Apparatus for dispensing pressure sensitive adhesive labels onto a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745908-B2
Application number	US-202217651707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2022
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A labeling apparatus comprises a separation member configured to promote detachment of an adhesive label from liner web. Adhesive labels are fed to the separation member such that a surface of the facestock contacts the separation member. The separation member has a surface exhibiting a tack such that the tack force between the facestock and the separation member is greater than the release force between the release liner and the adhesive layer of the labels. The labels become associated with the separation member, and the label is applied to a surface of a substrate by contacting the exposed adhesive layer with a surface of a substrate, which causes the adhesive label to detach from the separation member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing adhesive labels from a liner web onto a substrate comprising:
a feed roll for housing a roll of label material comprising a plurality of adhesive labels disposed on a release liner; the adhesive labels comprising a facestock having an upper surface and a lower surface, and an adhesive layer disposed adjacent the lower surface of the facestock and in contact with the release liner;
a separation member for removing the adhesive labels from the release liner;
a nip member disposed adjacent the separation member; and
a take-up roll for winding the release liner;
wherein the label material is oriented such that the upper surface of the facestock contacts the separation member as the label material is fed through the apparatus, and the separation member has a surface providing an attaching force between the upper surface of the facestock and the surface of the separation member that is greater than the release force between the adhesive layer and the release liner, and the attaching force of the surface of the separation member promotes separation of the adhesive labels from the release liner as the upper surface of the facestock contacts the separation member,
wherein the surface of the separation member comprises miniature cup-shaped depressions or small pores, and
wherein the separation member is a conveyor belt.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nip member is chosen from a nip roll, a plate, a brush, a sponge, or a wiper blade.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nip member is a plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the adhesive labels have a stiffness of from about 2 mN to about 20 mN according to ISO 2493 bending resistance (at 15°).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the adhesive labels have a stiffness of from about 2 mN to about 10 mN according to ISO 2493 bending resistance (at 15°).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the facestock has a thickness of from about 0.25 mils (0.0064 mm) to about 10 mils (0.26 mm).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the facestock has a thickness of about 1 mil (0.026 mm) to about 7.5 mils (0.19 mm).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the facestock has a thickness of about 2 mils (0.051 mm) to about 5 mils (0.13 mm).

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the release liner has a thickness of 2.5 mils (0.064 mm) to 0.25 mils (0.00626 mm).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises the roll of label material comprising the plurality of adhesive labels disposed on the liner; and wherein the release liner has a thickness equal to or less than 0.25 mils (0.00626 mm).

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the feed roll, the separation member, the nip member, or the take-up roll is mechanically driven.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , comprising a conveyor system for moving a substrate into a position adjacent the separation member such that a surface of the substrate contacts a leading edge of the adhesive surface of the adhesive label, wherein the tack force between the adhesive layer and the surface of the substrate is greater than the attaching force between the upper surface of the facestock and the separation member, and the label detaches from the separation member and is applied to the surface of the substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein both the substrate and the separation member rotate as the label is applied to the substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a manual device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is operated by:
positioning the apparatus such that the separation member is contacted with a target substrate onto which a label is to be applied;
moving the apparatus in a direction such that:
the label material is fed toward the separation member;
a leading edge of the upper surface of an adhesive label contacts the surface of the separation member such that the adhesive label detaches from the release liner and becomes associated with the separation member; and
a leading edge of the adhesive surface of the adhesive label associated with the separation member contacts a surface of a target substrate; and
the adhesive label detaches from the separation member and is applied to the surface of the target substrate.

16. A method of applying a pressure sensitive adhesive label to a surface of a substrate comprising:
providing a continuous roll of label material comprising a plurality of adhesive labels releasable attached to a release liner web, the adhesive labels comprising a facestock having an upper surface and a lower surface, and an adhesive layer disposed adjacent the lower surface of the facestock and in contact with the release liner;
feeding the label material through a labeling apparatus such that the upper surface of the facestock engages a separation member, where the separation member has a surface providing an attaching force between the surface of the separation member and the facestock that is greater than the release force between the release liner and the adhesive layer, and the adhesive label detaches from the release liner and associates with the separation member; and
contacting a surface of a substrate with a leading edge of the adhesive layer of the adhesive label associated with the separation member, wherein the tack force between the adhesive layer and the substrate is greater than the attaching force between the upper surface of the facestock and the surface of the separation member, and the adhesive label detaches from the separation member and is applied to the surface of the substrate,
wherein the surface of the separation member comprises miniature cup-shaped depressions or small pores, and
wherein the separation member is a conveyor belt.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the adhesive labels have a stiffness of from about 2 mN to about 20 mN according to ISO 2493 bending resistance (at 15°).

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the adhesive labels have a stiffness of from about 2 mN to about 10 mN according to ISO 2493 bending resistance (at 15°).

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the facestock has a thickness of from about 0.25 mils (0.0064 mm) to about 10 mils (0.26 mm).

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the facestock has a thickness of about 1 mil (0.026 mm) to about 7.5 mils (0.19 mm).

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the facestock has a thickness of about 2 mils (0.051 mm) to about 5 mils (0.13 mm).

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the release liner has a thickness of 0.25 mils (0.00626 mm) to 2.5 mils (0.064 mm).

23. The method of claim 16 , wherein the releas

Assignees

• Avery Dennison Corp
• Avery Dennison Retail Information Services Llc

Inventors

• Henderson Kevin O
• Holbert Victor P

Classifications

• B65C9/1865 Primary

  the labels adhering on a backing strip · CPC title

• B65C9/0006

  Removing backing sheets · CPC title

• B65C9/1869

  and being transferred directly from the backing strip onto the article · CPC title

• Y10T156/1744

  Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship · CPC title

• Y10T156/1994

  Means for delaminating from release surface · CPC title