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US4876123A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Tamper indicating tape and delaminating film therefore

Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1988-06-27
•
Granted: 1989-10-24
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Expires: 2008-06-27
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Abstract

Abstract A tamper indicating film and tape for use with a package. The tape includes a delaminating film including pahse separated polymers. Indicia are applied to opposing major surfaces of the film indicative of different conditions of the tape. The film is adhesively applied to secure container parts together and enclose an opening in the container. When applied, only one of the indicia are perceptible. When the film is internally delaminated, obscuring one set of indicia and rendering the other set of indicia perceptible.

Inventors

  • 👤 Raymond R. Rivera
  • 👤 Stephen B. VanVleet
  • 👤 Shari J. Wilson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 05:23
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F3/00; G09F3/02; G09F3/0291; G09F3/0292; B; B65; B65D; B65D55/00; B65D55/02; B65D55/026; C; C08; C08L; C08L23/00; C08L23/02; C08L23/10; C08L23/14; C08L23/142; C08L23/04; C08L23/08; C08L23/0846; C08L23/0853; C08L23/0861; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S206/00; Y10S206/807; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/916; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/11; Y10T156/1168; Y10T156/1195; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1303; Y10T428/28; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/3188; Y10T428/31895; Y10T428/31899; Y10T428/31902

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 81 words
A light transmissive film derived from a composition comprising 50 to 85 parts per 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.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 81 words
A light transmissive film derived from a composition comprising 50 to 85 parts per 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.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The film of claim 1, wherein said first copolymer comprises at least 90 pbw propylene monomeric units.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
The film of claim 2, wherein said first copolymer comprises about 97 pbw propylene monomeric units and from about 2.2 pbw to about 2.7 pbw ethylene monomeric units.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The film of claim 1, wherein said first copolymer further comprises from 0 to 15 pbw of monomeric units from a polar copolymerizable monomer substantially free of hydroxy (--OH) groups.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 62 words
The film of claim 1, wherein said first copolymer further comprises from 0 to 15 parts by weight of a polar copolymerizable monomer substantially free of hydroxy, (--OH) groups selected from the group consisting of acryl acid, acrylonitrile, bicyclo hept-2-ene, bis (β-chloroethyl) vinylphosphonate, carbon monoxide, diethyl fumarate, diethyl maleate, ethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, and vinyl fluoride.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
The film of claim 1, wherein said first copolymer further comprises from 0 to 15 pbw of monomeric units from a polar copolymerizable monomer substantially free of hydroxy (--OH) groups selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and vinyl acetate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The film of claim 1, wherein said second copolymer is a copolymer containing monomeric units of hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 13 words
The film of claim 7, wherein said second copolymer is ethylene vinyl alcohol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 191 words
A tamper indicating tape for securing a first container part to a second container part to enclose an opening in the container, comprising: (a) a light transmissive film according to claim 1 having a first major surface and an opposing 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 indicia having contrasting colors; and (d) means for adhering said film to the first and the second container parts with a bond strength greater than the delamination force of said film, said adhesive means being coated on said first major surface of said film opposite said second indicia having color substantially identical with said second indicia, whereby said second indicia are obscured when viewed against said adhesive means through said second major surface of said film; (e) whereby when said film delaminates, the film becomes opaque so that said first indicia are obscured when viewed through said delaminated opaque film, but said second indicia are perceptible over said delaminated opaque film to indicate separation of the container parts.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 218 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said adhesive means includes: (a) a first layer of adhesive coated on said first major surface of said film opposite said second indicia for adhering said film to the first container part, said first layer of adhesive having a color substantially identical to said second indicia whereby said second indicia are obscured by said first layer of adhesive when viewed through said second major surface of said film; and (b) a second layer of adhesive coated on said second major surface of said film for adhering said film to the second container part, said second layer of adhesive being colorless and light transmissive so that said first indicia are visible through said film and said second layer of adhesive; (c) whereby when the first and the second container parts are separated, said film delaminates with said first layer of adhesive and a portion of said delaminated film remaining on the first container part, and said second layer of adhesive and the remaining portion of said delaminated film remaining on the second container part, and said delaminated film becomes opaque so that said first indicia are obscured when viewed through said delaminated film, but said second indicia are perceptible on said delaminated opacified film to indicate separation of the container parts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 19 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said first copolymer comprises at least 90 pbw propylene monomeric moeities.