In-mold label

• US 6,551,685 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Multi-Color Corporation
• Original Assignee: Multi-Color Corporation
• Inventors: Wojewoda, Robert J., Albenice, Philip J., Scully, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watkins, III, William P.
• Application Number:
  US09/575,294
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 428/131, 428/132, 428/343, 428/195, 428/220, 264/509, 156/87
• US Class Current: 428/132
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2412 outside the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2425 Perforated, corrugated or embossed labels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2435 in a specific pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/24 Lining or labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/744 Labels, badges, e.g. marker sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2203/334 as a label
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/18 characterized by perforations in the adhesive tape
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2301/204 the adhesive coating being discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/20 characterised by their carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/04 to be fastened or secured by the material of the label itself, e.g. by thermo-adhesion by a separate adhesive layer G09F3/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24281 Struck out portion type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer

Abstract

The present invention relates to an in-mold label having a roughened inside surface to engage an article being molded in the mold. This roughened inside surface reduces air-entrapped blistering formed during molding, the air-entrapped blisters being between the label and the molded article. Preferably the label includes a plurality of perforations therein. To create the roughened inside surface at the time of perforating the label, the perforations are made by needles passing from the outside or exterior surface of the label through the inside surface thereby creating burrs on the inside surface; the inside surface being the surface which will engage the article to be molded. The label also preferably, in addition to the plurality of perforations and roughened inside surface, includes adhesive in a pattern on the inside surface.

Claims

1. An in-mold label, comprising:

a substrate, said substrate having a first surface for engaging a mold surface and opposed second surface for engaging an article being molded, an adhesive applied to said second surface, and a plurality of perforations through said substrate, said plurality of perforations extending from said first surface through said second surface causing said second surface to be roughened.

2. The in-mold label of claim 1, where said adhesive is a patterned adhesive.

3. The in-mold label of claim 1, where said plurality of perforations are located on said label in a plurality of rows.

4. The in-mold label of claim 3, where said plurality of rows of perforations are in a nested configuration.

5. The in-mold label of claim 1, where each of said plurality of perforations has a diameter of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.6 mm.

6. The in-mold label of claim 1, where each of said plurality of perforations has a diameter of about 0.4 mm.

7. The in-mold label of claim 4, where there is a distance between each of said plurality of perforations in each of said rows, said distance being about 4 mm, and where each of said plurality of perforations has a diameter of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.6 mm.

15. The in-mold label of claim 1, where said adhesive is a flood adhesive.

8. An in-mold label, comprising:

a substrate, said substrate having a first surface for engaging a mold surface and an opposed second surface for engaging an article being molded;

said substrate having a plurality of perforations therethrough, said plurality of perforations extending from said first surface through said second surface creating a plurality of burrs on said second surface; and

an adhesive applies to said second surface.

9. The in-mold label of claim 8, where said adhesive is a patterned adhesive.

10. The in-mold label of claim 8, where said plurality of perforations are located on said label in a plurality of rows.

11. The in-mold label of claim 10, where said plurality of rows of perforations are in a nested configuration.

12. The in-mold label of claim 8, where each of said plurality of perforations has a diameter of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.6 mm.

13. The in-mold label of claim 12, where each of said plurality of perforations has a diameter of about 0.4 mm.

14. The in-mold label of claim 9, where each of said plurality of perforations has a diameter of between about 0.2 mm and about 0.6 mm and where said patterned adhesive is applied as a plurality of dots, each of said dots having a dot diameter of between about 60 microns and about 100 microns.

16. The in-mold label of claim 8, where said adhesive is a flood adhesive.