GB2315732A

GB2315732A - Tamper-evident envelope

Info

Publication number: GB2315732A
Application number: GB9723889A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Anderson Mackay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-13
Filing date: 1997-11-13
Publication date: 1998-02-11
Also published as: GB9723889D0

Abstract

An envelope (10) defines an enclosure having an opening (17) provided with first and second tamper evident seals (20, 21), the first seal (20) being operable to close the opening (17) and, following removal of the first seal (20), the second seal (21) being operable to re-close the opening (17a). Removal is effected by cutting off the upper end of the envelope including parts 18,19,20. Parts 18,19 are separable portions on which information may be written. The envelope is formed of two PVC sheets 12 (opaque) and 13 (transparent), the latter carrying a further pocket 22 resealable at 26. The outer surface of the envelope may bear a tamper evident pattern. Each seal 20,21 may comprise an adhesive tape with a removable cover sheet.

Description

ENVELOPE This invention relates to an envelope. The invention has particular application in the secure storage of items of evidence relating to criminal prosecutions and the like.

At present, smaller items of evidence collected at a crime scene are typically stored and transported in transparent plastics bags which are opened and resealed as required by police, forensic scientists and others wishing to examine the items. A record of the details of the persons who gathered and examined the items is generally kept separately from the items and it is not unknown for such records to be mislaid, or for the records to be incomplete; this may lead to concerns that the evidence may have been subjected to improper or unauthorised handling.

It is among the objectives of embodiments of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided an envelope defining an enclosure having an opening provided with first and second tamper evident seals, the first seal being operable to close the opening and, following removal of the first seal, the second seal being operable to re-close the opening.

In it use, the first seal may be utilised to secure an item within the envelope, for example a police officer may place an item of evidence found at a crime scene in the envelope and utilise the first seal to secure the envelope.

The envelope is then forwarded to a forensic laboratory, where the first seal is removed, and preferably retained, to allow access to the item. After the forensic tests have been completed the second seal is utilised to secure the item within the envelope once more. If it is necessary to produce the item of evidence in court in subsequent proceedings the envelope may be produced with the second seal intact, and if necessary the police officer who closed the first seal and the scientist who removed the first seal and closed the second seal may give evidence to that effect.

Preferably, at least one of the seals includes a sealing member fixed to a wall of the envelope adjacent the opening. Most preferably, at least one of the seals includes a length of adhesive tape fixed to a wall of the envelope adjacent the opening.

Preferably also, the envelope opening is of generally planar configuration with first and second walls of the envelope defining the opening, and the first seal includes a first sealing member mounted on the first wall adjacent the opening for sealing engagement with the second wall of the envelope.

Preferably also, the second seal includes a second sealing member mounted on one of the first and second walls for sealing engagement with the other of the first and second walls following removal of the first sealing member and the portion of the second wall in engagement therewith.

Preferably also, the wall portions defining the opening define an edge of the envelope.

Preferably also, at least one of the seals includes a sealing member carrying an adhesive layer. Most preferably, the sealing member includes a layer of ink or the like below the adhesive layer and which layer of ink breaks-up if an attempt is made to separate the sealing member from a surface to which the member is adhered, the ink layer being covered by and initially adhered to a transparent film or tape. The ink may break up to form a void pattern, which may include the word "void", the coat of arms of the relevant police force, or a trade mark of the envelope manufacturer or supplier. Most preferably, the strength of the adhesive bond is greater than the tear strength of the transparent film.

Preferably, at least one wall of the envelope is transparent, to allow visual inspection of an item within the envelope.

Preferably also, information receiving portions are provided on the envelope. The portions may include sections for receiving information relating to: the person sealing or opening the envelope; the item to be placed in the envelope; or the incident to which the item relates.

Most preferably, removable information receiving portions are provided, which removable portions may be detached and placed within the envelope after entry of the appropriate information.

Preferably also, at least the first seal and the envelope carry a unique identifier, such as a numerical code, such that the envelope and seal may be matched following separation. Other parts or portions of the envelope, such as removable information receiving portions, may also be provided with an identifier.

Preferably also, the envelope includes a further resealable enclosure, which further enclosure may be utilised for retaining papers and the like associated with the item in the envelope.

