Method and apparatus for transfer of decoration from web

Abstract

Systems and methods for applying decorations onto substrates. Decorations can be transported on a web along the web path to an application station at which the decorations are applied to substrates. Movement of substrates and / or the web through the application station can be controlled to effect transfer of a decoration to a substrate. An attachment between the decoration and web can be disrupted, e.g., to reduce an attachment of the decoration to the web. Such disruption may make transfer of a decoration from the web to a substrate easier, without damaging the decoration and / or enable transfer to non-cylindrical substrates.

Description

[0001] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFER OF DECORATION FROM WEB

[0002] FIELD

[0003] Disclosed embodiments are related to systems and methods for decorating substrates, e.g., by transferring a decoration from a web to a substrate.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Adhesive labels are widely used, such as for providing information and / or decoration on substrates such as bottles and other containers, packages, and so on. In some applications, decorations such as labels are formed at a printing facility, which provides the labels on a continuous web that may be rolled onto a spool. During a subsequent labeling process, the web is unwound from the spool and guided through a pre-defined path to a location at which the labels are removed from the web and applied to the substrate.

[0006] The labels typically have an adhesive side, whether formed by a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA), a glue applied to the label or a thermally-activated or fluid-activated adhesive, that serves to secure the label to a box, product or other substrate. When the label is applied to the substrate, the adhesive side may be exposed, e.g., by peeling the label from the web or by removing a liner from the adhesive side. In certain applications, the adhesive side may be non-tacky until just prior to applying the label, at which time the adhesive is activated (e.g., by applying heat or an activation fluid) and the label is applied to the substrate.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] Aspects described herein relate to systems and methods for decorating substrates.

[0009] According to some embodiments, decorations (e.g., labels) may be formed on a web (e.g., a film, belt or other suitable web substrate) at one or more decoration forming stations positioned along a web path, and the decorations may be subsequently applied to substrates at an application station positioned along the web path after the decoration forming station(s). In this manner, a single system may be used to both form the decorations and apply the decorations to substrates. In some embodiments, decorations may be formed in advance on a web and then later applied to substrates using a separate decoration application system. Thus, one or more systems may be used to produce decorations on a web, and a separate system

[0010] #14463053vl may be used to apply those pre-formed decorations onto substrates.

[0011] Decorations may be formed in any suitable way on a web. Printers such as inkjet, flexographic or other suitable printing systems can be used to deposit one or more decoration layers on the web to form a decoration. The decorations may include one or more decoration layers formed in register with one another on the web to form the decoration. Moreover, the decorations can include an adhesive layer, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, formed in register with the one or more decoration layers. The adhesive layer can be activatable such that the adhesive is initially deposited as a coating and subsequently activated to become tacky, e.g., by way of a solvent, UV light, heat, etc. Prior to application of the decorations to the substrates, the adhesive layer may be exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the web. When a decoration is applied to a substrate at the application station, the adhesive layer can be brought into contact with a surface of the substrate to adhere the decoration to the substrate. For example, in embodiments employing a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, an adhesion between the pressure sensitive adhesive layer and the substrate may be sufficient to pull the decoration from the web, thereby removing the decoration from the web.

[0012] Each decoration formed on the web may include a single element that may be applied to a substrate at the application station, or each decoration can include multiple discrete elements that are separate from each other though initially supported on the web and transferred to the same substrate. Each element of a decoration may include one or more decoration layers and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer formed in register with one another to form the decoration element. In some instances, the term “label” may be used to refer to a decoration; accordingly, as used herein, the terms “decoration” and “label” have the same meaning and may be used interchangeably. Thus, in some cases, a label may include a single element or multiple elements that are transferred together to a substrate. Moreover, it should be understood that the term decoration does not necessarily refer to “decorating” an item in any particular aesthetic sense. For example, a decoration may provide visible graphics, text, colors, optical effects (like diffraction that gives a rainbow effect), machine readable indicia (such as a barcode), tactile effects, topographical features, and so on.

[0013] As noted above, decorations on the web can be applied to substrates at an application station positioned along a web path of the web. In some instances, applying a decoration to a substrate may involve directly transferring the decoration to the substrate from the web. In such embodiments, the decoration is always supported by either the web or the substrate. In

[0014] #14463053vl other instances, a decoration may be partially or completely separated from the web prior to being applied to the substrate. For example, a portion of a decoration may be separated from the web prior to being applied to the substrate to aid in releasing the decoration from the web when the decoration is applied to the substrate. Moreover, in some instances, multiple portions of a decoration (e.g., separate discrete portions) may be applied to a substrate in a single application or the separate portions may be applied in separate application steps at the application station.

[0015] In some embodiments, an attachment of a decoration to a web on which the decoration is carried may be disrupted, e.g., reduced, weakened or otherwise changed, in a way that makes removal of the decoration from the web easier, and in some cases, possible. Such disruption may provide various advantages, such as making transfer of the decoration from the web to a substrate easier, e.g., because a force needed to remove the decoration from the web may be smaller after disruption than before. In addition or alternately, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may make removal of the decoration from the web possible, e.g., a decoration may be attached to a web in a relatively robust way such that the decoration cannot be physically pulled from the web without damaging the decoration. However, after disruption of the decoration / web attachment, removal of the decoration from the web may be made possible, or even relatively easy. This may help ensure that decorations remain securely attached to a web unless and until the decoration is to be transferred to a substrate. This may aid in preforming decorations on a web that is then rolled and provided for later application of the decorations to substrates, e.g., because the attachment of the decoration to the first side of the web can resist removal of the decoration from the web when the web is later unrolled and the exposed adhesive of decorations is separated from the back side of the web. At or before a time when a decoration is transferred to a substrate, the decoration / web attachment may be disrupted and the decoration removed from the web and applied to the decoration. In addition or alternately, disruption of the decoration / web attachment can change the way in which a decoration is attached to a web from a first mode to a second mode. For example, a decoration may initially be attached to a web by cohesion or other molecular bonds between the decoration and the web. Disruption of the decoration / web attachment may break some or all of such bonds, and in some cases the decoration may be attached to the web after disruption by alternate or additional means such as static attraction or other electric potential between the decoration and web, a pressure differential (e.g., a pressure difference between an interface between the decoration and the web and an

[0016] #14463053vl environment around the interface that tends to press the decoration and web together), adhesion (e.g., attraction between molecules of the web and decoration), friction, or other suitable condition. The second mode of attachment may allow the decoration to be more easily separated from the web as compared to the first mode of attraction. Note that the first and second modes need not necessarily each include any single type of attachment or have completely different types of attachment. For example, a first mode of attachment may include cohesive bonds and static attraction, and a second mode of attachment may include fewer cohesive bonds and static attraction such that the decoration is easier to remove from the web. In some cases, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may occur simultaneous with removal of the decoration from the web. In such a case, the second mode of attachment may be extremely temporary or non-existent, e.g., a decoration may transition from being attached to the web in a first mode to being removed from the web simultaneous with disruption of the first mode of attachment.

[0017] Disruption of decoration / web attachment can be performed in different ways and employed in different types of decoration transfer applications. For example, disruption of a decoration / web attachment can be performed by applying physical force to the decoration and / or web, causing the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other, applying thermal energy and / or a thermal energy differential to the web and / or decoration, applying electrical energy to the web and / or decoration, and others. As one example, a web and attached decoration may be caused to move around an object, such as a roller or wiper blade, such that the web and decoration must travel at suitably different speeds to move around the object. For example, a web and decoration may be caused to move around a relatively sharp or small radius edge of a wiper blade such that the web is in contact with the wiper blade and the decoration is positioned on a side of the web opposite the wiper blade. As the web and decoration move around the edge of the wiper blade, the web will travel a smaller distance than the decoration, thus causing portions of the web and decoration to travel at different speeds relative to each other. This may create a shear force at the decoration / web interface that disrupts the decoration / web attachment, e.g., by breaking at least some cohesive bonds that attach the decoration and web. Another example may involve causing portions of the decoration and web to move relative to each other such as by applying tension to the decoration / web interface. This may be done, for example, by applying a force that tends to stretch the web and decoration in one or more directions along the interface between the decoration and web, e.g., in a direction along a length of the web where the web

[0018] #14463053vl has a belt-type configuration. The decoration and web may stretch, elongate or otherwise move at different rates or different amounts in response to such force, thereby disrupting a decoration / web attachment. In some cases, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may occur before the decoration is transferred to a substrate or otherwise removed from a web. In some cases, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may occur simultaneous with transfer of a decoration to a substrate or other removal of the decoration from the web.

