Cylindrical shrinkable label original roll and manufacturing method of the same

Abstract

To provide a cylindrical shrinkable label original roll capable of performing printing on one surface efficiently, and capable of performing envelope attachment processing normally, and to provide a manufacturing method of the same.SOLUTION: A cylindrical shrinkable label original roll 201 is a long and cylindrical member in which a plurality of shrinkable labels are continued in a longitudinal direction, and individual shrinkable labels are obtained when cut and separated by a first cutting line extending in a width direction. The cylindrical shrinkable label original roll includes a seal part 11 having a first surface 41 and a second surface 42 which are mutually a front surface and a rear surface, an end part of the first surface 41 and an end part of the second surface 42 being bonded. On the first surface 41, a first printing layer 21 is printed in a uniform repeating pattern across both the seal part 11 and portions other than the seal part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tubular shrink label stock and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology is known in which an object is packaged by covering it with a cylindrical shrink label. The object can be, for example, a container for a drink, food, medicine, toiletry product, or the like. Shrink labels can be used for containers of various shapes. Containers in this case include, for example, plastic bottles, cups, glass bottles, and metal cans. A shrink label before being applied to a container is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-69056 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Such shrink labels are typically supplied in a roll that is long and tubular. These are then cut to obtain tubular shrink labels of the desired length. The cut tubular shrink labels are then placed over an object. Hereinafter, the tubular, long, rolled tubular shrink label before cutting will be referred to as the "tubular shrink label stock."

[0004] To obtain a tubular shrink label stock, a single sheet is first prepared. This sheet is usually supplied in a long roll, with a width corresponding to multiple rows of shrink labels. Hereinafter, this state will be referred to as a "multiple-row shrink label stock." Once this is cut into strips each corresponding to a single row, it will be referred to as a "single-row shrink label stock."

[0005] In recent years, there has been a marked trend toward small lot production of a wide variety of products, and shrink labels must also be able to accommodate this trend.

[0006] Shrink labels usually have some kind of design printed on them. The main design is printed on the inside surface of the shrink label (hereinafter also referred to as the "back surface"). A medium layer is printed on the outside surface of the shrink label (hereinafter also referred to as the "front surface"), for example, to impart abrasion resistance. A matte varnish layer may also be formed on the front surface, for example, to achieve a visual effect. A shrink label with a matte varnish layer formed on the front surface is described in JP 2018-120181 A (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-69056 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-120181 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] When printing on shrink labels, gravure printing and flexographic printing are generally used. These printing methods use plates. When the type of shrink label changes, plate printing requires changing the mold, which takes a long time. When handling a large number of small lots, the frequency of mold changes increases, which reduces productivity.

[0009] Digital printing is sometimes used to print the design on the back of shrink labels. Examples of digital printing include inkjet printing and toner printing. Digital printing is plateless, which means it takes less time to change the printing style.

[0010] It is possible to print the front side of a shrink label using plateless printing, but if plateless printing is used on both the back side and the front side, it would mean printing on both sides of the sheet, which has the disadvantage of requiring larger and more complex printing equipment.

[0011] To produce a tubular shrink label roll, a process known as "envelope gluing" is required. Envelope gluing involves folding a single-row shrink label roll into a cylindrical shape, overlapping the edges, and gluing them together. Even if the front side is printed, if the entire adhesive area is covered with a medium layer or matte varnish during this envelope gluing process, the adhesive strength will be reduced. It is preferable to leave the area used for adhesion unprinted on the front side. Patent Document 2 provides an area called an "ink clear area" where the matte varnish is not applied. However, since the width of a single-row shrink label (also known as the "fold diameter") varies from product to product, preparing front-side printing to match each fold diameter in advance is unrealistic from the standpoints of economic rationality and inventory management. This problem also applies when printing the front side after plateless printing on the back side.

