JPH0563798B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

This invention relates to self-adhesive labels. Labels are applied to individual articles or objects using suitable equipment, and the object of the present invention is to provide a self-adhesive label that can be easily applied. These labels have an extremely wide range of uses, from small pressure-sensitive adhesive labels placed on products sold in supermarkets and other stores to display prices, to the enormous amount of labels placed on bottles, cans, and other containers. It is. A typical conventional pressure sensitive adhesive label is a paper tape in which the backing tape is coated with a suitable release material such as a silicone compound, and the adhesive label coated with adhesive is applied to the backing tape and wound into a coil. It is made suitable for transportation and storage. This pressure-sensitive adhesive label was not easily peeled off from the backing tape because the label adhesive had a stronger adhesive force than the backing tape. Although the backing tape is no longer needed after the label has been peeled from the backing tape, handling of the backing tape must be done under conditions that carefully control the removal feed process. Therefore, since such backing tape manufacturing equipment is expensive and extremely large, a company that can handle the manufacturing and operate it has to be identified. This is due to the fact that when the release material is applied to the backing tape, it is absorbed in large quantities by the backing tape (which is a fibrous, absorbent material); This resulted in the formation of an outer layer of mold release material that can be applied under controlled conditions to perform the required function. The release material is a polymerizable material that must be heated after being applied to the backing tape, such as paper. The heating time to polymerize this mold release material is related to the amount applied;
Due to the absorbent nature of the backing tape, large amounts of release material and prolonged heating are required to finish. Therefore, proposals have been made to eliminate the backing tape for pressure-sensitive adhesive labels, but these proposals have not been successful in practice. US Patent No. 3575788 for this
In one of the proposals mentioned in the specification, one side of the clay-coated paper is printed with nitro-cerosene ink;
The temperature at which the ink is cured by heat coats a release coat of thermosetting silicone resin and is applied directly to the label without a backing tape, while the other side is coated with pressure sensitive adhesive and coiled. wrapped around.
At this time, the silicone resin mold release coating is between 174℃ and 257℃.
It is cured at a temperature of (350〓). However, at such temperatures, the label paper tends to shrink considerably, so this proposal is considered not to have been put into practice. Furthermore, the step of applying the nitrocellulose ink increases the size of the factory, manufacturing time, and manufacturing cost. Therefore, for whatever reason,
Other proposals for unbacked labels have not been implemented because there are no pressure sensitive adhesive labels on the market that do not require a backing. The present invention relates to a new type of label, a pressure sensitive adhesive label manufactured with relatively simple and small equipment. According to a first aspect of the invention, a sectioned tape of substantially non-stretchable non-fibrous material of a pressure sensitive adhesive label is provided as a wound coil;
The tape has a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on one side and a release coating on the other side, and such a tape can be rolled up without the need for a backing tape. The use of a tape of non-fibrous material and the application of a release material to it has the considerable advantage that a relatively small amount of release material is required, which reduces the time for the release coating to harden. , (U.S. Patent No.
This means that a lower curing temperature (compared to that used in No. 3,575,788) may be required. Note that it is not necessarily necessary to apply nitrocellulose-based ink to the tape before applying the release material. Note that cellulose fiber tape such as paper has the disadvantage of absorbing a large amount of release material due to its absorbency, so it is preferable that the tape be made of something other than cellulose fiber, and should be made of a relatively non-stretchable material. It goes without saying that one from which individual labels can be punched is preferred. The pressure-sensitive adhesive may cover the entire surface area of the tape, or some portion thereof, so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive does not run the risk of being blocked by the pressure-sensitive adhesive's adhesive force as the label is unwound from the coil of tape. tape labels can be easily applied to items. Preferably, the tape is sectioned into individual labels by cutting with a die, and a release material is applied onto the individual labels and held in a stack, or the remainder of the tape is labeled. It is held with special holding strength. The cutting line by die cutting divides the label into the tape, so when the label is pulled out from the tape, there will be some residual material left behind, but the cutting line is arranged so that the entire tape area is divided into labels and no residual material is left. It is also within the scope of this invention to make it so. The tape has printing that defines the label printed on the side where the release material is applied. The tape is preferably of a synthetic resin material containing an inorganic filler such as talc or tyoke. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a coiled label comprising a tape of base material, a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on one side of the tape, and a release coating on the other side of the tape, comprising: The tape is rolled up without the use of a backing tape, die-cut, etc. to separate individual labels, and the labels are individually peeled from the coil and affixed to the article by the label's pressure-sensitive adhesive coating. A pressure sensitive adhesive label is provided. In embodiments of this aspect of the invention, the tape, which may be fibrous or non-fibrous, defines the individual labels therein so that each label can be removed from the tape. Each label has a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on one side and a release coating on the other side. Then, after die cutting, etc., a release material is applied to the tape so that the release coating fills the cut and reduces the tendency of the label to fall off the tape when the tape is uncoiled. The tape material from which the labels are divided has the same thickness as conventionally used labels, and may be provided with sprocket holes in the upper and lower edges. Applicators exist for applying labels where the label is sectioned onto the tape and removed, leaving the remainder on the tape. The machine punches out a portion of the label from the tape, that portion is adhered to a suitable article, the article and the tape are moved relative to each other from this position, and that relative movement pulls the remaining portion of the label from the tape. It will be done like this. If the label is defined by a slit, the slit leaves a sufficient "capture point" between the label and the tape to allow the tape to be unwound to a position where the label can be forced off the tape.