[0019] In some cases, a method for decorating a substrate includes providing a web having a decoration attached to a first side of the web, with the decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web. An attachment of the decoration to the web may be disrupted such that the decoration has a reduced attachment to the web as compared to before the attachment is disrupted. As discussed herein, such disruption may be performed in different ways, e.g., any way discussed herein, and may result in any suitable change of the attachment of the decoration to the web, e.g., any change in attachment discussed herein. The decoration with the reduced attachment may be transferred to a surface of a substrate, e.g., while the substrate is not rotated about an axis parallel to the surface of the substrate. For example, a substrate may move along a linear path without rotation of the substrate about any axis and / or may remain stationary and a decoration may be applied to the surface of the substrate.

[0020] In some cases, the decoration may be attached to the first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, and disrupting the attachment may include disrupting the first mode of attachment such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment. For example, the first mode of attachment may include a first number of molecular bonds between the web and the decoration, and the second mode of attachment may include a second number of molecular bonds that is less than the first number. The first and second modes of attachment are not limited to this example, however, and any attachment configuration may be employed or present in the first and second modes. In some cases, the first mode of attachment may include a first type of attachment between the web and the decoration, e.g., covalent or other molecular bonds, and the second mode of attachment may include a second type of attachment between the web and the decoration (e.g., friction, static attraction, etc.) that is different from the first type.

[0021] In some cases, disrupting the attachment includes causing the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other. For example, the web and

[0022] #14463053vl decoration may be caused to move around an object, such as an edge of a blade that contacts the second side of the web, configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web. In some cases, the object may press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate, e.g., an edge of a blade may contact a second side of the web opposite the first side to press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate. In some cases, disrupting the attachment may occur before transferring the decoration, while in some embodiments disrupting the attachment occurs simultaneous with transferring the decoration.

[0023] In some cases, the surface of the substate that receives the decoration is planar, e.g., a bottle having a planar side may receive a decoration. Thus some embodiments permit the application of decorations to substrates having one or more planar sides, including applications where the substrates are not rotated during transfer of a decoration to the substrate. However, all embodiments are not so limited and may include the use of cylindrical, irregular and other shaped substrates and / or substrates that are rotated during decoration application, e.g., rotation about a vertical or longitudinal axis of a cylindrical bottle.

[0024] In some cases, transferring the decoration includes transferring the decoration directly from the web to the substrate such that the decoration transitions from being attached to the web by a first mode of attachment to being removed from the web. Thus, a second mode of attachment of the decoration to the web may be fleeting, temporary or otherwise very, very short, e.g., the attachment may be disrupted and the decoration immediately or contemporaneously removed from the web. In some embodiments, transferring the decoration includes pressing the decoration into contact with the surface of the substrate using an object positioned on a second side of the web opposite the first side. Such an object may operate to disrupt the decoration / web attachment and / or to urge the decoration into contact with the substrate. In some cases, the object may move relative to the web and the substrate, e.g., a roller, wiper blade or other object may move relative to the web and / or substrate during decoration application.

[0025] In some cases, the attachment of the decoration to the web has a first strength level before disrupting the attachment, and the attachment of the decoration to the web has a second strength level that is less than the first strength level after disrupting the attachment. A strength level can be represented by any suitable characteristic, such as a force required to remove the decoration, a peel force required to remove the decoration, a bond strength or affinity between the decoration and the web or other object per unit area, and so on. In some

[0026] #14463053vl embodiments, the first strength level may be configured to require damage to the decoration to remove the decoration from the web, and the second strength level may be configured to permit removal of the decoration from the web without damage to the decoration. Thus, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may be required to remove the decoration from the web without damage in some cases. In some cases, the adhesive side of the decoration attached to the surface of a substrate may have a third strength level, and the third strength level may be that is greater than the second strength level and less than the first strength level. For example, the third strength level may be suitable to remove the decoration from the web when the adhesive side of the decoration is applied to the substrate after disruption of the decoration / web attachment, but may not be suitable to remove the decoration from the web prior to such disruption. In some cases, the first strength level may be configured to require a first peel force to remove the decoration from the web, the second strength level be configured to require a second peel force to remove the decoration from the web, and the first peel force being larger than the second peel force. In some embodiments, the second strength level may be configured to require a zero peel force to remove the decoration from the web. In some embodiments, a third strength level may be configured to require a third peel force to remove the decoration from the surface of the substrate, and the third peel force may be greater than the second peel force, but less than the first peel force. In some cases, applying the adhesive side of the decoration to the surface of a substrate may include using the attachment of the adhesive side to the surface of the substrate to remove the decoration from the web.

[0027] In some embodiments, a system for decorating substrates may have a web including a decoration attached to a first side of the web, with the decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web. The system may include an application station at which the decoration is applied to a surface of a substrate, and a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application station. A web control system may be configured to control movement of the web along the web path, and a substrate transport may be configured to provide a substrate at the application station to receive the decoration on the surface of the substrate. In some cases, the substrate transport may be configured to support or otherwise provide a substrate to receive a decoration without rotating the substrate about an axis parallel to the surface of the substrate, e.g., about a longitudinal axis of a cylindrical substrate. Any suitably arranged substrate may be provided to receive a decoration, such as a container or other substrate

[0028] #14463053vl having a flat or planar side, irregular shape, etc. A decoration / web attachment disruption means may be provided to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web such that an attachment strength of the decoration to the web after disruption is reduced as compared to before the attachment is disrupted. The disruption means may be arranged to disrupt the decoration / web attachment in any suitable way and to produce any suitable result, including any of those described herein. For example, the decoration may be attached to the first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, and the disrupting means may be configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment. Any suitable arrangement for the first and second modes of attachment may be provided as described herein. In some cases, the disruption means may be configured to cause the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other. In some embodiments, the disruption means may include an object configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web as the web and decoration move over the object, e.g., around or otherwise over an edge of a blade. In some cases, a blade may be configured to contact a second side of the web opposite the first side to press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate at the application station. In some embodiments, the disruption means may be located upstream of the application station. In some cases, the disruption means may be located at the application station, e.g., so as to disrupt the decoration / web attachment simultaneous with application of the decoration to a substrate. In some embodiments, the disruption means may be configured to move the object, such as a wiper blade, that disrupts the decoration / web attachment relative to the web and the substrate. In some cases, the application station may include a roller or other web support configured to press the decoration into contact with the surface of the substrate, and such a web support may be to move relative to the web and the substrate. In some embodiments, a controller may be configured to control operation of the web control system, the substrate transport, disruption means and / or any other component of the system to transfer decorations from the web to substrates at the application station. For example, in some cases, the controller may be configured to control the disruption means to adjust a level of disruption of the attachment of the decoration to the web.

[0029] As described in more detail below, the systems described herein may further include one or more features configured for web accumulation and / or control of the tension of the web. For example, such features may include one or more web festoons positioned along a

[0030] #14463053vl A1198.70005WG00

[0031] 9 web path before the decoration forming stations, between decoration forming stations and / or curing stations, between a decoration forming station and an application station or curing station, between a curing station and an application station, and / or after an application station.

[0032] It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various nonlimiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

[0033] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0035] FIG. 1 a schematic cross-sectional view of a decoration on a web in an illustrative embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a system for decorating substrates in an illustrative embodiment;

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a system for decorating substrates including a web formed as a continuous loop in an illustrative embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a system for decorating substrates including multiple decoration forming stations in an illustrative embodiment;

[0039] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of decorations including multiple elements on a web.

