EP0617950B1 - Method for preparing a container sealable by a heat-meltable glue and provided externally with an anti-tamper layer of thermosensitive recording material - Google Patents

Method for preparing a container sealable by a heat-meltable glue and provided externally with an anti-tamper layer of thermosensitive recording material Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0617950B1
EP0617950B1 EP94104040A EP94104040A EP0617950B1 EP 0617950 B1 EP0617950 B1 EP 0617950B1 EP 94104040 A EP94104040 A EP 94104040A EP 94104040 A EP94104040 A EP 94104040A EP 0617950 B1 EP0617950 B1 EP 0617950B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
recording material
box
glue
thermosensitive recording
heat
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP94104040A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0617950A1 (en
Inventor
Roberto Aosani
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ECS European Contract Services SRL
Original Assignee
ECS European Contract Services SRL
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ECS European Contract Services SRL filed Critical ECS European Contract Services SRL
Publication of EP0617950A1 publication Critical patent/EP0617950A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0617950B1 publication Critical patent/EP0617950B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
    • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
    • B65D5/4212—Information or decoration elements, e.g. content indicators, or for mailing
    • B65D5/4216—Cards, coupons or the like formed integrally with, or printed directly on, the container or lid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B61/00—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages
    • B65B61/26—Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on sheets, blanks, webs, binding material, containers or packages for marking or coding completed packages
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
    • B65D55/02—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure
    • B65D55/026—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure initial opening or unauthorised access being indicated by a visual change using indicators other than tearable means, e.g. change of colour, pattern or opacity

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method for preparing containers with their opening sealable by means of a heat-meltable or heat-softenable glue, on the outer surface of said containers there being provided, in correspondence with the region in which the glue is positioned, a layer of thermosensitive recording material or ink which changes colour at a temperature equal to or less than the softening point of the glue.
  • Such containers consisting generally of cardboard boxes, are intended to contain high-value products, generally pharmaceutical, cosmetics or other products, for which it is desired to prevent tampering which could be achieved by heating the containers locally in correspondence with the regions in which the glue is applied, this thus softening or melting to enable the containers to be opened and their contents tampered with, after which the containers could be again closed after again heating the glue.
  • the patent US-A-4,480,749 describes a container, on the outer surface of which in correspondence with its openings there is provided a layer of a temperature-sensitive indicator, such that its colour or colour tone changes irreversibly at a temperature equal to or less than the melting or softening point of the glue.
  • the temperature-sensitive indicator is applied to the container after the product to be protected has been placed in it and after the container has been closed by the the said glue. More specifically, as specified on lines 52-56 of column 2 of the said patent, the temperature-sensitive indicator is a liquid (ink or recording material) which is sprayed onto the container when its packaging is complete.
  • the present invention relates to a method for preparing packages or boxes of the aforedescribed type by which all the aforesaid drawbacks are overcome, and in particular by which no modification of any type is required to a line for packaging normal boxes not comprising the layer of thermosensitive recording material.
  • the invention also relates to semifinished boxes or punched flat sheets provided with a layer of thermosensitive recording material to be used to form closed boxes by conventional machines.
