GB2364524A - A closable container with an improved security means - Google Patents

Abstract

A closable container such as a bag, pouch or reusable envelope comprises a container 1 with an opening VW along one side T. At least one triangular ear 2,3 extends from at least one side of the opening VW, the ears 2,3 fold along a diagonal fold line which extends from a point along a side L and/or R, to a point along the opening VW. The ears 2,3 and the container have apertures 6, 7 and 8 which lie on top of each other after folding of the ears 2,3. The container 1 can then be folded along on a main fold line XY so that the apertures 6,7 and 8 register with a locking unit 4, a sealing member 10 is then inserted in the locking unit 4 as to lock the container in its closed position. The sealing member 10 breaks as the container 1 is opened so that unauthorised opening can be detected. A label on one or both of the ears 2,3 also indicates if the container 1 has been tampered with.

Description

2364524 CLOSABLE CONTAINER The invention relates to a closable container,

for example a bag, pouch or reusable envelope, for valuable 5 articles, which bag has features which provide a level of security. The container has a lock unit at the opening which cooperates with a disposable locking member, to close the container.

10 An envelope with a zipped opening is described in GB A-1424680. In this reference, the disposable locking member has a head part, a stem part and a plug part. The plug part goes through an aperture in the puller tab of the zipper and engages in an aperture in the lock unit. The 15 envelope is opened by removal of the head part of the locking member, which causes rupture of the stem part with the plug part being left behind in the lock unit or in the envelope. Because the envelope can only be opened by breaking the locking member, a tamper evident seal to the 20 envelope is provided.

The aim of the invention is to provide a novel bag with an improved level of security.

25 Accordingly, the invention provides a bag with an opening along one side, the bag being capable of being folded along a main fold line which is inwards of the opening, wherein the bag includes an ear extending from at 2 least one side of the opening, a fold line extending from a point along the side of the bag, at or adjacent the main fold line, to a point along the opening so as to provide a diagonal fold line for the ear; the bag also having a lock 5 unit for receiving a disposable sealing member, the bag and ear having apertures which, after folding, register with the lock unit to provide a passage for the sealing member which then can lock the bag in its closed position.

10 In the above description of the invention, and throughout the present application, the term "bag" is used to describe any generally flat container which is in the nature of a bag, envelope, pouch or wallet. The bag can be made of any suitable material, for example plastic sheeting 15 or leather or laminated card.

It will be understood that the main fold line for the bag provides a bent but nonetheless relatively simple passageway into the closed bag. The folding of the ear in 20 the bag of the invention reduces the width of the main fold. In addition, the apertures of the bag and ear which receive the sealing member register in such a position that the passageway into the bag, past the main fold, is at least partially blocked by the sealing member.

25 Accordingly, a greater degree of security is provided to the bag, in that unauthorised access (i.e. without the seal being broken) becomes more difficult.

3 Preferably, the bag has two ears, one on either side and preferably provided in a symmetrical fashion. The diagonal folds of the ears may meet at or adjacent each other along the middle of the opening, thus reducing the 5 width of the opening above the main fold to a minimum. The diagonal folds of the ears may be at 450 to the opening.

If the sides of the ears extend the line of the sides of the bag, then after folding the sides of the ears will follow the main fold line of the bag. If the ears are 10 substantially triangular in shape, then the other edge of each ear after folding can substantially follow the diagonal fold line of the other ear.

Pref erably, the ear and the part of the bag to the 15 upper side of the diagonal fold line have stiffening means, to ensure proper folding of the ear. The or each ear can have a tab with information presented thereon which will, after folding, confirm to the user that the bag has been used in the correct fashion. Where more than one ear is 20 provided, the ears can be coded in order to indicate the correct order of folding.

The sealing member is advantageously of the type which has a flat head part, a frangible stem and a plug part, the 25 plug part locking into a lock unit on the bag af ter folding (for example by means of a arrowhead configuration catching in an aperture of the lock unit). To open the bag, the seal must be removed which immediately breaks off the plug 4 part, thereby providing tamper evidence.

Preferably the lock unit, which cooperates with the disposable locking member to close the bag, pouch or 5 container, has first and second apertures, and the locking member has first and second protrusions for location in the apertures of the lock. At least the second protrusion of the locking member has a configuration such that it locks into the second aperture of the lock unit, and the locking 10 member has a line of weakness running between the protrusions such that the first protrusion can be disengaged from the lock unit in a first step and the second protrusion can be disengaged from the lock unit in a second step.