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] It should be understood that aspects of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the figures, which show illustrative embodiments. The illustrative embodiments described herein are not necessarily intended to show all embodiments, but rather are used to describe a few illustrative embodiments. Thus, aspects of the disclosure are not intended to be construed narrowly in view of the illustrative embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the disclosure may be used alone or in any suitable combination with other aspects of the invention.

[0042] #14463053vl A1198.70005WG00

[0043] 10

[0044] In some embodiments, decorations such as labels may be formed on a web. Each label may include a layer of an adhesive, and the adhesive layer may be exposed on the web and on the decoration. The decorations may be formed on the web in any suitable way. For example, the decorations may include a first decoration layer formed on the web, and this first decoration layer may form the outer surface of the decoration when the decoration is applied to a substrate. This first decoration layer may be optically clear or colored, and / or the first decoration layer may serve to attach the decoration as a whole to the web. One or more indicia layers may be provided on the first decoration layer, followed by an adhesive layer formed on the indicia layer(s). In this manner, the decorations may be reverse printed or otherwise formed on the web and may feature an exposed adhesive layer which may be located between the substrate and the indicia and first decoration layers when the decoration is applied to the substrate. In some instances, a release layer may be provided between the web and the first decoration layer to facilitate release of the decorations from the web when the decorations are applied to substrates. For example, decorations such as labels and webs which may be used with the systems provided herein are described in US Patent Application Pub. No. 2016 / 0335927, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, it should be understood that other types of decorations may be suitable, as the current disclosure is not limited to any particular arrangement and / or method for forming decorations. For example, other suitable types of decorations may include decorations formed by techniques including, but are not limited to, hot or cold foil stamping, flexographic printing, embossing, and / or inkjet printing.

[0045] Decorations may bear any suitable visible or non-visible information, such as text, graphics, electronic circuitry (such as an RFID device), etc. Moreover, a decoration may be provided as a single, continuous piece of material applied to a substrate, or alternatively, the decoration may be formed as a plurality of separate decoration components which collectively form the decoration. It should be understood that the systems described herein may be suitable for applying decorations to any suitable substrates, such as bottles or other containers (including irregularly shaped containers), boxes, envelopes, or other packaging materials, products for sale, etc. Moreover, the substrates may be formed from any suitable material, including, but not limited to, paper-based materials, glass, metallic materials (such as aluminum and steel), and polymeric materials (such as PET, PETE, EDPE, HDPE, and PS).

[0046] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic cross-sectional view of a decoration 4 formed on a web 1.

[0047] #14463053vl The decoration 4 includes a first decoration layer 42 (e.g., an overcoat layer), which forms the outermost exposed layer of the decoration when the decoration is applied to the substrate. The decoration further includes one or more indicia layers 43, and an adhesive layer 44, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, which is exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the web 1. Each of the layers of the decoration 4 may be formed in register with one another at one or more decoration forming stations to form the decoration.

[0048] However, it should be understood that registration of the various layers may not require perfect overlap of the layers as illustrated. For example, in some instances, one or more indicia layers 43 may be formed over only a portion of a decoration 4 to provide a desired appearance or arrangement of features in the decoration. In some embodiments, a release layer 41 may be formed between the web 1 and the first decoration layer 42. The release layer may aid in releasing the decorations 4 from the web 1 when the decorations are applied to substrates at an application station. The release layer 41, first decoration layer 42 and / or a surface of the web 1 may be configured to aid in disruption of an attachment of the decoration 4 to the web 1 as discussed more below. That is, an attachment of the decoration 4 to the web 1 may be disrupted by affecting a bond or other attachment feature between the release layer 41 and the first decoration layer 42, between the release layer 41 and the web 1 and / or between the first decoration layer 42 and the web 1, and the materials, application techniques and other aspects of these components may be configured to operate with a desired effect on attachment disruption.

[0049] FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system 100 for decorating substrates 10. The system includes a web 1 that travels along a web path from a web supply roll 21 to a web take-up roll 22. The system includes one or more web guides 14 such as rollers (e.g., drive, idle, and / or tension rollers) and other components that are part of a web control system and are known in the art for controlling various aspects or characteristics of the web 1. These characteristics may include a direction or velocity of the web, a web tension, a web alignment, and / or a position of the web along a direction transverse to a direction along which the web travels (e.g., to adjust the vertical alignment of the web and decorations relative to the substrates). The system may include any suitable number and / or arrangement of web guides and / or other components that are part of a web control system to guide and / or control a web as desired (e.g., to define a desired web path) as the current disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0050] The web guides 14 are arranged to guide the web from the supply roll 21 to a

[0051] #14463053vl decoration forming station 206 where decorations are formed on the web 1. At the decoration forming station 206, the various layers of the decorations, such as the overcoat layer, indicia layer(s), adhesive layer, and release layer (if included) can be formed on the web. It should be understood that a decoration may be formed or deposited on the web in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the decoration forming station 206 includes an inkjet printing system with one or more print heads arranged to deposit the various decoration layers onto the web in register with one another to form the decorations. In other embodiments, the decoration forming station 206 may include a flexographic printing system, or any other suitable printing system, as the disclosure is not limited to any particular system or method for depositing the decoration layers onto the web. Moreover, it should be understood that the various layers of decoration may be formed using any number of suitable processes or systems. For instance, in some embodiments, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer may be formed using substantially the same processes as those used to form other layers of the decoration. Alternatively, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer may be formed using a different process than the process(es) used to form the other decoration layers.

[0052] In some embodiments, a curing station 210 is provided between the decoration forming station 206 and the application station 210. For example, one or more decoration layers (e.g., the indicia layers) may be cured at the curing station 210 to permanently set the decoration layers in place relative to one another. As noted above, the curing station may be configured to apply any suitable curing process, such as curing via exposure to radiation (e.g., UV, visible light, thermal, or electron radiation), or a drying process such as exposure to hot air. Accordingly, it should be understood that the current disclosure is not limited to any particular curing process at the curing station. Moreover, while one curing station is depicted in this embodiment, it should be understood that the systems disclosed herein may include more than one curing station after a decoration forming station, and that each curing station may be configured to perform the same or different types of curing processes.

[0053] In some embodiments, the adhesive layer of the decorations may be activatable such that the adhesive increases its viscoelasticity and becomes tacky after activation. Accordingly, the system 100 may include an activation station 212 configured to apply a suitable activation treatment to activate the adhesive. For instance, in some embodiments, the adhesive may comprise a UV activatable pressure sensitive adhesive, and the activation station 212 is configured to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive layer to ultraviolet radiation with a broad spectrum ultraviolet radiation source and / or an LED-based ultraviolet

[0054] #14463053vl light source. Similar to the curing station 210, the activation station 212 may be configured to apply any suitable activation process, such as activation via exposure to radiation (e.g., UV, visible light, thermal, or electron radiation), or a drying process such as exposure to hot air. Accordingly, it should be understood that the current disclosure is not limited to any particular activation process at the activation station.

[0055] After the decorations are formed on the web or otherwise provided on the web, the decorations are transported on the web to an application station 3 where the decorations are applied to the substrates 10. After application of the decorations, the web 1 is collected at the take-up roller 22 positioned along the web path after the application station 3. In some embodiments, a cleaning station 214 may be positioned along the web path, such as between the application station 3 and the take-up roll 22. The cleaning station 214 may be configured to remove material from the web 1, e.g., to prepare the web for reuse in applying decorations to substrates. However, in some embodiments, the system 100 need not include the decoration forming station 206, curing station 210, activation station 212 and / or cleaning station 214. Instead, decorations 4 can be pre-formed on the web 1 and the system 100 used only to transfer the decorations 4 from the web 1 to substrates 10. Thus, decorations may be formed on a web 1 and provided, e.g., in a roll form such as a supply roll 21 to the system 100, which may function only to apply previously formed decorations to substrates. As with other aspects of the disclosure herein, a system 100 may include any suitable components and / or combinations of components provided that they are not mutually exclusive. Thus, it should be understood that systems and methods described herein can include any suitable combinations of components even though such a combination is not shown in the drawings and / or expressly described herein.