The cue edge of the label that is first applied to the article is free of the above-mentioned capture points, making it easy to apply it from the tape. The release coating can be applied to the tape by a roller, gravure cylinder or hot melt coater to form a surface with release properties. For example, the release coating may include a non-migrating repellant, particularly a polymerizable silicone polymer. The release coating is, for example, a coating that is cured by the heat of a solvent, and may be an aqueous solvent-free coating or a coating that is cured by ultraviolet rays, and the above examples are as follows. Items that are cured by solvent heat (A) Silicones* (TM) 425 (30%) (ICI)
100wt Catalyst 62A (ICI)
4 weight portion catalyst 62B (ICI)
4 weight parts toluene 200 weight parts Curing time at 120℃ 10 seconds 100℃ 〃 15 seconds 90℃ 〃 20 seconds Dry the solvent and remove it about 5 seconds before curing. (B) (a) Silof 7046 Basic Polymer Dispersion (b) Dow Corning 7047 (Crosslinker) Hardeners a) and b) for Q2-7046 are typically used in a 10:1 ratio. (c) Q2−7090 (Dow Corning) Premium mold release additive. Used to change the rate of lowering the mold release level of basic Q2-7046. (d) Q-27089 (Dow Corning) Mold release modifier. Used when changing the amount to increase the release level of Q2-7046, giving a stable corrected release level. (e) Q2-7127 (Dow Corning) Accelerator for Q2-7046. Used in small amounts to accelerate the curing speed of Q2-7046. Particularly useful for low temperature curing on substrates such as polyethylene films. (f) Sirof 297 (Dow Corning) fixing additive. Required to provide wear resistance for off-line operations. (Excluding when using PEK) For the following volume ratios

Table: Certain substrate baths such as PEK 1 - Reference bath for in-line use or out-of-line use. Bath 2 - Out-of-line reference bath using Shiroff 297 Fixing Additive. Bath 3 - Special low solids bath for coatings such as polyethylene. Solvent selection is important, ethyl acetate being the best. Q2-7127 is used as accelerator. Bath 4 - Controlled release bath. Characterize Q2-7089 as a release modifier and Shirofu 297 as a fixing additive. Bath 5 - Official premium mold release bath containing a combination of Q2-7090 low viscosity fluid and added Q2-7127 to restore catalyst levels. The above are only representative baths, the levels of accelerators, mold release modifiers and premium mold release additives can all be varied to meet customer demands. Curing Conditions Baths 1 and 2 are cured at 140°C for 8-12 seconds depending on the nature of the substrate. Bath 3 cures at 70°C for 15-20 seconds. Bath 4 typically cures at 140°C in 15 seconds. Bath 5 cures at 100°C for 30 seconds or at 140°C for 10 seconds. A and B that are cured by water-based solvent-free Shiflo 1171* (50%)
(Dow Corning) Organopolysiloxane 14 parts by weight CMC (carboxy, methyl, cellulose) 2 parts by weight Catalyst 1171A (Dow Corning) Organotin acylate 1.4 parts by weight or Catalyst 164 (Dow Corning) Organotin mercaptoacetate 3.5 parts by weight Water 100 parts To give a curing time of 10 seconds at 120℃. Curing with solvent-free silicone (A) Sirof 7044 (100%) (Dow Corning)
100 parts by weight Crosslinker 7048 (100%) (Dow Corning)
4 parts by weight (B) Coating Q2-7069 (100%) (Dow Corning)
100 parts by weight Crosslinker 7048 (100%) (Dow Corning)
Curing time for 4 parts by weight (A) 40 seconds at 120°C, 10 seconds at 170°C (B) 30 seconds at 170°C UV curing (A) Silicone dosic VP1502 (100%) (Watsuker) 100 parts by weight Cross-linking agent VP1503 (100%) (Watsker)
4 parts by weight Catalyst OL (100%) (Watsuker) 0.4 parts by weight (B) Silicon X-62-7004 (100%) (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.)
