Label

Abstract

To provide a label which is hard to unravel even after repetitive cleaning and can be nicely removed from fabric products as it exhibits flexibility and high strength when peeled off.SOLUTION: A label is provided, comprising a base material consisting of long-fiber non-woven fabric, a print layer provided on one surface of the base material layer, and an adhesive layer provided on an opposite surface of the base material layer and designed to be adhered to a fabric product.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a label, and more particularly to a label to be attached to a fabric product. [Background technology]

[0002] Clothing such as work clothes and workwear, particularly when clothing of the same shape and color is lent such as uniforms, often has a label with the user's name, control number, barcode, etc. attached so that the clothing can be easily managed even after cleaning or replacement due to damage. Also, clothing and bedding used in large quantities in hotels, hospitals, etc. often have labels attached so that they can be easily managed. Labels affixed to such fabric products must have excellent washability and dry-cleanability.

[0003] Generally, a label has a printing layer on the surface of a substrate, and an ink image is recorded on the printing layer. An adhesive layer for adhering to a fabric product is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate from the printing layer. Providing an adhesive layer on the label makes it easy to attach the label to a fabric product. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-071313 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Traditionally, woven polyester fabric has been used as the base material for labels. Polyester fabric is inexpensive, lightweight, and durable against cleaning, so it is widely used as the base material for labels. However, repeated cleaning can cause fraying, resulting in long threads sticking out from the polyester fabric. Fraying can pose a risk of contamination.

[0006] On the other hand, even in woven fabrics, strong adhesion of the threads from the back of the label may make the fabric less likely to fray. However, such labels have another problem. Applying adhesive to the threads makes them less likely to fray, but it also makes them less flexible. When a label attached with adhesive is to be peeled off from a fabric product, it cannot be peeled off cleanly, but rather tears off and small pieces of the label remain attached to the fabric product, and it takes time to completely remove them.

[0007] As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors discovered that by using a nonwoven fabric, particularly a long-fiber nonwoven fabric, as the material for the substrate, the fabric is less likely to fray even after repeated cleaning, and that the label can be easily removed from the fabric product because the fabric is flexible and has high strength when peeled off, thereby achieving the present invention. The present invention relates to the following technical aspects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] [1] A substrate made of a long-fiber nonwoven fabric; A printing layer formed on one surface of the substrate; A label comprising: a first adhesive layer disposed on the surface of the substrate opposite the printing layer, for adhering to a fabric product. [2] The label according to [1], wherein the long-fiber nonwoven fabric is a long-fiber nonwoven fabric in which multiple long-fiber filaments are arranged in one direction, and the average fiber diameter of the constituent fibers is 10 μm or less. [3] The basis weight of the long fiber nonwoven fabric is 5 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 The label described in [1] has a tensile strength of 180 N / 50 mm or more and a thickness of 50 μm or more and 170 μm or less. [4] The label described in [1], wherein the printing layer is made of polyamide resin, polyurethane resin, or the like. [5] The label described in [1], wherein the first adhesive layer is composed of a hot melt adhesive.

[0009] The present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the above configuration or the configurations of the examples described in the embodiments described below, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the technical concept of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0010] By using a nonwoven fabric, particularly a long-fiber nonwoven fabric, as the material for the label substrate, the label is less likely to fray even after repeated cleaning, and when the label is peeled off, it can be removed cleanly from the fabric product because the label is flexible and has high strength. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a label of the present invention being attached to a fabric product 5. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a label of the present invention, which has been treated with a release paper 7 to make it easier to handle, prior to application to a fabric product 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Example 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a label L is attached to the fabric surface of a fabric product 5. The label L is composed of a first adhesive layer 4, a substrate 1, a second adhesive layer 3, and a print layer 2 from the fabric surface. Before being attached to a fabric product, the label L may be provided with a temporary adhesive layer 6 and a release paper 7 for protecting the temporary adhesive layer 6 on the surface of the first adhesive layer 4 that is in contact with the substrate 1, as shown in FIG. 2, for ease of handling. By providing the release paper 7, the label is easy to handle before pressure bonding, while being easily peeled off immediately before pressure bonding. Each component will be described in order.