  • the layer of thermosensitive recording material is applied to the outer or exposed face of the flat sheet which is to form the box directly before, after, or during the printing of the box, or to the semifinished box, ie partially folded and only partially glued; whereas on the packaging line, on the corresponding inner face of said sheet, there is merely applied the heat-molten or heat-softened glue in a quantity sufficiently small to prevent its temperature from propagating through the thickness of the material (usually cardboard) with which the box is constructed, in order to avoid the colour of the recording material to change, the box being closed immediately after said glue has been applied to said inner face of the sheet.
  • the flap or lid 1 of the box comprises a folded edge 1A to be glued to the onto the inner face 2A of the wall 2 of the box.
  • thermosensitive recording material or ink On the part 3 of the exposed face 2B of the box wall 2 there is applied a layer 3A (shown by dashed lines) of a thermosensitive recording material or ink.
  • the folded edge 1A of the lid 1 In the box when packaged and closed, the folded edge 1A of the lid 1 is positioned below and in correspondence with the part 3 of the wall 2.
  • the box will have been assembled in the conventional manner, by folding the punched blank from which it has been obtained, and gluing the edge 4 to the side wall on which the edge 4 is superposed.
  • thermosensitive recording materials or inks are of known type (for example of the type in which the colour changes at a temperature of between about 90°C and 100°C), such as those described in the patents US-A-4742042, US-A-5043313 or DE 3836797 or those produced and marketed by the firms Pilot Ink (Japan), Big Three Industries Tempil Division (USA), Jin An Industrial (Taiwan), and Manoukian S.p.A. (Italy).
  • these recording materials or inks are applied by various means directly by the paper processing firms which print, punch and produce the boxes, for example by brush, by spraying or by printing machines. It has however been found particularly advantageous to directly use those machines commonly used for applying liquids or fluids under pressure to paper supports or the like, employing spray guns or spreading heads of well known type such as those manufactured by Nordson Corporation (USA) or by Robatech (Italy) - commonly used for spreading glue over cardboard blanks or over packages of various types. Using these systems on a common machine of known type for folding and gluing boxes, it is possible to apply over limited regions of the boxes a layer of thermosensitive recording material or ink at a rate of about 100,000 boxes per hour (or more).
  • thermosensitive recording material 3A is applied before the box is fed onto the final packaging line or machine.
  • the heat-meltable glue used for closing the boxes on termination of their packaging is of the type commonly used for closing boxes, for example with a softening point of about 110-120 °C.
  • This glue is deposited on the edge 1A in the form of droplets 5, using the common machines utilized for this purpose.
  • the quantity of glue applied to the edge 1A must be sufficiently small, ie its mass must be insufficient (depending on the type and thickness of the material with which the box is constructed) to transmit to the recording material 3A a quantity of heat sufficient to change the colour of the recording material.
  • the glue droplets 5 are applied to the edge 1A of the lid while it is open, after which the lid is quickly closed by positioning the edge 1A in contact with the inner surface 2A, in correspondence with the region 3.
  • the quantity of glue must be so small that it solidifies immediately after being brought into contact with the wall 2 of the box.
  • thermosensitive recording material changing colour If an attempt is made to fraudulently open the box after it has been closed, it is necessary to melt or soften the glue, resulting in the thermosensitive recording material changing colour.
  • the invention also relates to the punched blanks and semifinished boxes to be used for processing by the method.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
  • Bag Frames (AREA)
  • Cartons (AREA)
  • Adhesives Or Adhesive Processes (AREA)
  • Adhesive Tapes (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for reproducing inscriptions on containers of any form or type or on labels applied to them, directly on the packaging line. The desired inscription is thermally reproduced, directly on the packaging line, by laser or heated heads on a limited region of the containers which has been previously covered with a layer of thermosensitive recording material or ink, without danger of contaminating or damaging the containers, without requiring bulky equipment, and at a high reproduction rate.

Description

  • This invention relates to a method for preparing containers with their opening sealable by means of a heat-meltable or heat-softenable glue, on the outer surface of said containers there being provided, in correspondence with the region in which the glue is positioned, a layer of thermosensitive recording material or ink which changes colour at a temperature equal to or less than the softening point of the glue.
  • Such containers, consisting generally of cardboard boxes, are intended to contain high-value products, generally pharmaceutical, cosmetics or other products, for which it is desired to prevent tampering which could be achieved by heating the containers locally in correspondence with the regions in which the glue is applied, this thus softening or melting to enable the containers to be opened and their contents tampered with, after which the containers could be again closed after again heating the glue.
  • To prevent fraudulent opening of the containers in the aforesaid manner, the patent US-A-4,480,749 describes a container, on the outer surface of which in correspondence with its openings there is provided a layer of a temperature-sensitive indicator, such that its colour or colour tone changes irreversibly at a temperature equal to or less than the melting or softening point of the glue. Hence if an attempt is made to fraudulently open the container and then reclose it after tampering with the contents, the colour change of the said indicator immediately and clearly indicates that tampering has taken place.
  • As described and claimed in the said US-A-4,480,749 the temperature-sensitive indicator is applied to the container after the product to be protected has been placed in it and after the container has been closed by the the said glue. More specifically, as specified on lines 52-56 of column 2 of the said patent, the temperature-sensitive indicator is a liquid (ink or recording material) which is sprayed onto the container when its packaging is complete.
  • Such a procedure results in serious problems (which have prevented the working of that described in the USA patent), both because the thermosensitive ink or recording material or their solvents can contaminate the product (especially in the case of a pharmaceutical or food product) contained in the container (box), and because the container packaging lines or machines have to be flanked by costly and bulky systems for applying the thermosensitive ink or recording material, and finally because the application of such ink when the container packaging is complete seriously slows down the packaging rate. All this explains why the patent US-A-4,480,749 has not been successful. It has not been used by any packaging company and was quickly abandoned (by lack of payment of renewal fees) by the patentee.
  • The present invention relates to a method for preparing packages or boxes of the aforedescribed type by which all the aforesaid drawbacks are overcome, and in particular by which no modification of any type is required to a line for packaging normal boxes not comprising the layer of thermosensitive recording material.
  • The invention also relates to semifinished boxes or punched flat sheets provided with a layer of thermosensitive recording material to be used to form closed boxes by conventional machines.
  • According to this method as claimed in claim 1, the layer of thermosensitive recording material is applied to the outer or exposed face of the flat sheet which is to form the box directly before, after, or during the printing of the box, or to the semifinished box, ie partially folded and only partially glued; whereas on the packaging line, on the corresponding inner face of said sheet, there is merely applied the heat-molten or heat-softened glue in a quantity sufficiently small to prevent its temperature from propagating through the thickness of the material (usually cardboard) with which the box is constructed, in order to avoid the colour of the recording material to change, the box being closed immediately after said glue has been applied to said inner face of the sheet.
  • To clarify the characteristics of the present invention, reference will be made by way of non-limiting example to the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure represents a perspective view of a box with its lid or upper flap in the open position.
  • The flap or lid 1 of the box comprises a folded edge 1A to be glued to the onto the inner face 2A of the wall 2 of the box.
  • On the part 3 of the exposed face 2B of the box wall 2 there is applied a layer 3A (shown by dashed lines) of a thermosensitive recording material or ink. In the box when packaged and closed, the folded edge 1A of the lid 1 is positioned below and in correspondence with the part 3 of the wall 2.
  • The box will have been assembled in the conventional manner, by folding the punched blank from which it has been obtained, and gluing the edge 4 to the side wall on which the edge 4 is superposed.
  • The thermosensitive recording materials or inks are of known type (for example of the type in which the colour changes at a temperature of between about 90°C and 100°C), such as those described in the patents US-A-4742042, US-A-5043313 or DE 3836797 or those produced and marketed by the firms Pilot Ink (Japan), Big Three Industries Tempil Division (USA), Jin An Industrial (Taiwan), and Manoukian S.p.A. (Italy).
  • According to the invention, these recording materials or inks are applied by various means directly by the paper processing firms which print, punch and produce the boxes, for example by brush, by spraying or by printing machines. It has however been found particularly advantageous to directly use those machines commonly used for applying liquids or fluids under pressure to paper supports or the like, employing spray guns or spreading heads of well known type such as those manufactured by Nordson Corporation (USA) or by Robatech (Italy) - commonly used for spreading glue over cardboard blanks or over packages of various types. Using these systems on a common machine of known type for folding and gluing boxes, it is possible to apply over limited regions of the boxes a layer of thermosensitive recording material or ink at a rate of about 100,000 boxes per hour (or more).
  • In all cases the layer of thermosensitive recording material 3A is applied before the box is fed onto the final packaging line or machine.
  • The heat-meltable glue used for closing the boxes on termination of their packaging is of the type commonly used for closing boxes, for example with a softening point of about 110-120 °C. This glue is deposited on the edge 1A in the form of droplets 5, using the common machines utilized for this purpose.
  • The quantity of glue applied to the edge 1A must be sufficiently small, ie its mass must be insufficient (depending on the type and thickness of the material with which the box is constructed) to transmit to the recording material 3A a quantity of heat sufficient to change the colour of the recording material.
  • In this respect it should be noted that the glue droplets 5 are applied to the edge 1A of the lid while it is open, after which the lid is quickly closed by positioning the edge 1A in contact with the inner surface 2A, in correspondence with the region 3. Conventionally, the quantity of glue must be so small that it solidifies immediately after being brought into contact with the wall 2 of the box.
  • It is apparent that with the described method, those firms using the boxes can process the boxes using common packaging machines.
  • If an attempt is made to fraudulently open the box after it has been closed, it is necessary to melt or soften the glue, resulting in the thermosensitive recording material changing colour.
  • The invention also relates to the punched blanks and semifinished boxes to be used for processing by the method.