[0012] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tubular shrink label raw material that allows efficient printing on one side and allows proper enveloping processing, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tubular shrink label blank, which is a long, tubular member having a plurality of shrink labels connected longitudinally and which is intended to be cut along a first cutting line extending widthwise to yield individual shrink labels. This tubular shrink label blank has a first side facing the outside of the tube and a second side facing the inside of the tube. This tubular shrink label blank has a seal area where an end of the first side and an end of the second side are bonded together. A first printing layer is printed on the first side in a uniform, repeating pattern across the seal area and areas other than the seal area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a tubular shrink label raw material that can be efficiently printed on one side and can be properly affixed to an envelope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a tubular shrink label raw material in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a shrink label obtained from a tubular shrink label web in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a first stage of a method for using a shrink label obtained from a tubular shrink label web in the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a second stage of a method for using a shrink label obtained from a tubular shrink label web in the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a third stage of a method for using a shrink label obtained from a tubular shrink label web in the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a multi-row shrink label raw material used to obtain a tubular shrink label raw material in a first embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7]1 is a perspective view of a single-row shrink label raw material used to obtain a tubular shrink label raw material in a first embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a single-row shrink label blank used to obtain a tubular shrink label blank in a first embodiment according to the present invention, the portion corresponding to one shrink label being developed into a single sheet. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a seal portion of a raw tubular shrink label in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the leading end of a tubular shrink label web in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, with the thickness exaggerated. [Figure 12] 1 is a plan view of a first example of a repeating pattern in a first print layer of a raw tubular shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a second example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw tubular shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a third example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw tubular shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a fourth example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw tubular shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a fifth example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw cylindrical shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sixth example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw tubular shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20]FIG. 21 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 20. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a seventh example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw tubular shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an eighth example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw cylindrical shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a ninth example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw cylindrical shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 16 is a plan view of a tenth example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw cylindrical shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an eleventh example of a repeating pattern in the first print layer of the raw cylindrical shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] 10 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a raw material for a tubular shrink label in a second embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 27] 11 is a flowchart of a modified example of the method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label raw material in the third embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a first example of a cross-sectional shape of a tube of a shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a second example of the cross-sectional shape of the tube of the shrink label in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to one shrink label taken out of a single-row shrink label blank used to obtain a tubular shrink label blank in a fourth embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the seal portion of a raw tubular shrink label in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 32]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the leading end of a tubular shrink label web in a fourth embodiment according to the present invention, with the thickness exaggerated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] (Embodiment 1) (composition) A tubular shrink label raw material in a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Figure 1 shows a tubular shrink label raw material 201 in this embodiment. For ease of explanation, Figure 1 shows the opening 10 in a slightly open state. In Figure 1, the line along which the material is to be cut is shown as a two-dot chain line as a first cutting line 71. The shrink label 101 shown in Figure 2 is obtained by cutting the tubular shrink label raw material 201 along the first cutting line 71. The shrink label 101 is of a size that can be used for one container.

[0017] In other words, the tubular shrink label raw material 201 is made up of a plurality of shrink labels 101 connected together. The plurality of shrink labels 101 are connected together in the longitudinal direction of the tubular shrink label raw material 201. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the tubular shrink label raw material 201 is wound into a roll. The tubular shrink label raw material 201 may be prepared in advance in this roll shape.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the shrink label 101 has a rectangular cylindrical shape. While a rectangular prism is used here as an example, it may also be a polygonal prism other than a rectangular prism. Alternatively, the cylindrical shape of the shrink label 101 does not necessarily have to be a precise rectangular or polygonal prism, and it may be a prism with a cross-sectional shape such as that shown in FIGS. 28 and 29. The shrink label 101 has a seal portion 11 at one side. The shrink label 101 has openings 10 at the top and bottom. As shown in FIG. 3, it is placed on a container 5, which serves as the target object, from above. The container 5 may be, for example, a plastic bottle. Once the shrink label 101 is placed on the container 5, it becomes as shown in FIG. 4. In this state, by blowing hot air, steam, superheated steam, or the like onto the entire container, the shrink label 101 shrinks circumferentially around the tube, resulting in the appearance shown in FIG. 5. In other words, the shrink label 101 is attached to the outer surface of the container 5.

[0019] The tubular shrink label raw material 201 in this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, but the following will explain the steps prior to obtaining the tubular shrink label raw material 201.

[0020] Figure 6 shows a multi-row shrink label raw material 401. Here, as an example, the areas to become shrink labels are arranged in four rows. The multi-row shrink label raw material 401 is cut into individual rows by second cutting lines 72 parallel to the longitudinal direction 91.

[0021] As a result, a single-row shrink label web 301 is obtained, as shown in Figure 7. In the single-row shrink label web 301, the areas to become shrink labels are arranged in a single row. In other words, the areas to become shrink labels are arranged in a continuous line in the longitudinal direction 91. In Figure 7, the line along which cutting is planned, i.e., the first cutting line 71, is shown by a two-dot chain line. In Figure 7, the line along which folding is planned is shown by a dashed line. As shown in Figure 7, in the single-row shrink label web 301, many areas to become shrink labels are arranged in a continuous line along the longitudinal direction 91.

[0022] The single-row shrink label raw material 301 is unwound from the roll in this long form and processed into a cylindrical shape. It is then wound up into a roll again. In this way, the cylindrical shrink label raw material 201 shown in Figure 1 is obtained.

[0023] The cutting to produce one shrink label 101 as shown in Figure 2 is performed from a tubular shrink label web 201. Because the tubular shrink label web 201 is already tubular at this point, in reality, a situation does not occur in the manufacturing process where only the portion corresponding to one shrink label 101 exists as a single, non-tubular sheet. However, for ease of explanation, Figure 8 shows the portion corresponding to one shrink label 101 unfolded as a single sheet before being processed into a tube. In Figure 8, it is shown as a horizontally elongated rectangular sheet 151, but in reality, the single-row shrink label web 301 shown in Figure 7 is made up of many such regions lined up vertically in Figure 8. In other words, Figure 8 shows only the region of the single-row shrink label web 301 that corresponds to one shrink label 101.

