MXPA98001985A - Method for marking objects and objects marked with such met - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for marking an impressionable ingestible object, comprising the sequential steps of: forming the ingestible object, impressionable to its size and final shape except for a predetermined predetermined finished mark that will be formed on the object, including the object in a blister-type container whose container has internal and external surfaces, and wherein the blister-type container has a preformed pattern comprising a depression and / or an embossment in a portion of the inner surface of said blister-type container and wherein the The preformed pattern comprises the shape of at least a portion of the predetermined finished mark, pressing said blister-type package against the object so that said pattern is fitted against the object at least temporarily so as to press the pattern toward the object to produce a finished mark. printed on the obje

Description

METHOD TO MARK OBJECTS AND OBJECTS MARKED WITH SAID METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a novel and inventive method for marking objects and objects marked with said method. The invention is especially useful for marking solid or semi-solid formulations of drugs, sweets and food products. Especially, the invention is useful for marking chewing gums containing nicotine. Other solid or semisolid objects, edible or inedible, can likewise be well marked using the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many objects need to be marked in order to be identified or distinguished from other similar objects. Often it is not enough to identify the object by the information in the packaging in which it is packed or packaged - in case a container or packaging is used. When the envelope is removed, no identification remains around the object. Examples of these objects include drugs in solid or semisolid form, such as pills, capsules and chewing gums. Solid drugs have a hard texture or will be P1132 / 98MX coated to obtain a hard surface that can be marked using, for example, laser printing technique. The success of this printing requires that the surface of the object does not absorb the printing ink in such a way as to spread or scatter and render the printed message illegible. Some solid formulations of drugs can also be marked by stamping or etching. This technique requires that the texture of the object be such that the object does not stick or adhere to the stamping / engraving device and that the stamped / printed mark does not fade because the object reverts to its previous appearance. Both methods, the printing and the stamping / engraving, additionally require that the objects that will be marked can be placed easily and accurately during the marking operation, in order to achieve consistent and legible marking. Some objects can be molded into their final forms while simultaneously reaching a mark in the form of a depression or embossed. In some way, there are very specific requirements, such as defined melting points, no sensitivity to heat, etc., in the compositions that are suitable for molding, with which many compositions are excluded from the possibility of molding. An example 'of objects that can not be marked P1132 / 98 X nor using any of the above methods or any other known technique are the nicotine-containing chewing gums used for the purposes of smoking cessation. These gums are semi-solid, it is not possible to obtain them by means of, for example molding, but they are obtained by means of extrusion and subsequent cutting to final forms, they do not have a hard surface texture or coating, they would disperse an applied marking ink. to the surface and is difficult to handle due to some stickiness that would also cause problems, if a normal stamping / engraving operation was attempted. Chewing gums are presented in US Pat. No. 3,845,217, incorporated herein by reference and marketed under the trademarks Nicorette® and Nicotrol®. Up to now, these chewing gums have been sold in blister packs containing on them the printed information without any marking on the gums themselves. In some way, governmental authorities, such as the Food and Drug Administration in the United States of America, will probably require that these therapeutic chewing gums be marked as is already done for many other drugs in solid form. With the exception of chewing gums, other objects that are also edible, such as, for example, P1132 / 98MX candy or sweets and certain food products and other inedible items can be marked using the new and inventive method described below, where in a first step, the object that will be marked is conformed to its final form, with the exception of its marking, with which the object will be marked in a second step. U.S. Patent No. 3,410,699 (L. PETERS) presents a method and means for embossing and packing cold butter. In some way, this patent has to do with a method in which pieces of butter are drilled from a primary piece to their final outer forms, being enhanced simultaneously in this way. On the contrary, in our invention the marking occurs separately and subsequent to the shaping of the objects. U.S. Patent No. 3,410,699 (L. PETERS) presents a plastic tray for shaping and ornamenting margarine or butter objects. In some way this patent relates to a molding process in which, in addition to the shape of the outer shape and the marking of the butter or margarine objects, it is carried out simultaneously. In our invention, although molding does not occur, the marking occurs separately and after the shaping of the objects. Patent DE 2637519 (PETERS, LEO) presents P1132 / 98MX trays for molding butter or margarine. These trays are used in a molding process in which the shape of the outer shape and the marking of the butter or margarine objects is carried out simultaneously. On the contrary, in our invention the molding does not occur and the marking occurs separately and subsequent to the shaping of the objects. U.S. Patent No. 4,001,440 (HOYT) presents a package for forming a frozen confection mounted on a stick. This packaging is for the molding and the subsequent freezing of a material. The shaping and marking of objects occurs simultaneously. On the contrary, in our invention neither molding nor freezing is presented and the marking is carried out separately and subsequent to the shaping of the objects. Therefore, the present invention is thus both novel and inventive on the forming and marking methods and devices set forth in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,410,699; 3,410,699; DE 2637510 and 4,001,440.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a novel and inventive method for marking objects as well P1132 / 98MX as the objects marked with this method. The invention is especially useful for marking solid or semi-solid formulations of drugs, sweets or sweets and food products. Specifically, the invention is useful for marking nicotine-containing chewing gums. Other solid or semi-solid objects can also be well marked using the present invention. In accordance with the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a new method for marking objects. A second object of the invention are the objects, specifically the nicotine-containing chewing gums, which will be marked with the above method. Other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art and still other objects will be apparent hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a method for marking solid or semi-solid objects in which the object, previously formed up to its final external shape, with the exception of its marking, is placed in a package with which a pattern in which it is caused is caused. the packaging makes a mark on the object, for example: pressing. Very small and unimportant changes in the external form P1132 / 98MX of the object may occur during the marking process. The invention also comprises the objects marked with this method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the thin sheet of cover (1) of a blister pack, according to this invention, for packaging chewing gums containing nicotine. The lower thin sheet (2) of the blister pack was removed here for clarity and is not shown in this figure. The pattern (3) that will be printed on the chewing gum is outlined as an N, which is observed inverted in this view. This pattern (3) is here an impression of the thin sheet of cover (1). Figure 2 is a detail of Figure 1 showing the thin sheet of cover (1) only for a chewing gum. Figure 3 shows schematically in perspective a chewing gum containing nicotine (4) after it has been packed in a blister or blister pack according to Figure 1 and 2. The marking (5) performed by the pattern (3) in the blister pack it is observed as an N. The marking (5) here has the form of a print on the chewing gum (4).

