EP0991048A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Tags having a metallic heft and appearance and process for making them
Assignee: Brady Worldwide Inc
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Filing: 1999-10-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2019-10-01
Abstract
Abstract Tags having a metallic heft and appearance and processes for making them are described in which a first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image is applied to a metallized polymer film, with or without an intervening translucent print receptive layer, and then a second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image is applied to at least a portion of the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image. The first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image has an opaque first color and the second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image has an opaque second color, the opaque second color preferably selected to contrast with the first opaque color. These tags are useful as replacements for anodized aluminum asset tags, which are more difficult and expensive to produce and do not lend themselves to printing computer-generated indicia such as a series of different bar codes. The disclosed and described tags can be cost-effectively manufactured in small quantities and yet have such variable indicia.
Inventors
- 👤 Linda M. Edwards
- 👤 Joseph C. Musto
- 👤 Susan M. Babb
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 07:46
CPC Classifications
B; B44; B44C; B44C1/00; B44C1/16; B44C1/165; B44C1/17; B44C1/1733; B44C1/1737; G; G09; G09F; G09F3/00; G09F3/02; G09F3/08; G09F3/10; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/914; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/14; Y10T428/1438; Y10T428/1467; Y10T428/1486; Y10T428/149
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
An asset tag having a metallic heft and appearance comprising: (A) A metallized polymer film having a front side and a back side, the front side
optionally having a translucent print receptive layer; (B) a first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image covering a portion of the
front side of the metallized polymer film such that at least one portion of the front
side of the metallized polymer film is not covered by the first thermal mass transfer
printer image; and (C) an optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image covering at least
a portion of the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image such that at
least one portion of the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image is not
covered by the second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image, wherein the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image has a substantially opaque
first color and the optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image, when
present, has a substantially opaque second color.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
The tag of claim 1 wherein the metallized polymer film comprises a transparent polymer
film having a metal layer, the metal layer having a light transmissivity less than 3 percent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The tag of claim 1 or 2 wherein the reflectivity of the portion of the metallized polymer film
having the translucent print receptive layer, but not the first resin-based thermal mass
transfer printer image, is greater than 80 percent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The tag of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the specular reflectivity of the portion of the metallized
polymer film having the translucent print receptive layer, but not the first resin-based
thermal mass transfer printer image, is greater than 50 percent of the total reflectivity of
the same portion of the metallized polymer film.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The tag of any of claims 1 to 4 having the optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer
image and having a printed quality grade of "C", "B" or "A" according to The American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) Barcode Print Quality Guideline" (ANSX3.182-1990)
conducted at an aperture of 6 mil and a wavelength of 660 nm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The tag of claim 5 wherein the optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer
image has a modulation grade, defects grade or decode margin grade of "B" or "A", each
grade measured according to The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Barcode
Print Quality Guideline" (ANSX3.182-1990) conducted at an aperture of 6 mil and a
wavelength of 660 nm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
66 words
The tag of claim 6 wherein each of the modulation grade, defects grade and decode margin
grade is "B" or "A" and at least one of the modulation grade, defects grade or decode
margin grade is "A", each grade measured according to The American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) Barcode Print Quality Guideline" (ANSX3.182-1990) conducted at an
aperture of 6 mil and a wavelength of 660 nm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The tag of any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the metallized polymer film has a color which contrasts with
the first color of the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The tag of any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the metallized polymer film has a print receptive layer
comprising a colorant.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The tag of any of claims 1 to 9 further comprising a clear protective layer over the first resin-based
thermal mass transfer printer image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
104 words
The tag of claim 1 wherein the metallized polymer film comprises a transparent polymer
film having a metal layer, the metal layer having a light transmissivity less than 3 percent;
the optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image is present and has a
printed quality grade of "C", "B" or "A", a modulation grade of "B" or "A", a defects
grade of "B" or "A" and a decode margin grade of "B" or "A", each grade measured
according to The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Barcode Print Quality
Guideline" (ANSX3.182-1990) conducted at an aperture of 6 mil and a wavelength of 660
nm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
The tag of any of claims 1 to 11 further comprising an adhesive layer on the back side of the metallized
polymer film.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The tag of claim 12 further comprising a release liner on the adhesive layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A web comprising a plurality of tags according to any of claims 1 to 13 on a
continuous release liner.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
144 words
A process for making an asset tag having a metallic heft and appearance comprising: (A) Providing a metallized polymer film having a front side and a back side, the front
side optionally having a translucent print receptive layer; (B) Applying a first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image having a
substantially opaque first color to the front side of the metallized polymer film (A)
such that at least one portion of the front side of the metallized polymer film (A)
is not covered by the first thermal mass transfer printer image; and (C) Optionally applying a second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image
having a substantially opaque second color over the first thermal mass transfer
printer image (B) such that at least one portion of the first thermal mass transfer
printer image (B) is not covered by the second thermal mass transfer printer image.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
9 words
The process of claim 15 including optional step (C).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 16 wherein the image of optional step (C) includes a printed bar code.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process of claim 17 wherein the printed bar code has a print quality grade of "C", "B"
or "A" according to The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Barcode Print
Quality Guideline" (ANSX3.182-1990) conducted at an aperture of 6 mil and a
wavelength of 660 nm.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
66 words
The process of claim 18 wherein each of the modulation grade, defects grade and decode
margin grade is "B" or "A" and at least one of the modulation grade, defects grade or
decode margin grade is "A", each grade measured according to The American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) Barcode Print Quality Guideline" (ANSX3.182-1990) conducted
at an aperture of 6 mil and a wavelength of 660 nm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
A tag obtainable by the process of any of claims 15 to 19.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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