[0024] A cross-sectional view of the sheet 151 is shown in Figure 9. The sheet 151 has a first surface 41 and a second surface 42. The sheet 151 includes a base layer 20, a first printed layer 21, and a second printed layer 22. The first printed layer 21 is disposed on the first surface 41 side of the base layer 20. The second printed layer 22 is disposed on the second surface 42 side of the base layer 20. The first printed layer 21 is, for example, a medium layer or a matte varnish layer. The ink material forming the first printed layer 21 preferably contains less than 40% by mass of particulate components. For example, a medium layer contains 1% to 10% by mass of a particulate lubricant such as wax as a particulate component. The matte varnish layer may contain a matting agent as a particulate component. Examples of matting agents as particulate components include inorganic particles such as silica and organic particles such as acrylic beads. The matte varnish layer may contain 10% to 35% by mass of a matting agent as a particulate component. Furthermore, the matte varnish layer may contain 1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less of a particulate lubricant in addition to the matte agent.

[0025] When a medium layer is formed as the first printed layer 21, the thickness of the medium layer is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 2 μm or less. Furthermore, the thickness of the medium layer is more preferably 0.3 μm or more and 1 μm or less. The median thickness of the medium layer is preferably 0.5 μm.

[0026] 9, the first printed layer 21 is shown as one continuous layer for ease of explanation, but in reality, regions with and without layers are arranged in a uniformly repeating pattern. The uniformly repeating pattern referred to here will be described in detail later. A region of a predetermined width located a predetermined distance from one end of the first printed layer 21 becomes the first face seal region 61.

[0027] For ease of explanation, the second printed layer 22 is also shown in FIG. 9 as a single continuous layer. However, it is formed by applying one or more colors of ink to predetermined locations to express the desired design. Therefore, in reality, the second printed layer 22 is not limited to a single continuous layer, and there may be areas where two or more layers overlap. There may also be areas within the second printed layer 22 where there is no ink. A second-side non-printed area 65 is provided as an area without the second printed layer 22, extending a predetermined width from the other end, to form the second-side seal area 62. The second-side seal area 62 is provided as part of the second-side non-printed area 65. Because the second-side seal area 62 is provided in an area where no printing is applied, the surface of the base material layer 20 is exposed in the second-side seal area 62.

[0028] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the seal portion 11 when the sheet 151 has been processed into a cylindrical shape. FIG. 10 corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the seal portion 11 in FIG. 1. A first-face seal region 61 provided on the first face 41 and a second-face seal region 62 provided on the second face 42 are bonded to each other. In FIG. 10, the portion where the first-face seal region 61 and the second-face seal region 62 are bonded to each other is indicated by a thick line. In other words, the entire seal portion 11 is not bonded, but only a portion of the seal portion 11 is actually bonded.

[0029] Because the first face seal region 61 and the second face seal region 62 are actually bonded to each other, the width of the first face seal region 61 and the width of the second face seal region 62 are always equal. The region where the first face seal region 61 and the second face seal region 62 are bonded to each other will be referred to as the "seal region" below. The width of the seal region will be referred to as the "seal width." Meanwhile, when referring to the seal portion 11, it refers to the entire overlapping portion that achieves bonding in the seal region.

[0030] The first-surface sealing region 61 is provided over a predetermined width at a position a predetermined distance from one end of the sheet 151. The second-surface sealing region 62 is provided over a predetermined width from the other end of the sheet 151. Bonding can be performed by known techniques such as solvent sealing, adhesive sealing, ultrasonic sealing, and heat sealing. From the viewpoint of productivity, bonding is preferably performed by solvent sealing. Note that "solvent sealing" is a bonding method in which film surfaces are melted and then the melted film surfaces are brought into contact with each other to bond them.

[0031] 11 shows a schematic representation of the leading end of a tubular shrink label raw material 201 with the thickness exaggerated. The tubular shrink label raw material 201 has a cylindrical shape as shown.

[0032] 10 and 11, the position of the leading edge of the sheet end located inside the tube in the seal portion 11 is shown to coincide with the position of the terminal end of the second printed layer 22 of the sheet end on the outside of the tube, but in reality, the leading edge of the sheet end located inside the tube may extend to some extent beyond the terminal end of the second printed layer 22 of the sheet end on the outside of the tube. In other words, there may be an area where the second printed layer 22 of the sheet end located inside the tube and the second printed layer 22 of the sheet end on the outside of the tube overlap.

[0033] The tubular shrink label blank 201 in this embodiment can be described as follows. The tubular shrink label blank 201 is a long, tubular member having multiple shrink labels connected longitudinally. When cut along a first cutting line 71 extending widthwise, individual shrink labels 101 are obtained. The tubular shrink label blank 201 has a first side and a second side, which are opposite sides of each other. Either the first side or the second side may face the outside of the tube. However, in this example, the first side faces the outside of the tube, and the second side faces the inside of the tube. That is, the tubular shrink label blank 201 has a first side 41 facing the outside of the tube and a second side 42 facing the inside of the tube. The tubular shrink label blank 201 has a seal portion 11, where the end of the first side 41 and the end of the second side 42 are bonded together. The first surface 41 is printed with a first printing layer 21 in a uniform repeating pattern across the sealed portion 11 and areas other than the sealed portion 11. The uniform repeating pattern is not a so-called solid pattern, but a pattern in which printed and unprinted areas are alternately arranged according to a fixed rule. In the unprinted areas, the surface of the base material layer 20 is exposed. It is preferable that the widths of the printed and unprinted areas are narrow.

