NZ611491A - Improvements in and relating to packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

A pull-tab can (1) which includes a frangible sheet-like element (5) to indicate whether or not said can of product has been tampered with is disclosed. The frangible sheet-like element extend(s) over at least a portion of a face (7) of the can and a portion of a removable section of the can(2).

Description

James & Wells ref: 238181/14 IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO PACKAGING CAL FIELD The present invention relates to improvements in and ng to ing. In particular the present invention s to improvements concerning tamper evident cans.

BACKGROUND ART At present there are multitude of canned food products on the market which include pull tab easy g arrangements to remove the lid of the can. For most products the construction of the can makes it difficult to tamper with and thus there has never been a need to utilise any devices to indicate a can is in its original (i.e. pered condition).

However, for manufacturers of premium brand high value products a new problem being encountered in some markets is the removal of the top section of the can or foil seal of the can and ement of the contents.

In some cases empty cans have been recovered and refilled by parties wanting to pass off their product as genuine product given it is being sold in genuine premium brand can - albeit used.

In some cases the top 3mm or so of a can is cut off to access the contents therein and then a new top lid section is then re-seamed onto the can, so the can effectively, apart from being a little bit shorter, looks like it has not been opened (i.e. looks like it has not been tampered with).

This is so, notwithstanding, the contents have been removed and replaced.

Obviously protection against such tampering, as well as even more nefarious forms of tampering, is a primary concern for many in the food industry. It is also of al concern to consumers who want to have certainty they are getting not only genuine product but also a factory safe un-tampered product.

It would also be useful if there could be provided a way of verifying the authenticity of the product within a can.

It would also be useful if there could be provided a way of indicating that a can was still in its original condition without the need to pick up the can and closely inspect. It being ed that many shoppers are in a hurry and do not have time to always check the can until they get home. In some instances the hassle of going back into the shop to demand a refund or replacement product may not be practical and may result in the consumer being forced to take a risk and make use of a tampered product. This is particularly so for sers who live in remote locations away from stores.

James & Wells ref: 238181/14 It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the cy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country. 1O Throughout this specification, the word "comprise", or variations thereof such as "comprises" or ising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of ts integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Further s and ages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DEFINITIONS The term ible sheet-like element’ or ‘FSLE’ as used herein refers to a strip or other shaped sheet which is manufactured to adhere to a substrate and irreparably: re into smaller parts, otherwise deform, or become e or e; when attempts are made to cut or remove it from the substrate.

The term ‘detectable damage’ refers to the nature of damage or deformation of the strip due to cutting being capable of being detectable so as to evidence tampering. In general at least one form of the detectable damage should be visible with the naked eye.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the t invention there is provided a use of at least one frangible sheet-like element FSLE to indicate whether or not a pull tab can of product has been tampered with, wherein said FSLE is adapted to be permanently bonded to, and is positioned on said can, so as to extend over at least: - a portion of at least one face of the can; - a first vertical folded hermetic seam at the top of the can so as to closely m to the surface r; and/or a portion of a non— reusable removable section of the top of the can, such that any attempt to remove or cut the FSLE causes detectable damage to the FSLE.

James & Wells ref: 238181/14 Preferably, the FLSE extends over a portion of the face of the can and a first seam of the can and a removable section over the top of the can.

According to a second aspect there is provided a use substantially as described above wherein there is at least one further FSLE which extends over a portion of the face of the can and a portion of the bottom of the can. ing to a third aspect there is provided a use substantially as described above wherein the FSLE extend(s) a sufficient distance along the face of the can, from said first vertical folded hermetic seam, so as to be visible to a prospective purchaser of said can, when the can is on a shelf in a store.

Preferably the FSLE extends a distance h any re-closable lid on top of the can.

According to a fourth aspect there is provided a use substantially as described above wherein the ) extend along the face of the can a distance which ends proximate a brand element on said can.

According to a fifth aspect there is provided use substantially as described above wherein at least one FSLE is positioned in a region which is proximate a pull tab on said removable section of the can. ing to a sixth aspect there is provided a use substantially as described above wherein at least one of the FSLE(s) extend(s) down the face of the can and around a second seam at the bottom of the can and over a n of the bottom of the can.

According to a seventh aspect there is ed a pull tab can which includes at least one ble sheet-like t FSLE to indicate whether or not the can has been tampered with, wherein said FSLE is adapted to be permanently bonded to, and is positioned on said can, so as to extend over at least: — a portion of at least one face of the can; - a first vertical folded hermetic seam at the top of the can so as to closely m to the surface contour; and/or a portion of the non- reusable removable section of the top of the can, such that any attempt to remove or cut the FSLE causes detectable damage to the FSLE.

According to an eighth aspect there is provided a can substantially as described above wherein the FSLE extend(s) a sufficient distance along the face of the can, from said first vertical folded hermetic seam, to be visible to a prospective purchaser of said can.

James & Wells ref: 238181/14 According to a ninth aspect there is provided a can substantially as described above wherein the FSLE(s) is/are positioned in a region which is ate a pull tab on said removable n of the can.

