Tamper evident tag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10360822-B2
Application number	US-201514836233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2015
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A tamper evident tag is provided having a sealant layer, and ink layer and an oxygen barrier layer. The tag may be a film-based tag incorporating a color shifting ink layer located in the sealant layer and a bar code in the ink layer. The tag may be placed over one or more perforations in the bottom end covering of a container. When the container is opened, air enters the interior of the container, passes through the perforations and into the sealant layer. When air reaches the color shifting ink layer, it changes to a color the same as or similar to the bar code, rendering the bar code illegible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container for holding a product, the container comprising:
a top configured to allow access to the product and sealed by a peelable membrane;
a bottom covered by a metal end;
an interior defined by the container; and
a tamper evident tag adhered to an outer surface of the metal end and comprising:
a gas permeable sealant layer covering one or more perforations, the sealant layer comprising a color shifting ink layer embedded within one or more layers of sealant, the one or more layers of sealant configured to allow air from the interior of the container to reach the color shifting ink layer;
an ink layer interposed between the sealant layer and an oxygen barrier layer and comprising a machine readable code; and
an oxygen barrier layer overlaying the ink layer, the oxygen barrier layer comprising a transparent film; wherein
the metal end defines the one or more perforations to allow the interior of the container to communicate with the color shifting ink layer; and wherein
when the top is unsealed, air enters the interior and passes from the interior through the one or more perforations to the color shifting ink layer, causing the color shifting ink layer to change, rendering the machine readable code illegible by a bar code reading machine.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the color shifting ink layer is made from an ink that, upon exposure to air, changes to a color that renders the machine readable code illegible by a machine readable code reading machine.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the machine readable code is made from an ink having a color, and wherein the color shifting ink layer is made from an ink that is white before oxygen activation, and upon exposure to oxygen, turns a color the same as or similar to the color of the machine readable code.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein the ink layer further comprises color shifting indicia.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein the color shifting indicia are printed with an oxygen activated color shifting ink that forms a covert message when the indicia are exposed to oxygen.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the ink layer also comprises a black border that surrounds the color shifting ink layer.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein the oxygen barrier layer is a coextruded web made at least in part from ethylene vinyl alcohol.

8. A container for holding a product, the container having a tamper evident tag, the container having a top configured to allow access to the product and sealed by an airtight peelable membrane that can be opened to access an interior of the container and a bottom covered by a metal end having an exterior side, the tag comprising:
a gas permeable sealant layer adhered to the metal end and having an inner facing surface adhered to the exterior side of the metal end, the sealant layer comprising a color shifting ink layer embedded within one or more layers of sealant;
an ink layer comprising a machine readable code and located between the sealant layer and an oxygen barrier layer; and
an oxygen barrier layer overlaying the ink layer, the oxygen barrier layer comprising a transparent film; wherein
the metal end defines one or more perforations that allow the interior of the container to communicate with the color shifting ink layer.

9. The container of claim 8 wherein the color shifting ink layer is made from an ink that upon oxygen activation changes to a color that renders the machine readable code illegible by a code reading machine.

10. The container of claim 8 wherein the machine readable code is made from an ink having a color, and wherein the color shifting ink layer is made from an ink that is white before oxygen activation, and upon exposure to oxygen turns a color the same as or similar to the color of the machine readable code.

11. The container of claim 8 wherein the ink layer further comprises color shifting indicia.

12. The container of claim 11 wherein the color shifting indicia are printed with an oxygen activated color shifting ink that forms a covert message when the indicia are exposed to oxygen.

13. The container of claim 8 wherein the ink layer also comprises a black border that surrounds the color shifting ink layer.

14. The container of claim 8 wherein the oxygen barrier layer is a coextruded web made at least in part from ethylene vinyl alcohol.

15. A container for holding a product, the container having a tamper evident tag, the container having a top configured to allow access to the product and sealed by a peelable membrane to open the container and a bottom covered by a rigid metal end, the container defining an interior, the metal end defining one or more perforations, the tag comprising:
a sealant layer adhered to the metal end and covering the one or more perforations, the sealant layer defining one or more gaps that communicate with both the container interior and a color shifting indicia;
an ink layer interposed between the sealant layer and an oxygen barrier layer, the ink layer comprising color shifting indicia printed with oxygen activated color shifting ink, the color shifting indicia configured to form a covert message that only appears when the color shifting indicia is exposed to air; and
an oxygen barrier layer overlaying the ink layer, the oxygen barrier layer comprising a transparent film.

16. The container of claim 15 wherein the ink layer further comprises a machine readable code.

17. The container of claim 15 wherein the ink layer comprises a QR code that appears in visible form when the container is opened.

18. A container for holding a product, the container having a tamper evident tag, the container having a top configured to allow access to the product and sealed by a peelable membrane and a bottom covered by a metal end, the container defining an interior, the metal end defining one or more perforations, the tag comprising:
a sealant layer adhered to the metal end and covering the one or more perforations, the sealant layer defining one or more gaps that communicate with both the container interior and a color shifting ink layer;
an ink layer interposed between the sealant layer and an oxygen barrier layer, the ink layer comprising a machine readable code and an oxygen activated color shifting ink layer located behind the machine readable code on a side of the machine readable code away from the oxygen barrier layer; and
an oxygen barrier layer that prevents ambient oxygen from contacting the color shifting ink layer and initiating a color shift, the oxygen barrier layer comprising a transparent film.

19. A container for holding a product, the container having a tamper evident tag, the container having a top configured to allow access to the product and sealed by a peelable membrane and a bottom covered by a metal end, the container defining an interior, the metal end defining one or more perforations, the tag comprising:
a sealant layer adhered to the metal end and covering the one or more perforations, the sealant layer defining one or more gaps that communicate with both the container interior and a color shifting ink layer;
an ink layer interposed between the sealant layer and an oxygen barrier layer, the ink layer comprising an oxygen activated color shifting ink layer;
an oxygen barrier layer overlaying the ink layer, the oxygen barrier layer comprising a transparent film; and
a machine readable code applied to an outer facing surface of the oxygen barrier layer in an area above at least a portion of the color shifting ink layer.

Assignees

• Sonoco Dev Inc

Inventors

• Versluys Robert Thor
• Buenabad Laura

Classifications

• G09F3/0292

  tamper indicating labels · CPC title

• G09F3/0291

  Labels or tickets undergoing a change under particular conditions, e.g. heat, radiation, passage of time · CPC title

• B65B61/202

  for attaching articles to the outside of a container (B65B61/205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G09F2003/0272

  Labels for containers · CPC title

• G09F3/03 Primary

  of security seals {(means for indicating unauthorised opening of container closures B65D, e.g. B65D27/30, B65D55/02; theft deterrent tags E05B73/0017)} · CPC title