Granted Patent B2

US 11,866,220 · App. 17/011,415 · Granted Jan 9, 2024

Inventors: Russell T. Christman (Dunstable, MA); Donald Durant (Andover, MA); David Cenedella (Shirley, MA); Michael Anthony Kalinowski (Nashua, NH); Thomas P. Orsini (Leominster, MA); Steven E. Maston (Princeton, NJ)

Assignee: Sealed Air Corporation (US)

B65C9/0015B65B11/48B65B21/245B65B53/00B65B53/02B65C1/02B65C2009/0018B65D71/08

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A method of packaging an object, comprising:

placing an object inside of heat-shrinkable film;

sealing the heat-shrinkable film around the object to form a heat-shrinkable package;

coupling a first portion of a label to the heat-shrinkable package such that the first portion of the label is affixed directly to an exterior of the heat-shrinkable film and a second portion of the label is not affixed directly to the exterior of the heat-shrinkable film, wherein the second portion of the label includes an identifier; and

causing the heat-shrinkable film to shrink into heat-shrunk film and the heat-shrinkable package to form into a heat-shrunk package;

wherein the label remains coupled to the heat-shrunk film after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film; and

wherein the second portion of the label remains substantially undeformed after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film; and

wherein the method further comprises:

creating a second label based on information obtained from the identifier, and

after causing the heat-shrinkable film to shrink into heat-shrunk film, coupling the second label on at least one of the heat-shrunk film or the label.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-shrunk film is opaque.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier contains information identifying at least one of the object or the heat-shrunk package.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier contains information that is human- and/or machine-readable.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information remains human- and/or machine-readable after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the label is a partially-adhesive label comprising an adhesive exposed on one side of the first portion the label.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein coupling the label to the heat-shrinkable package comprises adhering the exposed adhesive to the heat-shrinkable film.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

removing the label from the heat-shrunk film before coupling the second label to the heat-shrunk film;

wherein the second label is coupled to the heat-shrunk film in place of the removed label.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second label is coupled to at least the heat-shrunk film and the label such that the label is covered by the second label.

10. A method of packaging an object, comprising:

placing an object inside of heat-shrinkable film;

sealing the heat-shrinkable film around the object to form a heat-shrinkable package;

coupling a first portion of a label to the heat-shrinkable package such that the first portion of the label is affixed directly to an exterior of the heat-shrinkable film and a second portion of the label is not affixed directly to the exterior of the heat-shrinkable film, wherein the section portion of the label includes an identifier; and

causing the heat-shrinkable film to shrink into heat-shrunk film and the heat-shrinkable package to form into a heat-shrunk package;

wherein the label remains coupled to the heat-shrunk film after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film;

wherein the second portion of the label remains substantially undeformed after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film;

wherein the label includes a side that is covered by adhesive; and

wherein the method further comprises forming the partially-adhesive label by folding the label from an unfolded state to a folded state by folding the adhesive against itself so that at least a portion of the adhesive remains exposed when the label is in the folded state.

11. A method of packaging an object, comprising:

placing an object inside of heat-shrinkable film;

sealing the heat-shrinkable film around the object to form a heat-shrinkable package;

coupling a first portion of a label to the heat-shrinkable package such that the first portion of the label is affixed directly to an exterior of the heat-shrinkable film and a second portion of the label is not affixed directly to the exterior of the heat-shrinkable film, wherein the section portion of the label includes an identifier; and

causing the heat-shrinkable film to shrink into heat-shrunk film and the heat-shrinkable package to form into a heat-shrunk package;

wherein the label remains coupled to the heat-shrunk film after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film; and

wherein the second portion of the label remains substantially undeformed after the heat-shrinkable film is caused to shrink into heat-shrunk film;

wherein coupling the label to the heat-shrinkable package comprises a label film in the form of a band that spans a side of the heat-shrinkable package.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein sealing the heat-shrinkable film around the object to form the heat-shrinkable package comprises forming a leading edge seal and a trailing edge seal in the heat-shrinkable film.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming the leading edge seal and the trailing edge seal in the heat-shrinkable film comprises sealing a first end of the band of the label film to the leading edge seal and sealing a second end of the band of the label film to the trailing edge seal.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, under conditions that cause the heat-shrinkable film to shrink into the heat-shrunk film, the label film is configured to shrink less than or equal to a percentage of shrinkage of the heat-shrinkable film, and wherein the percentage of the shrinkage of the heat-shrinkable film is any one of the following values: 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50%.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (3)