[0034] (Actions and Effects) In this embodiment, the first printing layer 21 is printed in a uniform repeating pattern on the first side 41, which serves as the front side of the shrink label, both in the seal area 11 and other areas. In other words, the first printing layer 21 can be printed under the same conditions regardless of whether the area corresponds to the seal area 11. This allows for efficient printing on one side. Because the first printing layer 21 is printed in a uniform repeating pattern everywhere, the presence of a certain number of printed areas of the first printing layer 21 ensures the abrasion resistance and adhesive properties required of the first side 41, which serves as the front side. Since adhesive properties are ensured in this way, envelope sealing can be performed normally. Because the first printing layer 21 is printed in a uniform repeating pattern everywhere, there are many small areas where the first printing layer 21 is not present, and these areas ensure adhesive strength. Therefore, there is no need to design the printing on the front side of each shrink label product differently, and since adhesion is sufficient, the envelope affixing process can be carried out normally.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first printing layer 21 is not formed on the first surface 41 so as to completely cover the entire given area without any gaps, i.e., so-called solid printing, but is printed in a uniform, repeating pattern, resulting in printed and unprinted areas. Of these two patterns, the unprinted areas do not require material, so the amount of material used for the first printing layer 21 can be reduced. For example, if the first printing layer 21 is a medium layer, the amount of medium ink used can be reduced.

[0036] In this embodiment, the first printing layer 21 on the first surface 41, which serves as the front surface, is printed in a uniform, repeating pattern, and when printing on the second surface, there is no need to align the printing on the first printing layer 21 in consideration of the printing. This also allows for efficient manufacturing.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first printing layer 21 on the first surface 41 (the front surface) is printed in a uniform repeating pattern. Therefore, to accommodate products with different folding diameters, a base roll of the same specifications can be used, and the back surface can be digitally printed, slit, and sealed. This eliminates the need to change the printing method for the first printing layer 21 on the front surface to suit each product. This reduces inventory. Since the target product can be switched and work can be performed without changing the tubular shrink label base roll installed in the device, shrink labels can be produced in a short time.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first surface 41 has printed and unprinted areas of the first printed layer 21.

[0039] It is preferable that the repeating pattern is arranged so that when a straight line is drawn in any direction on the first surface and attention is focused along the line, areas with the first printing layer 21 and areas without the first printing layer 21 appear repeatedly according to a certain regularity.

[0040] The "repeated pattern" referred to here will be described in more detail below with some examples. The repetitive pattern may be, for example, a pattern arranged in stripes as a collection of straight lines extending in any direction.

[0041] (First example) The repeating pattern may be, for example, a diagonal stripe pattern as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 shows an enlarged portion of FIG. 12. In FIG. 13, the hatched areas are printed areas of the first printing layer 21, and the unhatched areas are unprinted areas of the first printing layer 21. FIG. 13 also shows the width a of the printed areas and the width b of the unprinted areas. It also shows the angle θ that each line of the stripe pattern makes with the longitudinal direction 91. In this example, the angle θ is 30°. In this example, both a and b in FIG. 13 are 0.5 mm. That is, the width a of the printed areas and the width b of the unprinted areas are equal.

[0042] (Second example) The repeating pattern may be as shown in FIG. 14. In this example, the angle θ is 30°, a = 0.5 mm, and b = 0.7 mm. That is, the width of the non-printing area is wider than the width of the printing area.

[0043] (Third example) The repeating pattern may be as shown in FIG. 15. In this example, the angle θ is 30°, a = 0.5 mm, and b = 1.0 mm. That is, the non-printing area is twice as wide as the printing area.

[0044] (Fourth example) The repeating pattern may be as shown in FIG. 16. In this example, the angle θ is 30°, a = 0.7 mm, and b = 0.5 mm. That is, the width of the printing area is wider than the width of the non-printing area.

[0045] (Fifth example) The repeating pattern may be as shown in FIG. 17. A magnified part of FIG. 17 is shown in FIG. 18. In this example, the angle θ is 15°, and both a and b are 0.5. That is, the width of the printing area is equal to the width of the non-printing area.

[0046] Here, two examples where the shown angle θ is 15° and 30° are shown, but these are merely illustrative, and the angle θ may be any other angle. Also, the values of the widths a and b are not limited to those exemplified here. a may be equal to b, a may be greater than b, or a may be less than b. It is preferable that the width a is smaller than the seal width. The seal width is, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. Further, it is preferable that the seal width is 2 mm or more and 7 mm or less.

[0047] (Sixth example) The repeating pattern may be as shown in Figure 19. Figure 20 shows an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 19. In this example, the angle θ is 0°. The lines that make up the stripe pattern extend parallel to the longitudinal direction 91. This is what is known as a vertical stripe pattern. In this example, a = 0.5 mm and b = 1.0 mm. In other words, the non-printed area is twice as wide as the printed area. In the case of such a vertical stripe pattern, it is preferable to set a and b to small values ​​as described here, as this can prevent the formation of large areas known as "external debris" in the sealed area.