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 30 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 11, wherein said first copolymer comprises about 97 pbw propylene monomeric moeities and from about 2.2 pbw to about 2.7 pbw ethylene monomeric moeities.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 31 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said first copolymer further comprises from 0 to 15 parts by weight of a polar copolymerizable monomer substantially free of hydroxy (--OH) groups.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 64 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said first copolymer further comprises from 0 to 15 parts by weight of a polar copolymerizable monomer substantially free of hydroxy (--OH) groups selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, bicyclo hept-2-ene, bis (β-chloroethyl) vinylphosphonate, carbon monoxide, diethyl fumarate, diethyl maleate, ethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid, N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, and vinyl fluoride.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 44 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said first copolymer further comprises from 0 to 15 parts by weight of a polar copolymerizable monomer substantially free of hydroxy (--OH) groups selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and vinyl acetate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 19 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said second copolymer is a copolymer of hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 15 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 16, wherein said second copolymer is ethylene vinyl alcohol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 27 words
The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said adhesive means includes a pressure sensitive adhesive layer coated on at least one major surface of said film.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 288 words
In combination: (a) a container having a first container part and a second container part for enclosing an opening in said container when secured together; and (b) tamper indicating tape for adhesively securing said first and said second container parts together to enclose said opening in said container, including 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 moeity derived from at least one olefinic monomer and 50 to 15 parts by weight of a second copolymer comprising at least one moeity derived from at least one vinyl alcohol monomer and said second copolymer being sufficiently incompatible with said first copolymer to form two phases within said film, one of said phases being continuous, first colored indicia printed on said first major surface of said film, second colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said first and second indicia having contrasting colors, and adhesive means for adhering said film to said first and said second container parts with a bond strength greater than the delamination force of said film, said adhesive means being coated on said first major surface of said film opposite said second indicia having a color substantially identical with said second indicia whereby said second indicia are obscured when viewed against said adhesive means through said second major surface of said film; (c) whereby when said film is delaminated, said film becomes opaque so that said first indicia are obscured when viewed through said delaminated film, but said second indicia are perceptible over said delaminated opaque film to indicate separation of said container parts.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 288 words
In combination: (a) a container having a first container part and a second container part for enclosing an opening in said container when secured together; and (b) tamper indicating tape for adhesively securing said first and said second container parts together to enclose said opening in said container, including 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 moeity derived from at least one olefinic monomer and 50 to 15 parts by weight of a second copolymer comprising at least one moeity derived from at least one vinyl alcohol monomer and said second copolymer being sufficiently incompatible with said first copolymer to form two phases within said film, one of said phases being continuous, first colored indicia printed on said first major surface of said film, second colored indicia printed on said second major surface of said film, said first and second indicia having contrasting colors, and adhesive means for adhering said film to said first and said second container parts with a bond strength greater than the delamination force of said film, said adhesive means being coated on said first major surface of said film opposite said second indicia having a color substantially identical with said second indicia whereby said second indicia are obscured when viewed against said adhesive means through said second major surface of said film; (c) whereby when said film is delaminated, said film becomes opaque so that said first indicia are obscured when viewed through said delaminated film, but said second indicia are perceptible over said delaminated opaque film to indicate separation of said container parts.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4000824A Cited
US4398985A Cited
US4545832A Cited
US4557505A Cited
US4630891A Cited
US4652473A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-10-23 1993-04-24 1993-10-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-10-23 1997-04-24 1997-10-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-10-23 2001-04-24 2001-10-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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