[0014] (Base material 1) The base material 1 constitutes the framework of the label and is made of a flexible material that needs to be strong but can also follow the flexibility of the fabric product 5 . As a result of studies, the present inventors have found that the most preferable material for the substrate 1 is a nonwoven fabric, and a long-fiber nonwoven fabric is particularly preferable.

[0015] Nonwoven fabrics can be made from fibers directly into sheets, so unlike woven or knitted fabrics, there is no need to spin fibers into threads, and since there are no processes such as "weaving and knitting," they can be produced quickly, in large quantities, and at low cost. Nonwoven fabrics are broadly classified into long-fiber nonwoven fabrics and short-fiber nonwoven fabrics based on the length of the fibers that make them up. Short fibers are cut fibers, and short-fiber nonwoven fabrics are bulky and are used in products that require a fluffy feel and elasticity, but are inferior in cost and strength to long-fiber nonwoven fabrics. The long fiber filaments of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the raw material for the label of the present invention may be substantially long fibers, for example, having an average length of 100 mm or more, more preferably an average length of 130 mm or more, and even more preferably an average length of 150 mm or more.

[0016] In this specification, a long-fiber nonwoven fabric in which a plurality of long-fiber filaments are arranged in one direction refers to a long-fiber nonwoven fabric made by arranging a plurality of long-fiber filaments so that their respective length directions (axial directions) are approximately in the same direction, in other words, by arranging a plurality of long-fiber filaments each extending in the same direction approximately in parallel.

[0017] The fiber diameter of the long fiber filaments of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.5 μm or more and 40 μm or less, preferably 5.5 μm or more and 30 μm or less. For example, a diameter of 15 μm or less, more preferably 10 μm or less can also be used.

[0018] The basis weight of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 Less than 10 g / m 2 More than 45g / m 2More preferably, it is 15 g / m or less. 2 More than 40g / m 2 It is.

[0019] The tensile strength of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 in the present invention is not particularly limited, but in the case of unidirectional fibers (MD only), the tensile strength in that direction is preferably 90N / 50mm or more, more preferably 140N / 50mm. The tensile strength is the value measured according to JIS L1096 8.14.1 Method A. In the case of bidirectional fibers (MD and CD), the tensile strength in both directions is preferably 100N / 50mm or more, more preferably 120N / 50mm or more.

[0020] The thickness of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 50 μm or more and 170 μm or less.

[0021] The shape of the substrate 1 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose of the label. For example, the label to be affixed to a textile product may include the user's name, a barcode for management purposes, or a QR code (registered trademark). For example, in the case of a user's name or a barcode, a roughly rectangular shape is preferable, and in this case, the fiber direction is aligned along the length of the rectangle. By doing this, the label can be peeled off cleanly from the fabric product without being torn.

[0022] The long fibers of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 are mainly formed by melt spinning a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a thermoplastic resin that can be processed by melt spinning, but is preferably a thermoplastic resin with good stretchability and molecular orientation, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, polypropylene (PP) resin, polyamide (PA) resin (particularly nylon 6 (PA6) and nylon 12 (PA12)), and polylactic acid (PLA) resin. The thermoplastic resin may contain various additives as necessary.

[0023] The long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 may be a commercially available product, such as MILIFE (registered trademark) (ENEOS Techno Materials Corporation), of which MILIFE (registered trademark) M30 is preferred.

[0024] Nonwoven fabric manufacturing methods basically consist of a web formation process and a web adhesion (bonding) process. The web formation process can be performed using wet methods, dry methods (air laying method, carding method, burst fiber method), or direct methods (spunbond method, meltblown method, flash spinning method), and the web adhesion (joining) process can be performed using thermal bond method, chemical bond method, needle punch method, or water punch method. The manufacturing method of the long fiber nonwoven fabric used as the substrate 1 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a combination of the meltblown method and the spunbond method for the web forming step, and a thermal bond method for the web bonding (joining) step. Furthermore, for example, examples of the manufacturing method include the methods described in JP-A-2018-012896 and JP-A-2019-005939.

