Patent Issued for Self Laminating Wristband (USPTO 10,311,758)

2019 JUN 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Engineering Business Daily -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Becker, William (Lockport, NY); Fuller, Mark (Framingham, MA); Laski, Nicole (Hamburg, NY); Langan, Joseph (East Amherst, NY); Mastandrea, Vince (Framingham, MA); Serwon, Stan (Framingham, MA), filed on May 12, 2017, was published online on June 17, 2019.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 10,311,758, is CCL Label Inc. (Framingham, Massachusetts, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Many operations rely on disposable, printable strips that may be affixed to people or objects. These strips are provided in an appropriate and sometimes adjustable length. Often, the strips are formed from a multi-layered form sheet having a face sheet of printable stock and a liner sheet to protect any adhesive. Typically, these strips were formed entirely within the face sheet, while the underlying liner is simply discarded.

“The shape of the strip formed from the face sheet after it is released from its label sheet is based on a predetermined cutout. For wristbands, the strip is usually an elongated strip, possibly with an enlarged central portion capable of carrying printed information. Adhesive may be selectively applied to one or both ends of the strip on the underside of the face sheet (i.e., the side that is in contact with the liner when the form sheet is first created). In this manner, after the strip is removed from the liner, it can be looped around an object (e.g., the neck, wrist, ankle or other appendage of a human or other animal) and adhesively secured.

“As an example, many hospitals and healthcare providers rely on wristbands to prevent medical errors due to patient misidentification. These bands are removed from form sheets and secured around a patient’s wrist or ankle, usually after information such as a patient’s name, date of birth, identification number, and sometimes even the patient’s picture and an assigned barcode, has been printed or affixed to the band (preferably, while the strip is still carried on its label sheet). The use of a form sheet allows the printing to be applied manually or automatically by feeding the label sheet into a conventional printer such as a laser printer, an inkjet printer, a thermal printer, and the like.

“Strips formed into wristbands (and other identification articles) should be relatively thin yet sufficiently stable and rigid to undergo automated printing. The label sheet, including its face sheet and liner, must be able to withstand the mechanical and thermal stresses associated with those operations.

“Certain identification strips, and especially those intended for use in a setting where the printed information could be intentionally altered or unintentionally marred (e.g., through contact with fluids, as may happen in a hospital setting), require lamination. Generally speaking, these laminating strips rely on a separate, detachable, clear plastic overlay (provided on the form sheet or as a separate item) that is placed over the printed area by the user either before or after the strip is formed into a looped band.

“One drawback to this overlay approach is that it requires the user to precisely position the overlay, and a failure to align the overlay with the printed surface of the wristband may leave adhesive from the overlay exposed in a manner that adheres to the person’s body. Also, providing the strip and overlay as separate pieces can lead to loss of one of the pieces and/or confusion for the user in how, where, and when to apply them. If the overlay wrinkles when placed to the printed surface, barcoded images may not be able to be scanned, patient information may be unreadable, and/or wrinkles could provide channels for liquids to directly touch the inner ply, thereby damaging or distorting the patient information.

“As a result, a further category of self-laminating wristbands have been developed. Self-laminating wristbands have the laminating layer integrally formed with the band itself. This arrangement avoids the possibility of misplacing the laminate layer (either through loss or through improper application to the strip itself).

“Such self-laminating wristbands usually require a more highly engineered form sheet. In terms of components, the form sheet includes a face sheet and a liner sheet may be similar, in terms of materials and appearance, to the more simplistic versions described above. However, the form sheets for self-laminating strips tend to rely on more complex perforation and/or die cuts that selectively penetrate one or both of the face and liner sheets, as well as adhesives disposed on either or both of the underside of the face sheet (same as described above) and the top side of the liner sheet. Additionally, variable-strength cutouts (i.e., one cutout may tear away with less force in comparison to another cutout on that same sheet) and/or differing adhesives between the face and liner sheets may be used to allow portions of a strip made from a form sheet to be temporarily or permanently formed from a combination of layers (i.e., the face sheet and the liner sheet).

