Container labeling system

• US 6,488,066 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Graham Packaging Plastic Products Incorporated (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Original Assignee: Owens Brockway Plastic Products Inc (Graeme Richard Hart, MBA)
• Inventors: Frey, Eugene J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Purvis, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US09/569,189
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 156/297, 156/277, 156/DIG.2, 156/542, 156/556, 156/566, 156/DIG.24, 156/384, 156/390, 156/497, 264/129, 264/132, 428/36.6
• US Class Current: 156/384
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/001 Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2795/007 after shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/00 Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/744 Labels, badges, e.g. marker sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/0015 Preparing the labels or articles, e.g. smoothing, removing air bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/831 Detachable coupon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1705 Lamina transferred to base from adhered flexible web or sheet type carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1379 Contains vapor or gas barrier, polymer derived from vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride, or polymer containing a vinyl alcohol unit

Abstract

A system and method for rapidly labeling a blow-molded hollow container made of a plastic composition subject to out-gassing after de-molding. Otherwise, conventional high speed silk screen labeling technology and processing is employed shortly after container fabrication de-molding in order to accurately deposit a continuous liquid layer of conventional silk screen ink over an external container surface area designated for application thereon of a self-adhering pre-printed label. The label is rapidly and accurately transfer applied over the silk screen coated area immediately after the same has dried, and even while out-gassing is still occurring from the de-molded container. However, the protective ink barrier coating prevents formation of bubbles beneath the label. Those gases in the container wall resident beneath the label-affixed area can then nevertheless out-gas by migrating out of the container internal wall surface. Also, labeling may be silk screen imprinted on the container surface in a designated label-receiving area, and/or on non-designated surface area concurrently with barrier coating of the designated area. A gas-blocking clear ink barrier layer may be silk screened over the silk screen imprinting, and then the label applied over the gas-blocking layer of clear ink when dry. The label may be “peelable” for customer rebate return without thereby altering the labeling information remaining on the container. The pre-printed label may be a replicate of the label-covered imprinting so that the “trade dress” need not be altered by the peelable label, and so that the container surface area available for permanent labeling is maximized.

Claims

1. A system for applying a label to a fabricated plastic article that comprises:

(a) means for fabricating an article of molded plastic material that is characterized by out-gassing from the material at its surface for a given out-gassing period of time subsequent to fabrication,

(b) means constructed and arranged relative to said article fabricating means for applying onto a designated exterior-surface portion of the article shortly after fabrication thereof a continuous layer of quick-drying liquid that dries very quickly to thereby rapidly form a solidified barrier layer that is gas permeation resistant, and

(c) means constructed and arranged relative to said layer applying means for adherently applying a label onto said layer prior to completion of said out-gassing period of time but shortly after solidification of said layer and such that said solidified layer underlies substantially all of the underside surface of the label and thereby sufficiently impedes out-gassing from the plastic material of the article through the solidified layer that bubbling of gases beneath the adhered label is prevented, and wherein the plastic article comprises an empty open container of molded plastic material, wherein said fabricating means comprises a blow molding machine operable such that out-gassing occurs from the material of the container at its surfaces for said time period subsequent to de-molding of the container from the machine, and wherein said layer applying means and said label applying means are constructed and arranged successively directly in line respectively with and immediately downstream of the product output of said molding machine de-molding operation and layer applying means and are operationally synchronized with one another and with said blow molding machine to be respectively sequentially operable to apply said layer and then apply said label immediately subsequent to the de-molding operation and prior to completion of said out-gassing period of time.

2. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein said layer applying means comprises silk screening apparatus having layer applying means operable for silk screen imprinting the continuous layer of liquid material, and wherein said liquid material comprises a silk screening ink.

3. The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said label applying means comprises transfer label apparatus operable for feeding pre-printed labels from a web of labels for application individually to successive containers shortly after completion of the drying of the liquid material on each respective container.

4. The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said silk screening apparatus means also has indicia imprinting means constructed and arranged relative to said layer applying means of said silk screening apparatus to be operable to perform, prior to application of said continuous layer, silk screen imprinting of label indicia on an exterior surface portion of the article that is at least partially coincident with the exterior surface portion of the article bearing the continuous layer of gas permeation resistant material, wherein said pre-printed labels are pre-printed to bear indicia replicating that of the silk screen imprinted indicia, and wherein said label applying means is constructed and arranged relative said indicia imprinting means such that said preprinted peelable label is registered and oriented over the silk screen imprinted indicia layer such that the indicia pre-printed on the label duplicates the silk screen imprinted indicia beneath the adhered label whereby application of the label to the container and subsequent removal of the label from the container does not substantially alter the trade dress, including the applied indicia of the container.

5. The system set forth in claim 4 wherein said silk screening apparatus and said label applying apparatus are constructed and arranged relative to one another such that the container exterior surface portion containing the layer of gas permeation resistant material overlies at least a portion of the silk screen imprinted indicia.

6. The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said gas impermeable liquid material is selected from the group consisting of:

non-pigmented clear silk screen ink and color pigmented silk screen ink.

7. The system set forth in clam 1 wherein said label is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a pre-printed self-adhering label bearing heat-sensitive adhesive,

(b) a pre-printed self-adhering label bearing a pressure-sensitive adhesive,

(c) a self-adhering pre-printed label made of metalized gas impermeable material,

(d) a pre-printed self-adhering label bearing a peelable adhesive,

(e) a pre-printed self-adhering transparent label, and

(f) a pre-printed self-adhering translucent label.