Plastic container with multilayer label applied by in-mold labeling
AssigneeOwens-Illinois, Inc.
InventorJames E. Heider
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plastic container having a multilayer label applied by in-mold labeling during the blow molding of the plastic container. The label comprises a non-cellular inner layer, an intermediate cellular layer compatible with the inner layer and heat bonded to the inner layer, and an outer non-cellular plastic layer compatible with the intermediate cellular layer and heat bonded thereto. The label is positioned in a mold cavity with the outer layer in contact with the mold. When a hot plastic parison at molding temperature is expanded by fluid pressure against the walls of the mold to form a container, the noncellular inner layer becomes bonded to the outer surface of the container by heat from the container.
Claims6
A multilayer label adapted to be applied to a plastic container by in-mold labeling during the blow molding of the plastic container,
- said label consisting essentially of only three coextruded layers:
- a non-cellular plastic inner layer,
- an intermediate cellular plastic layer compatible with the inner layer heat bonded to the inner layer without adhesives,
- and an outer non-cellular plastic layer compatible with the intermediate cellular layer heat bonded to the intermediate layer without adhesives,
- said inner layer having an inner surface,
- said inner surface of said inner layer being free of a plastic surfacer, any adhesive and said inner layer being capable of heat bonding to
- said cellular layer comprising the major portion of the total thickness of the label.
A plastic container comprising
- a blow molded hollow body having an outer surface,
- a multilayer label,
- said label consisting essentially of only two coextruded layers:
- a cellular plastic layer,
- an inner non-cellular plastic layer compatible with the cellular layer and being heat bonded to the cellular layer without adhesives,
- said cellular layer comprising the major portion of the thickness of the label,
- said inner surface of said non-cellular inner layer being free of any adhesive and said inner layer being heat bonded to a plastic outer surface of the container,
- said label having been applied by in-mold labeling during the blow molding of a plastic container, the non-cellular plastic inner layer having been insulated by the cellular layer so that the heat from the container has heated the inner surface of the non-cellular plastic inner layer sufficiently such that the label is bonded by heat bonding to the outer surface of the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.