GB2254845A - Sealing a container to prevent unauthorized reuse - Google Patents

Sealing a container to prevent unauthorized reuse Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2254845A
GB2254845A GB9108190A GB9108190A GB2254845A GB 2254845 A GB2254845 A GB 2254845A GB 9108190 A GB9108190 A GB 9108190A GB 9108190 A GB9108190 A GB 9108190A GB 2254845 A GB2254845 A GB 2254845A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
container
sealing member
damage
damaged
neck
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9108190A
Other versions
GB9108190D0 (en
GB2254845B (en
Inventor
Robert Peter Sunman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9108190A priority Critical patent/GB2254845B/en
Publication of GB9108190D0 publication Critical patent/GB9108190D0/en
Publication of GB2254845A publication Critical patent/GB2254845A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2254845B publication Critical patent/GB2254845B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
    • B65D55/02—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure
    • B65D55/026—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure initial opening or unauthorised access being indicated by a visual change using indicators other than tearable means, e.g. change of colour, pattern or opacity
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
    • B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
    • B23K26/36—Removing material
    • B23K26/361—Removing material for deburring or mechanical trimming
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
    • B65D55/02—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)

Abstract

The surface of a container 13 underlying a sealing member 21 adhesively bonded to it is damaged preferably with a laser 23. If the member is then removed, parts of the surface (25, fig 3) are pulled off by the adhesive 22, and the damage is clearly visible. The damaged region may extend all round the container and may be writing, crazing, cracking or a fracture line. Preferably the member and the adhesive are transparent, so that even if they are reapplied the damage is still visible. This visible damage discourages reuse of the bottle by counterfeiters and the like, and the method may be used with perfume or spirits bottles and drug containers. The member 21 forms part of a seal member 16 overlying a closure 15 for the container. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER AND METHOD OF SEALING A CONTAINER This invention relates to containers and methods of sealing containers so that they cannot be re-used.
One of the problems faced by manufacturers of, for example, premium perfumes, spirits and medicines, which products are sold in glassware or other containers capable of being constructed in such form as to impart product identity to the product, is that of re-use of the container by counterfeiters and passers off who by its use impart authenticity to the fake product contained therein.
Many solutions to this problem have been proposed but all suffer from unneccessary complication as well as from the counterfeiters skill at avoiding or replicating the various different devices employed against him.
An object of this invention is to provide a positive means of preventing container re-use.
In one aspect the invention provides a method of securing a container having a closure member, which comprises applying a substantially transparent material sealing member over the container closure member, the sealing member being breakable such that a first portion of the sealing member is removable to allow access to the container and a second portion remains bonded to the container, and thereafter damaging the surface of the container under the second portion such that the damage is substantially invisible unless and until the second portion is removed but on removal becomes clearly visible.
The damage is preferably caused by pulsed laser radiation closely focused on to the surface of the container under the bond. By causing the damage after the sealing member has been bonded to the container, the bond holds the damaged portion in position so that it is substantially invisible through the sealing member but as soon as the sealing member is removed the damaged portion will separate from the container and the damage become clearly visible.
Preferably the damage is caused substantially right round the neck of the container. The container will normally be made of glass and the sealing member be a heat shrinkable plastics material. The second portion of the sealing member will be secured to the container by an adhesive which is resistant to softening by heat or solvent.
In another aspect, the invention provides a container having a closure member and a transparent sealing member extending over the closure member, the sealing member being breakable such that a first portion is removable to allow access to the container and a second portion is bonded to the container, the surface of the container beneath the bonded portion being damaged such that if the second portion is removed the surface will partially disintegrate, the damaged portion being held together unless the second portion is removed by the bond such that the damage is substantially invisible.
The damage may be in the form of writing e.g. saying damaged or maybe in the form of a horizontal fracture line around the neck of a container.
One embodiment of container and seal will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagramatic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a container with a seal, Figure 2 shows an enlarged sectional view through the neck and top of the container of Figure 1 in the process of treatment and, Figure 3 is a more enlarged sectional view of part of the neck of the container of Figure 2 after treatment.
A glass or other container 12 has a neck 13 with a threaded top 14 on which is screwed a metal closure member 15. A sealing member 16 in the form of a heat shrunk clear or transparent plastics material capsule, for example polythene or PVC, which may or may not be printed with a logo or other printed matter, extends over the closure member 15 and around the neck of the container below this closure member.
The sealing member is formed with a horizontal tear strip by tear lines 17 around the mid portion thereof so that when this is removed the upper portion 20 is removable to allow access to the container and the lower portion 21 remains on the neck of the container below the closure member 15. The metal closure member may also be formed with a tear strip which could be removable at the same time as the tear strip 17.
Prior to encapsulation by the sealing member, a ring of clear transparent adhesive 22 is placed on the neck of the bottle below the closure member 15 or alternatively is placed on the inside of the lower portion of the sealing member.
The adhesive should be compatible with both the glass of the container and the plastics material of the sealing member and be such as to provide a strong, possibly a molecular, bond between them which will not relax under external influences such as the application of heat or solvent.
After the sealing member has been shrunk on to the container the area where the adhesive is applied is subjected to laser radiation, preferably from a pulsed Nd-YAG laser 23 which radiation (indicated at 24) is closely focused on to the surface of the glass immediately below the adhesive.
This radiation is such as to cause surface damage 25 to the glass, such as crazing or cracking of the surface layer and preferably the container is rotated so that the damage extends substantially around the periphery of the neck.
Because the damage is caused after the bond has been created between the sealing member and the container surface the surface damage will be held in place by the bond and will be substantially invisible. However, if the lower portion of the sealing member is removed the damaged surface will break down causing surface fractures which will be clearly visible to the naked eye through any subsequent transparent seal.
This effectively prevents re-use. The fractures could be applied in the form of a message on the glass for example saying "DAMAGED". The mechanical integrity of the container will not be impaired as long as the skirt of the sealing member is left in place. It would be possible to mark the glass under the bond and/or the sealing layer above it with a message warning the customer to expect this area to be transparent so that regular users of the product would not be mislead by fakes which covered up the damaged area.
It would also be possible, by an intense use of radiation, to produce a horizontal fracture line, such as may be made with a glass cutter, so that if the plastics material skirt is removed, a sharp knock on the bottle neck, such as may occur in transit, will cause the bottle to break, thus rendering the bottle useless for further employ.

