Reclosable self-adhesive hanging tag and package provided therewith

Abstract

 A description is given of a packet containing a plurality of articles (M) in a wrapper containing an opening defined by a cut line or incision line (13) in the wrapper and closed by a self-adhesive tag (1) having a rear surface with a first area coated with an adhesive allowing repeated adhesion and detachment of the tag to and from said wrapper, and a second or adhesive-free area underneath a pull tab (3) for detaching the tag from the wrapper. The tag has a hanger member (5; 9; 10) for hanging said packet (11) on a display stand.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-adhesive tag with a rear face or surface on which is a first area with an adhesive allowing repeated adhesion and detachment of the tag, and a second or adhesive-free area underneath a pull tab.

[0002] The invention also relates to a packet comprising a tag of this type.

Prior art

[0003] The prior art of the packaging industry includes packets for multiple articles, such as disposable handkerchiefs, disposable disinfectant wipes, food products and the like, in which a wrapper encloses a plurality of articles and includes an opening that is punched or cut through a portion of the material forming the wrapper. In practice, the blanking operation defines a strip of the wrapper material that can be partly detached to give access to the contents of the wrapper by lifting said strip. A self-adhesive tag is attached to the blanked or cut portion of material, the tag being made for example of a plastic film, to the rear face of which there is applied an adhesive that allows repeated applications and repeated detachments of the tag to and from the surface of the wrapper. An adhesive-free pull tab or appendage allows the user to grasp the tag and detach it from the wrapper. In this operation the strip of wrapper material which is partly separated from the wrapper by the blanking or cutting operation is lifted away together with the tag, allowing the product to be taken out. Reapplying the self-adhesive tag closes the packet again so that the product left inside is stored in good condition.

Objects and summary of the invention

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to improve the tags of this type and the packets to which they are attached so that additional functions can be added.

[0005] In essence, according to the invention, the tag possesses a hanger member for hanging a packet, to which it is attached, on a display stand or the like.

[0006] In this way the tag not only performs its conventional function of repeated opening and closing of the packet after purchase but also enables the packet to be displayed easily for sale.

[0007] Italian Patent No. 1278767 discloses a tag combined with a hanger member for hanging the tagged packet on a display. However, it does not provide a reclosable tag with the characteristics of the subject of the present invention.

[0008] In a practical and advantageous embodiment of the invention there is no adhesive on the rear surface of the hanger member of the tag.

[0009] For practicality of construction, the hanger member is preferably formed in an opposite position to the position of the tab, although this is not strictly necessary.

[0010] The tag could in principle be formed from a single sheet material, such as a thin card, a paper, a plastic film or the like on which the hanger member is formed - by blanking or the like - in the form of a hook, eye or equivalent. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hanger member is formed by a portion or piece of a sheet material that is stiffer than the sheet material forming the rest of the tag. This gives the hanger member greater strength so that it will not break when on display, for example when a potential buyer takes the product off the stand.

[0011] In essence, the tag may comprise: a main body, consisting of a first flexible sheet material that also forms said tab (e.g. a plastic film); and a piece of stiffer sheet material attached to said main body and partly overlapping it. In this case the free rear surface of said piece and the rear surface of the main body, corresponding to the area of overlap between it and said piece, preferably have no adhesive. This means that, for 'reasons which will be explained later, the packets with the tags according to the invention can be packed during manufacture by the same packing procedure as is used for conventional packets, as the hanger member can be folded back so as not to project from the packet, whereas it will project when the packet is to be displayed for sale.

[0012] In a different aspect, the present invention relates to a packet containing a plurality of articles in a wrapper containing an opening defined by a cut line or incision line in the wrapper and closed by a self-adhesive tag having a rear surface with a first area coated with an adhesive allowing repeated adhesion and detachment of the tag to and from said wrapper, and a second or adhesive-free area underneath a pull tab for detaching the tag from the wrapper. Characteristically, according to the invention, the tag has a hanger member for hanging said packet on a display stand.

