Protective Label

Abstract

A labeled article comprising a label and an article, the article having a top end, a bottom end, a bottom surface, and at least one side surface, wherein the at least one side surface extends between the top end and the bottom end of the article. In this embodiment, the label is positioned around a lower portion of the side surface of the article to confront said side surface and does not extend past the bottom end of the article.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A labeled article comprising:
 a label; and   an article, said article having a top end, a bottom end, a bottom surface, and at least one side surface, said at least one side surface extending between said top end and said bottom end;   wherein said label is positioned around a lower portion of said side surface of said article to confront said side surface, and does not extend past said bottom end of said article.   
     
     
         2 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom edge of said label is substantially flush with a boundary between the side surface of the article and the bottom surface of the article. 
     
     
         3 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label includes a machine direction-oriented film. 
     
     
         4 . The labeled article of  claim 3 , wherein said label is a single ply machine direction-oriented polyolefin pressure sensitive label. 
     
     
         5 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label includes a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         6 . The labeled article of  claim 5 , wherein said label includes greater than 50% polypropylene. 
     
     
         7 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one side surface of the article has a substantially circular cross-section at the location where the label confronts the at least one side surface, and wherein the label is sized and positioned relative to the article such that it wraps 370° around the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         8 . The labeled article of  claim 7 , wherein the label is heat shrunk to confront and conform to the article. 
     
     
         9 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 50% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         10 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 20% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         11 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 12% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         12 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label extends between ½″ to 1″ from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article. 
     
     
         13 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive applied to a surface of the label, such that the adhesive is positioned between the label and the article. 
     
     
         14 . The labeled article of  claim 13 , wherein said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         15 . The labeled article of  claim 1 , wherein said label is a shrink sleeve label having a film comprising polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         16 . The labeled article of  claim 15 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 50% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         17 . The labeled article of  claim 15 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 20% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         18 . The labeled article of  claim 15 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 12% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         19 . The labeled article of  claim 15 , wherein said label extends between ½″ to 1″ from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article. 
     
     
         20 . The labeled article of  claim 15 , further comprising an adhesive applied to a surface of the label, such that the adhesive is positioned between the label and the article. 
     
     
         21 . The labeled article of  claim 15 , wherein the label is heat shrunk to confront and conform to the article. 
     
     
         22 . A labeled article comprising:
 a label; and   an article, said article having a top end, a bottom end, and at least one side surface, said at least one side surface extending between said top end and said bottom end;   wherein said label is positioned around a portion of said side surface of said article and does not extend to said bottom end of said article, such that a lower portion of said side surface is exposed below a bottom edge of said label, and said label confronts said side surface;   wherein said label includes a machine direction-oriented film and an adhesive positioned between said label and said article; and   wherein said label is heat shrunk to the article.   
     
     
         23 . The labeled article of  claim 22 , wherein said label is a single ply machine direction-oriented polyolefin pressure sensitive label. 
     
     
         24 . The labeled article of  claim 22 , wherein said label includes a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         25 . The labeled article of  claim 24 , wherein said label includes greater than 50% polypropylene. 
     
     
         26 . The labeled article of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one side surface of the article has a substantially circular cross-section at the location where the label confronts the at least one side surface, and wherein the label is sized and positioned relative to the article such that it wraps 370° around the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         27 . The labeled article of  claim 22 , wherein said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         28 . A labeled article comprising:
 a label; and   an article, said article having a top end, a bottom end, a bottom surface, and at least one side surface, said at least one side surface extending between said top end and said bottom end;   wherein said label is positioned around a lower portion of said side surface of said article and extends past said bottom end of said article, such that said label confronts said lower portion of said side surface and at least a portion of a bottom surface of said article; and   wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 50% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end.   
     
     
         29 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , wherein said label includes a machine direction-oriented film. 
     
     
         30 . The labeled article of  claim 29 , wherein said label is a single ply machine direction-oriented polyolefin pressure sensitive label. 
     
     
         31 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , wherein said label includes a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         32 . The labeled article of  claim 31 , wherein said label includes greater than 50% polypropylene. 
     
     
         33 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one side surface of the article has a substantially circular cross-section at the location where the label confronts the at least one side surface, and wherein the label is sized and positioned relative to the article such that it wraps 370° around the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         34 . The labeled article of  claim 33 , wherein the label is heat shrunk to confront and conform to the article. 
     
     
         35 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 20% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         36 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , wherein said label extends from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article less than 12% of the length of the article between the bottom end to the top end. 
     
     
         37 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , wherein said label extends between ½″ to 1″ from the bottom end of the article toward the top end of the article. 
     
     
         38 . The labeled article of  claim 28 , further comprising an adhesive applied to a surface of the label, such that the adhesive is positioned between the label and the article. 
     
     
         39 . The labeled article of  claim 38 , wherein said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
         40 . A labeled article comprising:
 a label; and   an article, said article having a top end, a bottom end, and at least one side surface, said at least one side surface extending between said top end and said bottom end;   wherein said label is positioned around a lower portion of said side surface of said article and extends past said bottom end of said article, such that said label confronts said lower portion of said side surface and at least a portion of a bottom surface of said article;   wherein said label includes a machine direction-oriented film and an adhesive positioned between said label and said article; and   wherein said label is heat shrunk to the article.   
     
     
         41 . The labeled article of  claim 40 , wherein said label is a single ply machine direction-oriented polyolefin pressure sensitive label. 
     
     
         42 . The labeled article of  claim 40 , wherein said label includes a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         43 . The labeled article of  claim 42 , wherein said label includes greater than 50% polypropylene. 
     
     
         44 . The labeled article of  claim 40 , wherein said adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.