LABEL, LABEL TAPE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING LABELS

Abstract

A label including a base material with at least one adhesive region and a cover material, a label tape and a method for manufacturing labels are disclosed. The method includes providing a base material web and applying at least one adhesive to the base material web along at least one row by means of at least one applicator. The adhesive is applied to the base material web intermittently along the row so that the row comprises a plurality of individual adhesive regions spaced apart from one another by adhesive-free regions. The method also includes applying a cover material to at least some regions of the base material web so that a plurality of the applied adhesive regions are completely covered by the cover material, and at least partially separating the base material web and/or the cover material exclusively along adhesive-free regions by means of at least one separating device.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing labels, the method comprising the following steps: a) providing a base material web; b) applying at least one adhesive to the base material web along at least one row by means of at least one applicator, wherein the adhesive is applied to the base material web intermittently along the row so that the row comprises a plurality of individual adhesive regions each spaced apart from one another by adhesive-free regions; c) providing a cover material; d) applying the cover material to at least some regions of the base material web so that a plurality of the applied adhesive regions are completely covered by the cover material; and e) at least partially separating the base material web and/or the cover material exclusively along adhesive-free regions by means ofs at least one separating device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base material web is transported by at least one transportation means at least in some sections along a transport direction of the base material web, and wherein in step b), the row along which the adhesive is applied intermittently to the base material web extends along the transport direction of the base material web.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step d), a plurality of cover material webs are applied to the base material web so that a plurality of the applied adhesive regions are completely covered by a respective cover material web, wherein the cover material webs are applied to the base material web substantially parallel to one another.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step b), the adhesive is applied intermittently to the base material web along at least two or at least three, or at least four rows which are spaced apart from each other by adhesive-free regions running substantially parallel to each other, wherein each row comprises a plurality of individual adhesive regions which are each spaced apart from each other by adhesive-free regions.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step e) comprises the following step(s): e1) running parallel to the row, the base material web and/or the cover material are separated at least partially outside the adhesive regions; or e2) running parallel to the row, the base material web and/or the cover material are separated completely outside the adhesive regions; and/or e3) running transversely to the row of adhesive regions, the base material web and/or the cover material are separated at least partially outside the adhesive regions; or e4) running transversely to the row of adhesive regions, the base material web and/or the cover material are separated completely outside the adhesive regions.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein steps e1) and e3) or e2) and e4) are performed simultaneously or successively.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the base material web is a release material for pulling off from the respective adhesive region or the respective adhesive regions of the manufactured label, and the cover material is a plastic film selected from a film of polyester and/or at least one polyolefin; or the base material web is a plastic film selected from a film of polyester and/or at least one polyolefin, and the cover material is a release material for pulling off from the respective adhesive region or the respective adhesive regions of the manufactured label.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, at least prior to step e), at least one marking element is applied to the base material web and/or to the cover material, wherein the separation of the base material web and/or the cover material is controlled at least partially on the basis of the marking element or the marking elements in step e).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: in step a), the base material web is unwound from a wound base material web roll and fed to the applicator, and/or in step c), the cover material is unwound from a wound cover material roll.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), the adhesive regions are applied to the base material web along the row at a distance of 5 mm to 30 mm or at a distance of 5 mm to 20 mm to each other.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), the adhesive regions are applied to the base material web intermittently along the row at a time interval of 20 ms to 1000 ms, or 20 ms to 800 ms, or 20 ms to 700 ms, or 30 ms to 600 ms, or 40 ms to 500 ms, or 50 ms to 400 ms, or 60 ms to 350 ms, or 60 ms to 300 ms, or 60 ms to 250 ms.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one an adhesive is applied to the base material web with a layer thickness of 40 to 200 μm.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one an adhesive is a hotmelt adhesive.

14. A label, comprising: a base material with at least one adhesive region to which an adhesive is applied, and an adhesive-free edge extending completely around the adhesive region and to which no adhesive is applied; and a cover material which completely covers the adhesive region and covers at least a region of the adhesive-free edge and is flush with at least a part of the adhesive-free edge.

15. The label according to claim 14, wherein the at least one an adhesive is applied to the base material web with a layer thickness of 40 to 200 μm.

