Deformable label

• US 4,587,158 A
• Filed: 08/26/1985
• Issued: 05/06/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1984
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: William D. Ewing
• Original Assignee: William D. Ewing
• Inventors: Ewing, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schofer, Joseph L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Teskin, Fred M.
• Application Number:
  US06/769,371
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 428/219, 428/220, 428/334, 428/483, 428/494, 428/516, 428/519, 156/230, 156/240, 40/2 R, 206/460, 283/81
• US Class Current: 428/219
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/243 Ethylene or propylene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0216 for containers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31797 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31833 Next to aldehyde or ketone condensation product or addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31924 Including polyene monomers

Abstract

A label system is disclosed that is deformable and is useful for the decoration or marking of squeezable bottles or other flexible substrates. The label system is composed of a film of low or medium density polyethylene which is corona treated to accept print or decorative resin and certain curable pressure sensitive adhesives, and is affixed by the adhesive to bottles or other substrates in a manner that the label conforms to the shape of the surface of the bottle. The label deforms and recovers in essentially a permanent manner without wrinkling, cracking, tearing or being otherwise defaced due to separation or destructive fracturing of the label-substrate system.

Claims

1. A flexible and deformable label on a deformable container substrate comprising a printable polyethylene film layer, together with an adhesive layer affixed to said deformable substrate, the polyethylene layer derived from low density polyethylene having a specific gravity of from 0.910 to 0.925 g/cc and a tensile strength between 70 kg/sq.cm and 175 kg/sq.cm, and having a thickness between 0.0127 mm and 0.127 mm, wherein the polyethylene film is corona treated to enhace bonding with adhesive, and having printing on a side thereof and a layer of adhesive on a side thereof, said adhesive being selected from the group of materials generally characterized as pressure sensitive and being further characterized by the ability to form a bond with said film and the substrate such that the strength of the film-adhesive interface and the substrate-adhesive interface and the cohesive strength of the adhesive itself are both greater than the forces required for deformation and recovery of the film itself, such forces being greater than a minimum of 140 g/sq.cm, and wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (high and low density), polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, natural rubber, and SBR rubber, said flexible label having improved and surprising characteristics of adhesion to the substrate with resistance to damage from cracking, tearing, creasing, wrinkling or shrinking due to physical abuse and flexing of the substrate material.

2. A flexible and deformable label on a deformable container substrate comprising a printable polyethylene film layer, together with an adhesive layer affixed to said deformable substrate, the polyethylene layer derived from medium density polyethylene homopolymer having a specific gravity of from 0.925 to 0.940 g/cc and a tensile strength between 175 kg/cm² and 246 kg/cm², and having a thickness between 0.076 mm and 0.0127 mm, wherein the polyethylene film is corona treated to enhance bonding with adhesive, and having printing on a side thereof and a layer of adhesive on a side thereof, said adhesive being selected from the group of materials generally characterized as pressure sensitive and being further characterized by the ability to form a bond with said film such that the strength of the film-adhesive interface and the substrate-adhesive interface and the cohesive strength of the adhesive itself are both greater than the forces required for deformation and recovery of the film itself, and wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (high and low density), polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, natural rubber, and SBR rubber, said flexible label having improved and surprising characteristics of adhesion to the substrate with resistance to damage from cracking, tearing, creasing, wrinkling or shrinking due to physical abuse and flexing of the substrate material.

3. A flexible and deformable label on a deformable container substrate comprising a printable polyethylene film layer, together with an adhesive layer affixed to said deformable substrate, the polyethylene layer derived from low density polyethylene homopolymer having a specific gravity of 0.925±

0.01 g/cc and a tensile strength of 175±

35 kg/sq.cm, and having a thickness of 0.0635±

0.025 mm, wherein the polyethylene film is corona treated to enhance bonding with adhesive, and having printing on a side thereof and a layer of adhesive on a side thereof, said adhesive being selected from the group of materials generally characterized as pressure sensitive and being further characterized by the ability to form a bond with said film and the substrate such that the strength of the film-adhesive interface and the substrate-adhesive interface and the cohesive strength of the adhesive itself are greater than the force required for deformation and recovery of the film itself, and wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (high and low density), polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, natural rubber, and SBR rubber, said flexible label having improved and surprising characteristics of adhesion to the substrate with resistance to damage from cracking, tearing, creasing, wrinkling or shrinking due to physical abuse and flexing of the substrate material.