100 weight portion Catalyst X-92-095 (100%) (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.)
Curing speed is 0.6 seconds using a 10-weight high-pressure mercury vapor ultraviolet lamp (160w/cm). The amount of release coating applied by the tape may be on the order of 0.1 to 1.5 grams per square meter.
Pressure sensitive adhesives may be applied by conventional means, typically solvent or water based emulsions which may be dried from the tape after application.
Pressure-sensitive adhesives may be, for example, hot-melt, water-based or solvent-based, examples of which are as follows. Heat-fused Elvax* 40-P (DuPont) (ethylene vinyl acetate resin) 40 parts by weight Pyuvar* L-60 (Hercules) (hydrocarbon resin) 60 parts by weight Irganox* 1010 (Shiba Geigi) (antioxidant) 0.5 parts by weight Aqueous Index SE2229S (Industrial Adhesives, Inc.) Solvent Binalac 5150 (Vinyl Products, Inc.) Labels can be printed in color by any suitable method such as letter duplicator, flexograph, gravure or offset lithography. As tape material it is preferred to use a polypropylene or high density polyethylene film containing a substantial proportion of inorganic particulate material. Typically, this inorganic material makes up 20 by volume of the tape.
and 50%, and in preferred cases the tape is a 40% talc filled polypropylene, ethylene, sequential copolymer as described in GB 1544143. Embodiments of the invention will be described based on the attached schematic drawings. Referring first to FIGS. 1-6, FIG. 1 shows a tape 10 having die-cut slits 12 defining individual labels 14. As shown in FIG. Each label is provided with printing 16. Acquisition points 18 serve to hold the label to the die-cut residue of tape 10, allowing the die-cut residue to remain without label 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the tape 10 is made up of a central label base 20.
0 is a non-fibrous material that does not substantially stretch, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating 22 is formed on one side by coating, and a release coating 24 is formed on the other side by coating. The tape is shown in enlarged size in FIG. 2, with each coating 22 and 24 transferred into the slit 12. The label base 20, pressure sensitive adhesive coating 22, and release coating 24 are of the nature described above, with the tape being wound into a coil such that the pressure sensitive adhesive coating 22 is attached to adjacent inner layers on the inside of the coil. The tape is in direct contact with the release coating 24 of the other tape. With this arrangement, the tape 10
becomes easily unwound from the coil. Note that the tape may be wound onto a suitable core 26. In manufacturing the tape 10 shown in FIG. 1, printing 16 (monochromatic or multicolored with any desired pattern and/or content) is applied to the label base 20 prior to application of the release coating 24; The slits 12 are also formed before the release coating 24 is applied. In effect, the release coating 24 has the effect of holding the tape in place until the label is removed and applied to an article.
Release coating 24 also helps to prevent pressure sensitive adhesive coating 22 from penetrating slit 12 when the tape is wrapped around core 26. The tendency of pressure sensitive adhesive coating 22 to penetrate slit 12 depends on how tightly the tape is wrapped around core 26. 3 and 4 schematically illustrate how individual labels 14 may be extracted from tape 10 and applied to an article such as housing 28. FIGS.
In FIG. 3, the tape 10 is attached to the guide drum 30
Pressure-sensitive adhesive coating side outwards around arrow 3.
It is shown as traveling in two directions.