According to a tenth aspect there is provided a can ntially as described above wherein the FSLE(s) extend(s) down the face of the can and around second vertical folded hermetic seam at the bottom of the can.

According to an th aspect of the present invention there is provided a can ntially as described above wherein the FSLE is applied to the can in a manner which bonds it thereon so as to closely conform to the surface contour of the seam of the can. 1O The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application. individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further aspects of the present ion will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a top portion of a pull tab can which is sealed with a foil liner sheet in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a view of the can of Figure 1 with a plastic re-sealing lid on the top thereof as the can would appear on the shelf to a purchaser; Figure 3 is a schematic side view of an ate embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a top portion of a pull tab can which is sealed with a foil liner sheet in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic ctive view of a top portion of a pull tab can which is sealed with a foil liner sheet in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 6 is a schematic cross sectional view of a top n of the can showing the present invention according to a further preferred embodiment.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In relation to the Figures there is provided a pull tab can 1 which has a foil liner sheet 2 hermetically sealing the top opening 3 of the can 1. The foil liner sheet 2 has a pull tab 4 James & Wells ref: 238181/14 connected o to enable easy removal of the foil liner sheet 2 from the top of the can 1 to access the contents contained therein.

The can 1 also has a FSLE in the form of a thermal er adhesive holographic strip 5 which is situated proximate the pull tab 4 and which extends over a portion X of the foil liner sheet 2 over the opening 3 and seam 6 of the can and extends down a portion Y of the face (side) 7 of the can 1. The strip 5 stops ate prominent indicia 200 on the can in the form of a trade mark.

In Figure 2 the strip 5 extends down a distance Y’ beneath lid 8 so it is visible to a person making a se decision. In addition the FSLE has indicia in the form of the word ‘SAFE’ 1O plainly visible extending below the bottom edge of the lid 8. The words ‘SAFE” being an additional indicator of tampering, because if the word is incomplete, or unreadable and/or partially obscured by the lid 8, it indicates tampering has occurred and s that the top section of the can has been cut off and a new top section re-seamed onto the can.

Furthermore, if attempts are made to use a fake FSLE on the top section of the can the fake FSLE will run over the brand element 1000 of the can further indicating tampering has taken place.

In Figure 3 the strip 5 extends a distance Y” beneath lid 8 and around the bottom seam of the can 1.

In Figure 4 the can 1 is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 2 with one marked ence. The can 1 in Figure 4 has a transparent lid 10 which enables a person to see the foil liner sheet 2 and strip 5 whilst the lid 10 is in place. This provides a further measure of protection against evidence of tampering being hidden under the lid and not being revealed until after the purchaser has purchased the item and returned home, and removes the lid at the time of use.

In Figure 5 there is shown a can 1 similar to that in Figure 1 (already described) except it has a multitude of strips 5 thereon.

In Figure 6 there is shown a can 1 having a side wall 7and a foil liner sheet 2 and a top ring section 20 and a FSLE in the form of a l transfer adhesive holographic strip 5. The strip has been applied to the can1 in a manner which bonds it thereon in a manner which bonds it thereon so as to closely conform to the surface contour of the seam 300 of the can.

DETAILED DISCUSSION OF ALTERNATE WAYS TO ENT THE INVENTION The removable section is generally the top of the can or a portion thereof.

In some embodiments the removable section may be a n of the top of the can which is scored to enable easy removal thereof via a pull tab.

James & Wells ref: 238181/14 In some further embodiments the top of the can may have an opening which is hermetically sealed with a foil liner sheet. The foil liner sheet including a pull tab thereon, to enable easy removal of the foil liner sheet from the can, to allow for access to the can‘s contents.

The FSLE may come in a variety of forms provided it is adapted to be permanently fixed to the can (and foil liner sheet, if present).

In general the FSLE may be affixed to the can by a permanent (i.e. non-removable) adhesive or method of adhesion.

In one embodiment the FSLE may be in the form of a substantially circular sheet of al with at least one radial extension n which can extend over the seam and along a portion 1O of the face of the can.

In another embodiment he FSLE may have a ring shaped body with the ring having dimensions which enable it to extend over the edge of the opening of the removable section of the top of the can and wherein the ring shaped body includes at least one radial extension thereon which can extend over the seam and along a portion of the face of the can.

In some preferred embodiments the FLSE may cover part of the pull tab in such a manner that operation of the pull tab can cause damage to the FLSE.

In a preferred embodiment the FSLE may be a frangible strip on the form of a thermal er ve holographic strip.

For ease of reference only the FSLE will now be referred to as a strip this should not be seen as limiting as other shapes are envisaged.

The thermal transfer ve holographic strip may be any strip with a holographic image thereon which is permanently attached by heat to a surface, such that any attempt to remove the label or manipulate a n of the surface to which the label is attached causes the strip and/or holographic image to become irreparably d. The damaged strip thereby providing detectable evidence of tampering. l transfer adhesive holographic strips are well known in the art and are also commonly referred to in the art as hot stamping holographic foil see www.cihologramas.com or www.kurz.de In one embodiment the thermal transfer adhesive holographic strip may be hot stamping aphic foil.

