Abstract
A sandwich-type, steam-sterilizable universal label for sterile products packaging can be used both on soft packaging and hard packaging. The universal label has different adhesives with different adhesive properties which are covered in such a way that they can be exposed selectively individually and separately from each other for their respective adhesive actions.
Claims
1. A universal label for marking both hard and soft sterile products packaging, comprising: an upper material, an upper side of which forming an information-carrying section; a first adhesive face formed by a first adhesive applied to a lower side of the upper material; a first intermediate carrier, an upper side of which adhering to the first adhesive face; a second adhesive face and a third adhesive face, the second adhesive face being formed by a second adhesive applied to a lower side of the first intermediate carrier, the third adhesive face being formed by a third adhesive applied to the lower side of the first intermediate carrier, wherein the second adhesive is different from the third adhesive and has different adhesive properties compared to the third adhesive, the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face being comprised in an adhesive-carrying section which forms the lower side of the universal label and which lies on the side opposite from the information-carrying section of the universal label, and a covering film are covered covering the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face in such a way on the lower side of the universal label by a covering film that they that the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face are exposable separately from each other for their respective adhesive actions.
2. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face are exposable one after the other for their respective adhesive actions.
3. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face are separated from each other on one adhesive plane.
4. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the covering film adheres to the second adhesive face and to the third adhesive face.
5. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the label comprises a second intermediate carrier between the upper material and the first intermediate carrier, said second intermediate carrier adhering to the first adhesive face and comprising a fourth adhesive to which the first intermediate carrier adheres.
6. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the covering film has a perforated or punched in portion.
7. The universal label according to claim 6, wherein the perforated or punched in portion is suited and adapted to subdivide the covering film into segments which are individually removable from the lower side of the universal label.
8. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face mesh with one another.
9. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive applied on the lower side of the upper material is a permanent adhesive.
10. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive applied on the lower side of the first intermediate carrier is a removable adhesive.
11. The universal label according to claim 8, wherein the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face each have a rectangular comb grip section and rectangular prong sections projecting perpendicularly from the rectangular comb grip section.
12. The universal label according to claim 11, wherein the rectangular prong sections of the second adhesive face and the rectangular prong sections of the third adhesive face mesh such that the second adhesive face and the third adhesive face in combination form a rectangle.
13. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive is a permanent or removable adhesive, the second adhesive is a removable adhesive, and the third adhesive is a permanent adhesive.
14. The universal label according to claim 13, wherein the first adhesive is a removable adhesive.
15. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the universal label consists of the upper material, the first adhesive face, the first intermediate carrier, the second adhesive face, the third adhesive face and the covering film.
16. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein an area of the upper material corresponds to an area of the first intermediate carrier.
17. The universal label according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive face has a rectangular shape; and the third adhesive face frames and surrounds the second adhesive face and has a rectangular shape with an inner rectangular cut-out where the second adhesive face is provided.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
(1) FIG. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment in a lateral sectional view.
(2) FIG. 1A shows the lower side of the first embodiment of FIG. 1 without covering film.
(3) FIG. 1B shows the lower side of the first embodiment of FIG. 1 with covering film.
(4) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the first embodiment with the exterior covering film removed.
(5) FIG. 2A shows the lower side of FIG. 2.
(6) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the first embodiment with the interior covering film removed.
(7) FIG. 3A shows the lower side of FIG. 3.
(8) FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment in a lateral sectional view.
(9) FIG. 4A shows the lower side of the second embodiment of FIG. 4 without covering film.
(10) FIG. 4B shows the lower side of the second embodiment of FIG. 4 with covering film.
(11) FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment in a lateral sectional view.
(12) FIG. 6 shows the lower side of a fourth embodiment without covering film.
(13) FIG. 6A shows the lower side of the fourth embodiment with covering film.
(14) FIG. 7 shows the lower side of a fifth embodiment without covering film.
(15) FIG. 7A shows the lower side of the fifth embodiment with covering film.
(16) FIG. 8 shows a sixth embodiment in a lateral sectional view.
(17) FIG. 9 shows a seventh embodiment in a lateral sectional view.
(18) FIG. 10 shows the upper side of an eighth embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(19) FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment in a lateral sectional view. One side of an upper material 1 forms an upper side/information-carrying region or section 8 of a label which is provided and adapted to be printed, preferably printed with a thermal transfer printer.