16. The label according to claim 14, wherein the at least one an adhesive is a hotmelt adhesive.

17. A label tape with a plurality of contiguous individual labels, comprising: a base material web with a plurality of individual adhesive regions arranged along at least one row, each adhesive region having an adhesive applied thereon, wherein the adhesive regions are spaced apart from each other by adhesive-free regions; and a cover material which completely covers at least one adhesive region and adheres to the adhesive region, wherein the cover material extends over at least one region of at least one adhesive-free region.

18. The label tape according to claim 17, wherein the base material web comprises at least two or at least three or at least four rows of adhesive regions along each of which a plurality of individual adhesive regions are applied to the base material web.

19. The label tape according to claim 17, wherein the label tape is windable into a base material roll and has a length along the row of adhesive regions of at least 500 mm, and a width of 100 mm to 500 mm substantially transverse to the length.

20. The label tape according to claim 17, wherein the at least one an adhesive is applied to the base material web with a layer thickness of 40 to 200 μm, and/or wherein the at least one an adhesive is a hotmelt adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0203] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and/or shown alone in the figures can be used not only in the combination indicated in each case but also in other combinations or on their own without going beyond the scope of the invention.

[0204] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a base material web with adhesive regions applied thereto in according to a first variant;

[0205] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a label tape according to an aspect of the invention with the base material web of FIG. 1 and an additional cover material applied to the base material web;

[0206] FIG. 3 shows a top view of an embodiment of a label according to the invention manufactured by means of a method according to the invention;

[0207] FIG. 4 shows a lateral view of the label of FIG. 3;

[0208] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a base material web with adhesive regions applied thereto in another variant;

[0209] FIG. 6 shows a top view of a label tape according to an aspect of the invention with the base material web from FIG. 5 and additional cover material strips applied to the base material web;

[0210] FIG. 7 shows a top view of another exemplary embodiment of labels according to the invention manufactured by means of a method according to the invention;

[0211] FIG. 8 shows a lateral view of the labels of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0212] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a base material web 10 with adhesive regions 12 applied thereto, each of said adhesive regions 12 comprising an adhesive adhering to the base material web 10. In these figures, the adhesive regions 12 are illustrated with dashed lines. Preferably, the base material web 10 is a continuous web. Preferably, the base material web 10 comprises a total length of at least 10 m, preferably of at least 20 m, more preferably of at least 50 m, more preferably of at least 100 m.

[0213] The base material web 10 may be a silicone-containing or a siliconized paper. The base material web 10 may be a multilayer composite. For instance, the base material web 10 may be a multilayer composite with at least one silicone layer. Alternatively, the base material web 10 may be a plastic film, preferably a film of polyester and/or at least one polyolefin. A film of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and/or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is also conceivable. The base material web 10 may comprise synthetic and/or natural materials.

[0214] In a manufacturing method according to the invention, the adhesive in the adhesive regions 12 is applied to the base material web 10 by means of an applicator (not illustrated) along two rows 14a, 14b whose path is marked with a respective arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2. According to the manufacturing method according to the invention, the adhesive is applied to the base material web 10 intermittently along the rows 14a, 14b so that each of the rows 14a, 14b comprises a plurality of individual adhesive regions 12, each of which being spaced apart from one another by adhesive-free regions 16. More than two rows of adhesive regions 12, e.g., at least three, four, or five rows at a time, may also be applied to the base material web 10.

[0215] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the adhesive regions 12 are rectangular in shape with respect to a viewing direction that is perpendicular to the surface of the base material web 10 to which the adhesive regions 12 are attached. However, the adhesive regions 12 may have alternative shapes and/or contours.

[0216] The rows 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12 are arranged adjacent to and spaced apart from each other, i.e., the rows 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12 are also spaced apart from each other transversely to the path of the rows 14a, 14b by adhesive-free regions 18. The rows 14a, 14b may be applied to the base material web 10 substantially simultaneously, i.e., an adhesive region 12 may be applied to the base material web 10 for each provided row 14a, 14b substantially simultaneously. Alternatively, the rows 14a, 14b may be applied to the base material web 10 successively, i.e., the adhesive regions 12 for a first row 14a are applied to the base material web 10 intermittently, and subsequently, i.e., at staggered intervals, the adhesive regions 12 are applied to the base material web 10 intermittently for another row 14b.

[0217] In FIG. 2, in addition to that shown in FIG. 1, a cover material 20 is arranged in areas on the base material web 10. The cover material 20 may, e.g., be unwound and provided from one or a plurality of rolls and applied to the base material web 10 by means of a device, e.g., a laminating device.