The second aperture of the lock unit is advantageously shaped so as to have a narrower portion, in which the second protrusion of the locking member positively engages, and a wider portion which is wide enough to allow removal 20 of the protrusion. The second protrusion can be moved to the wider portion for removal, after removal of the first protrusion.

Preferably there is provided a location plate on the 25 bag which receives the locking member, this plate having apertures corresponding to those of the locking unit.

The unlocking of the container, pouch or bag of the invention is, in ome embodiment, thus performed by an operation of several steps. The removal of the locking member being performed by two or three steps presents an effective deterrent to a potential unauthorised accesser to 5 the bag.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail below by example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an example of a bag according to the invention, the bag having two ears; Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, showing the first ear folded in; 15 Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the second ear folded in; Fig. 4 is a view of the bag of Fig. 1 in its fully folded and closed position; Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating one possible 20 example of a lock unit and sealing member for use with the bag of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the sealing member of Fig. 5, but showing the member from the rear; Figs. 7a to 7c are detailed sectional views showing 25 the engagement of one of the protrusions of the lock of the sealing member with the lock; and Figs. 8a to 8f are detailed longitudinal sectional views showing the steps for removal of the sealing member 6 f rom the lock, and thus the unlocking of the bag (which can then be unfolded).

Fig. 1 shows a substantially rectangular bag 1 formed 5 of a front sheet and rear sheet. The bag has a top T, bottom B, right hand side R and left hand side L. The opening of the bag extends along the top T (line VW in the drawing).

10 The top T of the bag can be folded onto the remaining major part of the bag along a fold line XY, shown in dotted lines. This fold line forms the main fold line of the bag.

The rear sheet of the bag is extended above" the 15 opening VW to form first and second ears 2, 3 on either side. In this example, each ear has a generally triangular shape, but with the inner corner truncated, this truncation accommodating the location of the lock unit 4, after folding. Thus, the side parts of the ear extend from the 20 lines of the left and right sides L, R of the bag. The upper edges of the ears then are inclined inwardly. The shape of the ears is not, however, critical as it is the folding of the ears which gives the advantageous effect to the new bag, not the geometry of the ears.

The bag has a fold line for each ear, this fold line extending from a point at or above the intersection of the main fold line XY with the right and left sides R, L to a 7 point along the top T of the bag. The fold lines are indicated in dotted lines forming diagonal fold lines above the main fold line XY. It is advantageous that the fold lines of the ears are adjacent, so that a minor part of the 5 opening VW is between the fold lines along the top, this reducing the width of the opening at the main fold after the ears are folded. Although the diagonal fold lines of the ears can meet along the top of the bag, this is not essential as the opening into the bag, after folding of the 10 ears, will at least partially be blocked by the sealing member which locks the bag after folding (see below) It will be understood that if the fold lines of the ears 2, 3 are at an angle of 450 to the top and sides of 15 the bag then, after folding, the side of the ear will lie along and parallel to the main fold line XY. Similarly, if the inclined top edge of each ear has an angle of 450, then after folding it will lie along and parallel to the fold line of the other ear. Thus, using 450 angles gives a 20 simple and pleasing geometry to the bag, though the use of a 450 angle is not essential.

As already mentioned, the front of the bag has a lock unit 4 which can receive a breakable sealing member in a 25 known fashion, this sealing member providing tamper evidence to the closed bag. It will be appreciated that, after folding, the sealing member will be inserted from what is, in Fig. 1, the back of the bag and the sealing 8 member will have to pass through the front sheet of the bag and also each ear. To accommodate this, the front sheet of the bag and each ear have apertures 6, 7 and 8 which after folding register with the lock unit 4. The lock unit 4 and 5 the aperture 6 of the bag are arranged substantially centrally. It follows from the folding of the ears that the lock unit should be below that part of the top of the bag where the diagonal fold lines of the ears do not extend (if the diagonal fold lines do meet, the lock unit is below 10 their meeting point) For security of the bag, it is obviously important that the ears are preferably locked in their folded position, which demands that they do extend sufficiently such that, after folding, they overlap with the position of aperture 6 of the bag. Beyond this, as 15 indicated above, the specific geometry of the ears is not critical.

