Method of manufacturing die-cut labels

• US 5,985,075 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Freedman, Melvin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Application Number:
  US08/949,385
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 156/244.11, 156/244.24, 156/243, 156/247, 156/248, 156/267, 156/269, 156/270, 156/289, 156/324, 156/344
• US Class Current: 156/229
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/08 flexible, e.g. films
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/19 the layers being joined at their edges
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0072 Roughness, e.g. anti-slip
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0081 Tear strength
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2203/334 as a label
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/162 the carrier being a laminate constituted by plastic layers only
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/302 the adhesive being pressure-sensitive, i.e. tacky at temperatures inferior to 30°C
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2423/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2427/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2431/006 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/243 Ethylene or propylene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/245 Vinyl resins, e.g. polyvinyl chloride [PVC]
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0257 Multilayer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/91 Product with molecular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1023 Surface deformation only [e.g., embossing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 : Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1452 : Polymer derived only from ethylenically unsaturated monomer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1462 : Polymer derived from material having at least one acrylic or alkacrylic group or the nitrile or amide derivative thereof [e.g., acrylamide, acrylate ester, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1476 : Release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1486 : Ornamental, decorative, pattern, or indicia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1495 : Adhesive is on removable layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24521 : with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2486 : with outer strippable or release layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24967 : Absolute thicknesses specified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 : No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2839 : with release or antistick coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 : Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31 : Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 : Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31909 : Next to second addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 : Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3192 : Next to vinyl or vinylidene chloride polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31928 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 : Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31938 : Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon

Abstract

Film-forming means are coextruded to form all plastic multilayer liners and facestocks for pressure-sensitive labels, tapes, decals, signs, bumper stickers, and other products formed from sheet and roll stock Fill means in a charge for the liner coextrusion affects stiffness and dimensional stability of the liner and/or affects the roughness of a liner face or faces. The film materials of the layers of the constructions are selected according to the cost/benefit characteristics of candidate materials considering the functional or operational requirements of the layer in question.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing die-cut pressure-sensitive adhesive labels using roll or sheet facestock comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a plurality of at least two charges of polymeric film-forming material;

(B) coextruding said charges to thereby form a construction in the form of a multilayer extrudate comprising a relatively thick core or base layer of polymeric film material and at least one relatively thin skin layer of polymeric material;

(C) preselecting the charge comprising a polyolefin polymer or copolymer for said core or base layer to provide said facestock with a degree of stiffness suitable for the pressure-sensitive adhesive label application;

(D) preselecting the charge for at least one of said skin layers to provide an ink-printable skin;

(E) combining said extrudate with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to form label facestock;

(F) combining said facestock with a liner;

(G) die-cutting said facestock to form a label releasably adhered to said liner and surrounded by a matrix of excess facestock material; and

(H) stripping said matrix of excess facestock material to pull said matrix away from the die-cut label and liner.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said core or base layer comprises a polyethylene layer of a specific gravity of from 0.890 to 0.965.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said core or base layer comprises a polypropylene layer with a flex modulus range of from 130,000 to 250,000 psi at 73°

F.

4. The method of claim 1 in which said die-cutting of step (G) is performed in the absence of any intervening step of biaxial stretching of said multilayer coextrudate.

5. The method of claim 1 including the step of hot-stretching said extrudate formed in step (B).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of preselecting the charge for said core or base layer also includes providing said facestock with an opaque appearance.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of preselecting the charges for said core or base layer and skin layers also include selecting the charges to tightly adhere the layers together to form said construction.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said skin layer comprises polyethylene-vinyl acetate and said core or base layer comprises polyethylene, polypropylene or a polypropylene copolymer.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the core or base layer has a stiffness of from between 10 and 100 Gurley.

10. A method of manufacturing die-cut pressure-sensitive adhesive labels using roll or sheet facestock comprising the steps of:

(A) providing a plurality of at least three charges of film-forming material;

(B) simultaneously extruding said charges from a coextrusion die to form a coextrudate;

(C) post-extrusion finishing of said coextrudate to form a multilayer film from said coextrudate;

wherein said multilayer film comprises a first skin layer, a second skin layer and a core, said core comprising an olefin polymer or copolymer having a face side and a back side and being relatively thick with respect to either said first skin layer or said second skin layer and having a degree of stiffness suitable for pressure-sensitive adhesive label application;

said first skin layer being on the face side of the core and being preselected to provide an ink-imprintable skin, and said second skin layer being on the back side of the core and being pre-selected to provide for pressure-sensitive adhesive anchorage;

(D) combining said multilayer film with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and release liner to form a facestock and release liner combination;

(E) die-cutting said facestock to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive label releasably adhered to said release liner and surrounded by a matrix of excess facestock material; and

(F) stripping said matrix of excess facestock material to pull said matrix away from die-cut pressure-sensitive adhesive label and release liner.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the post-extrusion finishing step (C) includes hot-stretching of the coextrudate.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the core layer comprises polyethylene having a specific gravity of from about 0.890 to about 0.965.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the core has a stiffness of from about 10 to 100 Gurley.