Label Ledge for Injection Molded Containers

Abstract

A container having a label ledge elevated from the base of the container for receiving label is disclosed. When formed in mold, the ledge protects the leading edge of the label from the flow of resin through the cavity walls of the mold. Because the label leading edge is protected, the resin flows over the label and pins the label to the cavity wall of the mold, creating a container with the label formed on the container wall. A container lid with side walls defining a skirting is also disclosed. The lid includes a ledge to facilitate label placement on the skirting.

1 . A molded plastic container comprising: 
 a base having a bottom surface;    at least one side wall integrally formed with said base;    a ledge formed in said at least one side wall, said ledge being positioned in said at least one sidewall at a distance elevated from the bottom surface of said base;    at least one in mold label having a leading edge, said in mold label being molded on the outer surface of at least one side wall, the leading edge of said label proximate said ledge.    
     
     
         2 . The molded plastic container of  claim 1  wherein said at least one side wall extends circumferentially around said base.  
     
     
         3 . The molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein said in mold label includes a plurality of in mold labels molded on said side walls.  
     
     
         4 . The molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein said container is a round.  
     
     
         5 . The molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein said container is rectangular.  
     
     
         6 . The molded plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein said container is square.  
     
     
         7 . A molded plastic container including a lid comprising: 
 a molded plastic container;    a lid for covering said container, said lid including a pan portion, a nesting ring defining the perimeter of said pan portion, and at least one side wall defining a skirting;    at least one label ledge formed between said nesting ring and said side wall, said label ledge proximate an upper edge of said side wall; and    at least one in mold label received by said skirting wherein the leading edge of said at least one label is proximate said ledge.    
     
     
         8 . The molded plastic container of  claim 7  wherein said at least one side wall extends circumferentially around said base.  
     
     
         9 . The molded plastic container of  claim 7 , wherein said in mold label includes a plurality of in mold labels molded on said side walls.  
     
     
         10 . The molded plastic container of  claim 7 , wherein said lid is a round.  
     
     
         11 . The molded plastic container of  claim 7 , wherein said lid is rectangular.  
     
     
         12 . The molded plastic container of  claim 7 , wherein said lid is square.  
     
     
         13 . A molded plastic container comprising: 
 a base;    a plurality of side walls integrally formed with said base;    a ledge formed in said plurality of side walls, said ledge being positioned at a distance elevated from said base;    at least one label on an outer surface of at least one side wall, said at least one label being molded to said outer surface in mold by placing a leading edge of said label proximate said ledge such that when resin is injected in said mold the resin flows over a backside of said at least one label such no fluid flowed between the label and the mold.    
     
     
         13 . The molded plastic container of  claim 12  further comprising a plurality of labels each having a leading edge, said leading edge proximate said ledge.  
     
     
         14 . The molded plastic container of  claim 12  wherein said container is round.  
     
     
         15 . The molded plastic container of  claim 12  wherein said container is rectangular  
     
     
         16 . The molded plastic container of  claim 12  wherein said container is square.  
     
     
         17 . The molded plastic container of  claim 12  wherein said at least one label circumferentially surrounds said plurality of side walls.  
     
     
         18 . A method for creating a labeled molded container comprising: 
 (a) providing a mold having a bottom surface, at least one sidewall, and a ledge formed in the mold, said ledge being positioned in the sidewall at a distance elevated from the bottom surface of the container, wherein the ledge is deep enough to accept a label of a predetermined thickness;    (b) placing a leading edge of a label such that said leading edge abuts the ledge of the sidewall;    (c) providing a mold insert placeable in the mold to define a mold cavity between the mold insert and the mold, the mold cavity substantially defining the shape of a container formed therein;    (d) introducing liquid resin into the mold such that the liquid resin flows in a predetermined direction to fill the mold cavity such that the resin is guided by the ledge onto an inward side of the label and is substantially prevented from acting upon the leading edge of the label and thus being substantially prevented from displacing the label and from seeping between the label and the mold; and    (e) producing a container having a ledge in the sidewall at a distance elevated from the bottom surface of the container, wherein a non-displaced label abuts the ledge of said container.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the container is a drinking cup.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the container a food container.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the container is an ice cream container.  
     
     
         22 . A method for creating a molded plastic resin container cover having a skirting that displays an in-mold label comprising: 
 (a) providing a mold with a pan area having a recess, said recess comprising a nesting ring defining the perimeter of the pan area and at least one side wall area comprising a skirting, a label ledge formed between said nesting ring recess and said side wall, said label ledge located proximate an upper edge of said side wall for receiving a label;    (b) placing a label in the mold with a leading edge of the label abutting the ledge;    (c) providing a mold insert placeable in the mold to define a mold cavity between the mold insert and the mold, the mold cavity substantially defining the shape of the container cover to be formed therein;    (d) injecting liquid resin into said mold to form the cover, the ledge guiding the resin onto an inward side of the label substantially preventing said resin from acting upon the leading edge of the label and thus substantially preventing the label from being displaced in the mold such that substantially no resin flows between the label and the mold;    (e) producing a molded plastic resin container cover having a skirting that displays an in-mold label.    
     
     
         23 . A method of making a labeled molded plastic object without label displacement comprising: 
 (a) providing a label having a leading edge;    (b) providing a mold for forming a plastic resin object, said mold having a bottom surface and a sidewall defining a label ledge positioned in the sidewall at a distance elevated from the bottom surface of the container;    (c) placing the leading edge of the label proximate the label ledge;    (d) placing a mold insert in the mold to define a mold cavity between the mold insert and the mold, the mold cavity substantially defining the shape of the object to be formed therein;    (e) injecting liquid resin into said mold to form the object, the ledge guiding the resin onto an inward side of the label substantially preventing said resin from acting upon the leading edge of the label and thus substantially preventing the label from being displaced in the mold such that substantially no resin flows between the label and the mold;    (f) producing the object, the object including an in-mold label positioned proximate a ledge that is elevated at a distance from a bottom surface of the object.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the object is a drinking cup.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  the object is a food container.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the object is an ice cream container.