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US 6,773,653 B2Granted
In-mold labeling method
AssigneeAvery Dennison Corporation
InventorsDale Miller, Richard L. Sandt, Scott Eastep
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to an in-mold labeling method, and to molded plastic articles having an in-mold label as described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, the in-mold label film comprises: (A) a polymer facestock having a printable upper surface and a lower surface, (B) a print layer having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface of the print layer is in contact with and adhered to the upper surface of the facestock, and (C) an adhesive layer having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface is in contact with and adhered to the upper surface of the print layer.
Claims62
A method for producing a label-bearing molded article comprising:
- (A) providing an in-mold label comprising:
- (A-1) a polymer facestock having a printable upper surface and a heat activatable first adhesive lower surface;
- (A-2) a layer of a second adhesive overlying the upper surface of the facestock wherein the second adhesive layer has an upper surface and a lower surface;
- and
- (A-3) a carrier sheet overlying the upper surface of the second adhesive layer;
- (B) removing the carrier sheet;
- (C) positioning and adhering the label to an interior molding surface of a mold by contacting the upper surface of the second adhesive layer of the label with the internal molding surface of the mold,
- (D) molding an article from a heated thermoplastic resin contained within the mold whereby the heated resin contacts the layer of heat-activatable adhesive of the label, and the label is molded to the article,
- (E) cooling the labeled article, and
- (F) removing the labeled article from the mold.
7 more elements
A method for producing a label-bearing molded article comprising:
- (A) providing an in-mold label comprising:
- (A-1) a facestock having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the upper surface is ink printable;
- (A-2) a layer of a heat-activatable first adhesive underlying the lower surface of the facestock;
- (A-3) a second adhesive layer overlying the upper surface of the facestock;
- and
- (A-4) a carrier sheet overlying the upper surface of the second adhesive layer,
- (B) removing the carrier sheet;
- (C) positioning and adhering the label to an interior molding surface of a mold by contacting the upper surface of the second adhesive layer of the label with the internal molding surface of the mold,
- (D) molding an article from a heated thermoplastic resin contained within the mold whereby the heated resin contacts the layer of heat-activatable adhesive of the label, and the label is molded to the article,
- (E) cooling the labeled article, and
- (F) removing the labeled article from the mold.
8 more elements
A method for producing a label-bearing molded article comprising:
- (A) providing an in-mold label comprising:
- (A-1) a polymer facestock having a printable upper surface and a heat activatable first adhesive lower surface;
- (A-2) a layer of a second adhesive overlying the upper surface of the facestock wherein the second adhesive layer has an upper surface and a lower surface;
- and
- (A-3) a carrier sheet overflying the upper surface of the second adhesive layer,
- (B) removing the carrier sheet,
- (C) positioning and adhering the label in a mold cavity of an injection molding apparatus by contacting the upper surface of the second adhesive layer of the label with a wall of the mold cavity;
- (D) injecting a thermoplastic resin under heat and pressure into the mold cavity so that the resin contacts the layer of second adhesive of the label thereby forming an article having the label bonded to an exposed surface of the article;
- (E) cooling the thermoplastic resin to a solid form;
- and
- (F) removing the labeled article from the mold cavity.
8 more elements
A method for producing a label-bearing molded article comprising:
- (A) providing an in-mold label comprising:
- (A-1) a facestock having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the upper surface is ink printable;
- (A-2) a layer of a heat-activatable first adhesive underlying the lower surface of the facestock;
- (A-3) a second adhesive layer overlying the upper surface of the facestock;
- and
- (A-4) a carrier sheet overlying the upper layer of the second adhesive layer;
- (B) removing the carrier sheet;
- (C) positioning and adhering the label in a mold cavity of an injection molding apparatus by contacting the upper surface of the second adhesive layer of the label with a wall of the mold cavity;
- (D) injecting a thermoplastic resin under heat and pressure into the mold cavity so that the resin contacts the layer of second adhesive of the label thereby forming an article having the label bonded to an exposed surface of the article;
- (E) cooling the thermoplastic resin to a solid form;
- and
- (F) removing the composite article from the mold cavity.
9 more elements
A method for producing a label-bearing molded article comprising:
- (A) providing an in-mold label comprising:
- (A-1) a polymer facestock having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the upper surface is ink printable;
- (A-2) a layer of a heat-activatable first adhesive underlying the lower surface of the facestock;
- (A-3) a radiation cured layer of a second adhesive overlying the upper surface of the facestock;
- (A-4) a print layer positioned between the printable layer and the second adhesive layer;
- and
- (A-5) a carrier sheet overlying the upper surface of the second adhesive layer,
- (B) removing the carrier sheet,
- (C) positioning and adhering the label in a mold cavity of an injection molding apparatus by contacting the upper surface of the second adhesive layer of the label with a wall of the mold cavity;
- (D) injecting a thermoplastic resin under heat and pressure into the mold cavity so that the resin contacts the layer of second adhesive of the label thereby forming an article having the label bonded to an exposed surface of the article;
- (E) cooling the thermoplastic resin to a solid form;
- and
- (F) removing the composite article from the mold cavity.
10 more elements
A method of producing a label-bearing molded article comprising:
- (A) providing an in-mold label comprising:
- (A-1) a polymer facestock having a printable upper surface and a heat activatable first adhesive lower surface;
- (A-2) a layer of a second adhesive overlying the upper surface of the facestock wherein the second adhesive layer has an upper surface and a lower surface;
- and
- (A-3) a carrier sheet overlying the upper surface of the second adhesive layer;
- (B) removing the carrier sheet;
- (C) positioning and adhering the label to an interior molding surface of a mold by contacting the upper surface of the second adhesive layer of the label with the internal molding surface of the mold,
- (D) inserting a plastic article into the mold,
- (E) bringing together, within the mold and in the presence of heat, the article being molded in the mold and said interior molding surface whereby the label is bonded to said hot molded article,
- (F) cooling the labeled article, and
- (G) removing the labeled article from the mold.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.