Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor – With work feeding or handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1996-07-24
2001-11-27
Yao, Sam Chuan (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor
With work feeding or handling means
C156SDIG002, C029S271000, C029S464000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321814
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of compact disk labeling devices, and more particularly to a device for centering a disk with respect to a self-adhesive label while maintaining them in spaced relation and subsequently allowing them to contact, forming a labeled disk.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The proliferation of compact disks (discs), also known as laser disks, in the form of music as well as CD-ROM products has become extensive. In recent years, recordable compact disks such as those produced by SONY, 3M, and KODAK have grown in popularity. Further, these disks are being used for archival data storage, immediate distribution of data, and for demonstration purposes. With this recent use has grown a need to label these disks once they have been produced. This is because once produced, there is no generally available visual method for determining the contents of a disk, without reducing storage capacity below the 680 MB of data or more, without external markings.
While manufacturers of large numbers of identical disks have their labels or identifying information painted, silk-screened or printed onto the disks, e.g., a layer of adherent ink or pigment is applied to the surface of the disk, this method is generally impractical for recordable compact disk producers. For small runs or those requiring immediate availability of the disk, printing or painting based methods of labeling take too much time, incur a significant setup charge, and require special equipment. Automated disk imprinting devices may be large and cumbersome, with bulk pigmented ink supplies generally favoring long production runs.
Another known method of labeling a compact disk employs a direct printing using an ink jet system onto the surface of a disk. These systems provide a special carrier for the disk, which is printed using a conventional ink jet printing apparatus. This method suffers the shortcomings of ink jet technology, including problems with the inks used, such as smudging, running, lack of scratch resistance on the disk surface, and the like. This ink jet printing technology is also relatively slow.
Ink markers may also be used to label disks, but this is unattractive and can cause damage to the disk by breaking down the coating which protects the disk. Permanent ink markers often include solvents in the ink. As a result, manufacturers such as Avery Dennison, Avery Division, Diamond Bar Calif., produce self-adhesive labels shaped like, and designed for compact disks. Improper placement of a label on a disk, especially with the advent of high speed, e.g., ten or higher speed data transfer (with single speed data transfer defined as the rate necessary to support CD audio), and higher information density disk recording technologies, such as Digital Video Disk (“DVD”), may result in read errors, or drive motor damage due to dynamic imbalance of the disk.
Prior to the activities of the present inventors, there was no available method or apparatus for assistance in the accurate placement of adhesive labels on compact disks.
Kodaka et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,654 relates to a method for forming indicia on compact disks. This method employs a molded impression from a “mother”, and does not apply an adhesive label. Lexel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,464 relates to a hinged structure for pressing a marking onto a compact disk, and also does not apply an adhesive label. Sugaya et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,255, on the other hand, relates to an adhesive label marking system for compact disks. However, the labels are ultimately applied manually, without any apparatus for assisting in accurate placement on the disk. Hanna, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,460 relates to an optical disk or phonorecord label having a hinged portion for individualized marking, which is apparently manually applied. Nakamura, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,127 relates to a labeling system for 3.5 inch magnetic media encased in a rectangular plastic enclosure, and thus, while placing the labels in a desired location, do not place the label concentrically directly on the rotating media.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The compact disk labeling device and method according to the present invention therefore provides various embodiments intended to assist in the accurate placement of an adhesive label, generally bearing a pressure sensitive adhesive, to a surface of a disk. Generally, this is a so-called R-CD-ROM, or recordable compact disk read only memory, but may also be a WORM (write once, read many) disk, DVD, or other types of media having a central aperture, e.g., a spindle hole. For both functional and aesthetic reasons, it is desirable to place the label concentric with the spindle hole of the disk. Each of the label and disk have two at least two reference portions; the inner and outer edge of the label and the spindle hole and diameter of the disk. In general, it is preferable to define a location of the label by an edge of its central aperture, so that variations may be accommodated in label edge design. However, the disk has standard properties allowing it to be located by the spindle hole and/or periphery. It is preferred that the label be centered on the disk to prevent dynamic imbalance during use, especially in high speed CD drives.
Thus, since the label and disk are generally radially symmetric, the location of each may be defined by at least two points. For example, a dowel of appropriate size inserted in the spindle hole will have an area of contact, the area encompassing at least two points. Likewise, a dowel smaller than the spindle hole will have one point of contact, with a member pressing the disk against the dowel having an additional point of contact. The disk may also be located by its outer edge. Thus, since the disk has a relatively fixed shape, two points of contact are sufficient to define a location with respect to a central axis. Of course, a larger number of points of contact may be used to locate the disk.
The label is doughnut shaped, with a circular periphery and a centrally located aperture. Thus, its location is also defined by two points being on either the inner or outer edge, or both. In most cases, it is not necessary to rotationally align the label with the disk. However, where desired or necessary, this may be accomplished by defining a particular point on the label and disk for alignment. Otherwise, there is no need to rotationally align the disk and label, and an alignment of the centers of each is sufficient.
Since it is generally preferred to locate the label by the central aperture, it is also preferable to locate the compact disk by the spindle hole, leading to a compact mechanical design. However, since the mechanical design of the disk is generally symmetric and uniform, the disk may be located at an edge portion.
In order to coaxially align the label and the compact disk, the relative offsets of the spindle hole and the central aperture must be provided with fixed relation. In a preferred embodiment, the central aperture of the label is round, and larger than the spindle hole. Thus, a relation is established by providing a member having at least two points of contact with the label, the points of contact having a predetermined relation to the central aperture and/or the peripheral edge; providing a member having at least two points of contact with the compact disk, the points of contact having a predetermined relation to the spindle hole and/or the outer edge, axially aligning the two members so that the disk and label are coaxially aligned, and applying a force between the disk and label to allow adhesion.
The present invention thus provides an apparatus and method for the accurate placement of labels onto compact disks or other objects. This apparatus employs a localization device for the label, having a peripheral edge and a central aperture, and a localization device for the object, having a central hole and an outer edge, wherein the localization devices have a defined relation between one another during the process, so that after the label and object are localized, they may be brough
Cecchi Michael D.
Parkman Robertson
Tracy Peter H.
Veilliex Gregory R.
Brufsky Allen D.
Neato, LLC
Yao Sam Chuan
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