Tag

The present invention relates to a tag and more particularly to an improved attachment means therefor.

Existing tags and particularly tags used in connection with nursery stock in an outdoor environment are subject to ripping and tearing under high wind conditions encountered when tags are exposed to the environment. The problem is particularly severe when the body of the tag is relatively large and offers considerable wind resistance. Further, existing tags are frequently difficult to attach to nursery stock where, typically, protective gloves are worn by employees attaching tags, particularly during severe weather conditions.

The tag of the present invention provides a body carrying printed indicia thereon and a tie extending from an edge of the body and having a flexible wire core surrounded by a resilient polymeric material. Such construction permits the tag to be attached to nursery stock simply by wrapping the embedded wire tie around a branch or the like to hold the tag to the object.

The present invention also contemplates a unique method for bonding a body and tie together to provide an integral construction which assures the body of the tag will not be separated from the tie during movement of the article to which the tag is attached or in the case of nursery stock, during severe weather conditions. In the preferred method of the invention the tie is ultrasonicly welded to the body of the tag employing a perdetermined welding pattern, pressure and power to assure bonding of the two members.

These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tag embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates one manner in which the tag shown in FIG. 1 can be attached to a branch or the like;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along section line III--III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along section line IV--IV of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along section line V--V of FIG. 1.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 there is shown a plant tag 10 embodying the present invention and which includes a body 12 of generally rectangular shape. Attached to body 12, as an integral part thereof, by a bonding process described below, is a tie 14 extending centrally and orthogonally from one edge of body 12. The tie 14 and body 12 are made of a polymeric material such as a polyolefin and in the preferred embodiment commercially available STACON was employed. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the body 12 carries printed indicia thereon such as planting and plant care information when the tags are employed with nursery stock for which they are uniquely suited. In one embodiment of the invention, body 12 had a dimension of 3 inches by 4 inches with the tie 14 exending outwardly therefrom approximately 5 inches and overlaps and is bonded to the body over a 3/8 of an inch junction 15 between tie 14 and body 12.

As best seen in FIG. 3, tie 14 comprises at least one and preferably a pair of spaced apart wires 16 and 17 extending parallel to one another and embedded within the polymeric material by an extrusion process. An interconnecting web or bridge 18 extends between wires 16 and 17 with the wires being surrounded by raised edge portions 19 and 20 such that the wires are totally surrounded by the polymeric material forming the tie. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the width of the tie was approximately 0.22 inches and the center-to-center spacing of the wires was approximately 0.16 inches. The thickness of web 18 is the same as the thickness of body 12 and in the preferred embodiment of the invention fell within the range of 0.012 to 0.015 inches.

The junction or bond 15 between tie 14 and body 12 is accomplished in the preferred embodiment by a ultrasonic welding process, the results of which can best be seen by reference to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. The tie 14 is extruded with the wires 16 and 17 embedded therein and subsequently cut in lengths for bonding to the tag bodies stamped from a sheet of material after the indicia is printed thereon. The tie and body are held in an aligned position, as shown in FIG. 1, and welding electrodes providing a diagonal pattern of parallel channels 22, as best seen in FIG. 5, impresses tie 14 to body 12 at a pressure approximately 296 PSI. The skew angle for eight of the 1/8 inch width rounded channels 22 having approximately 1/2 inch length and spaced apart from one another 0.060 inches is 25.degree. to maximize the bonding area between the tie 14 and body 12. The welding frequency is approximately 20 kHz utilizing 400 watts and the application time is from 0.6 to 0.8 seconds with a total welding cycle being approximately 1.2 seconds. It is important with respect to this process that the parallel, diagonally skewed channels 22 are employed to maximize the contact area between time 14 and body 12 and that the thickness of web 18 is substantially the same as body 12 to assure bonding between tie 14 and body 12 such that when applied to a branch or the like, as shown in FIG. 2, the body cannot be separated from the tie.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the tag can be easily attached to a branch 25 or the like by wrapping tie 14 therearound and either back on itself, as illustrated, or around the branch an additional time depending on the diameter of the object to which the tag is being applied. The memory wire 16 and 17 is approximately 23 guage and once deformed will retain its deformed position for securing a tag to an object.

By employing a tie 14 utilizing an embedded, flexible wire which is integrally bonded to the tag body, a tag can be readily attached to a branch of nursery stock with a minimum of dexterity being required. Thus, tags can be applied where the employee is wearing protective gloves either for protection against evergreen nursery stock or weather conditions. Inasmuch as the material forming the tie 14 is identical to that of body 12 and is bonded thereto, the tie 14 becomes an integral part of the body and cannot be separated once welded according to the process of the present invention.

It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention can be made. In some applications, for example, a single embedded wire may be employed within the tie. The specific demensions of the tag also can be varied as can its overall shape. These and other modifications to the preferred embodiment may, however, fall within the spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.