[0048] The outer lining refers to the free end of the seal that is not glued. When the outer lining is too large and gets caught on something, it is called "protruding edges." However, if the outer lining can be kept extremely small, this can be prevented.

[0049] In the sixth example, the seal width is designed to be larger than width a. If a = 0.5 mm, the seal width is designed to be 3 mm, for example. This configuration ensures that there is always a non-printed area within the seal area, ensuring sufficient adhesive strength.

[0050] Furthermore, if the repeating pattern is a vertical stripe pattern like this, the seal portion also shrinks beautifully when the shrink label is shrunk, which is preferable.

[0051] When bonding is performed using solvent sealing, in a repeating pattern of printed and non-printed areas, the solvent that tries to spread is blocked by the presence of the printed areas, so when a solvent is used to bond the sealed area, it is also possible to suppress undesired spreading of the solvent.

[0052] (Example 7) The repeating pattern may be as shown in Figure 21. In this example, the angle θ is 90°. The lines constituting the stripe pattern extend parallel to the width direction 92. This is a so-called horizontal stripe pattern. In this example, a = 0.5 mm and b = 1.0 mm.

[0053] When a stripe pattern is used as the repeating pattern, the width a of the printed area is preferably 0.2 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. Furthermore, width a is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The width b of the non-printed area is preferably 0.2 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. Furthermore, width b is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The angle θ is preferably 15° or more and 75° or less. Furthermore, the angle θ is preferably 30° or more and 60° or less. Although Figures 12 to 18 show examples of stripe patterns formed by a straight line connecting the upper left and lower right, these are merely examples, and a stripe pattern formed by a straight line connecting the upper right and lower left may also be used.

[0054] (Example 8) The repeating pattern may be a pattern of two or more intersecting stripes. For example, it may be as shown in FIG. 22. In this example, a stripe pattern with a = 0.5 mm and b = 1.0 mm at θ = 15° is overlapped with a stripe pattern with a = 0.5 mm and b = 1.0 mm at θ = 0°. The non-printed areas are represented as numerous small parallelograms. For ease of explanation, FIG. 22 shows two overlapping squares with vertical stripes, but in reality, the two squares do not have the appearance of such two overlapping squares. The pattern shown in the overlapping area of ​​the two squares is the repeating pattern shown as the eighth example. That is, the first printing layer 21 is printed on the first surface 41, which serves as the front side of the shrink label, uniformly across the sealed portion 11 and the area other than the sealed portion 11, with this repeating pattern of two intersecting stripes.

[0055] Here, two stripes, θ=0° and θ=15°, are crossed, but this is merely an example, and stripes at other angles may be combined and crossed. For example, two stripes, θ=0° and θ=90°, may be crossed. In this case, a grid pattern is formed.

[0056] (Example 9) The repeating pattern may include a collection of element areas on which the first printing layer is printed to form a fixed shape, and the element areas may be arranged at equal intervals. For example, the repeating pattern may be as shown in FIG. 23. In this example, the repeating pattern can also be said to have printed and non-printed areas. In FIG. 23, the hatched areas are printed areas, and the non-hatched areas are non-printed areas. In other words, each element area is printed. In this example, the element areas are cross-shaped. The dimensions of each part in FIG. 23 are a = 0.5 mm, b = 0.5 mm, c = 1.0 mm, d = 0.5 mm, and e = 1.0 mm. The dimensions shown here are merely an example and may not be exact.

[0057] In the ninth example, the seal area is also larger than the element area. It can be said that the first-surface seal area 61 provided on the first surface 41 serving as the front surface has a printed area and a non-printed area.

[0058] (Example 10) The repeating pattern may be, for example, as shown in Fig. 24. This is a so-called polka dot pattern. In this example, the element regions are circular.

[0059] (Example 11) The repeating pattern may be, for example, as shown in Figure 25. This is a so-called checkerboard pattern. The checkerboard pattern can also be considered as a collection of element regions having squares.

[0060] Furthermore, if the repeating pattern is a striped pattern, the repeating pattern may be a repeating combination of multiple types of straight lines with different line widths. If the repeating pattern is a polka dot pattern, the repeating pattern may be a regular repetition of a combination of circles of different sizes. Furthermore, the repeating pattern may be a regular repetition of a combination of different shapes such as circles and squares.

[0061] (Embodiment 2) (Manufacturing method) A method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label raw material in the second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 26. Fig. 26 is a flowchart showing the method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label raw material in the present embodiment.

