Granted Patent B2

US 12,378,445 · App. 17/928,310 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: Markku Havonen (Wrocław, PL); Marko Tiainen (Jyväskylä, FI); Katarzyna Wojtuś (Wrocław, PL)

Assignee: UPM RAFLATAC OY

C09J7/38C09J2203/334C09J2301/204C09J2301/312

Abstract

Claims (20)

1. A method for manufacturing a linerless label web ( 100 , 200 , 500 ) comprising a direct thermal printable coating and a patterned pressure sensitive adhesive ( 120 ), wherein the method comprises

arranging a substrate comprising the direct thermal printable coating as a face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ),

applying water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) onto the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ), providing the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ) with alternating adhesion areas and adhesion-free areas in a transversal direction of the face stock,

ensuring the adhesion-free areas with a pre-determined level of moisture, and

thermally drying the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) into the pressure sensitive adhesive ( 120 ).

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising

first applying the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) onto 100% area of the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ),

removing some of the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) from the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ) prior to drying so as to provide the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ) with alternating adhesion areas and adhesion-free areas in the transversal direction of the face stock.

3. The method according to claim 2 , comprising removing the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) by a wiping blade, the blade being arranged at a wiping angle of 75-85 degrees with respect to the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ).

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the adhesion-free areas comprise a residual amount of the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) in a range of 0.5-5.0 g/m 2 .

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein a dry weight content of the water-based adhesive coating after being removed from the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ) is 0.1-5% lower than a dry weight content of the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) applied onto the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ).

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein a machine speed is 100-600 m/min and a dwell time between applying the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) and removing the water-based adhesive coating is from 0.05 to 3 seconds.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising

applying the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) locally onto the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ) so as to provide the face stock ( 110 , 510 , 610 , 710 ) with alternating adhesion areas and adhesion-free areas in the transversal direction of the face stock,

providing moisture to the adhesion-free areas of the face stock prior to drying of the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ).

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the moisture is provided by spraying water on the adhesion-free areas of the face stock.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) is dried at a temperature of between 60 and 100 degrees C.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein temperature of the adhesion-free areas is arranged to be below 80 degrees C.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein temperature of the linerless label web ( 100 , 200 , 500 ) when exiting thermal drying is arranged to be from 5 to 15 degrees C. below an activation temperature of the direct thermal printable coating.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the water-based adhesive coating ( 520 a , 620 a , 720 a ) is dried at a temperature that is at least 10 degrees C. higher than the temperature of the linerless label web ( 100 , 200 , 500 ) when exiting thermal drying.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (48)