[0056] At the application station 3, the decorations 4 may be transferred from the web 1 to substrates 10. Prior to and / or simultaneous with application of a decoration 4 to a substrate 10, an attachment of the decoration 4 to the web 1 may be disrupted. Disruption of the decoration / web attachment may facilitate removal of the decoration from the web, e.g., removal of the decoration from the web may be easier, require less force, potentially cause less damage to the decoration, etc. after disruption as compared to before disruption. In some cases, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may make removal of the decoration from the web possible, e.g., a decoration may be attached to a web in a relatively robust way such that the decoration cannot be physically removed from the web without disruption of decoration / web attachment. However, after disruption of the decoration / web attachment,

[0057] #14463053vl removal of the decoration from the web may be made possible, or even relatively easy, e.g., with little or no risk for damaging the decoration during removal. In some cases, disruption of the decoration / web attachment can change the way in which a decoration is attached to a web, e.g., change an initial first mode of attachment of the decoration to the web to a second mode of attachment suitable for removal of the decoration from the web. For example, a decoration may be attached to a web in a first mode, e.g., by cohesion or other molecular bonds between the decoration and the web, and disruption of the decoration / web attachment may break some or all of such bonds. In some cases after disruption, the decoration may be attached to the web in a second mode, e.g., one or more ways that are at least partially or completely different, such as by static attraction or other electric potential between the decoration and web, a pressure differential (e.g., a pressure difference between an interface between the decoration and the web and an environment around the interface that tends to press the decoration and web together), adhesion (e.g., attraction between molecules of the web and decoration), friction, or other suitable condition. Note that the first and second modes need not necessarily include any single type of attachment or have completely different types of attachment. For example, a first mode of attachment may include cohesive bonds (and optionally static attraction or some other type of attachment for example), and a second mode of attachment may include fewer cohesive bonds (and optionally static attraction or other type of attachment for example) such that the decoration is easier to remove from the web. It should also be understood that a decoration may be attached to a web in a second mode only temporarily, e.g., such that the second mode of attachment is nearly non-existent. For example, in cases where a decoration / web attachment is disrupted simultaneous with removal of the decoration from the web (e.g., where the decoration is applied to a substrate during the time that the decoration / web attachment is disrupted), the decoration may be attached to the web in a second mode for a very brief time or no time at all. In some cases, a strength level of attachment of a decoration to a web may be disrupted, e.g., from a first strength level to a second strength level after disruption. A strength level may be characterized in different ways, such as representing a peel force or other force required to remove the decoration from the web or other object, a level of force or pressure per unit area or per unit length required to remove a decoration from a web or other object, and so on. In some cases, a first strength level may be suitable to secure a decoration to a web so that the decoration cannot be removed from the web without damaging the decoration. In some cases, a second strength level after disruption of the decoration / web

[0058] #14463053vl attachment may be very low or zero, e.g., require a zero peel force to remove the decoration from the web. In some cases, a decoration may have a third strength level regarding an attachment of the adhesive on the decoration to a substrate or other object. The third strength level may in some cases be less than the first strength level and more than the second strength level. Thus, for example, adhesion of a decoration to a substrate may be suitably strong to remove the decoration from the web after disruption of the decoration / web attachment, but not sufficient to remove the decoration from the web before disruption. This is not required, however, and the third strength level may be greater than both the first and second strength levels, e.g., suitable to remove the decoration from the web with or without disruption.

[0059] Disruption of decoration / web attachment can be performed using disruption means 5 and may be done in different ways. For example, disruption of a decoration / web attachment can be performed by applying physical force to the decoration and / or web, causing the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other (e.g., at an interface between the decoration and web), applying thermal energy and / or a thermal energy differential to the web and / or decoration (e.g., using a heater), applying electrical energy to the web and / or decoration (e.g., using a corona discharge element or other electric field generator), and others. In some cases, a web and attached decoration may be caused to move around or across an object, such as a roller or blade, such that the web and decoration must travel at suitably different speeds to move around the object. For example, FIG. 2 shows a disruption means 5 that includes a roller around which the web 1 and decoration 4 must travel to a location where the decoration 4 is applied to a substrate 10. The roller 5 may have a suitably small radius, may not rotate (e.g., the roller may remain stationary as the web 1 moves over the roller), may be heated, may transfer an electric charge to the web and / or decoration, etc. to disrupt an attachment of the decoration 4 to the web 1. After passing over the roller of the disruption means 5, the decoration 4 may be attached to the web 1 with a second mode of attachment and / or second strength level, e.g., that makes it easier to remove the decoration 4 from the web 1 as compared to before the web and decoration passed over the roller or other component of the disruption means 5. In some cases, a static blade edge may be used instead of a roller with the disruption means 5. The web may be drawn over the static blade edge, e.g., to disrupt the decoration / web attachment. Various physical effects may cause the disruption, such as stretching, heat generated by friction, etc.

[0060] In some cases, disruption of the decoration / web attachment may be performed before the decoration is removed from the web and / or before the decoration is transferred to the

[0061] #14463053vl substrate. This type of arrangement can be seen schematically in FIG. 2, in which the disruption means 5 is positioned upstream of a location where a decoration is applied to a substrate 10. Application of a decoration to a substrate can be performed in various ways, such as by a web support 6 (e.g., a roller, belt or plate) that presses the decoration into contact with a substrate 10. This type of arrangement can be seen in FIG. 2 where a roller 6 is positioned on a second side of the web 1 opposite the decoration 4 and operates to press the decoration 4 into contact with the substrate 10. As noted above, the decoration 4 may include an exposed adhesive on a side opposite the web 1, and contact of the adhesive side of the decoration 4 may cause the decoration to adhere to the substrate 10. For example, adhesion between the adhesive layer on a decoration 4 and a substrate 10 may cause the decorations to release from the web 1 and adhere to the substrate. For example, the adhesive force between the adhesive layer and the substrates 10 may be selected to be larger than an attachment force between the decorations and the web, e.g., after disruption, thereby allowing the contact with the substrates to pull the decorations off of the web. Thus, in some cases a decoration 4 may have an attachment to a substrate with a third strength level that is greater than a second strength level between the decoration 4 and web 1 after disruption of the decoration / web attachment, e.g., which is suitable to pull the decoration from the web after the decoration contacts the substrate.

[0062] Decorations 4 can be applied to substrates 10 in different ways and may involve coordinated movement of the web 1, decorations 4, substrates 10 and / or a web support 6. For example, after disruption of the decoration / web attachment for a decoration at the disruption means 5, the web 1 and attached decoration 4 (e.g., now attached in a second mode and / or at a second strength level) may travel to a location where the decoration 4 is contacted with a substrate 10 so the decoration 4 adheres to the substrate 10. This may involve coordinated movement of the web 1 / decoration 4 and the substrate 10, e.g., so that the decoration 4 and substrate 10 come together at a suitable time and place so the decoration 4 is suitably arranged on the substrate 10. Speeds of the decoration 4 and substrate 10 may be the same, or different, as suitable for transfer, and directions of movement may be the same, or different. In some cases, movement of the web support 6 may be suitably coordinated as well, e.g., a roller 6 may move toward and / or away from a substrate 10 and / or substrate transport 12 to suitably position the web 1 and decoration 4 relative to a substrate 10. In some cases, substrates 10 and decorations 4 may move along a generally linear direction during transfer of a decoration 4 to a substrate 10.