The frangible strip may have one or more features which can be used to verify the strip is e and/or to indicate it has been tampered with. In addition such features make replication of the strip by falsification difficult to achieve. Such es are well known in the art particularly in realtion to thermal transfer adhesive holographic strips.

James & Wells ref: 238181/14 In some embodiments in addition to at least one tamper evident feature which is visible with the naked eye there may be at least one further tamper t feature which is not visible by the naked eye. For example such further feature(s) may require exposure to a certain UV light or high magnification in order to be visible.

The strip may generally be substantially 5mm in width. However, this should not be seen as limiting as other widths are envisaged and the key requirement is that the strip and ity of the any indicia can be viewed by the naked eye when making a purchase or checking otherwise checking the quality of the can.

The length of the strip may vary without departing from the scope of the present invention 1O provided it is e to a person wanting to make a purchase of the product housed within the can.

In one embodiment the distance the strip extends may be at least substantially 10mm or even more preferably 20mm over the removable section of the can.

In another embodiment the ce that the strip extends over the face of the can may be at least substantially 20mm. This length has been found ideal by the applicant for cans of product which include a removable plastic sealing lid, which cover the sealed foil opening of the can — as it allows for the strip to extend around 10mm beneath the edge of the lid, to be visible to a ser at the time of se or subsequently - eg. at the time of opening.

The pull tab can may be any can which includes a pull tab (or pull ring) on a portion of n of the top of the can to assist with removal of that section to access the contents of the can.

In some embodiments the pull tab may be joined to a section of the can which has been pre- , to facilitate breaking (pulling away) that section of the can joined to the pull tab, from the remainder of the top of the can.

In some other embodiments the pull tab may be joined to a foil liner sheet which is bonded to the edge of an opening in the top of the can, to thereby effectively seal the can, so as to protect the contents therein. Any damage to the foil liner sheet indicating the contents may have been tampered with or may not be in premium ion for use. However, tampering can still go unnoticed in situations where the foil has been carefully peeled away from the edge of the opening and re-glued thereto. The presence of the strip according to the present invention now enables consumers to see whether anyone has attempted to peel back the foil around the edge to access the ts.

What constitutes a sufficient distance can vary depending on a variety of factors.

In general what constitutes a sufficient distance will be immediately apparent or not based on r the strip of a portion thereof can be easily seen with the naked eye when the product is on the shelf in a retail outlet.

James & Wells ref: /14 The requirement that the strip be proximate the pull tab is in order to help indicate whether the tab has been partially pulled to open the can somewhat to e access before resealing to hide tampering. This type of tampering normally occurs in embodiments where the can has a foil liner sheet. Thus the closer the strip is positioned to the pull tab the less the risk that this type of tampering can occur without damaging the strip.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of e only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

James & Wells ref: 238181/14

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A use of at least one frangible sheet-like element FSLE to indicate whether or not a pull tab can of product has been tampered with, wherein said FSLE is adapted to be permanently bonded to, and is positioned on said can, so as to extend over at least: - a portion of at least one face of the can; - a first vertical folded hermetic seam at the top of the can so as to closely conform to the surface contour; and/or a portion of a non- reusable removable section of the top of the can, such that any attempt to remove or cut the FSLE causes detectable damage to the FSLE.

2. A use as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is at least one further FSLE which s over a n of at least one face of the can and a portion of the bottom of the can.

3. A use as claimed in claim 2 wherein the FSLE extend(s) a sufficient distance along the face of the can, from said first vertical folded hermetic seam, so as to be e to a prospective purchaser of said can, when the can is on a shelf in a store.

4. A use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the FSLE(s) extend along the face of the can a distance which ends proximate a brand element on said can.

5. A use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the FSLE is positioned in a region which is ate a pull tab on said removable section of the can.

6. A use as claimed in claim 1 or claim 5 wherein the FSLE(s) extend(s) down the face of the can and around a second seam at the bottom of the can and over a portion of the bottom of the can.

7. A pull tab can which includes at least one frangible like element FSLE to indicate whether or not the can has been tampered with, wherein said FSLE is adapted to be permanently bonded to, and is positioned on said can, so as to extend over at least: — a portion of at least one face of the can; - a first al folded hermetic seam at the top of the can so as to closely conform to the e contour; and/or a n of the non- reusable removable section of the top of the can, such that any attempt to remove or cut the FSLE causes detectable damage to the FSLE. James & Wells ref: /14

8. A can as claimed in claim 7 wherein the FSLE (s) a sufficient distance along the face of the can, from said first vertical folded hermetic seam, to be visible to a prospective purchaser of said can.

9. A can as claimed in claim 8 wherein the FSLE(s) is/are positioned in a region which is proximate a pull tab on said ble section of the can.

10. A can as claimed in claim 7 wherein the FSLE(s) extend(s) down the face of the can and around a second vertical folded hermetic seam at the bottom of the can.

11. A can as claimed in claim 7 wherein the FSLE is applied to the can in a manner which bonds it thereon so as to closely conform to the surface contour of the seam of the can. Mark Lindsay Fankhauser and Jason Paul Rogers by their authorised agents ( ,\ ,,-~",J,7-_.w--‘ 'l' ‘ JAMES & WELLS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY