EP2928786A1

EP2928786A1 - Capping device and implementation method

Info

Publication number: EP2928786A1
Application number: EP13824180.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sandrine Rancien
Original assignee: ArjoWiggins Security SAS
Current assignee: Edgyn SAS
Priority date: 2012-12-04
Filing date: 2013-11-27
Publication date: 2015-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2033-11-27
Also published as: CN104968577A; ES2614678T3; AR093702A1; FR2998881B1; WO2014087302A1; EP2928786B1; US20160009468A1; CN104968577B; FR2998881A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for securing a container (A), in particular a bottle, comprising a closure device, in particular a stopper. The method comprises steps in which: a heat-shrinkable security sleeve (1) is shrunk onto a portion of the container (A) and the closure device, in particular over the neck (26) and the stopper of the bottle, said sleeve (1) comprising at least one security element (5, 7, 8); and a capsule (2), in particular made from stamped metal or a metal complex, is fitted over the sleeve (1) in such a way as to only partially cover it, leaving said at least one security element (5, 7, 8) on the sleeve (1) at least partially visible.

Description

Overcapping device and method for setting it

The present invention relates to the field of packaging and in particular an overcap device for containers, this invention relates more particularly to a safety sleeve and an overcap capable of closely surrounding a portion of a container, for example a container such as a bottle, comprising a closure device, for example a plug.

Such overcoupling devices constitute both a guarantee of authenticity and / or an origin certification of the content of the object and a guarantee of inviolability, this for all the actors of the production and distribution chain up to to the consumer.

Bottles of wine, for example, are, at present, not or not very secure. Indeed, just after the so-called fired / plugged operation at the producer or in the cooperatives, which consists in filling the bottle and closing it with a closing device, for example a stopper, the bottles can be stored before dressing without any over-sealing device offering a guarantee of inviolability. These bottles do not have security functions, a fraudulent adulteration of the wine in the bottle or a substitution of the wine by another wine is possible during this storage. Similarly, after the final operation of dressing the bottle before marketing, operation of placing a body tag, a counter-label on the body of the bottle and an overcap capsule on the neck of the bottle, the bottle remains unsecured.

Indeed, wine bottles produced in France have as single overcapping device a single capsule, which can be aluminum or tin stamped or based on a polyethylene / aluminum complex wound / glued or more rarely PVC. The capsule is threaded by pneumatic systems on the upper part of the bottle including the closure device, the ring and the neck of the bottle. If the bottles are destined for the French territory, this capsule is endowed on its head with a stamp or fiscal pawn adorned with the seal of Marianne indicating that the rights on the alcohol were paid in France, called "representative capsule of right (CRD ) ". The capsule, like the tax pawn, does not include any security element offering a guarantee of authenticity and / or inviolability.

Wine bottles produced abroad and imported into France have a capsule of the producer without stamp, over which is reported by the importer, a transparent overcap sleeve carrying the CRD capsule. This overcap sleeve Transparency is also not secure, in that it offers no guarantee of authenticity and inviolability.

The stamped or rolled up / squeezed overcap placed on the closing device of a bottle of wine can be slid off the bottle by being pulled upwards without being damaged, thereby providing access to the device. closing the bottle, such as the stopper, and therefore also the contents of the bottle. Adulteration of the contents of the bottle is then possible, the consumer not benefiting from any witness of integrity or guarantee of inviolability which would guarantee that the contents of the bottle did not undergo fraudulent substitution or did not make subject to malicious tampering.

The embossed or rolled / bonded overcap capsule not conveying today any recognition element can be easily counterfeited. Fraudsters can indeed use empty vintage bottles and copy the capsules to make counterfeits. The consumer has no way to authenticate the bottle and its packaging, and to know for sure if the wine purchased comes from the producer of said wine mentioned on the main label stuck on the front of the bottle.

The bottles of wine after dressing with the labels and the overcap capsule also carry a lot number printed in clear, that is to say unencrypted, in the form of a barcode. This number is printed on the counter label, that is to say the label stuck on the back of the bottle, opposite the main label. But this lot number is not a unit number specific to each bottle produced, and traceability to the unit of bottles in case of sanitary problem is impossible. Some wine producers carry out a marking of an identifier or a unit code on the glass bottle, but this unit code can cause reading problems because of the low contrast of the direct marking on the bottle.