(20) On the lower side of the upper material 1 a first adhesive is applied which forms a first adhesive face 2 to which a first intermediate carrier 3 adheres directly and covers the first adhesive layer 2 partially (centrally). The upper material 1 comprises a rectangular face diametrically opposed to the upper side/the information-carrying region or section 8. The adhesive face 2 is applied over the entire face of the upper side/the information-carrying region or section 8. The adhesive face 2 consists of a first adhesive, a permanent adhesive which is suited and adapted to adhere to a sterile soft packaging.
(21) The first intermediate carrier 3 is of smaller face than the upper material 1, so that the face of the upper material 1 and/or its adhesive face 2 projects beyond the circumferential edge of the first intermediate carrier 3 at two sides at least. The first intermediate carrier 3 is also rectangular, wherein the long sides of the first rectangular intermediate carrier 3 are flush with the long sides of the upper material 1. Since the first intermediate carrier 3 is arranged centrally and has a smaller side length of the long sides, i.e. is shorter, the upper material 1 and/or its adhesive face 2 projects at both (short) sides uniformly beyond the intermediate carrier. A second adhesive which forms a second adhesive face 4 is in turn applied on the intermediate carrier 3. The second adhesive is a removable adhesive which is provided and adapted to adhere to a sterile hard packaging.
(22) On both exposed adhesive faces 2 and 4 which form the adhesive-carrying region or section 9, a covering film 5 adheres directly. The covering film is perforated and divided into the covering film segments 5A and 5B, wherein the segment 5B is an interior segment and is lined at diametrically opposed sides by two further segments 5A. In this embodiment, the covering film segments 5A adhere to the adhesive face 2 of the upper material 1, which corresponds to the section of the upper material 1 which projects beyond the intermediate carrier 3, and the covering film segment 5B to the adhesive face 4 of the intermediate carrier 3. The perforation of the covering film 5 between the covering film segments 5A and 5B is designed as a line, preferably by pressing or punching.
(23) The universal label is formed from its upper side/information-carrying region or section 8 to its lower side/adhesive-carrying region or section 9 by the upper material 1, the adhesive face 2, the intermediate carrier 3 and the adhesive face 3 and is covered on its lower side/the adhesive-carrying region or section 9 by the covering film 5. All the elements mentioned in the foregoing list are placed directly and immediately contiguous to the one positioned before. In FIG. 1 the layer thicknesses are not illustrated to scale, in reality the lower side/the adhesive-carrying region or section 9 is substantially plane.
(24) In FIG. 1A the lower side/the adhesive-carrying region or section 9 of the first embodiment of FIG. 1 is illustrated without covering film. Thus, a rectangular adhesive face is illustrated which consists of the adhesive faces 2 and 4 and which is adhered to a sterile products packaging and consists of two different adhesives and thus of two different adhesive faces, the adhesive face 4 and the adhesive face 2. The adhesive faces 2 and 4 together form, in analogy to their respective carrier substrates, i.e. the upper material 1 and the first intermediate carrier 3, a rectangle. Since the first rectangular intermediate carrier 3 is positioned on the longer upper material 1 and both have the dame breadth, a structure results in which the adhesive face 4 is arranged in the middle and the adhesive face 2 symmetrically projects beyond it at the right and at the left.
(25) FIG. 1B shows the lower side 9 of the first embodiment of FIG. 1 with the covering film 5. The structure and/or the arrangement is analogous to the layout of the adhesive faces 2 and 4. The covering film 5 is divided into the covering film segments 5A which adhere to the corresponding two adhesive faces 2, and the covering film segment 5B which adheres to the corresponding adhesive face 4.
(26) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the first embodiment in which the exterior covering film segments 5A which are formed at the two diametrically opposed sides of the covering film segment 5B were removed. In other words, the covering film segments 5A were removed from the adhesive faces 2. Thus, the permanent adhesive faces 2 are exposed and the label is provided and adapted for adhering to a soft packaging for sterilization. Hence, the contact face of the label with the sterile soft packaging is formed by the two adhesive faces 2 and the covering film segment 5B.
(27) Alternatively, with this use of the first embodiment the covering film segment 5B may additionally also be removed since the adhesive face 4, which then forms the contact face together with the adhesive faces 2, has less adhesive force.
(28) The adhesive faces 2 with the permanent adhesive are provided for the use on soft packaging. In this case the covering film segment 5A or the entire covering film 5 is removed. The process of adhering the label to a soft packaging comprises the steps of: Removing the covering film segments 5A. Adhering the label to the soft packaging (by means of the permanent adhesive faces 2). Steam-sterilization of the soft packaging. Removing the label from the soft packaging. Separating the upper material 1 from the first intermediate carrier 3. Adhering or sorting the so-formed label (upper material) to or in the patient's file.
