Metallized laminate film for in-mold labels and printed in-mold labels formed from such film

Abstract

A multilayer, metallized, laminate film employed to form in-mold labels, includes first and second multilayer structures adhesively bonded together. The first multilayer structure includes a polymer core layer and first and second outer polymer layers on opposed sides of the core layer. The first outer polymer layer includes a metal layer thereon, and the second polymer layer having an outer matte surface that is adapted, in the in-mold label formed from laminate film, to engage and bond to a molded article. The second multilayer structure is a clear structure including a core layer and first and second outer polymer layers on opposed sides of the core layer. The bonded interface of the first and second multilayer structures is free of any printed indicia or other graphics. Preferably both outer surfaces of the film are bottom outer layers and include matte surfaces. A label in accordance with this invention is formed from the above-described laminate film by printing an outer surface of the film either before or after the film/label is printed. A method of applying a printed molded label formed from the laminate film of this invention to a molded article during the molding operation also forms a part of this invention.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multilayer, metallized, laminate film employed to form in-mold labels, said laminate film including first and second extruded multilayer structures, said first and second extruded multilayer structures each including a polymer core layer and first and second outer polymer layers on opposed sides of the core layer and being thinner than said core layer, each of said first and second outer polymer layers of each multilayer structure including an outer surface;
 a thin coating of a metal layer on the outer surface of an outer layer of one of said first and second extruded multilayer structures;   an adhesive layer bonding the first and second extruded multilayer structures together through said metal layer to form a bonded interface, said bonded interface being free of printed indicia providing any product information;   at least one of said multilayer structures being clear for providing visibility through the thickness thereof to permit viewing of at least a portion of the coating of the metal layer, and   printed indicia providing product information on a surface of an outer polymer layer constituting an outer surface of the laminate film.   
     
     
         2 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein said adhesive layer bonds said metal layer to the outer surface of an outer layer on the other of said first and second extruded multilayer structures. 
     
     
         3 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , where both said first and second multilayer structures are clear. 
     
     
         4 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein one of said multilayer structures is opaque. 
     
     
         5 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein said core layer and first and second outer polymer layers of each of said first and second multilayer structures are coextruded. 
     
     
         6 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outer surfaces of said film is a matte surface. 
     
     
         7 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein both outer surfaces of said film are matte surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein the composition of the layers in the first multilayer structure being the same as corresponding layers in the second multilayer structure. 
     
     
         9 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein said first and second multilayer structures each are coextruded on the same extrusion line and are formed with substantially the same settings on said line. 
     
     
         10 . The multilayers, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein each of said extruded multilayer structure is biaxially oriented. 
     
     
         11 . The multilayer, metallized, laminate film of  claim 1 , wherein the core layer of each of said multilayer structures has a thickness in the range of 25-27 microns, the top layer of each of said multilayer structures has a thickness of 0.5-2 microns and the bottom layer of each of said multilayer structures has a thickness of 1.5-5 microns. 
     
     
         12 . A multilayer, metallized, laminate film including first and second extruded multilayer structures, said first and second extruded multilayer structures each including a polymer core layer and first and second outer polymer layers on opposed sides of the core layer and being thinner than said core layer, each of said first and second outer polymer layers of each multilayer structure including an outer surface;
 said first and second multilayer structures being attached to each other through a bonded interface free of any printed indicia providing product information; said bonded interface including a thin metal layer on an outer surface of said first extruded multilayer structures and an adhesive layer bonding the metal layer to the second extruded multilayer structure;   at least one of said first and second multilayer structures being clear for providing visibility through the thickness thereof to permit viewing of at least a portion of the coating of the metal layer, and   printed indicia providing product information on a surface of an outer polymer layer constituting an outer surface of the laminate film.   
     
     
         13 . An in-mold label including extruded first and second multilayer structures, said first and second extruded multilayer structures each including a polymer core layer and first and second outer polymer layers on opposed sides of the core layer and being thinner than said core layer, each of said first and second outer polymer layers of each multilayer structure including an outer surface;
 a thin coating of a metal layer on the outer surface of an outer layer of one of said first and second extruded multilayer structures;   an adhesive layer bonding said first and second multilayer structures together through said metal layer for providing a bonded interface, said bonded interface being free of printed indicia providing product information,   at least one of said multilayer structures being clear for providing visibility through the thickness thereof to permit viewing of at least a portion of the coating of the metal layer, and   printed indicia providing product information on a surface of an outer polymer layer constituting an outer surface of the in-mold label.   
     
     
         14 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , said adhesive layer bonding the metal layer to an outer surface of the other multilayer structure. 
     
     
         15 . An in-mold label including extruded first and second multilayer structures, said first and second extruded multilayer structures each including a polymer core layer and first and second outer polymer layers on opposed sides of the core layer and being thinner than said core layer, each of said first and second outer polymer layers of each multilayer structure including an outer surface;
 said first and second multilayer structures being attached to each other through a bonded interface free of printed indicia including product information; said bonded interface including a thin metal layer on an outer surface of said first extruded multilayer structure and an adhesive layer bonding the first and second extruded multilayer structures together through said metal layer;   at least one of said first and second multilayer structures being clear for providing visibility through the thickness thereof to permit viewing of at least a portion of the coating of the metal layer, and   printed indicia including product information on a surface of an outer polymer layer constituting an outer surface of the in-mold label.   
     
     
         16 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein an outer surface of at least one outer polymer layer of the in-mold label is a matte surface. 
     
     
         17 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein both outer surfaces of the in-mold label are matte surfaces. 
     
     
         18 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein the printed indicia is on an outer surface adapted to engage an inner mold surface during the formation of a molded article. 
     
     
         19 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein a clear, protective layer is applied over the printed indicia and engages an inner mold surface during the formation of a molded article. 
     
     
         20 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein the composition of the layers in the first multilayer structure being the same as corresponding layers in the second multilayer structure. 
     
     
         21 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein said first and second multilayer structures each are formed from multilayer films coextruded on the same extrusion line with substantially the same settings on said line. 
     
     
         22 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein each of said extruded multilayer structures is biaxially oriented. 
     
     
         23 . The in-mold label of  claim 13 , wherein the core layer of each of said multilayer structures has a thickness in the range of 25-27 microns, the top layer of each of said multilayer structures has a thickness of 0.5-2 microns and the bottom layer of each of said multilayer structures has a thickness of 1.5-5 microns. 
     
     
         24 . A method of applying the in-mold label of  claim 13  to a molded article during the molding operation including the steps inserting the in-mold label in a mold with the printed surface of the in-mold label facing and contiguous to a surface of the mold defining a cavity in which the article is to be molded and with the opposed outer surface of the in-mold label facing the mold cavity of the mold and molding an article into engagement with surfaces defining the mold cavity and into bonding engagement with the in-mold label. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the molded article is an injection molded article. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein multilayer structures contiguous to the surface of the mold is the clear structure.