“One example of known, self-laminating wristband is depicted as it would be disposed on a form sheet (viewed from the face sheet side) in FIG. 1. Other variations are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,160. Here, the step-shaped strip 10 is formed almost entirely made from the liner material except for the printable surface 22 and cutout 26, as will be described below. The strip is generally divided into two ends 12, 14 connected by the central portion 20, having a top half of the central portion includes a printable surface 22, with sealing surface 24 immediately adjacent below the printable surface 22. Printable surface 22 is connected on one edge to end 12, while sealing surface 24 connects to end 14 on the opposite edge as shown, thereby imparting a stepped shape to the strip 10.

“Sealing surface 24 is transparent and formed from the liner, while printable surface must be opaque or otherwise capable of retaining, and displaying in readable form, printed information. Printable surface 22 retains a portion of the face sheet for printing, although it is carried on and remains adhered to the liner when the strip 10 is removed from the form sheet.

“An adhesive material resides on sealing surface 24 on the same outward facing side of strip 10 (i.e., of the top side of the release liner so as to contact the face sheet when the form sheet is fully intact). Thus, once the strip 10 is removed from the form sheet (for example, by pressing down on cutout 26 to release the liner from the face sheet), the adhesive on surface 24 is exposed. Once the entire band 10 is free from the form sheet, surface 24 (and it associated/attached end 14) are folded over surface 22 to laminate the printable surface 22. The fold must be sufficiently straight to ensure ends 12, 14 remain in proper alignment to simplify looping the ends 12, 14.

“A separate adhesive patch and optional, removable face sheet cutout 26 are located at the terminal portion of end 14, also on the outward facing side (i.e., the same as the adhesive on surface 24). Cutout 26 protects the adhesive patch until the strip is ready to be looped and used as a wristband, as described below.

“In use, the wristband is fed into a printer while on the form sheet, with the information printed on face sheet material of the print area 22. The liner is then separated from the remainder of the face sheet to create the strip 10. Perforations of varying, appropriate strengths are formed in the liner and face sheets to allow the strip 10 to be removed from the form sheet. While the band 10 is formed from the liner--which separates from the base liner sheet, a small portion of face sheet material associated with the printable surface 22 remains attached to the liner material of the strip 10. In the same manner, printed material appears on the strip 10. Removable cutout 26, designed to protect the adhesive also remains affixed at end 14.

“As noted above, the entirety of sealing surface 24 and end 14 are then folded along dotted line 28 so that sealing surface 24 completely covers and adheres to printable surface 22, thereby acting as a laminate for the printable surface. Cutout 26 may then be removed, and ends 12, 14 are joined after looping the remainder of the strip around a person’s wrist in a manner that has the printed, laminated information facing outward.

“While this arrangement provides a laminated identification wristband, it has a number of drawbacks: The reliance on the liner sheet to form the wristband limits the materials that may be used, and the stepped shaped of the strip may limit the ability to provide a substantial number of wristbands on a single form sheet. The laminated, printed area 22 of strip 10 relies upon the liner sheet and face sheet remaining sufficiently adhered to one another, as well as the adhesive of surface 24 remaining sufficiently adhered to print area 22 after the wristband is formed and laminated. As such, the arrangement relies on a laminated tri-layer retaining its integrity along two separate surfaces, thereby increasing the chance of failure of the adhesive, separation of the layers, wrinkling, and/or a failure of the laminated wristband to fulfill its intended purpose. The need to fold the strip 10 along line 28 end may result in a misaligned (i.e., non-linear) wristband that is unsightly in appearance, may be more difficult to use. In some instances, misalignment can create an uneven surface facing the person’s wrist that could lead to potential skin irritation and discomfort (i.e., discontinuities facing the skin are created where the ends are joined and also along the edge where end 14 transitions to the end of central body 20) and, in an extreme cases, an inability to properly connect ends 12, 14. The folding action required for laminating requires handling the entire strip 10 after it has been separated from the face sheet with the laminating adhesive exposed, giving rise to potential problems in the event of accident contact between the adhesive on surface 24 and the user’s skin, other portions of the strip 10, and/or other objects.

“Accordingly, a need exists for a printable, self-laminating identification strip and/or wristband carried on form sheet article providing one or more band products which are securely retained in the sheet, yet which can be readily removed when desired. Moreover, it would be particularly desirable to provide such an article, in sheet, roll, or other form, that can withstand the mechanical and thermal stresses of printing, exhibits desirable skin-contacting qualities such as softness, and is relatively inexpensive and easy to make and use.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The difficulties and drawbacks associated with previously known products and practices are addressed in the present products and methods for sheeted or web based medical articles.

