Wrap Around Self Laminating Wristband

• US 20090277061A1
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: LaserBand LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Jain, Sanjay K., Greer, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,109,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/633
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/005 Identification bracelets, e.g. secured to the arm of a person

Abstract

A wrap around, self laminating wristband comprises a substantially transparent laminate strap with an imaging area for receiving printed information and one or more layers of adhesive adjacent the imaging area so that as the strap is wrapped around itself to overlie the imaging area it laminates it. Alternate embodiments provide for a snap closure to secure the wristband instead of adhesive, forming the imaging area with a coating of a thermally sensitive or active print material, adding one or more labels for common use with the wristband, forming the wristband in a page of multiple wristbands or with labels or separately, forming the wristband as part of a printer processible business form, and providing the wristband forms either with or without labels in a continuous fan fold or roll format.

Claims

1. A printer processible business form comprising a self laminating wristband, said wristband comprising a laminate strap defined by a die cut in a laminate ply of said business form, and an imaging surface defined by a die cut in a face ply of said business form and adhered to an end of the laminate strap, a layer of adhesive applied to said laminate strap for securing the strap, and said laminate strap having a window near an end opposite said face ply end so that said wristband may be separated from said business form along said die cuts and wrapped around a wearer'"'"'s wrist to adhere to said face ply end with the window overlying and laminating the imaging surface.

2. The business form of claim 1 wherein said laminate strap has contoured edges along at least a portion of its length.

3. The business form of claim 1 wherein said window has a length substantially longer than a length of the imaging surface to thereby allow the opposite end of the strap to wrap around the wearer'"'"'s wrist to different lengths and yet still position the window substantially over the imaging surface.

4. The business form of claim 3 wherein said die cut defining the laminate strap comprises an interrupted die cut.

5. The business form of claim 4 wherein said strap has a portion thereof surrounding the imaging portion after its separation from the business form, said layer of adhesive being applied thereto for adhering the opposite end of said strap to thereby laminate the imaging portion and secure the wristband to the wearer'"'"'s wrist.

6. The business form of claim 5 wherein the portion of said strap underlying the imaging portion has a width smaller than the portion of the strap containing the window.

7. The business form of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of labels, said wristband being formed in a first portion of said business form and the plurality of labels being formed in a second portion of said business form.

8. The business form of claim 7 wherein said first portion is atop the second portion, and a plurality of said business forms are arranged in a continuous strip.

9. The business form of claim 1 wherein said laminate strap has a curvilinear edge along at least one of its sides.

10. A printer processible business form comprising a wrap around, self laminating wristband, said wristband comprising a single width laminate strap having an integrally formed window at one end, an imaging portion at the opposite end, and an adhesive applied to said strap so that wrapping said window end around a wearer'"'"'s wrist to overlie the imaging portion and adhere it thereto thereby laminates the imaging portion.

11. The business form of claim 10 wherein said window has a length substantially longer than the length of the imaging portion to thereby allow a differing length of the window end to overlap the imaging end and yet still align with the imaging portion as it is adhered in place.

12. The business form of claim 11 wherein the adhesive comprises a layer of adhesive applied to the strap surrounding the imaging area to thereby adhere the window end to the imaging end as the two ends are brought together about the wearer'"'"'s wrist.

13. The business form of claim 12 wherein the strap is formed in a single ply of material.

14. The business form of claim 13 wherein the imaging portion comprises a coating of material applied to the single ply.

15. The business form of claim 13 wherein the imaging portion comprises a die cut portion of a second ply.

16. The business form of claim 10 further comprising a label portion die cut into said business form, said label portion forming at least one label.

17. The business form of claim 16 wherein the wristband is formed in a first portion thereof and the label portion is formed in a second portion thereof, and further comprising a plurality of said business forms arranged in a continuous strip.

18. The business form of claim 10 wherein said window comprises a clear laminate portion of said laminate strap.

19. A printer processible business form comprising a wrap around, self laminating wristband, said self laminating wristband comprising a single width laminate strap having an image receiving end and an opposing window end, and said strap being separable from said business form and further comprising a layer of adhesive applied to the image receiving end so that upon separation of said wristband from said business form and wrapping of the window end over the top of the image receiving end, the layer of adhesive adheres the two ends together to laminate an image applied to the image receiving end and secure the wristband to a wearer'"'"'s wrist.

20. The business form of claim 19 wherein the image receiving end has an image receiving portion and the window end comprises a transparent strap portion, and wherein said transparent strap portion has a length appreciably longer than the image receiving portion so that the window end may be wrapped around the image receiving end to different positions and yet still align the transparent strap portion with the image receiving portion.

21. The business form of claim 20 wherein said layer of adhesive substantially completely surrounds the image receiving portion so that as the window end is adhered it laminates the image receiving portion by substantially completely encapsulating it.

22. The business form of claim 21 wherein the image receiving portion comprises a second layer of material adhered to said strap.

23. The business form of claim 22 wherein said image receiving end has a smaller width than the window end so that said window end, if properly aligned as the two ends are brought together to be adhered, completely covers the image receiving portion.