[0025] Conventionally used woven polyester fabrics are made by weaving spun polyester fibers into cloth, and the threads are not bonded together, but nonwoven fabrics are made by bonding the fibers together, so they are less likely to fray. By using such long-fiber nonwoven fabrics, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon of long threads fraying even when the cloth product to which label L is affixed is repeatedly cleaned or washed, and it is also possible to reduce costs.

[0026] (printing layer) In the label L of the present invention, a print layer 2 is provided on the surface of a substrate 1, and an ink image is recorded on the print layer 2. The printing layer 2 is provided on the surface of the substrate 1 in order to obtain a label in which, when an ink image is recorded on the substrate 1, image bleeding or smudging does not occur and the recorded image is not easily removed by washing (excellent washing resistance). As described above, the printing layer 2 can be provided directly on the surface of the substrate 1, or, depending on the material of the printing layer 2, a second adhesive layer 3 can be provided between the substrate 1 and the printing layer 2, as shown in Figure 1, to strengthen the adhesion between the substrate 1 and the printing layer 2.

[0027] An ink image is recorded on the substrate 1 by thermally transferring and fixing the ink to the substrate. However, if most of the ink is on the surface of the substrate and is not sufficiently fixed, or if the ink is not firmly attached to the substrate 1, the print is likely to come off when washed, so care must be taken. The printing layer 2 of the label L is not particularly limited as long as it can sufficiently thermally transfer and fix the ink to the substrate 1, and any layer that has traditionally been used as a printing layer can be used (a layer provided on the substrate to improve the adhesion of the ink is sometimes called an ink receiving layer, image receiving layer, or coating layer).

[0028] Examples of the printing layer 2 include a printing layer formed by coating a resin on the surface of the substrate 1, and a printing layer formed as a microporous layer containing a resin by a dry or wet film forming method. As the resin, a thermoplastic resin having a melting point (by DSC method) or a softening point (by Hikano method) of 150 to 250°C is used. Examples of such resins include polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer resin, fluorine-based resin, polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, NBR, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, polyacrylonitrile, polyurethane, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, etc., among which polyamide resin or polyurethane resin has good resistance to cleaning solvents and ironing, and also has a good effect on thermal transferability. Polyurethane has cushioning properties, and even if there are irregularities in the nonwoven fabric of the substrate 1, the irregularities are unlikely to affect the printing surface of the printing layer 2 during printing.

[0029] The method for recording the image is not particularly limited, but examples include letterpress printing, screen printing, thermal transfer printing, inkjet printing, and a method in which liquid ink is applied with a writing instrument, and thermal transfer printing is preferred for printing numbers or bar codes that change on each page, as the data can be easily changed. In this specification, the printing layer 2 both before an ink image is recorded and after an ink image is recorded are referred to as the printing layer 2.

[0030] (First adhesive layer 4) The first adhesive layer 4 of the label L of the present invention adheres the surface of the fabric product 5 to the substrate 1. There are no particular limitations on the adhesive layer 4 as long as it is capable of adhering the substrate 1 to the surface of the fabric product 5, but it is preferable that the first adhesive layer 4 be made of a hot melt adhesive that can be easily attached to the washed item using an iron or the like, can withstand harsh washing conditions such as multiple washing processes without peeling off, and does not cause stains due to adhesive seeping out onto the fabric product.

[0031] The hot melt adhesive is not particularly limited as long as it can be heat-pressed. For example, resins such as saturated polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, tackifiers, waxes, etc. can be appropriately used. Among them, saturated polyester resins are preferred in terms of adhesion to the adherend (surface of the fabric product 5). The melting points of the raw materials and adhesives used may be appropriately determined depending on the heat-pressure adhesive such as an iron to be used, but it is preferable that the melting point is 100°C or higher in order to maintain washing resistance at high temperatures, and is preferably 180°C or lower in consideration of adverse effects on the adherend such as thermal deterioration and discoloration. The amount of adhesion can be selected as needed, but it is preferable that the amount is 30 to 100 μm depending on the adhesion to the adherend and flexibility. As a processing method, a commonly used hot melt processing such as knife coating, T-die, and screen coating can be appropriately selected and performed. In addition, hot melt adhesives may be applied to the entire area that is to be bonded to the adherend in order to ensure that they maintain their adhesion to the adherend. Hot melt adhesives also have the advantage that they do not require protective covering with release paper or the like until they are used for bonding, and they do not generate waste such as separators during bonding.