Wine bottles imported into France carry a sleeve positioned on their overcap. These transparent sleeves do not include any security guaranteeing the authenticity or the inviolability of the container. They are easy to remove because they are not positioned directly on the glass of the bottle. Indeed, the capsule tends to erase the relief of the ring of the bottle, the sleeve can less easily marry the shape of the latter.

Security labels such as those marketed by the companies Prooftag or Tesa Scribos, allow the traceability of bottles through the presence of a unique identifier. They are sometimes positioned astride the overcap and the neck of the bottle to provide a guarantee of inviolability. To remove the capsule from the bottle without damaging it and to access the wine, it is then necessary to remove the said label, making the adulteration of the wine more difficult. Nevertheless, these labels are easily peelable and repositionable using known means, without altering either the capsule or the label itself.

It is known from the application GB 2 273 492 to have on all kinds of objects a heat-shrinkable plastic sleeve, comprising a tear strip consisting of a holographic element and micro-perforations. It is thus difficult to remove the sleeve without damaging the holographic element.

The patent application FR 2 754 375 describes a heat-shrinkable plastic sleeve, intended to be affixed to the neck of a bottle, partially covering the cap. The sleeve is provided with a holographic element and a tear strip. The holographic element being partially glued to the glass of the bottle, pulling the tear strip during a legitimate opening or attempted tearing, residual fragments of the latter remain on the bottle. This device is relatively complex in manufacture.

GB patent application 2 298 391 discloses a heat-shrinkable film, which may take the form of a sleeve, comprising a substrate including a holographic element and layers of adhesive. This film is intended to be inserted between an object and its packaging, so as to highlight an alteration of the packaging.

EP 0 585 076 discloses a holographic security tape for insertion onto packaging material. The ribbon comprises a thermoplastic film and an adhesive layer for insertion onto the material. The film and ribbon do not ensure the integrity of the contents of the packaged object.

There is therefore a need to securely and securely authenticate containers with a closure device, in particular bottles of wine closed by a stopper, by providing a means of authentication and / or identification and / or traceability as well. a guarantee of inviolability, allowing a reliable detection of any fraudulent or abnormal manipulation of the container and / or its contents.

The invention aims to satisfy this need, and it achieves this through a method of securing a container, in particular a bottle, comprising a closure device, in particular a stopper, in which: a heat-shrinkable safety sleeve, in particular of plastic, is retracted on a part of the container and the closing device, in particular on the neck and the stopper of the bottle, this sleeve comprising at least one security element, and

an overcap, in particular of stamped metal or metal complex, such as a wound / bonded metal complex, is threaded over the sleeve so as to cover it only partially, leaving at least partially said at least one safety element of the sleeve.

Thanks to the invention, at least one security element carried by the sleeve is directly authenticatable and does not interfere with any inscriptions appearing on the capsule.

For its implementation, the heat-shrinkable safety sleeve is heated so that it retracts around the container and its closure device, for example the neck and the stopper in the case of a bottle. A better conformation to the relief of the end of the container is thus possible. In addition, since the sleeve can be in direct contact with the material in which the part of the container surrounded by the sleeve is made, the latter marries the outer surface of the container and has a better adhesion thereto, thus being more difficult to remove. .

By "sleeve retracted on a portion of the container and the closure device", it should be understood that the sleeve covers a portion of the container and the closure device. The sleeve preferably comes directly into contact with the container and can come directly or not in contact with the closure device. In the case where the latter is a stopper engaged in the neck of a bottle, the sleeve may come into contact with the upper end of the stopper or cover it at a short distance, by directly facing it.

The characteristics which will be described below apply as well to the method as to the container and its closed closure device, obtained by the implementation of the method previously described, comprising:

a heat-shrinkable safety sleeve, in particular of plastic, fixed by heat-shrinking on the container and comprising at least one security element,

- An overcap, in particular metal or metal complex, covering only partially the sleeve, revealing at least partially said at least one security element carried by the sleeve.

The sleeve is advantageously arranged such that, after its retraction, it covers at least partially the closure device so that any attempted fraudulent extraction of the closure device with the sleeve in place visibly alters the sleeve.

The sleeve covers, for example, partially the outer end of the closure device of the container, that is to say the end which is devoid of contact with the contents of the latter, when the closure device is in place. In the case in particular of a bottle, for example containing wine, and closed by a stopper, this makes it possible to prevent the extraction of the latter without visibly affecting the sleeve.

The sleeve can also be arranged such that, after its retraction, it does not completely cover the closure device so that, for example for a bottle of wine, the contents of the bottle can also breathe through the cap and the overcap which is then pierced for this purpose.