Preferably also, the outer surface of the envelope bears a tamper evident pattern, which may take the form of a repeating police force coat of arms, or any other intricate pattern. The pattern may be printed onto the envelope and in the preferred PVC envelope the pattern may be litho-printed. Certain materials may also be difficult to write upon and may therefore be printed with areas of ball-point receptive material, such as W-curable acrylic ink.

Preferably also, the envelope is formed of a plastics material. Most preferably, the envelope is formed of a "living material, such as PVC, which will smooth itself after being creased or crumpled. It has been found that 150 micron PVC provides a lightweight but strong envelope with good cold-crack properties.

Preferably also, the edges of the walls of the envelope carry a tamper evident design, preferably at least two rows or lines of a repeating pattern or logo with one of the rows or lines lying over the bonded edge portions of the envelope. The design may be in bolder, brighter or otherwise contrasting appearance to any design appearing on the remainder of the envelope surface. If an edge of the envelope, including the bonded area between the walls defining the envelope, is removed to gain unauthorised access to the envelope, and the envelope resealed along the edge, someone examining the envelope will immediately identify that tampering has occurred due to the absence of the line or row which coincided with the bonded edge.

This and other aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are front and rear views of an envelope in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; and Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are schematic enlarged side views illustrating the sealing, opening and resealing of the envelope of Figures 1 and 2.

Reference is first made to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings which illustrate an evidence storage envelope 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The envelope 10 is formed of two 150 micron thick sheets of PVC 12, 13, one sheet 12 being opaque and the other 13 transparent, which sheets 12, 13 have been HF welded to one another along three edges 14, 15, 16, leaving an opening at 17. The front sheet 12 is somewhat longer than the rear sheet 13 and incorporates two separable information receiving portions 18, 19, the purpose of which will be described in due course.

Attached to the edge of the transparent rear sheet 13 adjacent the opening 17 is a first length of tamper evident tape 20 for use in forming a first seal, the tape 20 comprising a transparent polystyrene backing, a layer of ink, and a layer of adhesive. As may be seen from Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, the lower portion of the tape 20 is adhered to the edge of the sheet 13, while the upper part is initially provided with a removable cover sheet, to prevent accidental sealing of the envelope.

Attached to the rear sheet 13 adjacent the tape 20 is a second length of tamper evident tape 21, for use in forming a second seal, the tape 21 being of similar form and composition to the first tape 20.

A resealable pocket 22 is formed on the rear sheet 13 by a further sheet of transparent PVC 24 which is HF welded to the sheet 13 along the lower edge 16 and the lower ends of the side edges 14, 15. The upper edge of the transparent sheet 24 is formed as a flap 26 carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive such that the pocket 22 may be sealed, opened, and resealed as required.

The outer surface of the front sheet 12 is lithoprinted with a tamper evident pattern which, in this example, is in the form of a repeating pattern of a police force coat of arms. The envelope 10 is also printed with instructions relating to the use of the envelope 10.

Along the envelope edges 14, 15, 16 the tamper evident pattern is printed in bolder ink. Thus, if one bonded edge is removed to gain access to the envelope, and the edge then resealed, the difference in thickness of the bolder pattern at that edge will be clearly evident. Also, at the side edges 14, 15, the bold pattern is two coat-of-arms wide, and if the bonded edge portion is removed, the outer rows of coat of arms is removed; the loss or absence of the outer row will be immediately evident on examination of the envelope.

As PVC is not easily written upon with conventional pens, areas 28 of the envelope are printed with ball-point ink receptive material, in this case W-curable acrylic ink.

This particular envelope 10 is intended for use in the secure storage of items of evidence as may be gathered and studied in relation to a criminal investigation, as described below.

A number of envelopes 10 may be taken to a crime scene and as individual items of evidence are located these are deposited in individual envelops, at which point the first information receiving portion 18 is completed and detached from the front sheet 12 and the envelope opening 17 sealed using the first tape 20 (Figure 4). The detached portion 18 may be sealed in the envelope with the item of evidence, placed in the resealable pocket 22, or stored separately of the envelope.