24. The business form of claim 19 further comprising a plurality of self adhering labels.

25. The business form of claim 23 further comprising a plurality of said forms joined in a continuous strip.

26. The business form of claim 24 further comprising a plurality of said forms joined in a continuous strip.

27. The business form of claim 19 wherein said wristband is formed by at least one die cut in said business form.

28. The business form of claim 27 wherein said die cut is an interrupted die cut.

29. A printer processible business form comprising a wrap around, self laminating wristband, said self laminating wristband comprising a single width laminate strap having an image receiving end and a wrapping end, and said strap being separable from said business form and further comprising a layer of adhesive applied to the image receiving end so that upon separation of said wristband from said business form and wrapping of the wrapping end over the top of the image receiving end, the layer of adhesive adheres the two ends together to laminate any image on the image receiving end and secure the wristband to a wearer'"'"'s wrist.

30. The business form of claim 29 wherein said strap is substantially transparent at least at the wrapping end.

31. The business form of claim 30 wherein said strap is substantially transparent along substantially its entire length.

32. A substantially transparent laminate wristband strap, said strap having adhesive applied to at least one end thereof and being sufficiently long to wrap around a wearer'"'"'s wrist and extend past the opposite end to affix the wristband on a wearer'"'"'s wrist and overlie any imprinted data appearing on said opposite end.

33. The wristband strap of claim 32 further comprising a layer of imaging material applied to an end of said strap, said imaging material being adapted to receive and retain a printed image, and wherein said strap is substantially transparent so as to allow for viewing of the imprinted data lying underneath its opposite end.

34. The wristband strap of claim 33 wherein said adhesive comprises a patch of adhesive applied on at least one side of said imaging layer.

35. The wristband strap of claim 34 wherein said adhesive comprises a patch of adhesive applied to opposite sides of said imaging layer.

36. The wristband strap of claim 35 wherein said adhesive patches are substantially adjacent the imaging layer.

37. The wristband strap of claim 33 wherein said layer of imaging material comprises a label adhered to said strap.

38. The wristband strap of claim 33 wherein said layer of imaging material comprises a coating of thermally sensitive print material.

39. The wristband strap of claim 38 wherein said layer of imaging material is applied by spraying it onto the strap.

40. The wristband strap of claim 32 wherein a plurality of said straps are formed in a page with a line of weakness separating adjacent straps for easy separation therefrom and wherein at least some of said straps are substantially transparent so as to allow for viewing of the imprinted data when lying underneath its opposite end.

41. The wristband strap of claim 32 further comprising a self adhering label imprinted with information, said label being adhered to the strap opposite end, and wherein said strap is substantially transparent so as to allow for viewing of the imprinted data lying underneath its opposite end.

42. The wristband strap of claim 32 wherein said strap has a laminate layer and a face stock layer, said face stock layer being adapted to receive and retain printed information and positioned near the opposite end of said strap.

43. The wristband strap of claim 42 further comprising a carrier, said carrier having a face stock web and a laminate web, said face stock layer being defined by a die cut in said face stock web and said laminate layer being defined by a die cut in said laminate web, and wherein said face stock layer is adhered to said laminate layer.

44. A laminate wristband strap, said strap being adapted to receive a mechanical fastener attached near at least one end thereof and being sufficiently long to wrap around a wearer'"'"'s wrist and extend past an opposite end to affix the wristband on a wearer'"'"'s wrist and overlie any imprinted data appearing on said opposite end.

45. The wristband strap of claim 44 wherein said mechanical fastener comprises at least one snap closure affixed at an end of said strap and said strap is substantially transparent.

46. The wristband strap of claim 45 wherein said mechanical fastener further comprises a series of holes along said strap, said snap closure being adapted to affix to at least one of said holes to thereby affix the wristband about the wearer'"'"'s wrist.

47. The wristband of claim 46 wherein said mechanical fastener further comprises a pair of snap closures adapted to be affixed at opposite sides of said strap, and a series of holes on opposite sides of said strap, each of said snap closures being aligned with one of said series of holes as the strap is wrapped around the wearer'"'"'s wrist so that each of said snap closures may be affixed to one of the holes in its respective series of holes to thereby affix both sides of said strap in position.

48. The wristband of claim 47 further comprising a label affixed to the opposite end, said label being capable of receiving and retaining a printed image.

49. The wristband of claim 48 wherein said series of holes are inboard from the label so that affixing the snap closures to their respective hole affixes the strap over the label to thereby laminate it.

50. A business form comprising a substantially transparent laminate wristband strap, said strap having a mechanical fastener attached to at least one end thereof and being sufficiently long to wrap around a wearer'"'"'s wrist and extend past an opposite end to affix the wristband on the wearer'"'"'s wrist and overlie any imprinted data appearing on said opposite end, and a plurality of labels.

51. A business form comprising a page having a plurality of substantially transparent laminate wristband straps, at least some of said straps having a mechanical fastener attached to at least one end thereof and being sufficiently long to wrap around a wearer'"'"'s wrist and extend past an opposite end to affix the wristband on a wearer'"'"'s wrist and overlie any imprinted data appearing on said opposite end.

52. A substantially transparent laminate wristband strap, said strap having substantially the same width along its length, at least one stripe of adhesive applied near one end thereof for adhering that end to its opposite end to attach the wristband about a wearer'"'"'s wrist, and a printer processible label applied to the adhesive end and located so that as said strap is wrapped around the wearer'"'"'s wrist and adhered, a portion of said strap overlies said label.

53. The wristband of claim 52 wherein said at least one stripe of adhesive is applied the end of the strap.

54. The wristband of claim 52 wherein said at least one stripe of adhesive is applied inboard of the label.

55. The wristband of claim 52 wherein two stripes of adhesive are applied, with one of said stripes being located on each side of the label.