Ear 3 of the bag can have a tab 9 extending along its inclined edge, this tab including a marking - such as the 20 word SECURE - which after folding will show that the bag has been closed properly. The reverse of the tab shows an opposite marking, for example the word INSECURE. The ears can be colour coded or otherwise marked to show the correct folding sequence, for example one ear can be marked A as 25 shown to indicate that it is the first ear to be folded, the second ear then being marked B. Fig. 2 shows the bag after the left hand ear 2 is 9 folded in. As will already have been made apparent, the ear must be folded along its diagonal fold line. To ensure that this folding is done correctly, the ear and that part of the front or rear sheet of the bag above the diagonal 5 fold line can be provided with a stiffening means so that folding of the ear anywhere other than its intended diagonal fold line becomes difficult. This stiffening means could consist of a stiff sheet within a double layer of the ear or a metal stiffening bar along the edge of the 10 ear and continuing along the side of the bag to the point at which the diagonal fold line intersects that side.

As shown in Fig. 2, after folding of the ear 2, its left hand side runs above and parallel to the main fold 15 line XY while its inclined edge runs inside and parallel to the diagonal fold line of the other ear 3. The edge formed by the truncation of the third corner of the triangular shape of the ear 2 runs along the top of the bag. The opening of the top of the bag has thus been substantially 20 narrowed by the folding of the ear 2.

After folding, the aperture 7 of ear 2 registers with the aperture 6 of the front sheet of the bag.

25 Fig. 3 shows the bag with the right hand ear 3 folded in, on top of the ear 2. With this folding, the aperture 8 of the ear 3 registers with apertures 6 and 7. As with the ear 2, the side of the ear 3 is above and parallel to the main fold line XY. As the ears are both the same shape, right hand ear 3 is superimposed directly on left hand ear 2. In the position shown in Fig. 3, the tab 9 of ear 3 shows an INSECURE status of the bag.

The final folded position of the bag is shown in Fig.

4, the upper part of the bag and the ears 2 and 3 being folded down on top of the bag, along the main fold line XY.

The apertures 6, 7 and 8 all register with the lock unit 4 10 and a sealing member 10 is pushed through the apertures and into the lock unit to seal the bag. The sealing member 10 can be seated in a suitably shaped plate 11 which is, in Fig. 1, on the back sheet of the bag.

15 The sealing member can be of the type shown in GB-A 1424680, although the precise construction of the locking unit and sealing member is not critical. Indeed, the bag could be locked by means of a catch on the front or back of the bag clipping into a chamber after folding, the bag then 20 being unlocked by means of a key in a generally conventional fashion. It is, however, preferred that the bag is sealed in a tamper evident fashion using a breakable sealing member.

25 It will be noted that in Fig. 4 the tab 9 of the ear shows the marking SECURE, this indicating to the user that the bag has been folded correctly. If the user had insisted on folding ear 3, before ear 2, then the bag will not show the SECURE marking and indeed the tab 9 will tend to block the aperture 6. Also, if the bag is closed without folding either ear then the marking INSECURE will clearly be visible, as indeed will the unfolded ears.

While it is greatly preferred that any ear be provided on each side of the bag, the advantage of the invention can still be gained with only one ear. In this version, the diagonal fold line of the ear would extend more deeply into 10 the height of the bag, this reducing the usable space of the bag below the main fold line XY. If the diagonal fold line of the single ear extends over the majority of the opening VW, then a secure bag can be obtained, particularly as the sealing member will, after locking of the bag, tend 15 to at least partly block the remaining part of the opening which is not folded over along the diagonal fold line of the single ear.

Fig. 5 shows in a simplified form the closing of the 20 back of the bag onto the front, after folding. As discussed above, the bag can be closed by a lock unit 4 which cooperates with a disposable sealing or locking member 10 to close the bag. The lock unit of this embodiment has a first aperture 17 and a second aperture 25 18.

The location plate 11 of Fig. 5 has a generally cruciform configuration with a peripheral rim 15 which thus 12 forms a seat for the locking member 10. At the top of the cruciform shape, there is a slightly hollowed region 23 which acts as a finger hole, so that the user can gain some purchase on the edge of the locking member 10 when it is 5 located on the plate 11.

The location plate 11 has a first aperture 19 which registers with the first aperture 17 of the lock unit 4 and a second aperture 24 which registers with the second 10 aperture 18 of the lock unit. The location plate 11 is f ixed to the material on the back side of the bag by location through a hole in the material the shape of which corresponds to the external shape of the rim 15 of the plate 11. Extending outwardly from the rim is a flange 15 (seen in Fig. 8) which can be on the inside of the bag 1.

The material of the bag is then riveted to the f lange of the location plate so as to fix it on the bag.

The lock unit 4 is connected on the front side of the 20 bag in a corresponding fashion, and with the lock unit the surrounding flange is on the inside of the bag. The lock unit extends upwardly from its flange, to form a chamber which can accommodate the protruding parts of the locking member 10. On the underside of the location plate 11 there 25 is a recessed seat 26 to aid correct positioning of the locking unit 4 and location plate 11 together.

