US 4,980,222 AGranted

Tamper indicating tape

AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

InventorsRaymond R. Rivera, Shari J. Wilson, Stephen B. Vanvleet

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A tamper indicating tape for use with a closure or container. The tape comprises a film including phase separated polymers. Colored indicia are applied to opposing major surfaces of the film indicative of a condition that someone has tampered with the tape, e.g., tape removal and reattachment, or abrading. The film further bears a layer of adhesive thereon as a means for adhering the tape to a portion of a container or to a closure tape on a can lid. When the film of the tamper indicating tape is sufficiently split, one set of colored indicia is obscured and the other set of colored indicia is rendered perceptible. When the film is abraded to remove the perceptible set of colored indicia, the aforementioned obscured set of colored indicia is rendered perceptible.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A tamper indicating tape comprising:

(a) a light transmissive film derived from a composition comprising 50 to 85 parts by weight of a first copolymer comprising at least one moiety derived from at least one olefinic monomeric unit and 50 to 15 parts by weight of a second copolymer comprising at least one moiety derived from at least one vinyl alcohol monomeric unit and said second copolymer being sufficiently incompatible with said first copolymer to form two phases within said film, one of said phases being continuous, said film having a first major surface and a second major surface;
(b) first colored indicia printed on said first major surface of said film;
(c) second colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said first and second colored indicia being of contrasting colors;
(d) third colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said third colored indicia obscuring said first colored indicia;
(e) means for adhering said film to a portion of a container, said adhering means capable of bonding said film to said container with an adhesive bond between said film and said container having a peel strength greater than the cohesive strength of said film, said adhesive means being applied to said first major surface of said film;
and
(f) said first major surface of said film, or said means for adhering said film to a portion of a container, or both, being of a color substantially similar to that of said second colored indicia, whereby when said tape is adhered to a container only said third colored indicia is perceptible if tampering has not occurred.

4 more elements

An article comprising:

(a) a container having an opening therein;
and
(b) a tamper indicating tape for enclosing said opening in said container, comprising:
(i) a light transmissive film having a first major surface and an opposing second major surface, said film derived from a composition comprising 50 to 85 parts by weight of a first copolymer comprising at least one moiety derived from at least one olefinic monomer and 50 to 15 parts by weight of a second copolymer comprising at least one moiety derived from at least one vinyl alcohol monomer, said second copolymer being sufficiently incompatible with said first copolymer to form two phases within said film, one of said phases being continuous,
(ii) first colored indicia printed on said first major surface of said film,
(iii) second colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said first and second colored indicia being of contrasting colors,
(iv) third colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said third colored indicia obscuring said first colored indicia,
(v) means for adhering said film to said container, said adhering means capable of bonding said film to said container with an adhesive bond between said film and said container having a peel strength greater than the cohesive strength of said film, said adhering means being applied to said first major surface of said film,
(vi) said first major surface of said film, or said means for adhering said film to said container, or both, being of a color substantially similar to that of said second colored indicia, whereby when said tape is adhered to said container only said third colored indicia is perceptible if tampering has not occurred.

6 more elements

An article comprising:

(a) a container having a lid thereon, said lid having an aperture therein, said aperture being covered by a closure tape adhered to said lid by means of a layer of adhesive;
and
(b) a tamper indicating tape adhered to said closure tape, said tamper indicating tape comprising:
(i) a light transmissive film having a first major surface and an opposing second major surface, said film derived from a composition comprising 50 to 85 parts by weight of a first copolymer comprising at least one moiety derived from at least one olefinic monomer and 50 to 15 parts by weight of a second copolymer comprising at least one moiety derived from at least one vinyl alcohol monomer, said second copolymer being sufficiently incompatible with said first copolymer to form two phases within said film, one of said phases being continuous,
(ii) first colored indicia printed on said first major surface of said film,
(iii) second colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said first and second colored indicia being of contrasting colors,
(iv) third colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said third colored indicia obscuring said first colored indicia,
(v) means for adhering said film to said closure tape, said adhering means capable of bonding said film to said closure tape with an adhesive bond between said film and said closure tape having a peel strength greater than the cohesive strength of said film, said adhering means being applied to said first major surface of said film,
(vi) said first major surface of said film, or said means for adhering said film to said closure tape, or both, being of a color substantially similar to that of said second colored indicia, whereby when said tape is adhered to said closure tape only said third colored indicia is perceptible if tampering has not occurred.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.