[0032] In the embodiment, a hot melt adhesive is used, but an adhesive other than a hot melt adhesive can also be used to bond the surface of the fabric product 5 to the substrate 1. Examples of adhesives other than hot melt adhesives that have solvent resistance, chemical resistance, oil resistance, water resistance, and heat resistance include acrylic-based (acrylic acid ester, acrylic copolymer resin), silicone-based, synthetic rubber-based (styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), chloroprene), polyester-based, polyamide-based, and elastomer-based (hot melt type) adhesives.

[0033] (Temporary adhesive layer 6) Before being attached to a fabric product, the label L can be provided with a temporary adhesive layer 6 and a release paper 7 for protecting the temporary adhesive layer 6 on the side opposite to the side of the first adhesive layer 4 that is in contact with the substrate 1, as shown in FIG. 2, for ease of handling. The temporary adhesive layer 6 is provided for temporary adhesion to enable positioning when adhering with an iron, and is a layer made of a pressure sensitive adhesive, which is provided on top of the hot melt adhesive. The adhesive used for the temporary adhesive layer 6 can be acrylic or urethane resin. The amount of adhesion can be selected as required, but if it is small, the label will peel off, and if it is large, the unevenness of the applied surface will become large, making it easy for printing defects and adhesion defects to occur, so it is preferable that it is 5 to 60 μm. The processing method is not particularly limited as long as it is a processing method that can hold the temporary adhesive layer 6 on a specific part of the label, and gravure coating, screen coating, etc. can be appropriately selected. Processing can be performed on the label surface that has been processed with the hot melt adhesive layer (first adhesive layer), or the release paper 7 can be processed with an adhesive and laminated with the label so that the temporary adhesive layer 6 is fixed to the label side.

[0034] (Release Paper 7) The release paper 7 may be provided not only to protect the temporary adhesive layer 6, but also to prevent the hot melt adhesive from melting and adhering to the printer during thermal transfer printing. The label L is composed of a peelable label and a release paper 7 that supports the label L as a continuous sheet, and the label L is not in a state where the label L is continuously present on the entire surface of the release paper 7 at the time of printing, but may be a label L that can be separated into individual leaves of a predetermined length by a slit, or a label L in which only the label portion is die-cut so that the label L can be easily peeled from the release paper 7. In this case, the temporary adhesive layer 6 can prevent printing defects. Paper or film can be used as the base material for the release paper 7, but transparent film or glassine paper is more preferable in order to detect the position of the label with a sensor during printing.

[0035] Between the substrate 1 and the first adhesive layer 4, a layer for imparting adhesion may be provided, if necessary. [Industrial Applicability]

[0036] The present invention provides a label that is resistant to fraying and has excellent resistance to washing and dry cleaning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] L···Label 1...Base material 2. Printing layer 3...Second adhesive layer 4...First adhesive layer 5...cloth products 6. Temporary adhesive layer 7. Release paper

Claims

1. A substrate made of a long fiber nonwoven fabric; A printing layer formed on one surface of the substrate; A label comprising: a first adhesive layer disposed on the surface of the substrate opposite the printing layer, for adhering to a fabric product.

2. 2. The label according to claim 1, wherein the long fiber nonwoven fabric is a long fiber nonwoven fabric in which a plurality of long fiber filaments are arranged in one direction, and the average fiber diameter of the constituent fibers is 0.5 μm or more and 40 μm or less.

3. The weight of the long fiber nonwoven fabric is 5 g / m ２ 60g / m or more ２ The label according to claim 1, having a tensile strength of 180 N / 50 mm or more and a thickness of 50 μm or more and 170 μm or less.

4. The label according to claim 1 , wherein the printing layer is made of a polyamide resin, a polyurethane resin, or the like.

5. The label of claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive layer is comprised of a hot melt adhesive.

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