[0218] The cover material 20 completely covers a plurality of the applied adhesive areas 12 and the adhesive-free areas 16 disposed between the adhesive areas 12. According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, the cover material 20 is fed to the base material 10 in multiple parts and applied thereto. In particular, the cover material 20 is configured in the form of a strip or web, wherein a strip or web of the cover material 20 completely covers a respective row 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12. In other words, a respective strip or web of the cover material 20 completely covers a respective row 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12.

[0219] However, it is also conceivable to supply the cover material 20 in one piece to the base material web 10 and apply it thereto. In this case, the cover material 20 in one piece would completely cover both rows 14a, 14b of adhesive areas 12 or a plurality of rows of adhesive areas 12 in one piece.

[0220] The adhesive regions 12 are disposed between the base material web 10 and the cover material 20. Thus, from the perspective of FIG. 2, the adhesive regions 12 are hidden below the cover material 20.

[0221] The composite comprising at least the base material web 10, the adhesive regions 12 and the cover material 20 forms a label tape 60 which may be further processed into individual labels.

[0222] The label tape 60 may preferably be wound onto and unwound from a roll before and/or after the label tape 60 has been assembled or laminated. This may allow for the label tape 60 to be transported, e.g., to a recipient and/or to further processing stations.

[0223] In one step of the method according to the invention, the base material web 10 and the cover material 20, as a composite, are at least partially separated exclusively along adhesive-free areas 16, 18 by means of at least one separating device (not shown).

[0224] Exemplary separation lines 24a, 24b along which the base material web 10 and the cover material 20 are at least partially separated, are marked with dot-dash lines in FIG. 2.

[0225] The separating line 24a extends substantially transversely to the rows 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12. Thus, the separating line 24a extends, on the one hand, through the adhesive-free regions 16 arranged between the adhesive regions 12 of a respective row 14a, 14b and, on the other hand, also through the adhesive-free region 18 arranged between the rows 14a, 14b. Thus, the separating line 24a corresponds to a cross-section of the label tape 60. In FIG. 2, for clarity, only one separating line 24a is shown between two adjacent adhesive regions 12 of respective rows 14a, 14b. However, it is understood that along the entire respective row 14a, 14b, the base material web 10 and the cover material 20 may each be separated in the adhesive-free areas 16, i.e., along respective separating lines 24a. Additional separation lines 24a preferably run substantially parallel to the separating line 24a illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0226] The separation line 24b extends substantially parallel to the rows 14a, 14b through the adhesive-free region 18 disposed between the rows 14a, 14b. Thus, the separation line 24b corresponds to a longitudinal section of the label tape 60. Although only one separation line 24b is shown in FIG. 2, further separation lines 24b may also be provided along which the base material web 10 and the cover material 20 may each be at least partially separated in the adhesive-free regions 18. Additional separation lines 24b preferably run essentially parallel to the separation line 24b shown in FIG. 2.

[0227] The cross section of the label tape 60, i.e., along the separating line 24a, may be made by means of a transverse separating device (not shown), and the longitudinal section of the label tape 60, i.e., along the separating line 24b, may be made by means of a longitudinal separating device. Alternatively, the cross section and the longitudinal section may be made by means of a common separating device.

[0228] However, alternative separating lines deviating from the separating lines 24a, 24b shown in FIG. 2 are also conceivable, provided that the separating lines run exclusively along adhesive-free areas, e.g., adhesive-free areas 16, 18.

[0229] The base material web 10 has a plurality of marking elements 21 for controlling the separation of the base material web 10 and the cover material 20 partly based on the marking elements 21, preferably at least partly automatically. For this purpose, a controller (not shown) may be provided, which is configured to control an alignment and/or a positioning of at least one separating device relative to the cover material 20 and the base material web 10. Additionally, at least one sensor, preferably an optical sensor, may be provided, which is configured to detect the marking elements 21, preferably optically, and to provide information about the position of the marking elements 21 to the controller. The controller may be adapted to control an alignment and/or a positioning of the separating device relative to the cover material 20 and to the base material web 10, at least partly based on the information provided. In doing so, the controller may control an alignment device and/or a positioning device to align and/or position the separating device relative to the cover material 20 and the base material web 10.