“A self-laminating identification band is provided. The band is formed from the face stock of a form sheet, with a laminating flap that folds over a printed surface. Adhesive is provided along the flap and along at least one end of the band, so as to allow the band to positioned and looped around itself. In some embodiments, the liner sheet may form part of the laminating flap.

“In one embodiment, the invention may incorporate any combination of the following features: a face sheet made from a printable media; a liner sheet; wherein at least one identification band defined by die cuts or perforations; wherein the identification band comprises a printable body positioned between two ends a common lengthwise axis, the body and ends formed from the face sheet and a laminating flap connected to the printable body, the laminating flap formed from the face sheet and the liner sheet; wherein the die cuts or perforations are formed in the liner sheet along at least an outer periphery of the laminating flap. wherein a plurality of identification bands are defined on the form sheet; a layer of adhesive, positioned between the face sheet and the liner sheet, proximate to at least one of the ends; a layer of adhesive, positioned between the face sheet and the liner sheet, in an area comprising the laminating flap; and wherein the laminating flap is positioned at an orthogonal angle to the axis.

“In another embodiment, an identification system incorporates any combination of the following features: a face sheet made from a printable media; a liner sheet; at least one identification band having an outer periphery containing a printable body positioned between two ends, the printable body and ends aligned along a common lengthwise axis and defined by die cuts or perforations formed only in the face sheet; and a laminating flap foldably contiguous with the printable body, the laminating flap defined by the die cuts or perforations formed in the face sheet and the liner sheet; wherein the identification band may be detached from the face sheet and the liner sheet along die cuts or perforations on the outer periphery so that the printable body and the two ends comprise face sheet and the laminating flap comprises liner sheet and a removable overlay of face sheet; wherein an adhesive patch is disposed on at least one end of the identification band; wherein an adhesive patch is disposed on the liner sheet of the laminating flap; wherein, when the identification band is detached, the printable body and two ends consist of face sheet with an optional adhesive patch disposed on at least one of the ends; wherein, when the identification band is detached, the two ends consist of face sheet with an optional adhesive patch disposed on at least one of the ends; wherein a width of the printable body is greater than a width of at least one of the two ends, said width of the printable body and said width of the at least one end measured orthogonally to the lengthwise axis; wherein the laminating flap folds over the printable body in an orthogonal direction relative to the lengthwise axis after the identification band is detached; wherein the face sheet and liner sheets are provided as a continuous roll with a plurality of identification bands formed therein; and wherein at least one label defined by a second set of die cuts or perforations is provided in at least one of the face sheet and the liner sheet.

“Yet another embodiment contemplates a sheeted article providing at least one identification band, the article having any combination of the following features: a face layer having an upper surface and a lower surface and defining at least one identification band, the at least one identification band having a first region proximate a first end, a second region defined by a second end, a print region defined between the first and second region and defining a top edge and a bottom edge, and a strap extending between the first and second end; a liner layer; a laminating member defined in the liner layer, the laminating member comprising a clear lamination flap proximate to the bottom edge of the print region, the flap comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface of the flap having an adhesive disposed thereon, where the flap is detachable from the liner and foldable such that the upper surface of the flap contacts the upper surface of the identification band to cover at least a portion of the print region; wherein the laminating member comprises a section of the liner underlying the lower surface of the print region, and the laminating member is detachable from the sheeted article when the identification band is removed from the article; wherein the lower surface of the identification band in the print region is detachable from the liner layer; wherein the face layer comprises a release layer overlying the upper surface of the laminating flap, the release layer removable from the laminating flap to expose the adhesive; a release material disposed on the liner layer in an area corresponding to the first region of the band; a first adhesive overlying the release material; a second adhesive disposed on the liner extending along at least a majority in an area corresponding to the second region of the band; a deadener disposed on the second adhesive; wherein upon removal of the identification band from the sheeted article, the first region of the identification band comprises the region of pressure sensitive; wherein the print region does not include any adhesive disposed on either the upper surface or the lower surface; wherein a dry peel adhesive, a releasable pressure sensitive adhesive or a combination of adhesives is disposed on at least a portion of the lower surface of the face layer within one or more of: the first region, the first end, the second region, the second end, and the strap; wherein a plurality of identification bands are provided; wherein the face layer and the liner layer comprise a combination form sheet; and wherein the combination form sheet includes at least one of a label and an extender.

