Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Using sequentially applied treating agents
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-13
2001-06-26
El-Arini, Zeinab (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
Using sequentially applied treating agents
C134S010000, C134S029000, C134S032000, C134S038000, C134S042000, C134S170000, C156S230000, C156S240000, C156S247000, C156S289000, C427S146000, C428S099000, C428S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250316
ABSTRACT:
This is a national phase application of International Application No. PCT/NL97/00137 filed on Mar. 19, 1997, now WO97/35290.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a transfer label comprising a backing layer and a transfer layer which is releasably attached to the backing layer, the transfer layer comprising an ink layer.
The invention also relates to a container provided with a transfer layer according to the invention and to a method of removing the transfer layer from such a container.
It is known in the packaging technology art to label containers such as plastic crates by providing a non-removable permanent image by a silk screen method. Such labels offer a highly durable finish with two or three color availability. This technique however offers limited colors, lacks the improved graphics that other labelling techniques offer, is not flexible in its ability to have graphic changes to meet market strategies leading to large inventories of obsolete units, and tends to show signs of wear after about four trips.
When removable inks are to be applied to re-usable plastic crates by a screen printing or a tampon printing process, the inks have to be applied in the bottling plant, such as a brewery, which may lead to problems with respect to registration. Upon removal from the crates by means of crate washers, the inks will be dissolved in the washing liquid and in this way contaminate the crate washers. Furthermore the speed of application is limited, and curing of the inks requires a lot of space and long storage times prior to delivery.
A second way of labelling containers encompasses gluing printed paper labels to containers such as plastic crates or bottles at the time of filling and sealing. This type of labels however offer little resistance to label damage from handling and exposure to moisture (wrinkling). Furthermore, paper labels are difficult to remove from crates, and tend to clog the crate washers available today. Upon removal of paper labels from plastic crates, a glue residue may be left on the crates.
A third technique for labelling containers, in particular glass bottles is based on the principles described in WO 90/05088. In this publication, a method of labelling bottles is described which provides a durable, highly impact resistant label and yet permits high definition label printing. A transfer label comprising a removable backing layer is provided which backing layer is reverse printed with a vinyl or acrylic ink which is cured and overprinted with adhesive. The label is applied to the container with its adhesive surface in contact therewith. The backing layer is separated from the transfer layer of the label for instance by the application of heat to either the container, the label or to both. The labelled container is then applied with a coating which is subsequently cured. The cured coating provides the required degree of impact resistance and durability. The disadvantage of permanently attached labels, is that when these labels get scratched or otherwise damaged, they cannot be easily removed from the bottles. Also, it is not possible to provide the same containers each time with new and/or different labels, which is desirable for promotional activities.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer layer which can easily be attached to a container and which can be removed in an environmentally friendly manner.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a transfer label that can be removed in a wash process using a washing liquid, without the inks from the label contaminating the wash liquid.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a transfer label which has a good adherence during storage and use of the container, but which can very rapidly be removed from the container in an economic manner for replacing the label by a new and/or different labels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a label which utilizes water soluble inks as a printing substance, such inks being environmentally friendly and widely used in the food technology.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a returnable crate system which can be provided with attractive labels, that can be easily and economically be removed and re-applied. The labels should be applied and removed at relatively high speeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thereto the transfer label according to the present invention is characterised in that the transfer layer comprises on each side of the ink layer a top and a bottom containment layer, respectively, the top and the bottom containment layer contacting one another outside the perimeter of the ink layer to form a closed envelope around think layer.
By entrapping the ink in the envelope between the containment layers, it is possible to remove the transfer layer from the container to which it has been attached, by a wet removal process such as a soaking process or a process utilizing high pressure water jets. The ink is prevented from leaking out of the envelope during such a process such that no contamination of the wash water occurs. During the wet removal process, not more than 10% by weight of the ink in a transfer layer is dissolved in an alkaline wash solution. Hereby it is prevented that the containers are discoloured by the inks. Furthermore, the ink levels in the wash solution remain low enough to not effect the aerobic and anaerobic treatment in the waste water treatment plants. The low concentrations of inks in the wash water prevent accumulation of metals in the sludge of the waste water treatment plants, such that this sludge will not have to be treated as chemical waste under government regulations. By simply collecting the removed labels from the wash liquid, a very economic wash process can be achieved.
Preferably the ink layer comprises separate zones of dimensions between 0.5 mm
2
and 500 cm
2
, the top containment layer and the bottom containment layer contacting one another outside the separate zones to form individual envelopes around each zone of the ink layer. The areas of the transfer layer connecting the separate zones of the ink layer will have a reduced thickness compared to the zones where an ink layer is present between the containment layers. After transfer of the transfer layer to a container, it is possible that no label material is present outside the separate ink zones. These areas of reduced thickness or open areas of the labels outside the envelopes, form natural points of attack for the wash solution, such that the label can be removed in separate parts. Because the wash solution has access to the label-container interface via the areas outside the envelopes around the print patterns, a very rapid removal of the transfer layer from the container is possible whereby the label is removed in separate pieces. These pieces can be sieved from the wash solution using conventional sieves with openings having a size between 0.1 mm and 10 mm, preferably about 2 mm.
Although it is preferred to use the transfer layer according to the present invention on re-usable plastic crates, the label can also be used in combination with plastic bottles, such as PET-bottles, plastic food trays, glass bottles and the like.
A preferred transfer label according to the present invention comprises a transfer layer which is permeable for the soaking liquids.
With “permeable” it is meant that a transfer layer has water, uptake value after 3 hours between 0.0 and 100 g/m
2
, preferably about 5 g/m
2
, in water at room temperature. Such labels have a water vapour transmission rate between 50 and 750 g/m
2
, preferably about 600 g/m
2
after 24 hours for water at room temperature. The transfer layer may comprise a cover layer overlaying the ink pattern, which cover layer forms the outwardly facing surface upon attachment of the transfer layer to a container. The cover layer may for instance be formed by an acrylic wax coating. The cover layer may be a continuous layer, or may be discontinuous and printed in register with the ink pattern. The acrylic
Blom Patrick Johannes
Brandt Thomas Lynn
Rosens Erwin Anton
Turner Neal Donald
El-Arini Zeinab
Heineken Technical Services B.V.
Pearne & Gordon LLP
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