Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With work feeding or handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-28
2001-07-03
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With work feeding or handling means
C156S566000, C156SDIG003, C053S136100, C053S136300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253820
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to production equipment and application methods for applying and affixing labels to packages on a production basis and, more particularly, to such production equipment and application methods which assure secure affixation of the label in its entirety to the package.
BACKGROUND ART
Numerous systems have been developed for applying and affixing labels to a wide variety of packages for a wide variety of different purposes. One such application that has received substantial attention is the affixation of product identifying labels to pre-packaged food products such as fresh bakery items. Typically, fresh bakery items are packaged in transparent plastic containers and product identification labels and/or tamper-evident labels are affixed to the containers.
In many instances, the transparent plastic container comprises a clamshell construction, with one edge of the container forming the entry zone, with the entry zone incorporating locking means for holding the container in the closed position. In order to provide for the secure retention of the fresh bakery product in the container, as well as provide a tamper evident construction, the product identifying or tamper-evident label is placed over the leading edge of the container which forms the entry zone. In this way, a consumer is immediately aware if any package has been opened.
Although this type of construction is widely used in the food industry, particularly with bakery items, one problem that has continued to plague the industry is the inability of the production equipment to eliminate tenting of the label as a label is affixed to the product containing packages. In most packages of this nature, a forwardly protruding ledge or lip is employed on which the locking means are mounted. As a result, when product identifying or tamper evident labels are mounted to these packages in a manner that surrounds the protruding lip or ledge, the label is affixed to the edge of the lip and the top and bottom surfaces of the package or the sides of the package. However, the label is not affixed directly or completely to the top and bottom surfaces of the protruding lip or ledge of the package.
As a result, the label has a characteristic tenting effect, wherein the label is secured along one of its ends to the top or upper side surface of the package and, at its other end, to the package bottom or its lower side surface, with the middle of the label affixed to the edge of the protruding lip. However, the middle portion of the label is spaced away from the top and bottom surfaces of the protruding lip, leaving an open spaced zone therebetween. This construction is often referred to as tenting.
In some products of this general nature, a product identifying label is placed on the top of the package in order to enable the consumer to easily read the information printed thereon. As a result, a separate, small fastening label is typically mounted to the protruding lip of the container in order to provide a tamper-evident seal.
Although both consumers and manufacturers prefer to have this tamper evident label wrapped tightly around the protruding container lip or flange, prior art systems have been incapable of providing an assembly system which satisfies this need. Instead, these tamper evident labels typically contact the front edge of the protruding lip or flange and extend therefrom into contact with the side surfaces of the container which are formed directly above and below the protruding lip/flange. However, little or no contact is made with the top surface and/or bottom surface of the protruding lip/flange, producing a similar tenting effect.
Although most producers and product packaging companies have sought to eliminate this tenting effect by using a wide variety of alternate constructions, no system has been developed for effectively resolving this problem. As a result, although substantial effort has been expended in an attempt to reduce or eliminate this visually undesirable tenting effect, no production equipment or method has been produced, prior to the present invention, which satisfies this long-felt need.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide label applying apparatus and label application methods which are capable of securely affixing labels to products on an automated basis with the entire label being secured to the desired product.
Another object of the present invention is to provide label applying apparatus and label application methods having the characteristic features described above wherein the labels are securely affixed to product retaining packages regardless of the construction employed for the product retaining package.
Another object of the present invention is to provide label applying apparatus and label application methods having the characteristic features described above wherein labels are securely affixed to packages spanning the entry portal for the package and providing secure tamper-free and/or tamper-evident closure of the package.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By employing the present invention, all of the difficulties and drawbacks found in the prior art are eliminated and a dependable, effective, reliable label applying apparatus and label application method is attained which assures continuous application of labels to products on a production basis in a continuous, substantially trouble-free operation. In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for securely affixing the label in its entirety to the protruding lip or flange of the container in a manner which securely wraps the label about the surfaces forming the protruding lip/flange. As a result, secure affixation of the label in its entirety to the lip/flange of the product container is realized and the unwanted, prior art tenting of labels is eliminated.
In order to provide the secure affixation of a label in its entirety to a product container having a forwardly protruding lip or flange, with the label being effectively wrapped about the protruding lip or flange, precise timing during the label affixation process is required, along with label wrapping cam means. In addition, a pair of cooperating compression rollers are employed with at least one roller being formed from soft, flexible material, for controllably securing the label in its entirety to the protruding lip/flange of the container, regardless of the configuration or shape of the lip/flange. In this way, unwanted label tenting is eliminated and the desired secure, continuous, affixation of the label in its entirety to the product retaining package is assured.
In accordance with the present invention, a product retaining package having a forwardly protruding lip or flange is advanced towards a label dispensing zone with the label positioned for contacting the top surface of the forwardly protruding lip/flange. Due to the variety of containers which are employed in this industry, protruding flanges and lips comprise widely, diverse configurations. However, one typical configuration, which is also one of the most difficult to have a tamper evident seal securely wrapped thereon, comprises an L-shaped upper flange member and a flat lower flange member which is held in contact with the upper flange member. As a result, the upper flange member has a vertical front-facing edge about which the label must be wrapped.
Once the label is attached to the top surface of the upper flange portion of the forwardly protruding lip or flange, the label extends from the container in a substantially horizontal plane. Then, the label bearing container is brought into contact with label wrapping cam means which folds the label about the upper flange member and lower flange member.
Although the label wrapping cam means is able to arcuately fold and wrap the tamper evident label about both the upper flange member and lower flange member, the cam means is incapable of securely affixing the tamper evident label to both the top and bottom sur
Dyke Joseph
Landan Daniel A.
Crispino Richard
Inline Plastics Corporation
Purvis Sue A.
Stoltz Melin I.
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