As seen best in Fig. 6, the locking member 10, which 13 is of a generally T-shaped and planar configuration, has on one side a first protrusion 20 and a second protrusion 21 for location in the apertures 17 and 18 of the lock unit.

Assuming correct usage of the locking member 10, the 5 protrusions 20 and 21 of the locking member will be located in the apertures of the location plate 11 and the lock unit 4. Thus, the protrusion 20 of the locking member will penetrate the aperture 19 of the plate, before penetrating the aperture 17 of the lock unit. The protrusion 20 is in 10 the form of a tapered post.

The second protrusion 21 of the locking member 10 has a suitable configuration, for example an arrow head configuration 22, such that it positively engages or locks 15 into the second aperture 18 of the lock unit. The locking member 10 has a line of weakness 27 running across it, between the protrusions 20 and 21, so that the first protrusion 20 can be removed from the lock unit 4 in a first step, the second protrusion 21 then being disengaged 20 from the lock unit in a subsequent, second step. The line of weakness can be formed as a line of reduced thickness running from one side edge and then down between the protrusions to end close to the lower edge of the locking member, and so it effectively divides the member into first 25 and second parts 10a, lob.

The member 10 includes upper, side and lower lips 37a, 37b and 37c which aid proper fitting on the location plate.

14 The member also has projecting parts 38 at the top corners, the projections forming the cross-piece of the 'IT" shape.

As clearly visible in Fig. 5, the second aperture 18 5 of the lock unit 4 and the second aperture 24 of the location plate 11 advantageously have a narrower portion 28 and a wider portion 29. The arrow head 22 of the protrusion 21 of the locking member 10 engages in the narrower portion 28 (as described in more detail below with 10 reference to Fig. 7), whereas the wider portion 29 is of sufficient size such that the protrusion 21 can disengage from the aperture 18. The movement of the protrusion 21 from the narrower portion 28 to the wider portion 29 of the aperture 18 is described later.

The way in which the bag 1 is closed will now be described. The ears of the bag are folded, and the top of the bag is folded down, obviously with the desired contents of the bag inside. The locking unit 4 is thus located 20 underneath the location plate 11 so that the apertures of the location plate register with the apertures of the locking unit. The locking member 10 is then pushed onto the location plate 11 and into the lock unit 4 to lock the front, back and ears of the bag together, thus securing the 25 bag in a closed condition. The first protrusion 20 of the locking member 10 passes through the first aperture 19 of the location plate 11 and then penetrates the lock unit 4, through the aperture 17. The second protrusion 21 of the location plate 11 passes through the second aperture 24 of the plate 11 and penetrates into the aperture 18 of the lock unit 4, the arrow head configuration of the second protrusion locking in the aperture 18. For the avoidance 5 of any doubt, the arrow head 22 of the protrusion 21 engages behind the narrow portion 28 of the aperture 18 at this stage.

The bag 1 is now securely closed and can only be 10 opened by removal of the locking member 10. As will be discussed in more detail below, the locking member 10 can only be removed by breaking the locking member and so unauthorised opening of the bag is immediately obvious.

The locking member thus provides a tamper evident seal to 15 the bag. The locking members will be individually numbered so that unauthorised access to the bag will be observable, even if the locking member is replaced. Individual numbering of locking members of this type - so-called "seals" is known in the art.

The removal of the locking member and thus the unlocking of the bag will now be described. Figs. 7a, b and c show in more detail the location of the arrow head 22 of the sealing member 10 in the narrower portion 28 of the 25 aperture 18 of the lock unit 4. The arrow head 22 has opposing barbs 33 which in the relaxed condition have an overall width which is greater than that of the portion 28 of the aperture 18. The protrusion member 21 is formed of 16 a suitable resilient plastics material such that the barbs 33 can be bent resiliently inwards. In the inward position, the overall width of the barbs is the same as or slightly less than the width of the portion 28 of the 5 aperture 18. The aperture 18 has, on the inside of the lock unit 4 a widened portion with internal shoulders 34.

Thus, upon pressing in of the protrusion 21 into the aperture 18 the barbs 33 of the arrow head are squeezed inwards but then flexed outwardly to engage behind the 10 shoulders 34 of the aperture 18. In this position, the locking member 10 is at least temporarily locked in the lock unit 4, with the location plate 11 therebetween. it should be noted that in Figs. 7a, b and c the full length of the protrusion 21 is not seen; obviously the length of 15 the protrusion member is such that between the lock unit 4 and the sealing member 10 there is a sufficient distance to accommodate the thicknesses of the bag material and the location plate 11.