“A method of forming a laminated wristband having printed indicia for identification is also contemplated incorporating any combination of the following features: providing a form sheet having: i) a face sheet with a printable, outward-facing surface and cuts or perforations defining a printable body proximate to a laminating flap and two looping ends on opposing sides of the central body, and ii) a liner sheet affixed to an inner-facing surface of the face sheet and having a flap portion corresponding to the laminating flap of the face sheet; printing indicia on the printable body of the face sheet; removing the laminating flap from the face sheet from the form sheet to expose the flap portion of the liner; folding the flap portion over the central body to create a laminated side while the central body and looping ends remain part of the form sheet and removing the central body and the looping ends of the face sheet from the form sheet; affixing the looping ends to form a wristband having the laminated side positioned on an outer facing portion; and wherein the laminating flap is removed from the face sheet after the face sheet is and the flap portion of the liner are removed from the form sheet.

“Finally, a wristband made from a face layer is contemplated, the band incorporating any combination of the following features: two ends disposed on opposing laterally edges of printable body, wherein the ends and the printable body consist and are formed from the face layer; a laminating flap disposed orthogonally to the printable body, the flap comprising a removable layered structure including a liner layer attached to the face layer; wherein the face layer is selectively removed to expose a clear laminating flap; wherein the laminating flap is machined to fold over the printable body; wherein the laminating flap and the printable body have the same dimensions; wherein a portion of the liner layer is affixed to a portion of the printable body; and an adhesive disposed on at least one of the ends.

“Specific reference is made to the appended claims, drawings, and description below, all of which disclose elements of the invention. While specific embodiments are identified, it will be understood that elements from one described aspect may be combined with those from a separately identified aspect. In the same manner, a person of ordinary skill will have the requisite understanding of common processes, components, and methods, and this description is intended to encompass and disclose such common aspects even if they are not expressly identified herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A sheeted article providing at least one identification band comprising: (a) a face layer having an upper surface and a lower surface and defining at least one identification band, the at least one identification band having: a first region proximate a first end, a second region defined by a second end, a print region defined between the first and second region and defining a top edge and a bottom edge, and a strap extending between the first and second end; (b) a liner layer; © a laminating member defined in the liner layer, the laminating member comprising a clear lamination flap proximate to the bottom edge of the print region, the flap comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface of the flap having an adhesive disposed thereon, where the flap is detachable from the liner and foldable such that the upper surface of the flap contacts the upper surface of the identification band to cover at least a portion of the print region, wherein the laminating member comprises a section of the liner underlying the lower surface of the print region, and the laminating member is detachable from the sheeted article when the identification band is removed from the article.

“2. The sheeted article of claim 1 wherein the lower surface of the identification band in the print region is bonded to the liner layer.

“3. The sheeted article of claim 1 wherein the face layer comprises a release layer overlying the upper surface of the laminating flap, the release layer removable from the laminating flap to expose the adhesive.

“4. The sheeted article of claim 1 further comprising: a release material disposed on the liner layer in an area corresponding to the first region of the band; a first adhesive overlying the release material; a second adhesive disposed on the liner extending along at least a majority in an area corresponding to the second region of the band; and a deadener disposed on the second adhesive; wherein upon removal of the identification band from the sheeted article, the first region of the identification band comprises the first adhesive.

“5. The sheeted article of claim 1 wherein the face layer and the liner layer comprise a combination form sheet.

“6. The sheeted article of claim 5 wherein the combination form sheet includes at least one of a label and an extender.

“7. The sheeted article of claim 1 wherein the print region does not include any adhesive disposed on either the upper surface or the lower surface when the flap is attached to the liner.

“8. The sheeted article of claim 1, wherein a dry peel adhesive, a releasable pressure sensitive adhesive or a combination of adhesives is disposed on at least a portion of the lower surface of the face layer within one or more of the first region, the first end, the second region, the second end, and the strap.

“9. The sheeted article of claim 1 wherein a plurality of identification bands are provided.”

For more information, see this patent: Becker, William; Fuller, Mark; Laski, Nicole; Langan, Joseph; Mastandrea, Vince; Serwon, Stan. Self Laminating Wristband. U.S. Patent Number 10,311,758, filed May 12, 2017, and published online on June 17, 2019. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,311,758.PN.&OS=PN/10,311,758RS=PN/10,311,758

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