(29) FIG. 2A shows the lower side of FIG. 2, wherein it is clearly recognizable that the adhesive faces 2 which are formed with permanent adhesive form the contact face for a soft packaging, together with the covering film segment 5B which rests on the removable adhesive.
(30) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the first embodiment in which the interior covering film 5B was removed. In other words, only the covering film segment 5B was removed from the adhesive face 4 and the film segments 5A remain on both sides on the two adhesive faces 2. Thus, the removable adhesive face 4 is exposed and the label is provided and adapted for adhering to a hard packaging for sterilization. The covering film 5A remains on the sections with the permanent adhesive. If they were also exposed, adhesive residues would be left on the hard sterile products packaging later during the removing of the label (after the sterilization and the use of the packaging content). A positive effect with the remaining covering film segments 5A is that they may be used as a gripping region to facilitate the removal of the label from the hard packaging.
(31) The process of adhering the label to a hard packaging comprises the steps of: Removing the covering film segment 5B in the middle of the label (with the covering film segments 5B remaining on the label). Adhering the label to the hard packaging (by means of the removable adhesive). Steam-sterilization of the hard packaging. Removing the label from the hard packaging (the covering film segments 5B at the right and at the left enable easy gripping). Separating the upper material 1 from the first intermediate carrier 2. Adhering or sorting the new label (upper material) to or in the patient's file.
(32) FIG. 3A shows the lower side 9 of FIG. 3, wherein it is illustrated clearly that the adhesive face 4 which is designed with a removable adhesive forms the contact face for a hard packaging, together with the covering film segments 5A which rest on the permanent adhesive.
(33) FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment in a lateral sectional view. The difference over the first embodiment consists in that both adhesive faces 2 and 4 are applied directly on the upper material 1 with respectively different adhesives. The upper material 1 is thus formed/coated directly with two different adhesive faces 2 and 4. This means that two different adhesives are applied directly on the upper material 1 and form the respective adhesive faces 2 and 4. On the two adhesive faces 2 and 4 again a perforated covering film 5 with two covering film segments 5A and 5B is positioned, which correspond to the respective shapes of the respective adhesive faces 2 and 4. A label in accordance with the second embodiment is formed from the upper side 8 to the lower side 9 by an upper material 1 and a face/layer formed of the two adhesive faces 2 and 4. The adhesive faces 2 and 4 which form a plane face may optionally be a permanent or a removable adhesive. Due to this embodiment labels may be used as production labels both on soft packaging and on hard packaging. A documentation in the patient's file may in this case take place, for instance, by adhering to a paper file with the hitherto unused adhesive face.
(34) FIG. 4A shows the lower side of the second embodiment of FIG. 4 without covering film. The lower side of the label with covering film of the second embodiment is analogous to the first embodiment, i.e. analogous to FIG. 1A. Although in the first embodiment the adhesive is applied on two films, the lower side with the adhesive faces looks analogously.
(35) FIG. 4B shows the lower side of the first embodiment of FIG. 4 with covering film, as may be seen in analogy in FIG. 1B.
(36) FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment in a lateral sectional view. In this embodiment the intermediate carrier 3 is coated directly with two different adhesive faces 11 and 4. This means that two different adhesives are applied directly on the first intermediate carrier 3 and form the respective adhesive faces 11 and 4. The third adhesive face 11 is designed such that the same distribution of the respective adhesives on the contact face results as in FIG. 1A. Furthermore, the adhesive face 11 consists preferably of the same adhesive as the adhesive face 2, particularly preferred a permanent adhesive. On the two adhesive faces 11 and 4 there is again positioned a perforated covering film 5 with two covering film segments 5A and 5B which correspond to the respective shapes of the respective adhesive faces 11 and 4. A label in accordance with the third embodiment is formed from the upper side 8 to the lower side 9 by an upper material 1, a first adhesive face 2, the intermediate carrier 3 and a face/layer formed of the two adhesive faces 11 and 4. In this embodiment the adhesive face 2 may be a permanent or else a removable adhesive since a direct contact with a sterile packaging does not exist. The adhesive faces 11 and 4 which form a plane face may optionally be permanent or removable adhesive. In this embodiment the face of the first intermediate carrier 3 corresponds to the face of the upper material 1 and adheres to the adhesive face 2 of the upper material 1. Due to this embodiment labels may be used as production labels both on soft packaging and on hard packaging. A documentation in the patient's file may in this case take place, for instance, by adhering to a paper file with the hitherto unused adhesive face. Due to this embodiment it is possible to only remove the upper material after the sterilization. This has the advantage that the adhesive faces of this label layer are still completely unused. Furthermore, damages to the label during the process of removal are thus avoided. These advantages apply for all labels comprising at least two intermediate carriers.
