Dual-function label

• US 5,379,538 A
• Filed: 06/22/1990
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas E. Osborne
• Original Assignee: Thomas E. Osborne
• Inventors: Osborne, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEHNER, CARY ELLEN
• Application Number:
  US07/541,950
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 40/632, 40/299, 40/638, 40/662, 156/66, 156/216, 156/227
• US Class Current: 40/638
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0267 die cut
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/14 by strings, straps, chains, or wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding

Abstract

An adhesive backed label is perforated or scored along its mid-line. The same label either can be used as a standard adhesive label or it can be folded along its midline to capture the ends of a string and can be used as a tag label.

Claims

1. A method of labeling objects with a dual-function label, said method comprising the steps of providing a medium having a front side for receiving information, a back side completely coated with adhesive material, and a fold line physically formed in and completely bisecting the medium into two halves with each half being a mirror image of the other;

selectively providing a separate fastening element;

determining whether the dual function label is to be used as an adhesion label or as a tag label; and

selectively either affixing the adhesive back side of the medium to an object in an unfolded state when the label is to be used as an adhesion label, or folding the medium along the full length of the fold line into two matching halves having their adhesive back sides joined together to capture said fastening element therebetween so that the folded medium may be attached to an object by the fastening element when the label is to be used as a tag label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium is predominantly rectangular in shape so that said dual-function label, when used as an adhesion label in the unfolded state, is predominantly rectangular in plan view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium has chamfered corners which are juxtaposed an each other when the medium is folded into two matching halves.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium has rounded corners which are juxtaposed on each other when the medium is folded into two matching halves.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium has a cutout at each end of the fold line, and each cutout is symmetric about the fold line so that opposed portions of the cutouts are juxtaposed upon folding of the medium into two matching halves for use as a tag label.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said cutouts conform to corresponding corners in size and shape.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium has a cutout at each end of the fold line and has chamfered corners;

said cutouts and chamfered corners being symmetric about the fold line and being formed so that said cutouts conform to corresponding chamfered corners in size and shape when the medium is folded.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said cutouts and chamfered corners match such that when the medium is folded at the fold line and the adhesive back sides of each half are joined together newly formed chamfered corners located at each end of the fold line are of the same size and shape as the corresponding chamfered corners opposite from the fold line.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium has a cutout at each end of the fold line and has rounded corners;

said cutouts and rounded corners being symmetric about the fold line and being formed so that said cutouts conform to corresponding rounded corners in size and shape when the medium is folded.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said cutouts and rounded corners match such that when the medium is folded at the fold line and the adhesive back sides of each half are joined together newly formed rounded corners located at each end of the fold line are of the same size and shape as the corresponding rounded corners opposite from the fold line.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said fastening element is a string and said medium is folded at the fold line to capture a loop of the string by which the label can be attached to an object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said medium is made of a flexible material and has a maximum width less than its length.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said medium is removably disposed on a carrier with the adhesive back side of said medium in contact with the carrier and with the front side of said medium facing away from the carrier;

and comprising the further step of removing the medium from the carrier before use as a label.