P1132 / 98 X DESCRIPTION DEtat.t, ana ng THE INVENTION The following examples are intended to illustrate but not limit the scope of the invention, although the methods and objects described are of particular interest for the purposes intended.

EXAMPLE l Chewing gums containing nicotine (4) Nicorette® essentially in accordance with the Patent of the United States of America 3, 845,217, were manufactured, after mixing the ingredients, essentially by means of extrusion and the subsequent cutting to the final forms. The gums essentially comprise base for chewing gum, nicotine resin, buffer or buffer substances, sweeteners and flavoring additives. The thin sheets of cover (1) for blister packs were manufactured from thin sheets of 0.25 mm polyvinyl chloride coated with polyvinylidene chloride, whereby the depressions to accommodate the gums (4) and the patterns (3) in the form of impressions were made in these thin sheets (1). The impressions had a depth of a millimeter or a few tenths of a millimeter. The radii of the impressions were large enough to avoid indications of P1132 / 98MX fracture in thin sheets of cover (1). The chewing gums (4) were subsequently placed one by one on the thin sheets of cover (1). Each thin sheet of cover (1) housed 12 or 15 gums (4). After which, a thin lower sheet (2), made of 0.020 mm thin sheet of aluminum, coated with lacquer for thermal seal, was laminated on the thin sheet of cover (1) and thermally sealed thereon in the form hermetic The blister packs manufactured in this way had a minimum space or separation between the rubbers (4) and the thin sheets of cover (1) the lower thin sheet (2), in order to minimize the amount of air that surrounds to the gums (4), the air causes the slow degradation of nicotine. Before or after the previous thermal seal, the thin sheet of cover (1) and the lower thin sheet (2) are compressed so that the pattern (3) is pressed in the gums (4) causing on them the mark (5). ) desired without any major change in the shapes of the gums (4). It is not advisable to make the pressing during the thermal sealing operation, since the heat would cause the gums (4) to adhere to the thin sheets (1) and / or (2). In the final package there is very little space or separation between the rubbers (4) and the thin sheets of cover (1) and the lower thin sheets (2) respectively, PU32 / 98MX causing that while the gums (4) remain in the container, at least part of the pattern (3) remains located in the mark (5), thus guaranteeing that the gums (4) they will not re-adopt their previous unbranded surface. When the rubbers (4) are removed or removed from the container, the mark or marking (5) will somehow remain stable and legible because the mark or marking (5) has already been affirmed in the rubber (4). In addition, the rubbers (4) harden a little on contact with the air, making the mark even more stable. In this example, the pattern (3) / mark or mark (5) took the form of a single N. More complex patterns, such as for example drug or company identifications, can also be used. Since a chewing gum is a small object, of course the pattern (3) / the marking or marking (5) can not be very detailed. In the previous example, the packaging material did not adhere to the gums (4). Other suitable thin film materials other than the thin sheet of aluminum, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinylidene chloride may also be used. If there is a tendency of adhesion between the gums (4) and the container, the adhesion can be reduced, for example, by sprinkling the gums (4) with talc or starch before packing them.

