Label application systems
AssigneeACTEGA North America Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin David Lux, Jason A. Meek, Michael Medeiros, Michael Clarke Woods, Andrew W. Marsella, Nikolai A. Voicechovski, Heidi M. Munnelly, Juris Alex Grauds
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for applying decorations from a web onto substrates are disclosed. According to some aspects, a decoration may be transferred from the web directly to a substrate based on contact of the substrate with an adhesive of a portion of the decoration while the portion of the decoration is attached to the web.
Claims25
A system for transferring decorations to substrates, comprising:
- a continuous web including a plurality of decorations provided on a first side of the web, each decoration having a pressure sensitive adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web;
- an application station at which the decorations are transferred from the web to substrates;
- a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application station;
- a substrate transport configured to move the substrates to the label application station;
- a web control system including at least one web controller configured to move the web at the application station to position a decoration on the web for transfer to a substrate;
- and
- an actuator arranged to move the web and the substrate toward each other to apply an enhanced application force during transfer of the decoration to the substrate;
- wherein the application station is configured to transfer a decoration from the web directly to a substrate based on contact of the substrate with the pressure sensitive adhesive of a portion of the decoration while the portion of the decoration is attached to the web.
A method for applying a decoration to a substrate, comprising:
- moving a continuous web along a web path to transport a plurality of decorations provided on a first side of the web to an application station, wherein each decoration comprises two or more physically separate decoration components and each decoration component has an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration component facing outwardly from the first side of the web;
- and
- applying the two or more decoration components in register with one another onto the surface of a substrate at the application station.
A system for transferring decorations to substrates from a web, comprising:
- an application station at which decorations are transferred to substrates from a web, the web including a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the decorations provided on the first side;
- a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application station;
- and
- a web control system including at least one web controller and configured to control at least one web characteristic, wherein the decorations and the substrates are held in contact along an extended contact length at the application station before the decoration are transferred to the substrates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.