The housing 28 to which the label is attached contacts the pressure-sensitive side of the tape 10, and the label 14 is extracted from the tape 10 and applied to the housing 28 as shown in FIG. The manner in which this is done depends on the design of the equipment, but generally the tape 10 is held by a suitable sprocket wheel or simply a roller that engages sprocket perforations formed in its upper and lower edges, and the tape is is fed out toward the article to be labeled. The beginning edge of the label is in the direction of movement (arrow 3
Depending on 2), it is extracted from the tape by a suitable knife or by abruptly changing the direction of movement of the tape. The contact pressure between the pressure sensitive adhesive surface and the labeled article helps completely peel or remove the label from the tape. If necessary, this separation involves cutting the capture point 18 with a suitable knife located at an appropriate location. The remaining punched portion of the tape 10 from which the label has been removed can be wound up into a suitable coil and disposed of. The tape shown in FIG. 1 is arranged in such a way that the slits 12 define the label and leave a punching residue, whereas in the arrangement of FIG. Since the label is divided into sections, each label 14 is constructed without any punching residue. The feed applicator equipment handling such tapes may have to be adjusted to avoid punching residue, and if necessary the corners of the label are provided with loops as shown at 34. The label coil tape 10 shown in FIG. 5 is of the same construction as the tape described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, the tape 10 has a print 16 which is repeated over a pitch length P and does not have any label punch lines. Although the tape is sectioned as a continuous label, the label is cut from the tape by a suitable cutting device located within the applicator head 36. These labels must be cut from the tape immediately before or during application to the article 28 to which they are applied. Therefore, each label may constitute the entire tape as shown in the installation in FIG. 5, or it may be a part punched out from the tape as shown in FIG. Since the structure is similar to that shown in FIG. 1, no backing tape is required. Figure 7 is the first
3 shows in detail how the coiled label shown in the figure is applied to the box-shaped article 40. FIG. The label coil is shown at 42 and is removed from the coil by a traction device 44 having a feeding device such as a suitable sprocket wheel which engages sprocket perforations (not shown in the drawings) formed in the upper and lower edges of the tape 10. The tape is unwound and the label is fed through application station 46. The remaining punched portion of tape 10 is wound into a coil as shown at 48. Therefore, the adhesive side of the tape 10 is on the upper side, and all surfaces that come into contact with this adhesive side must be of a non-adhesive nature. Such a surface can be partitioned with a silicone resin release coating. The pasting station 46 includes an upper pressure nip roller 5 (coated with silicone resin) and a lower vacuum cylinder 52.
The lower vacuum cylinder 52 is slightly surrounded by a tape 10 as shown in FIG. Connected to vacuum source. Connections to a vacuum source are made by an axially extending passageway 55 or, when in the peeling position 56 from the tape, to a source of pressurized air for blowing. A valve plate 58 at one end of the cylinder controls the connection of the passageway 55 to a vacuum source and an air blast, where the valve plate 58 has an arcuate port 60 coupled to the vacuum source and a pressurized air source. Connected position 5
It has an orifice of 6. In use, when cylinder 52 is rotated in the direction of arrow 62, valve plate 58
are stationary and each passageway 55 aligned with the port 60 is connected to a vacuum source. Each passageway 55, which remains aligned with the slot 60, first arrives at a location 56, where it receives pressurized air, and then is emptied until the passageway once again reaches the mouth 60. The operation of application station 46 will be understood from the above. That is, the individual labels L are removed by the vacuum in the nip between the roller 5 and the cylinder 52;
It travels around with the cylinder 52 until it reaches the applicator station 56 and is progressively applied to the article 40 at the applicator station 56 .
is moving as indicated by an arrow 63 in synchronization with the label feeding. To this end, the labels and articles are indexed or fed in a continuous manner by an interlocking control device, which ensures that actuation proceeds only when the presence of the labels and articles has been detected. There is. The apparatus shown in FIG. 7 can be adapted to handle wrapped coils of label tape as shown in FIG. If the label has to be cut from the tape, suitable die cutting means will be provided within the area 11 of the application station. The device shown in Figure 7 has a coil of label tape wrapped around it that has no backing tape.
It is estimated that labels can be applied at a speed of 1 sheet per minute.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coil wrapped with label tape according to a first aspect of the invention. Figure 2 is the first
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tape shown in the figure. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of how labels are affixed to individual cans. FIG. 4 is a side view of the process shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a coil wrapped with a label tape according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing how to use a coil wrapped with a label tape according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing how to attach the label of FIG. 1 to a box-shaped article. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Tape, 14...Individual label, 16...Print, 18...Capture point, 20...Label base, 22...
Pressure-sensitive adhesive coating, 24... Release coating, 26... Core, 28
... housing, 30 ... guide drum, 36 ... pasting head,
40... Box-shaped article, 42... Label coil, 44...
Traction device, 46... pasting station, 48... punching remainder, 50... upper pressurizing nip roller, 52... lower vacuum cylinder, 54... opening, 55... passage, 58...
Valve plate, 60... arcuate mouth.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A printed tape of non-stretchable, non-fibrous material demarcates the individual labels by slits or cut lines, a release material is applied to one side of the tape to form a release coating, and a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the other side. is applied to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive film, and at least a release material is filled on the cutting line or in the slit to enable the label to be fed out and pasted to hold and reinforce the sectioned label with the remaining tape. Self-adhesive label that coils without the need for backing tape.