[0013] In a practical embodiment of the packet, the tag comprises a main body, consisting of a plastic film that also forms said tab, and a piece of stiffer sheet material attached to said main body and partly overlapping it; the free rear surface of the piece and the rear surface of the main body, corresponding to the area of overlap between it and said piece, have no adhesive. Furthermore, the piece forming the hanger member projects from the packet. Because of the adhesive-free areas, the projecting part of the hanger member can be folded back through 180° onto the packet for easier packaging.

[0014] Application of the tag to the packet is made very simple and easily automatable by the fact that the whole tag is applied to one face only of the packet with the portion forming the hanger member projecting from the packet and being easy to fold back against the packet to facilitate packaging.

[0015] Other advantageous features and embodiments of the invention are indicated in the accompanying claims.

Brief description of the drawings

[0016] A clearer understanding of the invention will be gained from the description and attached drawing, the latter showing a practical, non-limiting embodiment of the invention. In the drawing, in which identical numbers indicate identical parts:

Figs. 1 and 2 show front views of two forms of a tag according to the invention;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross section through III-III as marked in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a packet according to the invention;

Fig. 5 shows a cross section through V-V as marked in Fig. 4 with the tag removed from the packet for greater clarity; and

Fig. 6 shows a cross section similar to that of Fig. 5, with the tag applied to the packet and with the hanger member folded back against the packet.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

[0017] Figs. 1 and 2 show front views of two possible configurations of a tag according to the invention. In Fig. 1 the tag, which is given the general reference numeral 1, is generally rectangular, with an appendage or tab 3 and, at the opposite end from the tab 3, a portion 5 forming a hanger eye. As shown in the schematic cross section in Fig. 3, the tag 1 is formed from two sheet parts: a first part marked 1A, consisting of a plastic film which may be quite thin, forms the greater part of the tag, with the tab 3 and the central part. A second sheet part, which is thicker and/or stiffer, marked 1B is glued to the plastic film forming the part 1A and forms the portion 5 into which the eye 9 is cut or blanked. In practice the sheet part 1B is a stiffer piece by which the packet to which the tag is,attached is hung on a display.

[0018] The two parts 1A, 1B partly overlap in an area which is shaded in Fig. 1. The rear area of the part 1A is coated with an adhesive of the type that allows repeated applications and detachments of the tag from the object to which the tag is applied so that the tag is reclosable. In practice the adhesive is applied to the whole of the rear surface of the part 1A (which is made of a plastic film), except for the tab 3 and the area of overlap between the part 1A and the stiffer part or piece 1B for reasons explained below.

[0019] Fig. 2, in which identical numbers indicate identical or equivalent parts, shows a tag similar to the previous tag, from which it differs in that the part 1B forms a hook 10 rather than an eye 9, though its purpose is the same. As before, a glue is applied to the rear face of the part 1A except on the tab 3 and on the area of overlap between the two parts 1A and 1B.

[0020] The part 1A of the tag may be made of polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, PVC, paper, board or other suitable material. The stiffer part 1B may be made for example from PVC, polyester or board and may have a thickness of for example between 100 and 400 µm.

[0021] Fig. 4 shows how the tag 1 is applied to a packet 11, such as a pack of disposable disinfectant wipes or the like. The packet 11 may be made of plastic, board or the like. It has an incision, produced by blanking or other suitable means, indicated at 13. The incision defines an area which tears open to form an opening through which the products contained inside the packet 11 can be removed. The tag 1 is applied to the packet 11 in such a way as to cover the incision 13 and in a position such that its portion 1B projects from the packet, while the portion 1A does not so project. In this way the eye 9 projects from the packet, making it easy to hang it on a display or the like.

[0022] When it is wished to open the packet, the tag is lifted by grasping it by the tab 3, an operation which is facilitated by the fact that there is no glue on the back of the tag in the area of the tab 3. Lifting the tag tears the material of the packet 11 along the incision line 13, generating an opening through which the products M (Fig. 5) contained inside the packet can be removed. When the packet is to be reclosed, the tag 1 is simply stuck back down, using its adhesive, on the surface of the packet 11.