[0062] The method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label stock in this embodiment includes the steps of: step S1 of preparing a long sheet having a first surface 41 and a second surface 42 that are opposite each other, and which is to be processed into a tubular shape by bonding together a first-face sealing area 61 on the first surface 41 and a second-face sealing area 62 on the second surface 42; step S2 of printing a first printing layer 21 on the first surface 41 in a uniform repeating pattern across the first-face sealing area 61 and areas other than the first-face sealing area 61 using a first printing method; step S3 of printing a design on the area of ​​the second surface 42 other than the second-face sealing area 62 using a second printing method; and step S4 of processing the sheet into a tubular shape by abutting and bonding together the first-face sealing area 61 on the first surface 41 and the second-face sealing area 62 on the second surface 42.

[0063] The sheet prepared in step S1 is the single-row shrink label roll 301 shown in Figure 7. However, at the stage of step S1, the sheet has not yet been folded or printed. The solid and dashed lines shown on the sheet in Figure 7 are not visible lines, but merely conceptual lines.

[0064] By performing steps S2 and S3, the structure shown in FIG. 9 is obtained. More specifically, by performing step S2, the first printing layer 21 is formed on the first surface 41. By performing step S3, the design printing layer 22 is formed on the second surface 42. Either step S2 or step S3 may be performed first. However, between steps S2 and S3, it is preferable to perform step S2 first. This is because, if step S2 is performed first, it is possible to stock a large number of sheets that have been processed up to step S2 in advance in the form of multi-row shrink label rolls, and then remove only the required amount when needed to perform step S3.

[0065] A slitting process may be performed between steps S2 and S3 and step S4, in which the sheet is processed into a cylindrical shape. Alternatively, the slitting process may be performed between steps S2 and S3. The "slitting process" here refers to a process of making slits to adjust the dimension in the width direction 92 in FIG. 7. The dimension in the width direction 92 is the circumferential dimension of the shrink label 101, but the required circumferential dimension varies depending on the object. In the slitting process, slits are made in the longitudinal direction 91 so that the dimension in the width direction 92 in FIG. 7 becomes the desired dimension.

[0066] By performing step S4, the structure shown in Fig. 10 is obtained. By winding this into a roll, the tubular shrink label raw material 201 shown in Fig. 1 is obtained.

[0067] When the bonding in step S4 is performed by solvent sealing, it is preferable to apply the solvent to the second surface sealing region 62. That is, it is preferable to first apply the solvent to the second surface sealing region 62, and then overlap and bond the second surface sealing region 62 to the first surface sealing region 61.

[0068] (Actions and Effects) In this embodiment, for the reasons explained in the first embodiment, printing on the front side can be performed efficiently, and the envelope sealing process can be performed normally.

[0069] The first printing method is preferably plate printing. Examples of plate printing include gravure printing and flexographic printing. Assuming that the first printing layer 21 on the first surface 41 can be used in common for all label designs, it is conceivable to prepare a large quantity of multi-row shrink label rolls in which the first printing layer 21 has been formed on the first surface 41 using the first printing method. In this way, it is efficient to stock a large quantity of multi-row shrink label rolls and remove only the required amount when needed, and then form the design printing layer 22 on the second surface 42 using the second printing method. Considering this, it is preferable that the first printing method be plate printing, which is suitable for mass printing.

[0070] The second printing method may be either plate printing or plateless printing. Plateless printing may be, for example, digital printing, inkjet printing, toner printing, etc. The second printing method is preferably plateless printing. For example, a combination in which the first printing method is plate printing and the second printing method is plateless printing is conceivable. When printing on the second side 42, printing is performed so as to avoid the area intended to become the seal portion.

[0071] As for the printing order, it is preferable to first form the first printing layer 21 by performing the first printing method on the first surface 41 using plate printing, and then form the design printing layer 22 by performing the second printing method on the second surface 42 using plateless printing. This also applies to the third embodiment described below. There are an extremely large number of types of designs that can be expressed by the design printing layer 22 formed on the second surface 42, and printing is required according to each type. From this perspective, it is preferable that the second printing method be a printing method that can be easily switched between types. Therefore, it is preferable that the second printing method be plateless printing.

[0072] In view of these, it is more preferable that the first printing method is plate printing and the second printing method is plateless printing.

[0073] In the second embodiment, the sheet prepared in step S1 is described as the single-row shrink label raw material 301 shown in FIG. 7, but the following other methods can also be considered as methods for manufacturing tubular shrink label raw material.

[0074] (Embodiment 3) (Manufacturing method) A method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label raw material in a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 27. A flowchart of the method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label raw material in this embodiment is shown in Fig. 27. The basic configuration of this manufacturing method is the same as that described in the second embodiment.

[0075] In the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the sheet prepared in step S1 (preparing the long sheet) is a multi-row shrink label roll 401, as shown in FIG. 6, with regions corresponding to multiple shrink labels aligned widthwise. The manufacturing method of this embodiment also includes step S5, prior to step S4 (processing into a cylindrical shape), in which the multi-row shrink label roll 401 is cut along second cutting lines 72 extending longitudinally to obtain single-row shrink label rolls 301 corresponding to each row of shrink labels. The width of the multi-row shrink label roll 401 does not necessarily have to be an integral multiple of the width of the single-row shrink label roll 301, but may be somewhat wider than that. In this case, excess portions may be provided on both widthwise ends of the multi-row shrink label roll 401, and these excess portions may be cut and removed in step S5.