Claims (13)

1. A method of securing a container having a closure member, which comprises applying a sealing member over the container closure member, the sealing member being breakable such that a first portion of the sealing member is removable to allow access to the container and a second, substantially transparent, portion remains bonded to the container, and thereafter damaging the surface of the container under the second portion such that the damage is substantially invisible unless the second portion is removed but on removal becomes clearly visible.
2. A method according to Claim 1 in which the surface is damaged by focused pulsed laser radiation applied thereto.
3. A container having a closure member and a transparent sealing member extending over the closure member, the sealing member being breakable such that a first portion is removable to allow access to the container and a second portion is bonded to the container, the surface of the container beneath the bonded portion being damaged such that if the second portion is removed, the surface will partially disintegrate, the damaged portion being held together so that the damage is substantially invisible unless the second portion is removed.
4. A container according to Claim 3 having a neck and in which the damaged portion extends substantially around the neck of the container.
5. A container according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 in which the damage is in the form of crazing or cracking of the surface layer of the container.
6. A container according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 in which the damage is in the form of writing.
7. A container according to Claim 3 having a neck and in which the damage comprises a horizontal fracture line extending around;the neck.
8. A container-according to any of Claims 3 to 7 in which the bond is formed by- a substantially transparent adhesive select,ed 'to bae resistant to heat and solvents.
9. A container according to any of Claims 3 to 8 in which the sealing member is a heat shrunk, substantially transparent, plastics material.
10. A container according to any of Claims 3 to 9 in which the sealing member or the container is printed with information stating that at least the lower portion of the sealing member should be transparent.
11. A container according to any of Claims 3 to 10 in which the sealing member is breakable by incorporating a tear strip.
12. A container substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
13. A method of securing a container substantially as described herein.
GB9108190A 1991-04-17 1991-04-17 Container and method of sealing a container Expired - Fee Related GB2254845B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9108190A GB2254845B (en) 1991-04-17 1991-04-17 Container and method of sealing a container

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9108190A GB2254845B (en) 1991-04-17 1991-04-17 Container and method of sealing a container

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9108190D0 GB9108190D0 (en) 1991-06-05
GB2254845A true GB2254845A (en) 1992-10-21
GB2254845B GB2254845B (en) 1995-06-14

Family

ID=10693434

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9108190A Expired - Fee Related GB2254845B (en) 1991-04-17 1991-04-17 Container and method of sealing a container

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2254845B (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1994018087A1 (en) * 1993-02-11 1994-08-18 A.G. (Patents) Limited Container having means for guaranteeing the authenticity of origin of a product therein
WO1995011168A1 (en) * 1993-10-21 1995-04-27 The Wellcome Foundation Limited Bottle with tamper evident wrapping
FR2758532A1 (en) * 1997-01-17 1998-07-24 Zhu Mei Yi Tamper=proof container
FR2917877A1 (en) * 2007-06-22 2008-12-26 Advanced Track And Trace Sa Original document e.g. passport, securing method, involves determining boundary value to be used by copy detection hardware for discriminating original document from copy of original document based on print of mark
CN102602593A (en) * 2012-03-30 2012-07-25 浙江圣林包装有限公司 Anti-counterfeiting plastic combined bottle cap with split seal

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4652473A (en) * 1984-12-10 1987-03-24 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Tamper-resistant packaging tape

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4652473A (en) * 1984-12-10 1987-03-24 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Tamper-resistant packaging tape

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1994018087A1 (en) * 1993-02-11 1994-08-18 A.G. (Patents) Limited Container having means for guaranteeing the authenticity of origin of a product therein
FR2703660A1 (en) * 1993-02-11 1994-10-14 Courvoisier Device for guaranteeing the origin of a product placed in a container.
GB2289891A (en) * 1993-02-11 1995-12-06 Ag Patents Ltd Container having means for guaranteeing the authenticity of origin of a product therein
GB2289891B (en) * 1993-02-11 1996-07-31 Ag Patents Ltd Container having means for guaranteeing the authenticity of origin of a product therein
WO1995011168A1 (en) * 1993-10-21 1995-04-27 The Wellcome Foundation Limited Bottle with tamper evident wrapping
FR2758532A1 (en) * 1997-01-17 1998-07-24 Zhu Mei Yi Tamper=proof container
FR2917877A1 (en) * 2007-06-22 2008-12-26 Advanced Track And Trace Sa Original document e.g. passport, securing method, involves determining boundary value to be used by copy detection hardware for discriminating original document from copy of original document based on print of mark
CN102602593A (en) * 2012-03-30 2012-07-25 浙江圣林包装有限公司 Anti-counterfeiting plastic combined bottle cap with split seal

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9108190D0 (en) 1991-06-05
GB2254845B (en) 1995-06-14

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19980417