 , including the side  124  having the adhesive  132 , from the form  100 . In this way, the user may remove the wristband  120  from the form  100  in one generally continuous motion. The user may then attach the wristband  120  to a person&#39;s wrist by wrapping the wristband  120  around the wrist, face up, and fastening the adhesive end (e.g., side  124 ) to the face of the wristband  120 . Such quick and convenient removal of the wristband  120  from the form  100  and its ready securement to a person&#39;s wrist may be preferable, as compared for example, to wristbands that must be removed from the associated forms in several steps or which need to be folded or otherwise reconfigured after they have been removed from the form and before they are secured to a wearer&#39;s wrist. 
         [0027]    In another embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the form  100 ′ may consist of a plurality of wristbands  120 ′ and does not include labels  110 . Alternately, the form  100 ″ may include only a single wristband  120 ″ as shown in  FIG. 5 . The form  100  may be approximately the size of a standard piece of paper (e.g., 8½″×11″), or the form  100  may be tailored to the size of the required wristbands  120  and/or labels  110 . For example, if only a single wristband  120  is required, the form  100  may be only the size necessary to contain one wristband  120 . 
         [0028]    Many different arrangements of the described invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the disclosed improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0029]    Further, it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures and description need to be carried out in the specific order described. The description should not be restricted to the specific described embodiments.