Label assembly and method for affixing a label to a surface using the same
A label assembly and a method for affixing a label to a surface, the label assembly comprising: a label support liner having a label receiving surface comprising a release coating, the label support liner including a main liner portion and a removable liner portion separable from the main liner portion; and a label layer extending over the label receiving surface, the label layer including: a label releasably affixed to the label receiving surface, the label including a first label portion overlapping the main liner portion and a second label portion overlapping the removable liner portion such that separating the removable liner portion from the main liner portion and moving the removable liner portion away from the label receiving surface peels the first label portion away from the main liner portion while the second label portion remains affixed to the removable liner portion.
1 . A label assembly comprising:
a label support liner having a label receiving surface comprising a release coating, the label support liner including a main liner portion and a plurality of removable liner portions, each one of the plurality of removable liner portions being individually separable from the main liner portion, the label support liner including a liner side edge, the plurality of removable liner portions each delimited by a liner cut line extending from the liner side edge in a direction transverse to the liner side edge; and
a label layer extending over the label receiving surface, the label layer including:
a plurality of labels releasably affixed to the label receiving surface and arranged in a single column aligned with the liner side edge, each label including a first label portion overlapping the main liner portion and a second label portion overlapping a corresponding one of the removable liner portions such that separating the corresponding one of the removable liner portions from the main liner portion and from the other ones of the removable liner portions and moving the corresponding one of the removable liner portions away from the label receiving surface peels the first label portion away from the main liner portion while the second label portion remains affixed to the corresponding one of the removable liner portions wherein any one of the removable liner portions is removable one at a time to expose the second label portion of a respective individual one label of the plurality of the labels.
2 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the removable liner portions include first and second removable liner portions positioned such that at least one of the labels overlapping the first and second removable liner portions and the main liner portion.
3 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the labels defines a first label, the plurality of labels including a second label located proximal to the first label, the second label overlapping the second removable liner portion and the main liner portion.
4 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein once removed from the label support liner, each label includes a first stiffness section having a first stiffness and a second stiffness section having a second stiffness different from the first stiffness.
5 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first stiffness section includes the first label portion and the second stiffness section includes the second label portion affixed to the removable liner portion, the second stiffness being greater than the first stiffness.
6 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liner includes at least one label position indicator, each label position indicator providing an indication relative to a position of a corresponding one of the labels on the liner.
7 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein each label position indicator includes a printed marking defined on a bottom liner face of the liner opposite the label receiving surface.
8 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each label includes a plurality of label sections separable from each other.
9 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each one of the plurality of label sections overlaps both the main liner portion and the corresponding one of the removable liner portions.
10 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the plurality of label sections includes a first label section located towards the corresponding one of the removable liner portions and a second label section located towards the main liner portion, the first and second label sections being separable from each other.
11 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each label includes a label tear line extending between the first and second label sections.
12 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first label section is superposed only over the removable liner portion and the second label section overlaps the removable liner portion and the main liner portion.
13 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first label section overlaps the removable liner portion and the main liner portion, and the second label section is superposed only over the main liner portion.
14 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least some of the removable liner portions are located adjacent the liner side edge.
15 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each liner cut line includes a first cut line end located towards the liner side edge and a second cut line located towards the liner side edge and spaced apart from the first cut line end along the liner side edge.
16 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the liner cut line includes first and second linear cut line portions extending away from the liner side edge and a third linear cut line portion extending between the first and second linear cut line portions.
17 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the third linear cut portion is substantially parallel to the liner side edge.
18 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each one of the first and second linear cut line portions includes a notch.
19 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein each notch has a pair of parallel linear edges spaced apart from each other to define a gap therebetween.
20 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the label layer further includes a non-label portion affixed to the label receiving surface and disposed adjacent the plurality of labels.
21 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the plurality of labels and the non-label portion together cover an entire surface area of the label receiving surface.
22 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the plurality of labels include a first label and a second label disposed side-by-side with the first label.
23 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the first and second labels are contiguous to each other.
24 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the first and second labels are spaced from each other.
25 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the non-label portion includes a non-label cut line extending between the first and second labels, the non-label cut line being aligned with a corresponding one of the liner cut lines to divide the non-label portion into a non-label removable section superposed over the removable liner portion and a non-label main section superposed over the main liner section.
26 . The label assembly as claimed in claim 24 , further including a tear line extending between the first and second labels.
27 . A method for affixing a label to a surface, the method including:
providing the label assembly of claim 1 ;
separating one of the removable liner portions from the main liner portion with the second label portion of a corresponding one of the labels remaining affixed to the removable liner portion;
moving the removable liner portion away from the label receiving surface on the main liner portion to peel the first label portion of the corresponding one of the labels from the main liner portion; and
affixing the first label portion of the label on the surface.
28 . The method as claimed in claim 27 , further comprising, after affixing the first label portion of the label on the surface:
removing the removable liner portion from the second label portion; and
affixing the second label portion of the label on the surface.
29 . A container labeling kit comprising:
a container having an outer container surface; and
a label assembly for labeling the container, the label assembly comprising:
a label support liner having a label receiving surface comprising a release coating, the label support liner including a main liner portion and a plurality of removable liner portions, each one of the plurality of removable liner portions being individually separable from the main liner portion, the label support liner including a liner side edge, the plurality of removable liner portions each delimited by a liner cut line extending from the liner side edge in a direction transverse to the liner side edge; and
a label layer extending over the label receiving surface, the label layer including:
a plurality of labels releasably affixed to the label receiving surface and arranged in a single column aligned with the liner side edge, each label including a first label portion overlapping the main liner portion and a second label portion overlapping a corresponding one of the removable liner portions such that separating the corresponding one of the removable liner portions from the main liner portion and from the other ones of the removable liner portions and moving the corresponding one of the removable liner portions away from the label receiving surface peels the first label portion away from the main liner portion while the second label portion remains affixed to the corresponding one of the removable liner portions wherein any one of the removable liner portions is removable one at a time to expose the second label portion of a respective individual one label of the plurality of the labels.
30 . The container labeling kit as claimed in claim 29 , wherein the container is a specimen container for receiving one of a medical specimen and a biological specimen.