[0076] Step S4, which processes the sheet into a cylindrical shape, is performed on the single-row shrink label roll 301 obtained as a result of step S5. That is, in this embodiment, steps S2, S3, S5, and S4 are performed in this order. In this embodiment, step S2 is performed before step S3. Step S2 is performed before step S5.

[0077] (Actions and Effects) This embodiment also achieves the effects described in embodiment 2. In this embodiment, a multi-row shrink label raw material 401 is prepared in step S1, printed on, and then cut into single-row shrink label raw material 301 in step S5, so that multiple tubular shrink label raw material can be obtained efficiently in a short period of time.

[0078] Although step S5 has been described as being performed after step S3, step S5 may be performed before step S3 if there is no need to print a large volume of wide-width material. That is, steps S2, S5, S3, and S4 may be performed in this order.

[0079] (Fourth embodiment) (composition) 30 to 32, a cylindrical shrink label raw sheet according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, an example in which the first and second sides are reversed compared to the first embodiment will be described in more detail.

[0080] Individual shrink labels are removed by cutting only the required length from the tubular shrink label raw material in this embodiment. For ease of explanation, FIG. 30 shows only the portion corresponding to one shrink label. This figure is shown in the same manner as FIG. 9 in Embodiment 1. Here, the portion corresponding to one shrink label removed from the tubular shrink label raw material in this embodiment is shown as sheet 152. FIG. 31 shows a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of seal portion 11 when sheet 152 has been processed into a tubular shape. FIG. 32 shows a schematic representation of the leading end of this tubular shrink label raw material, with the thickness exaggerated. The tubular shrink label raw material in this embodiment is tubular in this way.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 30, the sheet 152 has a base layer 20n which is a milky white film. That is, the tubular shrink label raw material 202 in this embodiment has a base layer 20n which is a milky white film. The first printed layer 21 is supported by the base layer 20n. As shown in Fig. 32, the first surface 41 faces the inside of the tube, and the second surface 42 faces the outside of the tube.

[0082] When the base layer 20n is an opaque film, the first printed layer 21 is formed on the first surface 41 facing the inside of the tube. The first printed layer 21 is, for example, a medium layer. Forming a medium layer on the inner surface ensures the appropriateness of the shrink label during application. For example, the first printed layer 21 is useful for ensuring the slipperiness of the inner surface of the shrink label when it is fitted into a container. Furthermore, when handling a tubular shrink label using an application machine, it is conceivable to insert a jig such as a mandrel from the inside of the shrink label. The first printed layer 21 is also useful in ensuring good slipperiness between such a jig and the inner surface of the shrink label. When the shrink label shrinks due to heating, slipperiness between the shrink label and the container surface becomes an issue. Maintaining good slipperiness can prevent shrinkage wrinkles, distortion, and other problems.

[0083] Furthermore, if the base layer 20n is an opaque film and the first printed layer 21 is a medium layer, it is possible to mass-produce and stock a multi-row shrink label roll with a medium layer formed as the first printed layer 21. Stocking the roll in this way allows the required amount to be removed and used for subsequent processes when needed, such as when an order is placed. The subsequent process involves inkjet printing on the second surface 42, cutting to a single-row width, and center sealing, allowing the roll to be used to create various labels. This method, in particular, makes it easy to flexibly respond to orders for a wide variety of labels with short lead times.

[0084] (Actions and Effects) This embodiment also achieves the effects described in the first embodiment. Generally, shrink labels with a transparent film substrate may have white ink printed on the inner surface, even further inside a colored printed layer of text or designs, to ensure a beautiful appearance. However, in this embodiment, the substrate layer of the tubular shrink label roll is a milky white film, eliminating the need to print white ink on the inner surface and allowing for easy production of a beautiful shrink label. In particular, when printing a design using plateless printing such as inkjet printing, costs can be reduced by eliminating the need to print solid white ink offline using plate-based printing. Furthermore, since there is no need to print a large area with white ink, for example, as in inkjet printing, a shrink label can be produced at low cost and with little odor.

[0085] In this embodiment, the base layer is a milky white film, and the whiteness of the milky white film can be utilized to obtain an attractive shrink label.

[0086] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 32, first surface 41 faces the inside of the tube, and first printed layer 21 is disposed on first surface 31, but this first printed layer 21 is printed in a uniform repeating pattern across both sealed portion 11 and areas other than sealed portion 11, as explained in embodiment 1. Therefore, adhesive strength can be ensured for the same reasons as explained in embodiment 1. This means that there is no need to design the printing on the back side differently for each shrink label product, and sufficient adhesion ensures proper envelope affixing.

[0087] (Material for base layer) The substrate layer of the shrink label, i.e., the substrate layer of the tubular shrink label stock, is required to be a heat-shrinkable film. In practice, materials commonly used for heat-shrinkable films can be used as the substrate layer material. For example, polyester resins, polystyrene resins, polyolefin resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, etc. can be used as the substrate layer material. These materials can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The substrate layer can also have a structure in which layers of these materials are laminated together.

