US 11961422

Here is a concise summary of US patent 11961422:

US Patent 11961422

• Title: Recyclable heat shrink film for recyclable container
• Assignee: Brook & Whittle Ltd
• Inventors: Andrew Sharp, Mitchell J. Morgan
• Filing Date: 2023-01-30
• Issue Date (Publication Date): 2024-04-16
• Abstract: A recyclable shrink label comprises a heat shrink film with a first (inner) and second (outer) surface, and a light blocking layer next to the first surface. This light blocking layer contains a component designed to block at least 80% of incident light in the 200 nm to 900 nm wavelength range. The label may also include an indicia layer and a high opacity layer. When applied to a container, especially a recyclable one, the entire article (container and label) can be recycled in a corresponding recycling stream, often both being made of PET. During recycling, inks and pigments are removed, allowing for the recovery of pure resin.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Recyclable Shrink Label): This claim describes a recyclable heat-shrinkable label. It includes a plastic film that shrinks with heat, having an inner and an outer side. On the inner side, there's a special layer with a material that blocks light. This light-blocking layer is specifically designed to block at least 80% of light across a broad spectrum (from ultraviolet to near-infrared, 200 nm to 900 nm). The film can optionally be between 15 to 100 micrometers thick, or more specifically, 30 to 80 micrometers thick.
• Independent Claim 17 (Article): This claim describes a product that includes a container (like a bottle) with an outside surface, and the recyclable shrink label from Claim 1 (or any of its dependent claims) placed on that container. The inner surface of the label may optionally face the container's outside surface.
• Independent Claim 22 (Method of Making a Label): This claim outlines a method for creating such a label. It involves printing a design (indicia layer) onto a heat-shrinkable film. An opaque layer can optionally be added on top of this design. Following this, a light-blocking mixture is applied, which can be placed on the design layer, directly on the shrinkable film, or on the opaque layer. This light-blocking layer contains components that enable it to block at least 80% of incident light within the 200 nm to 900 nm range.
• Independent Claim 23 (Method of Recycling an Article): This claim describes a method for recycling the entire product (container and label). It involves first identifying that both the container and the recyclable shrink label are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Then, the whole article is directed into a PET recycling stream and subsequently washed to remove any inks and pigments from the label.

Litigation and Dockets:

The patent family for US11961422B2 is involved in litigation.

• District Court Cases:
  • A case was filed in the Delaware District Court (case: 1:24-cv-01215).
  • Another case was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case: 2:24-cv-00735).
• PTAB Cases:
  • IPR2025-01176 was filed and marked "Not Instituted - Procedural."
  • PGR2025-00025 was filed and is currently "Pending - Instituted."
• Worldwide Litigation: The patent also indicates the filing of the first worldwide family litigation.
• CAFC 2026 Dockets: While general information about searching the USPTO and CAFC dockets was found, no specific dockets for US11961422B2 in 2026 were directly returned in the search results for the CAFC. The litigation information above is directly from the patent's own "Legal status" and "Family has litigation" sections.