[0063] #14463053vl In some embodiments, decorations can be applied to substrates without rotating the substrates about an axis that is parallel to a surface of the substrate that receives the decoration. Such an arrangement may be useful, for example, where decorations are applied to substrates that do not have a circular or cylindrical shape and / or where a surface of a substrate that receives a decoration has a planar shape. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 2, substrates 10 may have one or more planar surfaces, e.g., having a rectangular shape in horizontal cross section, and the system 100 may be effective in applying decorations 4 to such substrates 10. For example, substrates 10 may be moved along a linear path as generally shown in FIG. 2 and decorations 4 applied to substrates 10 as they move through the application station 3. Thus, in some cases, movement of substrates 10 and decorations 4 through an application station 3 may be continuous, e.g., so a decoration 4 and corresponding substrate 10 move through the application station 3 at a same speed so the decoration is received on the substrate 10. Substrates 10 need not necessarily rotate during such transfer, but instead may remain stationary with respect to axes parallel to surface that receives the decoration. This is in contrast to systems which require rotation of a substrate around an axis which is parallel to the surface on which the decoration is applied. For example, some systems that apply decorations to cylindrically shaped bottles rotate the bottles about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder shape, e.g., an axis perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2. This generally cannot be done for substrates that have a planar or other non- cylindrical surface to receive a decoration, but aspects of this disclosure provide systems and methods to apply decorations to such types of substrates. However, it should be noted that in some embodiments, including any herein, substrates may be rotated about any suitable axis and / or otherwise moved during application of a decoration to the substrate.

[0064] In some cases, the roller 6 or other web support 6 can move relative to the web 1 and / or substrate 10, e.g., along the direction of the double headed arrow in FIG. 2 and / or in a direction perpendicular to the double headed arrow, during transfer of a decoration to a substrate 10. Such movement of a web support 6 may occur while decorations and / or substrates are moving and / or stationary. As an example, the roller 6 may be initially positioned to the left in FIG. 2 and the web 1 and decoration 4 moved to a location where the decoration 4 is to be transferred to the substrate 10. With the decoration 4 and substrate 10 suitably positioned relative to each other, the roller 6 may be moved to the right in FIG. 2, so as to press the decoration 4 into contact with the substrate 10. Such movement of the roller 6 may occur while the decoration 4 and substrate 10 are stationary relative to each other, which

[0065] #14463053vl may be achieved while the decoration 4 and substrate 10 are moving left to right and / or while the decoration 4 and substrate 10 are stationary relative to a more global reference (such as a surface on which the system 100 is supported). Thus, a decoration 4 and substrate 10 may move relative to a ground reference during transfer of the decoration to the substrate, but may not move relative to each other. With the decoration transferred from the web to the substrate, the roller 6 may move back to the left in FIG. 2, ready for a next decoration transfer process. This is merely one example, and the roller 6 may move in other ways, such as toward and away from the substrate transport 12 and / or any other suitable direction.

[0066] FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement in which decorations 4 are directly transferred from the web 1 to a substrate 10, such that the decorations are always supported by either the web or the substrate. However, the FIG. 2 embodiment and any other suitable embodiment may be arranged to first remove a decoration 4 from the web 1 (e.g., to an intermediate belt or carrier), and then apply the decoration 4 to the substrate 10 after the decoration 4 is removed from the web 1. That is, decorations need not necessarily be transferred directly from the web to a substrate. Such intermediate removal of the decoration 4 from the web 1 may occur at the disruption means 5 (e.g., simultaneous with attachment disruption) or downstream of the disruption means 5 (e.g., after disruption).

[0067] In some embodiments and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the substrates 10 may be moved by a substrate transport 12 which may include a conveyor to move the substrates 10 towards and from the application station 3. While a conveyor is shown in the figures, it should be understood that substrates may be moved to and / or from the application station 3 by other suitable systems, such as rotary or screw style transport systems. In some cases, the substrate transport 12 can include a substrate support configured to contact substrates 10 at the application station 3 and urge the substrates 10 into contact with the web 1 and / or a decoration 4 on the web 1. For example, the substrate transport 12 can include a belt positioned on a side of a substrate 10 opposite the web 1. The belt can contact a substrate 10 and urge it into contact with the web 1, e.g., to oppose a force applied to the decoration by a roller 6 or other web support. As discussed more below, the belt or other substrate support at the application station can help control movement of substrates 10 at the application station 3 as well as movement of substrates 10 relative to the web 1 and a decoration 4.

[0068] In some embodiments, a web control system may control movement of the web 1 along the web path. For example, the web control system may be configured as part of a controller 15 (e.g., including sensors, actuators, executable software for performing various

[0069] #14463053vl control functions, etc.) to stop or slow or otherwise adjust movement of the web to facilitate deposition of the various layers of a decoration at the decoration forming station to form a decoration and / or to transfer a decoration to a substrate at the application station 3. In some embodiments, the web control system may be configured to control movement of a portion of the web at the application station 3, and while the web is moving, the movement of the substrates 10 at the application station 3 may impart relative motion between the decoration positioned at the application station and a substrate. Such relative movement can affect or otherwise aid in transfer of a decoration to a substrate. In some embodiments, a substrate 10 can be moved at a first speed at the application station 3 and the web 1 moved at a different second speed to transfer a decoration 4 to the substrate 10. Thus, the substrate and decoration may be brought into contact at the application station, and relative movement may result in the decoration being applied to the substrate, (e.g., by transferring directly from the web to the substrate). After (or during) application of the decoration from the web to the substrate, the web control system may move the web 1 to move another decoration 4 to the application station.

[0070] FIG. 2 shows the controller 15 schematically linked to the substrate transport 12, the decoration formation station 206, the web guides 14, the web roll 21, web support 6, disruption means 5, etc. It should be understood that the controller 15 can include one or more components to receive input from (such as sensor data) and provide output to (such as control signals) to any of the components of the system 100 including those shown having links with the controller 15 and others. For example, while links to the curing station 210, activation station 212, and cleaning station 214 are not shown, the controller 15 can be coupled to any of these components and / or others to provide input / output, control, display and other functions as desired. For example, the controller 15 can control operation of the take up roll 22 or other web control components to control movement of the web 1 at one or more locations of the web path, and so on. The controller 15 can include any suitable components for performing its functions, including a user interface, a programmed processor and / or other data processing device or devices along with suitable software or other operating instructions that are executable by the data processing device to perform any of the functions described herein or otherwise, one or more memories (including non-transient storage media that can store software and / or other operating instructions executable by the data processing device), sensors, input / output interfaces, communication devices (e.g., including a transceiver, radio, gateway, interface, etc. suitably programmed or otherwise configured to

[0071] #14463053vl A1198.70005WG00

[0072] 20 communicate using any suitable wired or wireless protocol), buses or other links, a display, switches, relays, triacs, a battery or other power source or supply, actuators, motors, linkages or other devices to provide physical movement, and / or other components necessary to perform desired input / output, control or other functions. A user interface can be arranged in any suitable way and include any suitable components to provide information to a user and / or receive information from a user, such as buttons, a touch screen, a voice command module (including a microphone to receive audio information from a user and suitable software to interpret the audio information as a voice command), a visual display, one or more indicator lights, a speaker, and so on. As another example, components can include any suitable actuators such as motors, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, linkages, and so on under control of the controller 15 to move the belts, rollers and / or other components of the substrate transport 12, disruption means 5, web support 6, etc.