20 Figs. 8a to 8f indicate longitudinal cross sectional views through the lock unit 4 and the location plate 11 and in particular show the sequence of removal of the locking member 10 and thus the opening of the bag. The protrusion 21 is engaged in the aperture 18, as just described, but 25 the shape of the protrusion 20 corresponds to the shape of the aperture 17 so that it slides easily in and out.

In Fig. 8a is seen the location plate 11 in position 17 on the lock unit 4 with the locking member 10 placed thereover, the protrusions 20, 21 of the locking member thus going into the lock unit. The material of the bag and ears, is shown in Fig. 8a in dashed lines but is omitted in 5 the other figures for clarity. The lock unit 4 and location plate 11 are fixed to the material of the bag by means of rivets through the peripheral flanges 25 of the unit and plate. The rivets are shown in Fig. 5.

10 Fig. 8b indicates the first step in the removal of the locking member 10. The user's finger lifts the top edge of the locking member 10, using the recessed portion 23 of the location plate, to break the locking member along the break line 27 and remove the right hand portion 10a. of the 15 locking member away from the lock unit. Only limited resistance against this removal is provided by the strength of the break line. The protrusion 20 of the locking member slides easily in and out of the aperture of the lock unit and does not lock inside the aperture (though in an 20 alternative embodiment such locking could occur).

Fig. 8c shows the right hand part 10a of the locking member removed. With the protrusion 20 no longer located in the aperture 17 of the lock unit and the right hand part 25 of the locking member no longer abutting the rim 15 of the location plate, the left hand part 10b of the locking member is free to move and, in particular, the protrusion 21 can move across the aperture 18 of the lock unit 4 so 18 that the arrow head 22 is located at the wider portion 29 of the aperture 18. The movement of the left hand part lob of the locking member across the seat of the lock unit can be facilitated by the user pushing it across. As soon as 5 'Che arrow head 22 of the protrusion 21 is located at the wider portion 29 of the aperture 18, as seen in Fig. 8d, that part of the locking member can be removed. This is indicated in Fig 8e. With both parts 10a, lob of the locking member removed the top of the bag with the location 10 plate can be lifted away from the lock unit 4, as shown in Fig. 8f, the ears can be unfolded, and the mouth of the bag can be pulled open.

If the lock unit 4 is formed with an aperture 18 which 15 does not have a wider portion 29 to allow removal of the arrow head 22 of the locking member, then removal of the left hand part lob of the locking member may occur by forcibly removing it, thus breaking off the barbs 33 (or the protrusion itself) which will fall inside the lock 20 unit. The barbs 33 can be removed from the lock unit by turning the bag upside down and shaking.

The lock unit and the location plate may be formed of a suitable metal, such as hardened steel, or of plastic 25 such as nylon, polypropylene, ABS, styrene or engineering plastic. The disposable locking members, which will generally be supplied in bulk, are formed of suitable resilient but frangible plastics material, such as styrene, nylon or polypropylene.

Claims (11)

1. A closable container with an opening at one edge, the 5 container being capable of being folded along a main fold line which is inwards of the opening, wherein the container includes an ear extending from at least one side of the opening, a fold line extending from a point along a lateral edge of the container, at or adjacent an end of the main 10 fold line, to a point along the opening so as to provide a diagonal fold line for the ear; the container also having a lock unit for receiving a disposable sealing member, the container and ear having apertures which, after folding, register with the lock unit to provide a passage for the 15 sealing member which then can lock the container in its closed position.

2. A closable container according to claim 1, wherein the container has two of the said ears, one at either side of 20 the opening.

3. A closable container according to claim 2, wherein the ears are symmetrical on either side of the opening.

25

4. A closable container according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the diagonal fold lines of the ears meet at or adjacent each other, substantially at the middle of the opening.

5. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each diagonal fold line for the or each ear extends at substantially 450 to the opening.

5

6. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each ear is shaped such that an edge thereof extends in line with the lateral edge of the container.

7. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each ear is substantially triangular.

8. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each ear and the part of the container to the outer side of the diagonal fold line have stiffening means, to facilitate folding of the ear.

9. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the or each ear has a tab with information presented thereon which will, after folding, confirm to the user that the bag has been used in the correct fashion.

10. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the ears are coded in order to indicate the correct order of folding.

11. A closable container according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealing member is breakable for release from the lock unit.