Piggyback Label Structure for Jam-Free Liner Waste Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piggyback labels face issues with liner waste tearing and jamming in printers due to high tack adhesives and die cuts, leading to inefficiencies in auto applicators and damage to labels.
Innovation Solution
A label-liner combination with a removable microsphere adhesive patch and a back cut tab in the liner, ensuring easy separation and repositionability, reducing liner waste jams and enabling multiple applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single liner substrate with a die cut for the removable label is used, then the label structure is simplified, but the liner waste is weakened and causes jams in the printer rewinder
Solution Approach 1:
The liner substrate is divided into two separate components: a waste liner substrate and a release liner substrate. The waste liner substrate contains the die cut opening and is designed to be rewound without holes, while the release liner substrate is removed after application. This segmentation allows each substrate to be optimized for its specific function, preventing jams in the printer rewinder while maintaining label application capability
Solution Approach 2:
The removable label is extracted as a separate functional element that can be removed from the primary label after application. The release liner substrate corresponding to the removable label is also extracted and removed, leaving only the waste liner substrate to be rewound. This extraction eliminates the problem of holes in the rewound liner waste while preserving the piggyback label functionality
2Strength
If high tack adhesive is used to ensure strong label bonding, then label adhesion is improved, but liner waste tearing and printer jams increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different adhesive properties are applied to different regions of the label substrate. The primary label area uses high tack adhesive for strong bonding, while the piggyback label area uses a different adhesive formulation that allows for cleaner separation from the release liner. This local differentiation of adhesive properties enables strong adhesion where needed while preventing liner waste tearing during separation
Solution Approach 2:
The label-liner combination is designed with pre-applied adhesives and pre-cut separation lines that facilitate clean separation during the labeling process. The release liner is designed to separate cleanly from the label substrate along predetermined lines, preventing tearing of the liner waste before it reaches the rewinder
3Adaptability or versatility
If the piggyback label is made removable for independent application, then label versatility is improved, but the liner structure is weakened causing jams
Solution Approach 1:
A release liner substrate acts as an intermediary between the label substrate and the final application surface. This release liner allows the piggyback label to be easily removed from the primary label and transferred to a different surface. The release liner is designed to be completely removed after the primary label application, leaving no holes in the waste liner that would cause printer jams
Data Source
AI summary
Label-liner combinations are provided, each label-liner combination includes a liner substrate and a label substrate. The label substrate includes a first adhesive coated on the backside of the label substrate and an adhesive patch atop a portion of the first adhesive in an area that defines a piggyback label within the label substrate. The label substrate further includes die cuts around a periphery of the adhesive patch. The liner substrate includes a back cut for a removal tab of the piggyback label. The front side of the liner substrate is joined with the backside of the label substrate to form a label-liner combination with an embedded and independent piggyback label defined in an area of the label substrate by the adhesive patch, the die cuts, and an area associated with the back cut in the liner substrate for the removal tab.