[0073] In some embodiments, disruption of the attachment of a decoration to a web can be done simultaneously with transfer of the decoration to a substrate. Such an arrangement may help reduce the chance that a decoration may be positioned on a substrate in an undesired way. For example, disruption of a decoration / web attachment prior to transfer of the decoration to a substrate may allow the decoration to move on the web before it is transferred to a substrate, e.g., because the disrupted decoration / web attachment becomes too weak to hold the decoration in place. However, disrupting the decoration / web attachment simultaneous with decoration transfer can help keep a decoration positioned in a known or otherwise desired way relative to the web and substrate. In some cases, a decoration may be simultaneously attached to a substrate and to the web. One possible arrangement of this type is shown in FIG. 3 in which a disruption means 5 includes a wiper blade that contacts a side of the web opposite a decoration 4 as the decoration is applied to a substrate 10. The wiper blade 5 may have an edge around which the web and decoration must at least partially travel and may be configured to disrupt the decoration / web attachment. In addition, the wiper blade 5 may apply a force to the web so that the decoration 4 is forced into contact with the substrate 10. Thus, the wiper blade or other disruption means 5 may additionally function as a web support 6 similar to that in FIG. 2. To apply a decoration 4 to a substrate 10, the web 1 and decoration 4 may be moved toward the application station 3 in coordination with a substrate 10 that is to receive the decoration 4. At a suitable point, the wiper blade 5 may disrupt the decoration / web attachment (e.g., changing the attachment from a first strength level to a second strength level) while pressing the decoration 4 into contact with the

[0074] #14463053vl substrate 10. As a result, the decoration 4 may be released from the web 1 and applied to the substrate 10. As noted above, the decoration 4 may be attached to the web 1 in a first mode of attachment and / or first strength level prior to reaching the application station, and at the application station the decoration / web attachment may be disrupted so the decoration 4 is attached to the web in a second mode and / or second strength level. Attachment in the second mode and / or level may be very temporary or non-existent, e.g., because the decoration 4 may be simultaneously applied to the substrate 10 with disruption of the decoration / web attachment. Thus, in some cases a decoration may transition from being attached to the web by a first mode of attachment and / or strength level to being removed from the web. As with examples above, the web 1, decoration 4, substrate 10, wiper blade 5, and / or other components may be moved in a coordinated way to effect decoration transfer. The web and substrate may move along a same or similar direction, at a same or different speed, and so on. The wiper blade 5 may remain stationary or move relative to the web 1, substrates 10 or other components, and may move in any suitable direction, speed or other characteristic. Thus, for example, a wiper blade 5 may remain stationary relative to a ground reference, while the web / decoration and substrate move to and through the application station to transfer the decoration to the substrate. Movement of the web and substrates through the application station may be continuous or discontinuous. In some cases, the wiper blade 5 may move toward and / or away from the substrate 10, e.g., to adjust a pressure of other force that urges the decoration into contact with the substrate and / or to adjust a level of disruption of the decoration / web attachment.

[0075] In some cases, the wiper blade 5 may move relative to the web / decoration and the substrate during transfer of a decoration to a substrate, e.g., along the direction of the double headed arrow in FIG. 3 and / or in other directions. For example, the decoration and substrate may remain stationary relative to each other (but may move relative to a ground reference point). For example, the web / decoration and substrate may move through the application station at the same speed, but remain stationary relative to each other, of the web / decoration and substrate may move to the application station and stop relative to a ground reference. With the decoration and substrate suitably positioned (moving or not relative to a ground reference), the wiper blade 5 may move left to right in FIG. 3, causing simultaneous disruption of the decoration / web attachment and transfer of the decoration to the substrate. Movement of the wiper blade 5 may be controlled by the controller 15, e.g., so that a decoration 4 is accurately placed on the substrate 10. As with the roller-type web support 6

[0076] #14463053vl in FIG. 2, the wiper blade 5 may initially be positioned to the left in FIG. 3, and move left to right while applying force to the web and decoration, which may remain stationary or be moving. Movement of the wiper blade across the web may disrupt the decoration / web attachment and apply force to the decoration, causing the decoration to be transferred to the substrate. As with the embodiment in FIG. 2, the configuration of FIG. 3 may be effective for use with substrates 10 having a planar or otherwise non-cylindrically shaped surface to receive a decoration. For example, substrates need not be rotated about any axis during transfer of a decoration to the substrate, e.g., to a planar surface on the substrate.

[0077] In some embodiments, a reusable web may be formed as a continuous loop. For example, FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a system 100 for decorating substrates 10 similar to the embodiment discussed above in connection with FIG. 2, but in which the web 1 forms a continuous loop. In particular, the system 100 includes web guides 14 arranged to guide the web from the application station 3 back to the decoration forming station 206. Additionally, the system 100 may include a cleaning station 214 positioned along the web path between application station 3 and the decoration forming station 206 to clean the web 1.

[0078] FIG. 4 depicts another embodiment of a system 100 for decorating substrates 10. Similar to the embodiments discussed above in connection with FIG. 2, the system 100 includes a web 1 that travels along a web path from a web supply roll 21 to a web take-up roll 22, as well as a web control system including one or more web guides 14. The system further includes an application station 3 and a substrate transport 12 arranged to transport substrates 10 to the application station 3 where decorations 4 are applied to the substrates 10.

[0079] In some embodiments, the system 100 can include three decoration forming stations 406a, 406b, and 406c, and three curing stations 410a, 410b and 410c positioned along the web path before the application station 3. Each decoration station is configured to form a portion of the decoration. For example, the first decoration station 406a may be configured to deposit the overcoat layer of a decoration, the second decoration station 406b may be configured to deposit the indicia layer(s) of the decoration, and the third decoration station 406c may be configured to deposit the adhesive layer of the decoration. As noted previously, each layer may be deposited in register with the other layers to form the decoration. Each curing station 410a, 410b, and 410c is positioned along the web path after an associated decoration forming station, and each curing station may be configured to cure the layer(s) deposited at its associated decoration forming station. For instance, the first curing station 410a may be configured to cure the layer(s) deposited at the first decoration forming station

[0080] #14463053vl 406a before subsequent layers of the decoration are formed and cured at the second and third decoration forming stations and curing stations, respectively.

[0081] While three decoration forming stations 406 and associated curing stations 410 are depicted in FIG. 4, it should be understood that the current disclosure is not limited to any particular number of decoration forming stations and / or curing station used to form a decoration on the web. For example, in some embodiments, a system may include two decoration forming stations and curing stations, or more than three decoration forming stations and curing stations, or no decoration forming stations or curing stations. Moreover, in some embodiments, the number of curing stations may be different than the number of decoration forming stations. For example, a single curing station may be configured to cure layers of a decoration deposited at multiple decoration forming stations.

[0082] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the system 100 may further include an activation station 412 at which an activatable adhesive layer may be activated (if required). However, as discussed above, a curing station (e.g., curing station 410c) may be configured to activate the activatable adhesive layer, and thus the activation station may not be included in some embodiments. Similar to the embodiments discussed above in connection with FIGs. 2 and 3, the system 100 also may include a cleaning station 414 configured to clean the web 1 to prepare the web for subsequent formation of decorations on the web.

[0083] In some embodiments, a system 100 for decorating substrates may include one or more features to aid in controlling the web 1, such as festoons 416 to aid in containing the web along different portions of the web path. For example, the festoons 416 may be configured to define a variable path length through which the web travels in order to allow accumulation of the web within the festoons. As illustrated, festoons 416 may be positioned at one or more locations along the web path, such as prior to the application station 3 and / or between curing stations and decoration stations (e.g., between curing station 410b and decoration station 406c) and / or after the application station 3. The festoons 416 may permit the web 1 to travel at different speeds in various portions of the web path, such as at the decoration forming stations, curing stations, application station, etc. Also, festoons or other similar features can be employed in systems 100 that do not form a decoration on the web, but rather apply pre-formed decorations from a web to substrates. Such an arrangement may aid in ensuring a desired web speed at the application station 3.

[0084] FIG. 4 also illustrates another option for disrupting a decoration / web attachment. In some cases, a system 100 may include a disruption means 5 that is controllable to adjust a

[0085] #14463053vl A1198.70005WG00

[0086] 24 level at which a decoration / web attachment is disrupted. Such control may provide for adjusted disruption used with a single decoration and / or may provide for adjusted disruption used with different decorations on a web. Thus, a system may adjust a disruption level for different types of decorations and / or based on feedback from one or more sensors or a user, e.g., that a disruption level is too high or low for a particular application. Adjustment of the disruption caused to a decoration / web attachment can be done in any suitable way, and may depend on how the disruption is performed. For example, FIG. 4 shows a disruption means 5 that includes a blade having an edge around which the web and decoration travel to disrupt the decoration / web attachment. The blade 5 may be movable, e.g., pivotable about an axis 51 and / or moved along a path toward and away from the web and / or in other ways, so that an angle of the blade edge relative to the web, a wrap angle or other distance or extent to which the web and decoration travel around the blade edge, a force applied by the blade 5 to the web 1, and / or other features can be adjusted so that the disruption effect on the decoration / web attachment is adjusted. Other adjustments may be made to other system components to adjust a disruption level, such as adjustments to web tension, web guide placement, etc. Adjustment of the disruption means 5 can be particularly effective when the decoration / web attachment strength varies between two or more decorations. Decorations may be transferred to substrates in the FIG. 4 embodiment in any suitable way including those discussed herein, e.g., by coordinating movement of the web 1, decoration 4, substrate 10, disruption means 5 and / or web support 6 in any suitable way. Thus, a web support 6 may remain stationary relative to a ground reference while the web and substrates move at the application station 3, the web support 6 and web 1 and substrates 10 may move relative to a ground reference, the web support 6 may move relative to a ground reference while the web and substrates remain stationary relative to the ground reference, the disruption means 5 may move relative to a ground reference (e.g., to urge a decoration into contact with a substrate as in FIG. 3) while the web support 6 remains stationary, and so on.

[0087] As discussed above, in some instances, a decoration may include two or more physically separate components that together make up a single decoration. For example, FIG. 5 depicts a portion of a web 1 with two decorations 4 formed thereon. Each decoration includes multiple separate decoration elements 4a-4f. When the decorations 4 are applied to substrates, the decoration components 4a-4f of each decoration 4 are applied together in register with one another and work together to form a single decoration on the substrate. Depending on the particular embodiment, a decoration may include any suitable number of

[0088] #14463053vl separate decoration components 4a-4f, and each decoration component may have any suitable shape, orientation, color, pattern, and so on. For example, each decoration component could be graphic design composed of two or more separate features. In other instances, each decoration may be a text string (e.g., a word, phrase or number), and the decoration components may include individual text characters that together form the text string. Moreover, combinations of different types of decoration components (e.g., graphical, text, or other types of decoration elements) may be included within a single decoration.

[0089] As illustrated in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, different decorations 4 formed on a web may be different from one another. For example, each decoration may have different types, number, and or arrangements of decoration components to form different decorations. In some instances, a system may be configured to form customized decorations for each substrate to be decorated. For example, such arrangements may facilitate individualized labeling runs in which each substrate (e.g., containers) are decorated with individualized labels. However, it should be understood that the current disclosure is not limited to systems utilizing variable printing arrangements, and thus each decoration formed on the web and applied to substrates may be substantially identical in some embodiments.

[0090] In some embodiments, a method for transferring a decoration 4 to a substrate 10 can include providing a portion of a web 1 having a decoration 4 on a first side of the web. The decoration can have an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web, e.g., so that contact of a substrate 10 with the decoration 4 can cause the decoration 4 to adhere to the substrate 10. An attachment of the decoration to the web may be disrupted such that the decoration remains attached to the web but with a reduced attachment as compared to before the attachment is disrupted. In some cases, the attachment of the decoration may be disrupted from a first strength level to a lower second strength level and / or from a first mode of attachment to a second mode of attachment. Such disruption can be achieved in different ways, including those described herein. For example, a web and decoration may be made to pass over an edge of a blade, e.g., so as to travel along a wrap angle around the edge of 30 degrees to 120 degrees (or more, or less). The blade edge may have any suitable radius, such as 0.031 and 0.18 inches (or more, or less). A thickness of the blade may be about twice the radius of the blade edge (or more, or less). The web and decoration may travel over the blade edge at any suitable speed, such as up to 40 inches per second (or more, or less), and the web may be under a tension of about 4 pounds per inch of web width (or more, or less). The blade edge may have any length, e.g., equal to or more

[0091] #14463053vl than a width of the web (or less), e.g., 1 to 8 inches. A blade edge may be made of any suitable material, such as metals, plastics, etc., and / or a blade may be made flexible or rigid. The decoration may be transferred to a surface of a substrate while the substrate is not rotated about an axis parallel to the surface. For example, a decoration may be applied to a substrate while the substrate is stationary or does not rotate about an axis that is parallel to the height of the substrate. In some cases, the surface of the substrate to which the decoration is applied may be planar or otherwise non-cylindrical. A web support can be used to press the decoration into contact with the substrate, e.g., by pressing on a side of the web opposite the decoration. In some embodiments, a component that performs at least part of the disruption of the web / decoration attachment may provide a force to press the decoration into contact with the substrate.

[0092] In some cases, the decoration is attached to the first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, and disrupting the attachment includes disrupting the first mode of attachment such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment. For example, the first mode of attachment may include a first number of molecular bonds between the web and the decoration, and the second mode of attachment may include a second number of molecular bonds that is less than the first number. In some cases, the first mode of attachment includes a first type of attachment between the web and the decoration, such as cohesive bonds or other molecular bonds, and the second mode of attachment includes a second type of attachment between the web and the decoration that is different from the first type, such as static attraction and / or friction in addition to or in place of molecular bonds. In some cases, the decoration may be attached to the first side of the web at a first strength level, and disrupting the attachment includes disrupting the attachment such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web at a second strength level that is different from, e.g., lower than, the first strength level.

[0093] In some cases, disrupting the attachment occurs before transferring the decoration. However, in some embodiments, simultaneous with transferring the decoration, e.g., where a wiper blade or other component of a disruption means both disrupts the web / decoration attachment and provides a force to urge the decoration into contact with the substrate.

[0094] Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are

[0095] #14463053vl 1 intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

[0096] #14463053vl

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for decorating a substrate, comprising: providing a web having a decoration attached to a first side of the web, the decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web; disrupting an attachment of the decoration to the web such that the decoration has a reduced attachment to the web as compared to before the attachment is disrupted; and transferring the decoration with the reduced attachment to a surface of a substrate, transferring of the decoration to the surface of the substrate occurring simultaneous with disrupting of the attachment of the decoration to the web.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the web includes providing the decoration attached to the first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, and disrupting the attachment includes disrupting the first mode of attachment such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first mode of attachment includes a first type of attachment between the web and the decoration, and the second mode of attachment includes a second type of attachment between the web and the decoration that is different from the first type.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein disrupting the attachment includes causing the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein disrupting the attachment includes causing the web and decoration to move around an object configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the object includes an edge of a blade.#14463053vl7. The method of claim 6, wherein transferring the decoration includes using the edge of the blade to contact a second side of the web opposite the first side to press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the surface of the substrate is planar.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein transferring the decoration includes transferring the decoration directly from the web to the substrate such that the decoration transitions from being attached to the web by a first mode of attachment to being removed from the web.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein transferring the decoration includes pressing the decoration into contact with the surface of the substrate using an object positioned on a second side of the web opposite the first side.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein transferring the decoration includes moving the object relative to the web and the substrate, wherein the object is preferably a roller or wiper blade.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein transferring the decoration includes moving the web and substrate relative to the object, wherein the object is preferably a roller or wiper blade.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the attachment of the decoration to the web has a first strength level before disrupting the attachment, and the attachment of the decoration to the web has a second strength level that is less than the first strength level after disrupting the attachment.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein transferring the decoration includes applying the adhesive side of the decoration to the surface to remove the decoration from the web.#14463053vl15. The method of claim 14 as dependent on claim 13, wherein the adhesive side of the decoration attached to the surface of the substrate has a third strength level that is greater than the second strength level and less than the first strength level.

16. The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the first strength level is configured to require a first peel force to remove the decoration from the web, and the second strength level is configured to require a second peel force to remove the decoration from the web, the first peel force being larger than the second peel force.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein the third strength level is configured to require a third peel force to remove the decoration from the surface, the third peel force being greater than the second peel force.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third peel force is less than the first peel force.

19. The method of any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the first strength level is configured to require damage to the decoration to remove the decoration from the web, and the second strength level is configured to permit removal of the decoration from the web without damage to the decoration.

20. The method of any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the second strength level is configured to require a very low or zero peel force to remove the decoration from the web.

21. The method of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein disrupting the attachment is performed by contacting the web and without physically contacting the decoration.

22. A system for decorating substrates, comprising: a web including a decoration attached to a first side of the web, each decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web; an application station at which the decoration is applied to a surface of a substrate; a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application#14463053vlstation; a web control system configured to control movement of the web along the web path; a substrate transport configured to provide a substrate at the application station to receive the decoration on the surface of the substrate; and a decoration / web attachment disruption means to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web such that an attachment strength of the decoration to the web after disruption is reduced as compared to before the attachment is disrupted, wherein the application station, web control system, substrate transport and disruption means are configured to simultaneously disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web and apply the decoration to the surface of the substrate.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the decoration is attached to the first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, and the disrupting means is configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first mode of attachment includes a first type of attachment between the web and the decoration, and the second mode of attachment includes a second type of attachment between the web and the decoration that is different from the first type.

25. The system of any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the disruption means is configured to cause the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other.

26. The system of any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the disruption means includes an object configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web as the web and decoration move over the object.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the object includes an edge of a blade and the web path is configured to move the web and decoration over the edge of the blade.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the blade is configured to contact a second side#14463053vlof the web opposite the first side to press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate at the application station.

29. The system of any one of claims 22 to 28, wherein the disruption means is located at the application station.

30. The system of any one of claims 22 to 29, wherein the surface of the substrate is planar.

31. The system of any one of claims 22 to 30, wherein disruption means includes an object positioned on a second side of the web opposite the first side.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the disruption means is configured to move the object relative to the web and the substrate, preferably wherein the disruption means is a wiper blade or roller.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the web control system and substrate transport are configured to move the web and substrate relative to the object, preferably wherein the disruption means is a wiper blade or roller.

34. The system of any one of claims 22 to 33, further comprising: a controller configured to control operation of the web control system and the substrate transport to transfer decorations from the web to substrates at the application station.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the controller is configured to control the disruption means to adjust a level of disruption of the attachment of the decoration to the web.

36. A method for decorating a substrate, comprising: providing a web having a decoration attached to a first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, the decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web;#14463053vldisrupting the first mode of attachment of the decoration to the web such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment; and transferring the decoration with the second mode of attachment to a surface of a substrate.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the second mode of attachment has a reduced attachment to the web as compared to the first mode of attachment.

38. The method of claim 36 or 37, wherein the first mode of attachment includes a first type of attachment between the web and the decoration, and the second mode of attachment includes a second type of attachment between the web and the decoration that is different from the first type.

39. The method of any one of claims 36 to 38, wherein the second mode of attachment has an attachment of the decoration to the web with a strength level of zero.

40. The method of any one of claims 36 to 39, wherein disrupting the attachment includes causing the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other.

41. The method of any one of claims 36 to 40, wherein disrupting the attachment includes causing the web and decoration to move around an object configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the object includes an edge of a blade or a roller.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein transferring the decoration includes using the edge of the blade to contact a second side of the web opposite the first side to press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate.

44. The method of any one of claims 36 to 43, wherein disrupting the first mode of#14463053vlattachment occurs before transferring the decoration.

45. The method of any one of claims 36 to 33, wherein disrupting the first mode of attachment occurs simultaneous with transferring the decoration.

46. The method of any one of claims 36 to 45, wherein transferring the decoration includes transferring the decoration directly from the web to the substrate.

47. The method of any one of claims 36 to 46, wherein transferring the decoration includes pressing the decoration into contact with the surface of the substrate using an object positioned on a second side of the web opposite the first side.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein transferring the decoration includes moving the object relative to the web and the substrate, preferably wherein the object is a wiper blade or roller.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein transferring the decoration includes moving the web and the substrate relative to the object, preferably wherein the object is a wiper blade or roller.

50. The method any one of claims 36 to 49, wherein disrupting the first mode of attachment is performed by contacting the web and without physically contacting the decoration.

51. The method of any one of claims 36 to 50, wherein the first mode of attachment of the decoration to the web has a first strength level, and the second mode of attachment of the decoration to the web has a second strength level that is less than the first strength level.

52. The method of any one of claims 36 to 51, wherein transferring the decoration includes applying the adhesive side of the decoration to the surface.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the adhesive side of the decoration attached to the surface of the substrate has a third strength level that is greater than the second strength#14463053vllevel and less than the first strength level.

54. The method of any one of claims 51 to 53, wherein the first strength level is configured to require a first peel force to remove the decoration from the web, and the second strength level is configured to require a second peel force to remove the decoration from the web, the first peel force being larger than the second peel force.

55. The method of claim 53 or 54, wherein the third strength level is configured to require a third peel force to remove the decoration from the surface, the third peel force being greater than the second peel force.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the third peel force is less than the first peel force.

57. The method of any one of claims 52 to 56, wherein applying the adhesive side of the decoration to the surface includes using the attachment of the adhesive side to the surface of the substrate to remove the decoration from the web.

58. The method of any one of claims 51 to 57, wherein the first strength level is configured to require damage to the decoration to remove the decoration from the web, and the second strength level is configured to permit removal of the decoration from the web without damage to the decoration.

59. The method of any one of claims 51 to 57, wherein the second strength level is configured to require a very low or zero peel force to remove the decoration from the web.

60. A system for decorating substrates, comprising: a web including a decoration attached to a first side of the web in a first mode of attachment, each decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web; an application station at which the decoration is applied to a surface of a substrate; a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application station;#14463053vla web control system configured to control movement of the web along the web path; a substrate transport configured to provide a substrate at the application station to receive the decoration on the surface of the substrate; and a decoration / web attachment disruption means to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web such that the decoration is attached to the first side of the web by a second mode of attachment that is different from the first mode of attachment.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein an attachment strength of the decoration to the web in the second mode of attachment is reduced as compared to the first mode of attachment.

62. The system of claim 60 or 61, wherein the second mode of attachment has an attachment of the decoration to the web with a strength level of zero.

63. The system of any one of claims 60 to 62, wherein the first mode of attachment includes a first type of attachment between the web and the decoration, and the second mode of attachment includes a second type of attachment between the web and the decoration that is different from the first type.

64. The system of any one of claims 60 to 63, wherein the disruption means is configured to cause the web and decoration to move at different speeds and / or distances relative to each other.

65. The system of any one of claims 60 to 64, wherein the disruption means includes an object configured to disrupt the attachment of the decoration to the web as the web and decoration move over the object.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the object includes an edge of a blade and the web path is configured to move the web and decoration over the edge of the blade.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the blade is configured to contact a second side of the web opposite the first side to press the decoration and / or web into contact with the substrate at the application station.#14463053vl68. The system of any one of claims 60 to 67, wherein the disruption means is located at the application station.

69. The system of any one of claims 60 to 67, wherein the disruption means is located upstream of the application station.

70. The system of any one of claims 60 to 69, wherein disruption means includes an object positioned on a second side of the web opposite the first side.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the disruption means is configured to move the object relative to the web and the substrate, preferably wherein the object is a wiper blade or roller.

72. The system of claim 70, wherein the web control system and substrate transport are configured to move the web and the substrate relative to the object, preferably wherein the object is a wiper blade or roller.

73. The system of any one of claims 60 to 72, wherein the application station includes a roller configured to press the decoration into contact with the surface of the substrate.

74. The system of any one of claims 60 to 73, further comprising: a controller configured to control operation of the web control system and the substrate transport to transfer decorations from the web to substrates at the application station.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the controller is configured to control the disruption means to adjust a level of disruption of the attachment of the decoration to the web.

76. The system of any one of claims 60 to 75, wherein the surface of the substrate is planar.#14463053vl

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