The safety sleeve can be put in place as today during the final packaging of the bottle, that is to say with its label and its back label, but in a preferred mode it can be put in place on the bottle of wine right after the fired / plugged operation directly at the producer or in the cooperative, which makes it possible to secure and trace the bottle at the earliest in the production line, that is to say just after filling. Thus, attempts at adulteration and counterfeiting before labeling can be avoided.

The sleeve covers after retraction preferably from 5% to 100% of the total surface of the outer end of the closure device of the container.

In a variant, the sleeve once thermally retracted covers only the sides of the closure device fixed on the container, and not the top of the device, for example in the case where the container is a container closed by a cap or a screw cap .

The safety sleeve, once retracted on the container, may have a length of skirt greater than the length of the skirt of the overcap of the container, and thus protrude from the capsule by a lower end portion, on which unless a security element can be present.

In another variant, the heat-shrinkable safety sleeve comprises at least in its lower part not covered by the overcap closure at least one identifier.

Preferably, the lower part of the sleeve protruding from the overcap may also have an identifier, for example a unit identification code marked by printing or etching on the lower part of the skirt. The upper part of the sleeve located opposite to that protruding from the overcap may comprise at least one second security element and / or authentication and / or inviolability and / or traceability and / or identification .

The safety sleeve preferably comprises in its upper part, a release means, in particular micro-perforations or micro-cuts and / or a tear strip (called "tear tape" in English). This release means facilitates the removal of the upper part of the sleeve which protects the opening device, during the manual opening of the container by the final consumer. The presence of this release means, which irreversibly alters the safety sleeve during the opening of the container, thus prevents any fraudulent act on the container or the contents.

The micro-perforations or micro-cuts can be arranged in the form of horizontal or vertical lines on the security sleeve or in a particular pattern, so as to cause an inevitable tearing of the sleeve during its removal and prevent the repositioning of the latter on the container after accessing its contents.

The releasing means may consist of at least one horizontal line of micro-perforations and at least one vertical line of micro-perforations.

The horizontal line of micro-perforations of the release means may for example be located on, above or below the ring of the container, for example in the case of a bottle of wine.

The vertical line of micro-perforations of the release means may for example be located in the axis of revolution of the container, perpendicularly to the ring and / or the neck of the container in the case of a bottle of wine.

In one variant, the release means comprises or consists of two vertical and parallel micro-cutout lines.

In another variant, the release means comprises or consists of two vertical and parallel micro-cutout lines and a horizontal micro-perforation line perpendicular to the vertical micro-cutout lines.

In another variant, the release means comprises or consists of two lines of parallel and vertical or horizontal micro-perforations and a tear strip located between these two lines.

The release means of the sleeve is preferably placed at a safety element of the sleeve; for example, it can pass through this security element, especially perpendicularly. It is thus easy to highlight, by the alteration of the security element of the sleeve, the possible damage to the integrity of the container. The release means of the sleeve, in particular the tear tape, may furthermore comprise at least one security element, facilitating its authentication. It may also include an antenna providing an anti-theft function.

The release means, in particular the tear tape, may further comprise a gripping tab of the tear strip, facilitating its actuation by the user. This gripping tongue may itself be carrying a security element.

After actuation of the release means and tearing of the upper part of the sleeve, in the case where the contents of the container is liquid, the remaining portion of the sleeve may advantageously serve as means for dewatering said content during its pouring.

The safety element or elements present in the lower part of the skirt of the safety sleeve not covered by the overcap and / or in the upper part of the safety sleeve may have a so-called first, second or third level safety feature. .

"First-level security" means a security element visible to the naked eye, in daylight or artificial light, without the use of a particular device. These first-level security elements may be first-level elements with an optically variable effect, such as, for example, interferential platelet particles, magnetic or otherwise, liquid and / or oriented and / or photonic crystals, a holographic element or a network. of lenses in combination with an underlying pattern.

"Second-level security" means a safety element that is always visible to the naked eye, but only with a relatively simple device, such as a lamp emitting in the ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) or a magnifying glass or decoder tool type optical filter or a polarizing filter. These second-level security elements are for example luminescent, that is to say have a specific emission in the visible under the illumination of a Wood lamp emitting in the UV for example at a wavelength of 365 nm . These second level elements can also be anti stokes elements, that is to say have a specific emission in the visible under the illumination of an IR pointer for example at a wavelength of 980 nm. Second-level security is also understood to mean security that can be revealed by heat and / or friction.

By "third-level security", it is necessary to understand a security element requiring for its detection a dedicated detection device. These security elements are for example capable of generating a specific signal when they are subjected, simultaneously or not, to one or more sources of external stress. This signal is processed then analyzed by a dedicated detection device for authentication or identification of the element. These security elements comprise for example tracers or materials in the form of active materials, particles or fibers, capable of generating a specific signal when these tracers are subjected to a mechanical stress, thermal, optronic, electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic.

The security element or elements of the sleeve may be in the form of an impression, a wire, a flat strip, a foil or a patch, being affixed to the inside or outside of the sleeve . The security element (s) of the sleeve may also be integrated in the polymer mass of the heat-shrinkable sleeve.

The security element or elements may in particular be printed on the inner face of the sleeve in contact with the glass. Indeed, the sleeve obtained from a folded film on itself followed by a meeting of two free edges. This film, before folding, can be printed by well-known printing processes, such as gravure, screen printing, flexography or offset. In a preferred embodiment, the film is printed with security inks of first, second and / or third level in the lower portion of the sleeve skirt which will remain visible after retraction of the sleeve on the container to be protected and set. place of the overcap capsule. The security impressions present on the sleeve will be made so that they remain visible and / or detectable after retraction of the sleeve on the container and its closure device, relying on anamorphose techniques.

The first level safety element or elements present on the lower and / or upper part of the safety sleeve may be elements with an optically variable effect, such as, for example, interferential platelet particles, magnetic or otherwise, liquid crystals and / or oriented and / or photonic, a holographic element or a lens array in combination with an underlying pattern. The second level security element (s) present on the lower part and / or the upper part of the security sleeve may be elements that are invisible to the naked eye under daylight but visible under particular wavelength lighting.

The safety sleeve may also comprise thermochromic elements, in particular liquid crystals and / or pigments and / or thermochromic dyes, which can change appearance at at least one predefined temperature. The container may then include at least one information associated with the thermochromic elements, providing information on the temperature of change of appearance of the thermochromic elements, so qualitative and / or quantitative, and so on the temperature of the container and approximately that of its contents.

The appearance of the thermochromic elements, for example their coloration or their transparency, varies according to the temperature to which they are subjected. The process of varying the appearance of the thermochromic elements is preferably reversible. The information may correspond to the numerical value of the temperature of change of appearance of the thermochromic elements.

The security sleeve may also include an RFID device comprising an integrated circuit, with or without an integrated battery, with or without a microprocessor, with or without a sensor, for example temperature recording.

The sleeve may comprise the following security elements, alone or in combination:

dyes and / or luminescent pigments and / or interferential pigments and / or liquid crystal pigments, especially in printed form or mixed with a constituent material of the sleeve,

components, dyes and / or photochromic or thermochromic pigments, arranged to indicate the temperature of the container and therefore approximately that of its contents, in particular in printed form or mixed with a constituent material of the sleeve,

an interference multilayer film,

a structure with variable optical effects based on interferential pigments or liquid crystals,

a birefringent or polarizing layer,

a diffraction structure,

- an embossed image,

a partially reflective refractive element,

a foil metallized, goniochromatic or holographic,

a layer with a variable optical effect based on interferential pigments or on liquid crystals,

particles or agglomerates of particles of pigments or dyes of the type

HI-LITE, visible or not visible, in particular luminescent,

security fibers, in particular metallic, magnetic (with soft magnetism and / or hard), or absorbing, or excitable with ultraviolet, the visible or the infrared, and in particular the near infrared (NIR), an automatically readable security having specific and measurable luminescence characteristics (eg fluorescence, phosphorescence), light absorption (eg ultraviolet, visible or infrared), Raman activity, magnetism, microwave interaction , RF interaction, X-ray interaction or electrical conductivity.

The sleeve may furthermore comprise, preferably in its part not covered by the overcap, at least one visible authentication element, such as for example a holographic foil, OVI-type variable optical effect security prints, or Authenticizable recognition elements dispersed in the material of the sleeve.

The sleeve may also comprise in its lower part not covered by the overcap, at least one identifier of the unit identification code type having a tracking and traceability function (function called "Track & Trace" in English), such as for example, a two-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode of the Datamatrix type or an alphanumeric code written in plain text. This code may or may not be encrypted. This identifier or code can be marked by any means and preferably by means of a visible iridescent ink or an invisible ink containing, for example, UV luminescent pigments, thus realizing a tracking and traceability function and a function authenticating.

The sleeve may also comprise in its lower part not covered by the overcap capsule at least one visible two-dimensional code type "quick response" (QR) or Datamatrix, for addressing, via a communicating device such as a telephone ( Smartphone for example), a website of the producer or the certifying body through which any actor in the chain including the consumer can collect information on the content and proceed to a verification of the identifier on his bottle.

In a variant or in combination, the sleeve may also comprise in its lower part not covered by the overcap a code for addressing, via a communicating device such as a phone (such as smartphone), a website of the producer or the brand of the content, for example to obtain information on the latter. This code can be a two-dimensional barcode. This code is advantageously unique and printed identically on all containers of the same brand or the same producer.

The heat-shrinkable safety sleeve may also have in its lower part, in particular at the level of the security element and / or the identifier, an aspect opaque providing sufficient contrast including the automatic authentication of the security element and / or the automatic identification of the identifier.

Preferably, the lower part of the sleeve has at the level of the unit identification code and / or the QR code, a sufficient contrast to allow its automatic reading. This contrast can be provided by a localized printing or over the entire surface, preferably on the inner face of the sleeve in contact with the glass opposite the code. This contrast can be brought in particular by an opaque printing having a different color from that used for marking.

The sleeve can be made of one of the following plastics: PVC, HR PVC, PET, PETG, PS, OPS (oriented polystyrene), OPP (oriented polypropylene), TPEG, TPE S, PLA (polylactide acid), EPS ( Expanded PS). Preferably, a material and a thickness of the safety sleeve is selected which provides strength to the cut so that the sleeve is not cut or sheared upon removal of the overcap by the consumer.

The safety sleeve may have on its inner or outer surface a primer or varnish, for example hot-activatable allowing increased adhesion between the safety sleeve and the container to be protected and / or between the safety sleeve and the overcap.

The tear strip, when present in the release means, may or may not be made of the same heat-shrinkable plastic material as the safety sleeve.

The security element or elements of the sleeve may be located on the internal face of the sleeve, that is to say the face that is in contact with the container, in order to be protected against wear or deterioration and to avoid the possibility to access it during attempts to falsify. The sleeve is then preferably made of a transparent material, so that such security elements are visible or optically detectable through the material of the sleeve.

In a variant, the security element or elements of the sleeve and in particular a unit identification code are located on the outer face of the sleeve; in fact, this personalized information which will be read with dedicated readers may be marked by printing or engraving, after the retraction operation of the sleeve, on a part of the overcap device of the container and in particular on the sleeve.

The sleeve, before heat shrink, preferably has a cylindrical or conical shape. The length of the skirt of the sleeve may be between 6 and 8 cm, being for example equal to about 7 cm.

The thickness of the sleeve may be between 40 and 100 μιη before retraction.

According to another of its aspects, the subject of the invention is a heat-shrinkable safety sleeve for implementing the method according to the invention, the sleeve being able to be put in place on the closure device of a container, previously at the establishment of an overcap, particularly in stamped metal or metal complex, the sleeve comprising at least one security element,

the sleeve being arranged in such a way that the capsule covers it only partially, leaving at least partially said at least one safety element of the sleeve.

Particularly in the case of use on a bottle, the security element may be present in the lower part of the sleeve, particularly in the vicinity of the lower end, preferably in a strip whose height is from 0 to 2 cm. from the bottom edge of the overcap.

According to another of its aspects, the subject of the invention is a set of securing a container comprising a closure device, the assembly comprising:

a heat-shrinkable safety sleeve according to the invention, and an overcap, in particular of stamped metal or metal complex, intended to protect the container at the closure device, arranged to cover only partially the sleeve after having been threaded by above this one.

The characteristics set out above apply to such a set. Thus, as indicated above, the safety sleeve advantageously has a length of skirt greater than that of the overcap, so as to exceed it.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description, non-limiting examples of implementation thereof, and on examining the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 represents, in elevation, a secure container with the aid of a safety sleeve and an overcap according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a partial view of the upper part of the secure container in axial section along II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view from above of the container of FIG. 1 with the safety sleeve but with the overcap removed, FIG. 4 is a partial view, in elevation, of the container of FIG. 1 secured with the aid of a safety sleeve and an overcap according to the invention, FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. of an alternative embodiment, FIG. 6 represents, in isolation, the upper part of a safety sleeve according to the invention, before heat shrinking, and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 of an alternative embodiment. In the appended drawing, the actual proportions of the various constituent elements or their spacings have not always been respected for the sake of clarity. In addition, some elements may not have been represented in contact with each other, while they are in practice.

The container A to secure shown in Figure 1 is a bottle and contains a liquid, wine in the example. The bottle A comprises an overcap device consisting of a safety sleeve 1 closely surrounding the upper part of the bottle, that is to say the neck 27 and the neck 26 which comprises the ring 3, and a capsule The safety sleeve 1 after retraction on the upper part of the bottle A marries the neck 27 and the neck 26 thereof.

The container A is provided with a closure device C, which is, in the example of Figures 1 to 7, a plug, for example cork, pressed into the neck 26 of the bottle. The invention is however not limited to a particular type of closure device, which could be a screw cap.

As shown in Figure 2, the safety sleeve 1 surrounds the upper portion of the container A and a portion of the closure device C, to ensure protection.

The overcap 2 is threaded over the safety sleeve 1 so that the lower portion of the skirt thereof is not completely covered by the skirt of the overcap 2 and is left exposed. The overcap 2 is made of metal, for example embossed aluminum in the example of Figures 1 to 7, and comprises for example a color printing background and decor with inscriptions printed on the sides of its skirt, and a representative right capsule 21 on the head of the overcap 2. The inscription of the representative right capsule 21 is for example printed by screen printing. The invention is however not limited to a particular type of overcap 2 capsule.

The safety sleeve 1 is made and retracted on the upper part of the container A in such a way that the lower part 10 of the skirt of the sleeve 1 is not covered by the skirt of the overcap 2 capsule after placing it over the sleeve. Thus, the safety sleeve 1, once retracted on the container A, has a skirt length L _m measured from the upper end of the container A to the lower end of the safety sleeve 1, greater than the length of the skirt. L _c of the overcap 2. The difference D between the length L _m of the safety sleeve 1 and the length L _c of the overcap 2 capsule is for example between 0.5 and 2.5 cm. The skirt length L _m of the safety sleeve 1 is for example between 6 and 8 cm.

The safety sleeve 1 comprises in its lower part 10 at least one security element, for example a security element 4 and a unit identification code 7, specific to the container A, as shown in FIG.

After retracting the safety sleeve 1 on the upper part of the container A, the upper edge of the safety sleeve, as shown in Figure 3, covers with a ring 15 the outer end 31 of the closure device C. In the example described, the safety sleeve 1 covers about 50% of the total surface of the outer end 31 of the closure device C of the container A. In this example, the sleeve 1 is provided with a line of vertical micro-perforations 23 ' .

The safety sleeve 1 is, in the examples described, substantially cylindrical of revolution before retraction for its implementation on the neck 26 of the bottle. The invention is however not limited to a particular sleeve shape, and its section may be non-circular.

As shown in FIG. 4, the safety sleeve 1 may comprise in its upper part 20 a release means, constituted in the example of this figure by two lines of micro-perforations, one horizontal 11 and the other vertical 22, which intersect each other. The horizontal line 11 is, in the example described, placed just above the ring 3 but, in one variant, may be present below, as illustrated in FIG. 5. These microperforations define a preferential rupture zone, which facilitates the opening of the sleeve 1.

In the variant shown in Figure 5, the safety sleeve 1 comprises in its upper part 20 a release means consisting of two vertical and parallel lines of microducts 23, a tear strip 9 between these two vertical lines and parallel and a horizontal line of micro-perforations 11, which intersects the two lines of vertical micro-perforations. The tear strip 9 comprises in the example described at its end a gripping tab 25 on which the user can pull to open the door. safety sleeve 1. The invention is however not limited to a particular type of release means.

As shown in FIG. 6, the safety sleeve 1 may have two vertical and parallel micro-perforation lines 24 and a tear strip 9 between these two lines, the tear strip 9 conveying a first-level security element such as for example a holographic foil 14, over the entire length of the sleeve 1. The non-visible side of the tear strip 9 may comprise an antenna wire 16 that can be detected by electromagnetic anti-theft devices. In case of opening, the entire sleeve 1 is removed from the bottle A.

As shown in FIG. 7, the safety sleeve 1 may have two horizontal and parallel micro-perforation lines 11 and a tear strip 9 comprising a gripping tongue 25. The tear strip 9 comprises in the example described at its end a gripping tab 25 on which the user can pull to open the safety sleeve 1. The tear strip 9 is advantageously positioned, in the example described, so as to cover the entire ring 3, and can conveying a first-level security element such as a lenticular foil 12, with an inscription having a movement effect depending on the orientation. Thus, even if the sleeve 1 is cut at the same time as the capsule 2 at the ring 3, the lower part of the safety sleeve 1 comprising at least one safety element remains in place. The tear strip 9 may be as described in application EP 1 082 256.

The lower part of the safety sleeve 1 comprises in the example of FIG. 4 a security element 4 in the form of a second-level security printing, invisible in the light of day but visible only under a wavelength of the UV, previously printed on the inner face of the film of the sleeve 1 before folding during manufacture, and a security element 13 in the form of a third-level tracer-based security printing, detectable in the IR only with a dedicated reader, also printed on the inside of the sleeve film before folding.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the safety sleeve 1 may comprise in its lower part 10 a first-level security element 5 in the form of a variable optical effect printing of the OVI type, visible to the naked eye and beforehand printed on the outside of the film of the sleeve 1 before folding.

The lower part 10 of the safety sleeve 1 comprises in the example of FIG. 5, just as in the example of FIG. 1, an identification unit code 7 allowing a follow-up function of the container A, and is composed here a barcode in half dimensions of Datamatrix type. The identification unit code 7 is printed with a black ink on the outer face of the sleeve after its retraction on the container, the printing providing sufficient contrast on the printing background of the sleeve 1 to allow its automatic reading. The film of the sleeve 1 is also printed in this example with an opaque and colored printing background and with inscriptions 17 in the name of the castle.

In a variant that is not shown, the two-dimensional bar code 7 may have no identification or tracking function, and may make it possible to address, via a communicating device such as a telephone (of the Smartphone type for example). , a website of the producer or the brand of the content, to obtain for example information on the latter. This code is advantageously unique and printed identically on all A containers of the same brand or the same producer.

The upper part 20 of the safety sleeve 1 comprises in the example of FIG. 5 a security element 8, for example a visible optical effect type first-level element, placed astride the zone delimited by the two micro-cut lines 23 and the rest of the safety sleeve 1, thus making it possible to demonstrate a fraudulent handling of the container if the security element 8 is tampered with.

The security elements of the security sleeve 1 are preferably optically variable first level security elements. In an alternative, these security elements are of any other type, as listed above, the invention is not limited to a particular type of security element. Likewise, the security elements have been represented with a substantially circular or rectangular contour, but the invention is in no way limited to a particular form of security element.

The safety sleeve 1 is made of a heat-shrinkable plastic material, for example PET.

The tear strip 9 is advantageously made of the same heat-shrinkable plastic material as the safety sleeve 1.

In the examples described above, the safety sleeve 1 is preferably made of a transparent material. In a variant not shown, the safety sleeve 1 is made of an opaque material.

At least one of the security elements of the sleeve 1, when the material thereof is transparent, is located on the internal face of the sleeve, that is to say the face which is in contact with the container A, as for example example in the examples of Figure 4, wherein the sleeve 1 comprises a first level security element 4 located on its inner face. At least one of the security elements of the sleeve 1, when the material thereof is transparent, is situated on the outer face of the sleeve, as for example in the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5, where the sleeve 1 comprises elements of safety 8 and 13 of the first level located on the outer face of the safety sleeve 1, which can improve their appearance and visibility.

The thickness of the safety sleeve 1 is for example between 40 and 100 μιη before retraction.

A sleeve according to the invention can be used in the field of packaging, packaging in general, in particular consumer products such as food, chemical, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical products. The invention makes it possible to secure and authenticate the product at the earliest in the production line, that is to say right after its filling. Thus, thefts and counterfeits before labeling can be avoided.

The invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described. In particular, it is possible to combine the particularities of embodiment of the various illustrated examples with non-illustrated variants.

The invention is in particular not limited to a particular type or form of container, or to a particular type of content.

The phrase "with one" should be understood as being synonymous with "having at least one".