Claims (2)

  1. A method for preparing a container with its opening sealable by a heat-meltable glue disposed on an inner face of a sheet of the box whose corresponding outer or exposed face is provided with an anti-tamper layer of thermosensitive recording material whose colour changes at a temperature lower than or equal to the glue softening point, characterised in that said layer of thermosensitive recording material is applied to the exposed face of the flat sheet which is to form the box, or of the semifinished box, the container being closed on the packaging line or machine immediately after applying said heat-meltable glue, the quantity of glue used being sufficiently small to prevent the heat transmitted by it through the thickness of the constituent sheet of the box from heating the recording material to the temperature at which it changes colour.
  2. A semifinished box or a punched flat sheet provided with a layer of thermosensitive recording material on its outer or exposed face whose corresponding inner face has to be glued to form the closed box according to the method of claim 1.
EP94104040A 1993-03-31 1994-03-16 Method for preparing a container sealable by a heat-meltable glue and provided externally with an anti-tamper layer of thermosensitive recording material Expired - Lifetime EP0617950B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITAR930009U 1993-03-31
IT93AR000009U IT230859Y1 (en) 1993-03-31 1993-03-31 PACKAGING WITH ANTI-COUNTERFEITING AND INDICATION MEANS.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0617950A1 EP0617950A1 (en) 1994-10-05
EP0617950B1 true EP0617950B1 (en) 1997-11-12

Family

ID=11334760

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94104040A Expired - Lifetime EP0617950B1 (en) 1993-03-31 1994-03-16 Method for preparing a container sealable by a heat-meltable glue and provided externally with an anti-tamper layer of thermosensitive recording material
EP94104041A Withdrawn EP0618141A3 (en) 1993-03-31 1994-03-16 Method for reproducing inscriptions on containers directly on the packaging line, and the relative containers.

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94104041A Withdrawn EP0618141A3 (en) 1993-03-31 1994-03-16 Method for reproducing inscriptions on containers directly on the packaging line, and the relative containers.

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (2) EP0617950B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE160085T1 (en)
DE (1) DE69406700T2 (en)
IT (1) IT230859Y1 (en)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19742536A1 (en) * 1997-09-25 1999-04-01 Focke & Co Cigarette pack and method and apparatus for making the same
CN1067343C (en) * 1998-03-31 2001-06-20 陆晓程 Film sign marking method of laser equipment
ATE348758T1 (en) 1998-09-21 2007-01-15 Inca Digital Printers Ltd METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PACKAGING PRODUCTS WITH DIFFERENT MARKINGS
DE19847176A1 (en) * 1998-10-14 2000-04-20 Gizeh Verpackungen Gmbh & Co K Marking of containers such as cups, basins, boxes etc. made of light thermo-plastic material involves prior mixing of the container material with finest-particled materials with different optical characteristics
GB2421495B (en) * 2004-12-21 2006-11-01 Nicholas Berndt Wood Storing biologically contaminated items
WO2009094063A1 (en) 2008-01-24 2009-07-30 Quad/Graphics, Inc. Printing using color changeable material
DE102013101793B4 (en) * 2013-02-22 2016-06-30 Baumer Hhs Gmbh Automatic packaging process and packaging device
IT202100020438A1 (en) * 2021-07-30 2023-01-30 Igb Srl CONTAINER WITH EVIDENCE OF TAMPERING AND PROCEDURE FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE SAME

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2131767A (en) * 1982-12-16 1984-06-27 Wiggins Teape Group Ltd Marking packaging
US4480749A (en) * 1983-05-26 1984-11-06 Nordson Corporation Tamper-evident container and method for making the same
DE3601645A1 (en) * 1985-01-31 1986-08-07 Mitsubishi Paper Mills, Ltd., Tokio/Tokyo HEAT SENSITIVE RECORDING MATERIAL
US4998666A (en) * 1988-05-13 1991-03-12 Frederick R. Ewan Tamper indicating containers and seals
US5043313A (en) * 1989-04-03 1991-08-27 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Thermosensitive recording material
GB8919028D0 (en) * 1989-08-21 1989-10-04 Sunman Peter Containers

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITAR930009V0 (en) 1993-03-31
DE69406700T2 (en) 1998-06-04
EP0618141A3 (en) 1995-02-01
EP0618141A2 (en) 1994-10-05
ITAR930009U1 (en) 1994-10-01
ATE160085T1 (en) 1997-11-15
IT230859Y1 (en) 1999-07-05
EP0617950A1 (en) 1994-10-05
DE69406700D1 (en) 1997-12-18

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