Labeling apparatus and method employing radiation curable adhesive
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of applying a plastic label to an outer surface of a container comprising:
- (a) applying a radiation curable adhesive to a transfer member, said adhesive being in a minimally tacky state when applied to said transfer member;
(b) retaining a plurality of labels in a stack with a lowermost label in the stack having an exposed surface;
(c) causing said transfer member with the adhesive thereon to engage said exposed surface of said lowermost label prior to exposing said adhesive to radiation to transfer said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive thereto and to releasably adhesively secure said lowermost label to said transfer member by said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive;
(d) adhering said label to said outer surface of said container by said radiation curable adhesive; and
(e) directing said container with said label adhered to its outer surface through an irradiating station for irradiating said radiation curable adhesive to enhance the tackiness of said radiation curable adhesive.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A labeling apparatus and method for continuously applying a layer of a radiation curable adhesives to plastic, sheet fed, cut and stack, labels, irradiating the adhesive on the labels, prior to and/or subsequent to adhering the labels to containers, e.g., a bottle, to render the adhesive sufficiently tacky to effectively permanently seal the labels to containers in a commercial labeling machine. The plastic labels can be clear, opaque (including metallized) plastic films and can be retained in a dispensing magazine prior to the application of the radiation curable adhesive to the labels.
58 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of applying a plastic label to an outer surface of a container comprising:
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(a) applying a radiation curable adhesive to a transfer member, said adhesive being in a minimally tacky state when applied to said transfer member; (b) retaining a plurality of labels in a stack with a lowermost label in the stack having an exposed surface; (c) causing said transfer member with the adhesive thereon to engage said exposed surface of said lowermost label prior to exposing said adhesive to radiation to transfer said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive thereto and to releasably adhesively secure said lowermost label to said transfer member by said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive; (d) adhering said label to said outer surface of said container by said radiation curable adhesive; and (e) directing said container with said label adhered to its outer surface through an irradiating station for irradiating said radiation curable adhesive to enhance the tackiness of said radiation curable adhesive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of applying a plastic label to an outer surface of a container comprising:
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(a) applying a radiation curable adhesive to a transfer member, said adhesive being in a minimally tacky state; (b) causing said transfer member to engage a surface of said label to transfer said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive thereto and to releasably adhesively secure said label to said transfer member by said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive (c) directing said label with said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive thereon through a first irradiating station for irradiating said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive by exposing the adhesive to at least two different wavelength ranges of radiation to selectively act primarily at different regions through the thickness of the adhesive to thereby increase the tackiness of said radiation curable adhesive;
thereafter(d) adhering said label to said outer surface of said container by said radiation curable adhesive; and (e) directing said container with said label adhered to its outer surface through an additional irradiating station for radiating said radiation curable adhesive to enhance the tackiness of said radiation curable adhesive. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of applying a plastic label to an outer surface of a container comprising:
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(a) applying a radiation curable adhesive to a transfer member, said adhesive being in a minimally tacky state; (b) causing said transfer member to engage a surface of said label to transfer said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive thereto and to releasably adhesively secure said label to said transfer member by said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive; (c) directing said label with said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive thereon through an irradiating station for irradiating said minimally tacky radiation curable adhesive with radiation to increase the tackiness of said radiation curable adhesive, said irradiating being carried out by exposing the adhesive to at least two different wavelength ranges of radiation to selectively act primarily at different regions through the thickness of the adhesive; and
thereafter(d) adhering said label to said outer surface of said container by said radiation curable adhesive of increased tackiness. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification