GB2051003A

GB2051003A - Security bag

Info

Publication number: GB2051003A
Application number: GB8016050A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: DRG UK Ltd
Current assignee: DRG UK Ltd
Priority date: 1979-05-16
Filing date: 1980-05-15
Publication date: 1981-01-14
Also published as: GB2051003B

Abstract

A security bag is made from plastics film and has a projecting lip (16) at the mouth. A paper tape (18) bearing high tack adhesive is initially adhered in one area (B) to the back of the lip. The other area (A) projects beyond the lip and is protected by a peelable sheet (20). When the sheet (20) is removed the strip (18) can be folded over to adhere the area (A) to the front panel (10) of the bag and thereby close the mouth. The adhesive is sufficiently strong so that the paper strip (18) cannot be removed without fibre tear. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Security bag This invention relates to bags which when closed provide an indication as to whether or not they have been subsequently tampered with.

Bags, pouches and envelopes (generally referred to herein as bags) made from a variety of substrates and having a lip for filling and closure purposes are well known. These may be closed using pressuresenstive adhesive tape. The tape usually seals the mouth of the bag in a peelable manner if the bag is made of a relatively strong non-stretchable plastics film or a highly glazed paper or the like material. The present invention seeks to provide a bag which has a tell-tale closure means.

The present invention provides a security bag of plastics film having a mouth for insertion of contents, and carrying a paper closure strip bearing a high tack adhesive by which one area of the strip is adhered to the film in the region of the mouth with the other area projecting beyond the mouth, whereby the mouth can be closed by folding over the projecting area of the strip and adhering it to the film adjacent the mouth to seal the contents in the bag, the adhesive forming a sufficienly strong bond so that the strip cannot be removed without fibre tear.

Preferably the adhesive is pressure-sensitive, although it could be thermosetting. The bag may have at least one wall of transparent sheet material through which the contents can be seen.

The bag may be made of two walls of film material sealed together around their edges other than at the mouth, the seals incorporating tell-tale markings which show if the seals have been broken.

The bag is preferably in the form of a pouch having one wall with a projecting lip at the mouth, said one area of the closure strip being initially adhered to the outside surface of the lip so that it can be subsequently folded overto adhere said other area of the strip to the adjacent area of the other wall of the bag. Said other area of the strip preferably is provided with a protective sheet which can be peeled away to expose the adhesive when required to close the bag. Preferably print is applied across the strip and adjacent region of the bag to which it is initially adhered.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a bag and closure strip before initially applying the closure strip to the bag, Fig. 2 shows an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view of the mouth region of the bag when closed by the strip, and Fig. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view of the mouth region of a modified form of bag when closed.

Referring to the drawings, the bag is in the form of a pouch made from two layers 10, 12 (see Fig. 2) of transparent plastics film material heat-sealed together at 14 on three sides to leave an open mouth on the fourth side. The layer 12 extends beyond the layer 10 at the mouth to form a lip 16. A length of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 18 has a silicone coated release paper 20 applied over its adhesive.

The release paper is longitudinally slit at 21 to provide two areas; a relatively wide area A and a relatively narrow area B. The release paper 20 of the area B is initially removed, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the exposed area B of the tape is applied to the outside surface of the lip 16 of the bag. The bag is then ready for use.

In use, contents are inserted into the mouth of the bag, the release paper 20 is peeled from the area A of the tape, and this area of the tape is then folded over and adhered to the inside surface of the lip and the adjacent area of the wall 10 of the bag, as shown in Fig. 2.

The tape 18 is of a paper material, and the bond formed between the adhesive and the film of the bag is relatively stronger than the paper, so that if an attempt is made to re-open the bag by peeling the tape from the bag, this results in fibre tear in the paper, which can readily be seen.

Preferably print is provided over the outside surface of the region B of the tape and the adjacent region C of the bag. This provides additional security in that anymis-register of the print would suggest that the seal between the tape and bag has been tampered with at that point The tape and bag are preferably made of material which can be written on by a ball-point pen or other writing instrument, so that after sealing the bag the writing can be applied extending from area A of the tape into the adjacent area D of the bag, thereby providing a further indication of any attempt to open the bag at that point. The peripheral seals 14 of the bag can also be provided with tell-tales, for example coloured marks or embossing, which are destroyed or distorted if an attempt is made to open and re-seal the bag at a point around the peripheral seal.

The bag need not be closed in exactly the manner illustrated. If desired, the lip 16 itself could be folded over when the bag is closed. Fig. 3 shows a modified form of bag suitable for this method of closure. The tape area B is rather wider than the lip 16, so that even when the lip is folded over part of area B remains on the side of the bag remote from layer 10.

If desired the lip 16 could be omitted, the walls 10, 12 being of equal area, and area B of the tape being applied to one wall adjacent the mouth.

1. A method of closing the mouth of a security bag of plastics film, which comprises applying over the mouth a closure strip comprising a paper substrate bearing a high tack adhesive, such that the adhesive adhering to the plastics film prevents delamination of the paper substrate without tearing of the paper fibres.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the closure strip comprises two areas, one of which is initially secured by said adhesive to the bag adjacent the mouth, the other area projecting beyond the mouth and being protected by a peelable sheet; the method including removing the peelable sheet, folding the projecting area of the closure strip over and

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Security bag This invention relates to bags which when closed provide an indication as to whether or not they have been subsequently tampered with. Bags, pouches and envelopes (generally referred to herein as bags) made from a variety of substrates and having a lip for filling and closure purposes are well known. These may be closed using pressuresenstive adhesive tape. The tape usually seals the mouth of the bag in a peelable manner if the bag is made of a relatively strong non-stretchable plastics film or a highly glazed paper or the like material. The present invention seeks to provide a bag which has a tell-tale closure means. The present invention provides a security bag of plastics film having a mouth for insertion of contents, and carrying a paper closure strip bearing a high tack adhesive by which one area of the strip is adhered to the film in the region of the mouth with the other area projecting beyond the mouth, whereby the mouth can be closed by folding over the projecting area of the strip and adhering it to the film adjacent the mouth to seal the contents in the bag, the adhesive forming a sufficienly strong bond so that the strip cannot be removed without fibre tear. Preferably the adhesive is pressure-sensitive, although it could be thermosetting. The bag may have at least one wall of transparent sheet material through which the contents can be seen. The bag may be made of two walls of film material sealed together around their edges other than at the mouth, the seals incorporating tell-tale markings which show if the seals have been broken. The bag is preferably in the form of a pouch having one wall with a projecting lip at the mouth, said one area of the closure strip being initially adhered to the outside surface of the lip so that it can be subsequently folded overto adhere said other area of the strip to the adjacent area of the other wall of the bag. Said other area of the strip preferably is provided with a protective sheet which can be peeled away to expose the adhesive when required to close the bag. Preferably print is applied across the strip and adjacent region of the bag to which it is initially adhered. In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a bag and closure strip before initially applying the closure strip to the bag, Fig. 2 shows an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view of the mouth region of the bag when closed by the strip, and Fig. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional fragmentary view of the mouth region of a modified form of bag when closed. Referring to the drawings, the bag is in the form of a pouch made from two layers 10, 12 (see Fig. 2) of transparent plastics film material heat-sealed together at 14 on three sides to leave an open mouth on the fourth side. The layer 12 extends beyond the layer 10 at the mouth to form a lip 16. A length of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 18 has a silicone coated release paper 20 applied over its adhesive. The release paper is longitudinally slit at 21 to provide two areas; a relatively wide area A and a relatively narrow area B. The release paper 20 of the area B is initially removed, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the exposed area B of the tape is applied to the outside surface of the lip 16 of the bag. The bag is then ready for use. In use, contents are inserted into the mouth of the bag, the release paper 20 is peeled from the area A of the tape, and this area of the tape is then folded over and adhered to the inside surface of the lip and the adjacent area of the wall 10 of the bag, as shown in Fig. 2. The tape 18 is of a paper material, and the bond formed between the adhesive and the film of the bag is relatively stronger than the paper, so that if an attempt is made to re-open the bag by peeling the tape from the bag, this results in fibre tear in the paper, which can readily be seen. Preferably print is provided over the outside surface of the region B of the tape and the adjacent region C of the bag. This provides additional security in that anymis-register of the print would suggest that the seal between the tape and bag has been tampered with at that point The tape and bag are preferably made of material which can be written on by a ball-point pen or other writing instrument, so that after sealing the bag the writing can be applied extending from area A of the tape into the adjacent area D of the bag, thereby providing a further indication of any attempt to open the bag at that point. The peripheral seals 14 of the bag can also be provided with tell-tales, for example coloured marks or embossing, which are destroyed or distorted if an attempt is made to open and re-seal the bag at a point around the peripheral seal. The bag need not be closed in exactly the manner illustrated. If desired, the lip 16 itself could be folded over when the bag is closed. Fig. 3 shows a modified form of bag suitable for this method of closure. The tape area B is rather wider than the lip 16, so that even when the lip is folded over part of area B remains on the side of the bag remote from layer 10. If desired the lip 16 could be omitted, the walls 10, 12 being of equal area, and area B of the tape being applied to one wall adjacent the mouth. CLAIMS

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the closure strip comprises two areas, one of which is initially secured by said adhesive to the bag adjacent the mouth, the other area projecting beyond the mouth and being protected by a peelable sheet; the method including removing the peelable sheet, folding the projecting area of the closure strip over and securing itto the bag adjacent the mouth by means of said adhesive.

3. A security bag of plastics film having a mouth for insertion of contents, and carrying a paper closure strip bearing a high tack adhesive by which one area of the strip is adhered to the film in the region of the mouth with the other area projecting beyond the mouth, whereby the mouth can be closed by folding over the projecting area of the strip and adhering it to the film adjacent the mouth to seal the contents in the bag, the adhesive forming a sufficiently strong bond so that the strip cannot be removed without fibre tear.

4. A bag according to claim 3 wherein the bag is made of two walls of film material sealed together around their edges other than at the mouth, the seals incorporating tell-tale markings which show if the seals have been broken.

5. A bag according to claim 3 or claim 4 in the form of a pouch having one wall with a projecting lip at the mouth, said one area of the closure strip being initially adhered to the outside surface of the lip so that it can be subsequently folded overto adhere said other area of the strip to the adjacent area of the other wall of the bag.

6. A bag according to any one of claims 3,4 and 5 wherein said other area of the strip is provided with a protective sheetwhich can be peeled away to expose the adhesive when required to close the bag.

7. A bag according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein print is applied across the strip and adjacent region of the bag to which it is initially adhered.

8. A bag substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.