Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for making a semi-finished product that can be used for producing adhesive labels, a semi-finished product that can be used for producing adhesive labels, and an adhesive label.

More specifically, a semi-finished product according to the present invention is of the type that can be customized with security prints made using pigments, invisible to the naked eye but which can be viewed by way of irradiation with a Wood's lamp, or derivatives or the like of such pigments, in order to fight the unauthorized reproduction of labels and in order to enable the easy checking of the authenticity thereof.

Background Art

A method for making semi-finished products of the type mentioned above is disclosed in EP1235196. Such method comprises using a support, on the rear face of which the producer of the semi-finished product applies a security print or customized print made with an ink that is visible only when irradiated with the light emitted by a Wood's lamp.

The security print with ink visible under a Wood's lamp, according to the method disclosed in EP 1235196, is executed on the rear face of the support onto which an adhesive covered with an adapted means of protection, such as siliconized paper or the like, is subsequently applied. The labels are obtained from the semi-finished product by way of being punched out.

A drawback deriving from the conventional method described above lies in the fact that reading the security print on the rear face of the label is not always possible when the label is made of opaque material and is applied to a product. For example, such reading is not possible when the label is applied to a transparent jar or bottle containing a non-transparent liquid (such as red wine or liquid detergents) or to containers of non- transparent materials, without detaching the label at least partially from the product onto which it is applied.

In other words, in order to perform a verification/check of the origin of the label, it is necessary that its rear face be reachable by the beam of light emitted by a Wood's lamp, essential for reading the security print, without interference from colored or opaque materials/liquids, which act as a barrier to the radiation.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

This aim is achieved according to the present invention by adopting the idea of implementing a method and of making a semi-finished product and a label having the characteristics indicated in the independent claims.

Other characteristics of the present invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Thanks to the present invention it is possible, as further described hereinafter, to perform the authenticity check of the labels, i.e. to read the security prints, even if they are applied to opaque products and/or packages and without any need for removal of the labels in order to expose the rear side thereof.

This substantially simplifies the authenticity check of the labels, i.e. of the products upon which the labels are applied, since the security prints are visible by exposing the front face of the labels, i.e. the outer side thereof with no adhesive applied thereto, to the radiation of a Wood's lamp as well. Moreover, there is the fact that a method according to the invention can also be implemented using existing machines, which contributes to reducing the implementation cost thereof. Brief description of the drawings

These and other advantages and characteristics of the present invention will be more and better understood by any person skilled in the art thanks to the description that follows and to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic view in longitudinal cross-section of a semifinished product for making labels according to the present invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are views of two possible ways of executing the print of the semi-finished product in order to make labels according to the present invention.

Ways of carrying out the invention

Reduced to its basic structure and with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawings, a semi-finished product S for producing labels according to the present invention comprises a band-shaped substrate 1 on the front face of which a print 2 visible to the naked eye can be made and on the rear face of which a layer of adhesive 3 can be spread which is protected by siliconized paper or similar material 4. The visible print 2 can be made with inks of the type generally used for producing printed labels and it can be executed in a conventional manner.

The labels proper can be made from the semi-finished product S by way of being punched out.

According to the invention, applied to the substrate 1 is at least one security print 5 which is made with pigments which are visible under a Wood's lamp, i.e. the light emitted by a Wood's lamp, or their derivatives or the like. The security print 5 is incorporated in the substrate 1 which is conveniently permeable to the above mentioned pigments. More precisely, the security print 5 is not superficial but internal to the substrate 1.

The security print or prints 5 made with pigments visible under a Wood's lamp and incorporated in the substrate 1 can consist in signs that identify, for example, the origin of the product on which the label is applied, the producer, the establishment that produced it or any other information that can facilitate verification of the authenticity of the label.

Such signs can be any shape, size and layout and can optionally even consist in numeric and/or alphanumeric strings that represent information expressed in codified form.

The security prints 5 with pigments which are visible under a Wood's lamp or their derivatives or the like can be executed in any suitable manner.

For example, such security prints 5 can be produced with the flexographic technique according to a scheme of the type shown in Figure 2, which shows an inkwell 6 which contains the ink used for the print, a fountain roller 7 acting at the inkwell 6, an anilox roller 8 that transfers the ink to a plate cylinder 9 and an impression roller 10, with the substrate 1 which is threaded between the plate cylinder 9 and the impression roller 10.

Alternatively, rotogravure printing can be used according to a scheme of the type shown in Figure 3, in which the signs to be printed on the substrate 1 are impressed on the surface of a gravure roller 1 1 that rotates in a container 12 for the ink and which produces the print in cooperation with an impression roller 13 acting on the opposite side on the substrate 1.

Such printing techniques are known per se and, therefore, are not described in further detail. It remains understood that the printing technique adopted can in any case be different from those mentioned above.

The security prints 5 incorporated in the substrate 1 are preferably made with fluorescent pigments and/or dyes in solution, carried with elements adapted to incorporate such solution in the material of the substrate 1.

Such solution can be composed, for example, by a fluorescent whitening agent (for example of the type marketed under the name TINOPAL NFW by BASF or UVITEX NFW by CIBA SC) diluted or dispersed in SOLVANOL (a mixture of 60-70% ethanol and 40-30% isopropanol) in a concentration comprised between 5% and 50%. Preferably, the concentration of the fluorescent whitening agent is comprised between 5% and 20%.

Satisfactory experimental tests have been conducted by executing the print with a plant of the type shown in Figure 2. More specifically, the tests were conducted using, as substrate 1, natural paper of weight 90 gr/m ² traveling at a speed of 100 m/min and executing the security prints 5 with a solution of 15% TINOPAL NFW in SOLVANOL.

Other, equally satisfactory tests were conducted using, as substrate 1 , glossy coated paper of weight 60 gr/m ² traveling at a speed of 70 m/min and executing the security prints 5 with a solution of 20% TINOPAL NFW in SOLVANOL.

More generally, for the preparation of the solution to be used for making the security prints 5, according to the present invention fluorescent pigments and/or dyes are used (for example the above mentioned whitening agents) in solution with aliphatic alcohols or mixtures of aliphatic alcohols (for example, the above mentioned mixture).

In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects in that it makes it possible to produce labels that can be easily subjected to an authenticity check by way of simple irradiation with the light emitted by a Wood's lamp even if the labels are made of opaque material, in particular paper-like material or the like, and are applied to opaque products and/or packages, without any need to remove the labels in order to expose the rear side thereof.

In practice the execution details can in any case vary in equivalent manner with regard to the individual elements described and illustrated, but without for this reason extending beyond the scope of the solution idea adopted and therefore remaining within the limits of protection accorded by the present patent.

The content of Italian patent application no. FI2010A000243, the priority of which is claimed in the present application, is incorporated as a reference.

Where the technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference numerals and/or signs, those reference numerals and/or signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference numerals and/or signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference numerals and/or signs.