[0230] The sensor and the controller may control an alignment and/or a positioning of the separating device relative to the cover material 20 and the base material web 10 even without the marking elements 21. Instead of the marking elements 21, the sensor may detect alternative features and provide information thereon to the controller to control an alignment and/or a positioning of the separating device relative to the cover material 20 and the base material web 10. For example, the sensor may be adapted to detect the alignment and/or positioning of the adhesive regions 12 and provide information thereon to the controller. The controller may be adapted to control an orientation and/or a positioning of the separating device relative to the cover material 20 and the base material web 10, based at least partly on the information provided.

[0231] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an exemplary embodiment of a label 100 according to the invention, which label has been separated from the label tape 60 shown in FIG. 2 by means of at least one separating device in a separating step of the method according to the invention.

[0232] The label 100 comprises a base material 110 with at least one adhesive region 112 to which an adhesive is applied. The base material 110 has been separated from the base material web 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Although the label 100 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has only one adhesive region 112, the label 100 may alternatively have a plurality of adhesive regions 112.

[0233] The label 100 also includes an adhesive-free edge 122 with no adhesive being applied and extending completely around the adhesive region 112. The adhesive-free edge 122 includes a portion of the adhesive-free regions 16 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 that are disposed between and spaced apart from adjacent adhesive regions 12 of a respective row 14a, 14b. The adhesive-free edge 122 also includes a portion of the adhesive-free regions 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 that are disposed between and spaced apart from rows 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12.

[0234] Furthermore, the label 100 comprises a cover material 120 that completely covers the adhesive region 112 and covers at least a portion of the adhesive-free edge 122. The cover material 120 has been separated from the cover material 20 shown in FIG. 2.

[0235] The adhesive region 112 is disposed between the base material 110 and the cover material 120. Thus, from the perspective shown in FIG. 3, the adhesive region 112 is hidden below the cover material 120.

[0236] The base material 110 also includes an opening 124 that may, in addition to the adhesive, serve as, e.g., a fastener for attaching the label 100 to objects.

[0237] In the regions 126, 128, the cover material 120 is flush with the adhesive-free edge 122 of the base material 110 (see FIG. 3). In FIG. 4, the regions 126, 128 are directed out of the drawing plane and into the drawing plane, respectively, so that the flush closure of the cover material 120 with the adhesive-free edge 122 of the base material 110 is not visible in FIG. 4.

[0238] FIGS. 5 and 6 show another alternative for manufacturing a label tape 160 having substantially the same or at least similar features as the label tape 60 of FIG. 2. The same or at least similar features are therefore indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6 with the same reference signs as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0239] Unlike the label tape 60, the label tape 160 shown in FIG. 6 comprises a plurality of cover material strips 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D along the rows 14a, 14b of adhesive regions 12. Each cover material strip 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D is disposed on a respective adhesive region 12. The cover material 20 may be provided, e.g., as a web that is separated into the individual cover material strips 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D before the cover material 20 is brought together, preferably laminated, with the base material web 10, which cover material strips 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D may subsequently be brought together, preferably laminated, with the base material web 10. As a result, no cover material 20 is arranged in a region of the adhesive-free areas 16, as can be seen in FIG. 6.

[0240] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a further exemplary embodiment of labels 200A, 200B according to the invention, which have been separated from the label tape 160 shown in FIG. 6 by means of at least one separating device in a separating step of the method according to the invention.

[0241] The labels 200A, 200B shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 have substantially the same or at least similar features as the label 100 of FIGS. 3 and 4. The same or at least similar features are therefore indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8 with the same reference signs as in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0242] In contrast to the label 100, which has been completely separated from the label tape 60 as an individual label, the labels 200A, 200B are formed as label strips 201 with a plurality of individual labels 200A, 200B that are at least still partially connected to each other. In FIG. 7, two interconnected individual labels 200A, 200B are shown. However, this is merely an exemplary illustration. More than two individual labels 200A, 200B may also be connected to each other in a label strip 201.

[0243] To manufacture the label strip 201, similar to the label 100, the label tape 160 may be completely separated along separation line 24b to form individual label strips 201. In contrast to the label 100, which was formed by, among other things, a complete separation along separating lines 24a and 24b, the label tape 160 may merely be perforated along the separation line 24a to form a perforation line 203 between the labels 20A, 200B when it comes to the manufacturing of the labels 200A, 200B.

[0244] This may allow for the label strip 201, which is preferably wound in a roll, to be arranged, e.g., in a label dispenser in order to remove individual or multiple labels 200A, 200B from the label dispenser and tear them off along the perforation line 203 for appropriate use.