The sealed envelope may then be forwarded to an appropriate forensic laboratory. To remove the item of evidence for testing, the forensic scientist first ensures that the second tape 21 is folded back on itself (Figure 5) and then, using scissors, cuts the envelope below the lower edge of the first tape 20, along the line 30 (see Figure 1). The first seal is thus removed from the envelope, and may then be placed in the envelope, placed in the pocket 22, or stored elsewhere. The item may then be removed from the envelope for examination and testing.

Once the testing has been completed, the item is placed in the open envelope 10 once more, and the opening 17a resealed using the second tape 21 (Figure 6). The second removable information receiving portion 19 will have been completed by the scientist and is then placed in the envelope, placed in the pocket 22, or stored elsewhere.

If it is necessary to present the evidence in Court, the item may be viewed through the transparent rear sheet 13. Further, the examination of the envelope 10 and the detached first seal will reveal if there has been any tampering with the envelope. The information receiving portions 18, 19 will also immediately identify the persons who previously handled the item and who sealed the item in the envelope.

It will clear from the above-described embodiment that the present invention provides a tamper evident enclosure which is simple and convenient to use, facilitates recordal of information relating to the handling of the envelope and the item in the envelope, and will provide confidence that the envelope has not been subject to improper treatment or unauthorised access.

It will further be apparent to those of skill in the art that the above-described embodiment is merely exemplary of the present invention, and that various modifications and improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An envelope defining an enclosure having an opening provided with first and second tamper evident seals, the first seal being operable to close the opening and, following removal of the first seal, the second seal being operable to re-close the opening.

2. The envelope of claim 1, wherein at least one of the seals includes a sealing member fixed to a wall of the envelope adjacent the opening.

3. The envelope of claim 2, wherein at least one of the seals includes a length of adhesive tape fixed to a wall of the envelope adjacent the opening.

4. The envelope of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the envelope opening is of generally planar configuration with first and second walls of the envelope defining the opening, and the first seal includes a first sealing member mounted on the first wall adjacent the opening for sealing engagement with the second wall of the envelope.

5. The envelope of claim 4, wherein the second seal includes a second sealing member mounted on one of the first and second walls for sealing engagement with the other of the first and second walls following removal of the first sealing member and the portion of the second wall in engagement therewith.

6. The envelope of claim 4 or 5, wherein the wall portions defining the opening define an edge of the envelope.

7. The envelope of claim 6, wherein one or more separable information receiving portions are attached to the edge of one of the wall portions.

8. The envelope of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the seals includes a sealing member carrying an adhesive layer.

9. The envelope of claim 8, wherein the sealing member includes a layer of ink or the like below the adhesive layer and which layer of ink breaks-up if an attempt is made to separate the sealing member from a surface to which the member is adhered, the ink layer being covered by and initially adhered to a transparent film or tape.

10. The envelope of claim 9, wherein the ink breaks up to form a void pattern.

11. The envelope of claim 9 or 10, wherein the strength of the adhesive bond is greater than the tear strength of the transparent film.

12. The envelope of any of the preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of one wall of the envelope is transparent.

13. The envelop of any of the preceding claims, wherein information receiving portions are provided on the envelope.

14. The envelope of claim 13, wherein the information receiving portions are removable.

15. The envelope of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first seal and the envelope carry a unique identifier.

16. The envelope of any of the preceding claims, wherein the envelope includes a further resealable enclosure.

17. The envelope of any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer surface of the envelope bears a tamper evident pattern.

18. The envelope of claim 16, wherein the pattern is litho-printed onto the envelope.

19. The envelope of any of the preceding claims wherein portions of the envelope are printed with ball-point receptive material.

20. The envelope of any of the preceding claims, wherein the envelope is formed of PVC.

21. The envelope of any of the preceding claims, in which edges of at least one wall of the envelope carry a tamper evident design.

22. The envelope of claim 21, wherein the tamper evident design comprises at least two rows or lines of a repeating pattern or logo with one of the rows or lines lying over the bonded edge portions of the envelope.

23. The envelope of claim 21 or 22, wherein the tamper evident design is of contrasting appearance to any design appearing on the remainder of the envelope surface.

24. An envelope substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.