Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Hollow or container type article – Shrinkable or shrunk
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-06
2002-08-20
Dye, Rena L. (Department: 1772)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Hollow or container type article
Shrinkable or shrunk
C428S035200, C428S035400, C428S040100, C428S041300, C428S041800, C428S516000, C428S520000, C206S497000, C206S703000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06436496
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a halogen-free multilayered shrink films. More specifically, the invention relates to halogen-free multilayered shrink films which are useful in encapsulating cylindrical articles, such as batteries.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Shrink film has been used for years to encapsulate articles. The shrink film must be able to shrink sufficiently to provide a smooth consistent coating. Previously, shrink films have been polyolefins and polyolefin blends which were and are used extensively in the food and packaging business to protect and preserve articles, such as food. One problem with polyolefin and polyolefin film blends is the difficulty of printing on the film. For printing to be successful, the films must provide a surface which will accept printing. Additionally the films must have sufficient tensile modulus to withstand the rigors of the printing process. Many polyolefin films do not have the tensile strength to withstand gravure printing.
Shrink film has also been used for encapsulating cylindrical articles such as batteries. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films provide acceptable shrinkages of about 40%. However, PVC shrink films have a problem with heat stability. After forming the shrink film, the film should not shrink prematurely. Often, after formation, the film may be exposed to temperatures, such as in transport. It is desired that the shrink film does not shrink until desired. Another problem with PVC shrink films is recent concerns over the environmental impact of PVC film. Concern regarding potentially adverse effect of halogens on the ozone layer has lead to efforts to provide halogen free shrink films.
Batteries are typically encapsulated by shrink films. The film must shrink sufficiently to encase the battery. A problem with encapsulating batteries and any other cylindrical article is end puckering. End puckering occurs when the shrink film does not shrink sufficiently to provide a smooth encapsulating film at the ends of the battery. This film folds over itself and forms a “pucker.” This puckering is unacceptable to consumers and therefore the manufacturer.
Battery encapsulating is done at very high speeds. The speed of the labelling is often more that 700 labels applied per minute. It is difficult for typical shrink film labels to work under such high speed conditions.
It is desirable to have a film which provides high shrinkages, e.g. shrinkages of greater than 25%. It is also desirable to have the films be halogen free. The desired film would smoothly encapsulate the articles and avoid end puckering. Finally, it is desirable to have of films which are printable and able to be applied at high speeds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,039, issued to Mueller, relates to a multi-layered polyolefin shrink film. The film has three layers comprising a core layer of a blend of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer with ethylene-butylene copolymer and each skin layer of ethylene-propylene copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,240, issued to Lustig et al, relates to heat shrinkable multilayer packaging film of blended copolymers and elastomers. The multilayer film includes a first outer layer comprising a blend of propylene-ethylene copolymer having a high isotactic molecular structure with less than about 6% by weight being ethylene and having a melt flow of from about 1.5 to about 18 decigrams per minute; and (butene-1)-ethylene copolymer having a high isotactic molecular structure with less than about 10% by weight ethylene and having a melt flow of about 0.1 to about 5.0 decigrams per minute, and a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene copolymers and ethylene-propylene diene terpolymers, the ratio of the weight of the propylene-ethylene copolymer to the (butene-1)-ethylene copolymer being from 2:1 to about 1:2 and the thermoplastic elastomer being present from about 10% to about 50% by weight. The multilayer film also has an outer layer comprising an ethylene-(butene-1) copolymer having a melt flow of from about 0.1 to about 1 decigram per minute, having a density of from about 0.916 to about 0.920 gram per cubic centimeter, and being a linear polymer. The multilayer film is also biaxially oriented.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,363, issued to Lustig et al, relates to flexible heat-shrinkable multilayer film for packaging primal meat. The multilayer film includes (1) a first outer layer comprising a blend of a propylene-ethylene copolymer, a (butene-1)-ethylene copolymer and a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene copolymers and ethylene-propylene diene terpolymers; (2) a first core layer connected to the first outer layer and being capable of being stretched during the biaxial orientation of the multilayer film and comprising an extrudable adhesive; (3) a second core layer connected to the first core layer and serving as an oxygen barrier to prevent the meat cut from spoilage and being compatible to the biaxial orientation and heat shrinking of the film; and (4) a second outer layer comprising an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer. The multilayer film is biaxially oriented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,609, issued to Lin et al, relates to stable pressure sensitive shrink label technique. The heat shrink labels are formed from a polyolefin, such as a polypropylene, and have a permanent acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive on one side thereof and may be mounted on a release coated backing strip. A metallized layer and open style graphics may be applied to the labels and the graphics may be protected by varnish or a second layer of heat shrinkable polyolefin material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,895, issued to Peiffer et al, relates to multilayer transparent polyolefin film for application in shrink labeling. The heat shrinkable film comprises a base layer prepared from a polypropylene-containing polymer and a hydrocarbon resin. The base layer contains about 5 to 40% by weight of a polypropylene homopolymer, 0 to about 30% by weight of a hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin having a softening point in the range from about 80 to 125° C. and from about 30 to 95% by weight of a random ethylene-propylene copolymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,717, issued to Peiffer et al, relates to matte, biaxially oriented, multilayer polypropylene film of high shrinkage, and processes of making the same. The multilayer polypropylene film comprises at least one base layer containing a propylene polymer and a propylene polymer mixture in at least one outer layer which comprises a mixture or a blend. The mixture contains copolymers and terpolymers of alpha olefins containing 2 to about 10 carbon atoms and high density polyethylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,043, issued to Keller et al, relates to uniaxially shrinkable biaxially oriented polypropylene film and it method of preparation. The polypropylene film comprises a polypropylene-containing core layer comprising at least 70% by weight of said multilayer film and at least one polyolefin-containing skin layer adjacent to the core layer. The core layer is prepared by biaxially orienting a coextrudate and thereafter orienting said coextrudate by stretching 10 to 40% in the machine direction. The core layer contains isotactic polypropylene and a modifier which reduces the crystallinity of the polypropylene by increasing chain imperfections or reducing isotacticity of the polypropylene containing core. The modifiers include atactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, propylene-butylene copolymer, ethylene-propylene-butylene terpolymer and linear low density polyethylene. The skin layers are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, polyethylene and ethylene-propylene-butylene terpolymer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a halogen-free, multilayered heat shrink film comprising (A) a core layer comprising a copolymer of ethylene or propylene with an alpha olefin and the core having an upper and lower surface, (B) a skin layer on the upper surface of the core layer, wherein the
Kovalchuk John
Rackovan Mitchell J.
Avery Dennison Corporation
Dye Rena L.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
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