In-mold labeling system for containers

• US 9,073,244 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MPT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MPT Incorporated
• Inventors: Kennedy, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): AUGHENBAUGH, WALTER
• Application Number:
  US12/120,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080286506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34.1, 428/34.2, 428/35.7, 428/36.6, 428/36.7, 428/36.92, 428 401- 423
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14918 in-mould-labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14811 Multilayered articles B29C45/14827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2715/006 Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7134 Crates, e.g. for bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/14 of tags , labels, cards, coupons, decorations or the like B65D23/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]

Abstract

A container or other article is integrally molded to a labeling assembly. The labeling assembly includes a release surface for releasably supporting an adhesive label for identifying a feature of the container. A method of making a container having an in-mold labeling assembly is also disclosed. A labeling assembly is provided in a mold cavity so that the top face of the labeling assembly faces away from the hollow mold cavity. Moldable material is introduced into the mold cavity to form the container and the formed container is integrally molded to the labeling assembly. A method for tracking the contents of a container using such an assembly is also provided.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

an injection-molded article having a wall with at least one exterior face;

a labeling assembly integrally molded and at least partially recessed into said wall and having a release surface for releasably supporting an adhesive label thereon, said release surface being exposed, and

said labeling assembly having a bottom face opposite said release surface, said bottom face being recessed into said wall and in contact with said wall,

wherein the release surface is provided by a coating of release material on a subjacent layer.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is reusable.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the release surface and the bottom face are composed of different materials.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom face of the label assembly and the wall of the container are composed of different materials.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom face of the labeling assembly is a polymer layer.

6. The container of claim 5, further comprising visual indicia printed on the polymer layer of the labeling assembly, wherein the visual indicia are visible through the release surface.

7. The container of claim 1, said subjacent layer being a polymer layer.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the labeling assembly further comprises an adhesive backing layer.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein the adhesive backing layer provides the bottom face of the labeling assembly.

10. The container of claim 7, wherein the release material is a polymer.

11. The container of claim 7, wherein the release material comprises at least one of silicone and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

12. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom face of the labeling assembly is a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and silicone.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the wall of the container is made from at least one of:

polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.

20. A method for making the container of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a labeling assembly having a top face and a bottom face, wherein the top face comprises a release surface for releasably supporting a label thereon, said release surface being provided by a release layer;

b) positioning said labeling assembly in a mold or die that defines a cavity for molding said article, such that the top face of the labeling assembly is oriented to face outward, toward a wall of said mold or die, and the bottom face of the labeling assembly is oriented to face inward, toward the cavity;

c) introducing moldable material into the cavity to form the article such that the formed article is integrally molded with said labeling assembly.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the moldable material is selected from the group consisting of polymers, metals or combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the container is formed by applying pressure and thermal energy to the mold cavity.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of curing the moldable material.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said mold or die comprises at least one wall having a recess therein configured to accommodate and retain at least a portion of said labeling assembly therein prior to the introduction of said moldable material into said cavity, and during formation of said formed article.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the labeling assembly comprising visual indicia that are visible through said top face thereof.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the depth of said recess in said mold or die wall is selected, in conjunction with a thickness of said labeling assembly, so that said labeling assembly protrudes from said recess and into said cavity a selected extent, so that when moldable material is injected into said cavity, the moldable material is caused to flow around the protruding portion of said labeling assembly, and thereby to mold integrally thereto.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the release layer is composed of a release material selected from the group consisting of silicones and polytetrafluoroethylenes.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the release layer is coated on a face of a polymer layer that has an adhesive backing layer on its opposite face.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the release surface is provided by a self-supporting release layer composed of release material.

30. The method according to claim 20, said article being a container.

14. A container comprising:

an injection-molded article having a wall with at least one exterior face;

a labeling assembly integrally molded into said wall and having an exposed release surface for releasably supporting an adhesive label thereon, and

said labeling assembly having a bottom face, opposite said release surface, said bottom face being in contact with said wall,

said container further comprising visual indicia printed on the labeling assembly, wherein the visual indicia are visible through a layer of the labeling assembly providing said release surface,

wherein the release surface is provided by a coating of release material on a subjacent layer.

15. A container comprising:

an injection-molded article having a wall with at least one exterior face;

a labeling assembly integrally molded into said wall and having an exposed release surface for releasably supporting an adhesive label thereon, and

said labeling assembly having a bottom face, opposite said release surface, said bottom face being in contact with said wall,

said container further comprising visual indicia printed on the labeling assembly, wherein the visual indicia are visible through a layer of the labeling assembly providing said release surface,

wherein the release surface is provided by a self-supporting release layer composed of a release material.

16. A container comprising:

an injection-molded article having a wall with at least one exterior face;

a labeling assembly integrally molded into said wall and having an exposed release surface for releasably supporting an adhesive label thereon, and

said labeling assembly having a bottom face, opposite said release surface, said bottom face being in contact with said wall, wherein the labeling assembly comprises a release layer and a polymer layer, and the release layer is composed of a polymeric material that is doped or mixed with a component or additive that will impart release characteristics.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the polymeric material of the release layer is doped with polytetrafluoroethylene.

18. A container comprising:

an article having a wall with at least one exterior face;

a labeling assembly having a bottom face and a release surface, with the labeling assembly being molded into and at least partially recessed into the wall of the article such that said bottom face is positioned below the exterior face of the wall, wherein said release surface is for releasably supporting an adhesive label thereon and is exposed, with said bottom face being positioned opposite said release surface on the labeling assembly, wherein said labeling assembly accepts a removable label thereon,

wherein the release surface is provided by a coating of release material on a subjacent layer.

19. The container of claim 18, wherein the release surface of the labeling assembly faces away from said container and the bottom face of the labeling assembly is positioned below the exterior face of the wall.