P1132 / 98MX EXAMPLE 2 This example is the same as Example 1 with the only difference that objects will be marked which are preferably not sensitive to heat and that there is no pattern (3) in the cover sheet (1) when the Objects (4) are placed in the container. Instead of the pattern (3) and, simultaneously, the resulting mark (5) is achieved by means of a subsequent stamping of the finished package. The method according to Example 2 has to be used with care since the stamping usually needs to be done during the heat which can degrade the objects that will be marked. Chewing gums containing nicotine are, therefore, best marked using the method according to Example 1. Various embodiments of the present invention are contemplated within the scope of the invention, for example, the pattern (3). ) does not need to remain in the marking or mark (5) after the pressing operation, the pattern (3) can exist in the lower thin sheet (2) instead of the thin sheet of cover (1) or, in both sheets thin, the cover (1) and the bottom (2), in order to produce marks (5) on different surfaces or parts of the object (4) and a marking ink may prevail in the thin sheet of cover (1) and / or the P1132 / 98 X lower thin sheet (2) that will be released towards the mark (5) when the pattern (3) is pressed on the rubbers (4). A marking ink often disperses unacceptably on a uniform surface but, much less when it is in a recessed or embossed mark. Other containers different from those of blister type are contemplated. In the foregoing, the objects (4) that will be marked are chewing gums. Other objects (4) such as candy or sweets or food products are also suitable for marking using the present invention. Also non-edible objects, preferably solid or semi-solid, can be marked using the above method. Also other modalities not mentioned above, but contemplated by someone skilled in the art, will be protected by the present invention.

P1132 / 98MX

Claims (18)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, property is claimed as contained in the following CLAIMS t 1. A method for marking an object (4), characterized in that the following steps are performed in the following order: the object (4) is formed to its final shape and dimensioned in a process different from that of the subsequent marking, the object (4) is placed in a container that has a preformed pattern (3), the preformed pattern (3) is manufactured to engage at least temporarily with the object (4) to produce a mark (5) on the object (4). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern (3) is pressed, at least momentarily, against the object (4) to produce the mark (5). The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pattern (3) is a depression and / or an embossment. 4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the P1132 / 98MX container is a blister pack. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pattern (3) is made in a part of the package with reduced tendency to adhere to the object (4). The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the tendency to adhere is combated by coating the object (4) and / or the container with an adhesion reducing material, such as talc or starch. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pattern (3) is made on a part / parts of the package that will be made of a material, preferably heat-sealable, comprising thin metal sheet, preferably, thin sheet of aluminum and / or thin sheet of polymer, such as polyvinyl chloride and / or thin sheet of polyvinylidene chloride. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the object (4) when it is inside the container is positioned with respect to the pattern (3) so that at least part of the pattern (3) resides substantially constantly in the brand (5). 9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the P1132 / 98MX object (4) is solid or semi-solid. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the object (4) comprises drugs, sweets or candies and / or food products. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the object (4) is a chewing gum. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the object (4) is a chewing gum containing nicotine. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least part of the pattern (3) exists in the package before the object (4) is placed inside it. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least part of the pattern (3) is formed in the package after the object (4) is placed inside it. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pattern (3) is formed in the package such that the mark (5) is produced on more than one part or surface of the object (4). 16. The method according to any of the P1132 / 98MX preceding claims, characterized in that the package comprises an ink that is transferable from the pattern (3) to the mark (5). 17. The object (4) marked with a method according to any of claims 1-16. 18. Chewing gum containing nicotine labeled with a method according to any of claims 1-16. P1132 / 98MX