(37) FIG. 6 shows the lower side of a fourth embodiment without covering film, and FIG. 6A shows the lower side of the fourth embodiment with covering film. In this embodiment the adhesive faces 2 and 4 are designed comb-like. This means that the adhesive faces 2 and 4 each form a rectangular comb grip having rectangular prongs project perpendicularly therefrom. The two comb-shaped adhesive faces 2 and 4 mesh at their rectangular prongs. If the label is to be adhered to hard packaging, the covering film segment 5A will have to be pulled off from the left to the right, so that the adhesive face 2 with the permanent adhesive face is exposed. If the adhesive segment 5B is pulled from the right to the left, the adhesive face 4 with the removable adhesive is exposed. It is also possible to exchange the positions of the adhesive faces 2 and 4 and their respective covering film segments 5A and 5B. This embodiment of the adhesive faces can be used directly on two-dimensional faces on an upper material 1 or at least a further intermediate carrier. Furthermore, this embodiment can be used on three-dimensional structures, i.e. on structures resembling in their construction to the first embodiment and having the adhesive faces 2 and 4 formed on different layers. In addition to the third and fourth embodiments, further constellations are also possible, such as, for instance, a narrow strip of permanent adhesive at a short side of a rectangle and a large face of removable adhesive.
(38) FIG. 7 shows the lower side of a fifth embodiment without covering film, and FIG. 7A shows the lower side of the fifth embodiment with covering film. In this embodiment the adhesive face 4 is a rectangle whose sides are all shorter than the sides of the rectangular adhesive face 2, wherein the adhesive face 4 is centered horizontally and vertically. It is also possible to exchange the positions of the adhesive faces 2 and 4 and their respective covering film segments 5A and 5B. This embodiment of the adhesive faces can be used directly on two-dimensional faces on an upper material 1 or at least a further intermediate carrier. Furthermore, this embodiment can be used on three-dimensional structures, i.e. on structures resembling in their construction to the first embodiment and having the adhesive faces 2 and 4 formed on different layers.
(39) FIG. 8 shows a sixth embodiment in a lateral sectional view. The layer-like construction is like the embodiment in FIG. 5, with the exception that the upper material 1 and the first adhesive face 2 are smaller, i.e. shorter, than the first intermediate layer 3 and the covering film 5. In other words, the upper material 1 has a smaller face than the first intermediate layer 3, so that the face of the intermediate carrier 3 projects beyond the circumferential edge of the upper material 1 at two sides at least. The first intermediate carrier 3 and the upper material 1 are rectangular, wherein the long sides of the first intermediate carrier 3 are flush with the long sides of the upper material 1. Since the upper material 1 is arranged centrally and has a smaller side length, i.e. is shorter, the first intermediate carrier 3 projects at both (short) sides uniformly beyond the intermediate carrier. On the intermediate carrier 3 in turn a second adhesive is applied which forms a second adhesive face 4. The second adhesive is a removable adhesive which is provided and adapted to adhere to a sterile hard packaging.
(40) FIG. 9 shows a seventh embodiment in a lateral sectional view whose construction is like that of the sixth embodiment, with the exception that in this embodiment a second intermediate carrier 6 with a third adhesive face 7 was introduced between the first adhesive face 2 and the first intermediate carrier 3. The additionally introduced intermediate carrier 6 is to comprise the same permanent adhesive as the upper material 1, i.e. the adhesive face 7 is to be of the same material as the adhesive face 2. The geometric dimensions of the intermediate carrier 6 and of the adhesive face 7 correspond to those of the upper material 1. Alternatively, the first and/or the second intermediate carrier 3 and 6 and/or their adhesive faces 4 and 7 may be removable adhesive faces.
(41) FIG. 10 shows the upper side of an eighth embodiment and/or the upper material 1 with a press-cut 10. In order to separate/detach the upper material 1 as easily as possible from at least one intermediate carrier, the press-cut 10 of the upper material 1 is punched down to at least one intermediate carrier.