[0088] The "polyester resin" referred to here may be a polyester resin obtained by a known method such as condensation of a diol component and a dicarboxylic acid component. The diol component may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The "dicarboxylic acid component" referred to here may be not only a dicarboxylic acid component but also a reactive derivative thereof such as an ester.

[0089] These dicarboxylic acid components may be used alone or in combination of two or more. As the polyester-based resin, a polyester-based resin obtained by using ethylene glycol as the main diol component and an aromatic dicarboxylic acid such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, or naphthalenedicarboxylic acid as the main dicarboxylic acid component is particularly preferred.

[0090] The "polystyrene-based resin" used here may be a styrene-conjugated diene block copolymer such as a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer or a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer. Alternatively, a mixture of the styrene-conjugated diene block copolymer with other polymers such as polystyrene or a copolymer of styrene and an acrylic monomer such as a (meth)acrylic acid ester may be used.

[0091] (About milky white film) In the fourth embodiment, the base layer 20n is a milky white film. The "milky white film" referred to here can be produced, for example, by adding a white colorant to the film material. Alternatively, the film material can be made to have diffused reflection by, for example, causing gas bubbles in the film material or by mixing incompatible fine particles to form a large number of voids. Alternatively, the film material can be made to have diffused reflection by, for example, mixing incompatible resins into the film material.

[0092] The "white colorant" referred to here is not particularly limited. Examples of white colorants that can be used include white pigments such as titanium oxide, antimony white, zinc sulfide, zinc white, calcium carbonate, and barium sulfate. Among these, titanium oxide is particularly preferred because it has a high degree of whiteness and is difficult to see through. The amount of white colorant added may be selected appropriately taking into consideration whiteness, cost, and the like. The amount of white colorant added also varies depending on the type of white colorant. When titanium oxide is used as the white colorant, the amount added may be, for example, 1% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less of the total weight.

[0093] (Solvent used in sealing parts) Examples of solvents that can be used to bond the films together at the seal portion include pentane, n-hexane, diethyl ether, heptane, octane, cyclohexane, isopropyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, carbon tetrachloride, xylene, ethyl acetate, toluene, benzene, methyl methyl ketone, methyl acetate, methylene chloride, tetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and methanol. Of these, 1,3-dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, methyl acetate, and cyclohexane are particularly preferred.

[0094] It should be noted that a plurality of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined and adopted. The above-described embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 5 container, 10 opening, 11 sealing portion, 20, 20n base material layer, 21 first printed layer, 22 second printed layer, 41 first surface, 42 second surface, 61 first surface seal area, 62 second surface seal area, 65 second surface unprinted area, 71 first cutting line, 72 second cutting line, 91 longitudinal direction, 92 width direction, 101 shrink label, 151, 152 sheet, 201, 202 tubular shrink label raw material, 301 single-row shrink label raw material, 401 multi-row shrink label raw material.

Claims

1. a tubular shrink label blank, which is a long, tubular member having a plurality of shrink labels connected in the longitudinal direction and which is intended to be cut along a first cutting line extending in the width direction to yield individual shrink labels; having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite surfaces to each other; a seal portion at which an end of the first surface and an end of the second surface are bonded, A cylindrical shrink label raw material having a first printing layer printed on the first surface in a uniform repeating pattern across the sealed portion and areas other than the sealed portion.

2. 2. The cylindrical shrink label stock according to claim 1, wherein the repeating pattern is arranged so that, when a straight line is drawn in any direction on the first surface and attention is focused along the line, areas with the first printing layer and areas without the first printing layer appear repeatedly according to a certain regularity.

3. The tubular shrink label raw material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first surface faces the outside of the tube and the second surface faces the inside of the tube.

4. 3. The tubular shrink label blank according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a base layer that is a milky white film, the first printed layer being supported by the base layer, the first surface facing the inside of the tube, and the second surface facing the outside of the tube.

5. a step of preparing a long sheet having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other, the long sheet being to be processed into a cylindrical shape by bonding a first surface seal area provided on the first surface and a second surface seal area provided on the second surface to each other; printing a first printing layer on the first surface in a uniform repeating pattern across the first face seal area and areas other than the first face seal area by a first printing method; printing a design on an area of ​​the second surface other than the second surface seal area by a second printing method; and processing the sheet into a cylindrical shape by abutting and adhering the first face seal area on the first surface and the second face seal area on the second surface to each other.

6. The method for manufacturing a cylindrical shrink label sheet according to claim 5 , wherein the first printing method is plate printing and the second printing method is plateless printing.

7. The sheet prepared in the step of preparing the long sheet is a multi-row shrink label raw sheet in which regions corresponding to a plurality of shrink labels are arranged in the width direction, and prior to the step of converting the sheet into a cylindrical shape, the method includes a step of cutting the multi-row shrink label raw sheet along second cutting lines extending in the longitudinal direction to obtain single-row shrink label raw sheets corresponding to one row of shrink labels in the width direction, 7. The method for manufacturing a tubular shrink label raw material according to claim 5, wherein the step of processing the sheet into a tubular shape is performed on the single-row shrink label raw material.

Images