Claims

1. Method for securing a container (A), in particular a bottle, comprising a closure device (C), in particular a stopper, in which:

a heat-shrinkable safety sleeve (1) is retracted on a portion of the container (A) and the closure device (C), in particular on the neck (26) and the cap of the bottle, this sleeve (1) comprising at least a security element (4, 5, 7, 8, 13), and

an overcap (2), in particular of stamped metal or metal complex, is threaded over the sleeve (1) so as to cover only partially, leaving at least partially said at least one security element ( 4, 5, 7, 8, 13) of the sleeve (1).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve (1) is heated so that it retracts around the container (A), especially around the neck (26) of the bottle.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sleeve (1) is arranged such that, after its retraction, it covers at least partially the closure device (C) so that any Fraudulent extraction attempt of the closure device (C) with the sleeve (1) in place visibly alters the sleeve.

4. Container (A) secured, in particular obtained by the implementation of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:

a shrink sleeve (1) heat-shrinkably fixed on the container (A) and comprising at least one security element,

an overcap (2), in particular of stamped metal or metal complex, covering only partially the sleeve (1), leaving at least partially said at least one security element (4, 5, 7, 8, 13) carried by said sleeve.

5. Container according to the preceding claim, the sleeve (1), once retracted on the container (A), having a length of skirt (L _m ) greater than the length (L _c ) of the capsule (2).

6. Container according to claim 4 or 5, the upper part (20) of the sleeve (1) having at least one security element (8, 12, 14, 16).

7. Container according to any one of claims 4 to 6, the sleeve (1) having, preferably in its upper part (20), a release means, in particular micro-perforations (1 1, 22, 24) or micro-cuts (23) and / or a tear strip (9).

8. Container according to the preceding claim, the release means consisting of at least one horizontal line of micro-perforations (11) and at least one vertical line of micro-perforations (22).

9. Container according to the preceding claim, the horizontal line of micro-perforations (11) being located above the ring (3) of the container (A).

10. Container according to claim 8, the horizontal line of microperforations (11) being located below the ring (3) of the container (A).

11. Container according to claim 7, the release means consisting of two vertical and parallel micro-cutout lines (23) and a horizontal line of microperforations (1 1), perpendicular to the vertical microdrops lines (23). ).

12. Container according to claim 7, the release means being constituted by two lines of micro-perforations (24) parallel and vertical and a tear strip (9) located between these two lines.

13. Container according to the preceding claim, the release means of the sleeve (1) being placed at at least one of the security elements (8) of the upper part (20) of the sleeve (1).

14. Container according to any one of claims 7 to 13, the release means of the sleeve (1) carrying at least one security element (12, 14, 16).

15. Container according to claim 7, the release means comprising a tear strip (9) and the latter carrying an antenna wire (16).

16. Container according to any one of claims 4 to 14, at least one security element (5, 8) of the sleeve (1) being an optically variable element.

Container according to any one of claims 4 to 16, at least one security element (4, 13) of the sleeve (1) being located on the inner face thereof and / or at least one security element ( 5, 8) of the sleeve (1) being located on the outer face thereof.

18. Container according to any one of claims 4 to 17, the sleeve (1) being made of a transparent heat-shrinkable plastic material

19. Container according to any one of claims 4 to 18, at least one security element (7) of the sleeve (1) being an identification element and / or an authentication element and / or a traceability element.

20. Container according to any one of claims 4 to 19, the sleeve (1) further comprising a specific code to the container (A) and for addressing, via a communicating device, a website, the code being in particular a two-dimensional barcode.

21. heat-shrinkable safety sleeve (1) for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the sleeve (1) being adapted to be placed on the closure device (C) of a container (A), prior to the introduction of an overcap (2), in particular of stamped metal or metal complex, the sleeve comprising at least one security element (4, 5, 7, 8, 13) , the sleeve (1) being arranged in such a way that the capsule (2) covers it only partially, leaving at least partially said at least one safety element (4, 5, 8, 13) of the sleeve.

22. heat-shrinkable safety sleeve (1) according to claim 21, comprising at least in its lower part not covered by the overcap (2) at least one identifier (7).

23. Heat-shrinkable safety sleeve (1) according to claim 21 or 22, having in its lower part, in particular at the level of the security element (4, 5, 8, 13) and / or the identifier (7). an opaque appearance providing sufficient contrast, in particular for the automatic authentication of the security element and / or the automatic identification of the identifier.

24. Set of securing a container (A) having a closure device (C), the assembly comprising:

a heat-shrinkable safety sleeve (1) as defined in the preceding claim, and

an overcap (2), in particular of stamped metal or metal complex, intended to protect the container (A) at the level of the device closure (C), arranged to cover only partially the sleeve (1) after being threaded over it.