[0023] Since there is no adhesive on the rear of the tag 1 in the area of the overlap between the parts 1A and 1B, the part 1B can easily be bent back onto the part 1A so as not to project (in plan view) from the packet 11, as shown in Fig. 6. Consequently, a plurality of packets 11 can easily be made up into large packages for wholesale, without presenting any obstacle to ordinary packaging equipment. The presence of the tag 1 in no way interferes with the packaging operations because it is folded back against the packet. When the packet is removed from the package for display by the retailer, the tag 1 can easily be extended so that the portion 1B again projects from the packet and the packet 11 can easily be displayed.

[0024] It will be understood that the drawing shows only a possible embodiment of the invention, which can be varied in its shapes and arrangements without thereby departing from the concept on which the invention is based. The presence of reference numbers in the appended claims is purely for the purpose of facilitating the reading thereof in the light of the foregoing description and of the accompanying drawings, and in no way limits the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A self-adhesive tag (1) with a rear face on which is a first area with an adhesive allowing repeated adhesion and detachment of the tag, and a second or adhesive-free area underneath a pull tab (3), characterized by a hanger member (5, 9; 10) for hanging a packet (11), to which said tag is attached, on a display stand.

2. Self-adhesive tag according to Claim 1, characterized in that there is no adhesive on the rear surface of said hanger member of the tag.

3. Tag according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said hanger member (9; 10) is formed from a piece of sheet material (1B) forming a hook or an eye (9; 10).

4. Self-adhesive tag according to Claim 1 or 2 or 3, characterized in that said hanger member is formed on an opposite end of the tag from said tab.

5. Self-adhesive tag according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hanger member is made of a sheet material that is stiffer than the sheet material forming the rest of the tag.

6. Self-adhesive tag according to Claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a main body, consisting of a first flexible sheet material (1A) that also forms said tab (3), and a piece (1B) of stiffer sheet material attached to said main body, partly overlapping it and projecting from it in the opposite direction to the tab (3); and in which the free rear surface of said stiffer piece (1B) and the rear surface of the main body, corresponding to the area of overlap between it and said piece (1B), have no adhesive.

7. Self-adhesive tag according to Claim 3, 5 or 6, characterized in that said piece of sheet material forming the hanger member is transparent.

8. A packet containing a plurality of articles (M) in a wrapper containing an opening defined by a cut line or incision line (13) in the wrapper and closed by a self-adhesive tag (1) having a rear surface with a first area coated with an adhesive allowing repeated adhesion and detachment of the tag to and from said wrapper, and a second or adhesive-free area underneath a pull tab (3) for detaching the tag from the wrapper, characterized in that said tag has a hanger member (5; 9; 10) for hanging said packet (11) on a display stand.

9. Packet according to Claim 8, characterized in that there is no adhesive on the rear surface of said hanger member of the tag.

10. Packet according to Claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said hanger member (9; 10) of the tag (1) is formed from a piece of sheet material (1 B) forming a hook or an eye (9; 10).

11. Packet according to Claim 8 or 9 or 10, characterized in that said hanger member of the tag is formed on an opposite end of the tag from said tab.

12. Packet according to one or more of Claims 8-11, characterized in that said hanger member is made of a sheet material that is stiffer than the sheet material forming the rest of the tag.

13. Packet according to Claim 12, characterized in that: said tag comprises a main body, consisting of a plastic film that also forms said tab, and a piece of stiffer sheet material attached to said main body and partly overlapping it; in that the free rear surface of said stiffer piece and the rear surface of the main body, corresponding to the area of overlap between it and said stiffer piece, have no adhesive; and in that said stiffer piece forming the hanger member projects from the packet.

14. Packet according to Claim 10, 12 or 13, characterized in that said stiffer piece forming the hanger member is transparent.

Drawing