Packaging provided with means to check integrity thereof

• US 20010010494A1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neopost Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neopost Incorporated
• Inventors: Herbert, Raymond John
• Granted Patent: US 6,515,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room

Abstract

A construction of packaging such as an envelope is disclosed that comprises a wall surrounding contents of the packaging and electrically conductive tracks extending over the wall. An electronic control device is mounted to the wall and includes a plurality of output ports to which one end of each conductive track is connected and an input port to which an opposite end of the conductive tracks are connected. The control device outputs from the output ports pulses which are distinguished from one another and monitors the input port for receipt of these pulses to provide an indication of integrity of the wall of the package.

Claims

1. Packaging including a wall to extend around and enclose contents to be contained in the packaging and including a group of electrically conductive first tracks extending over the wall;

an electronic control circuit secured to the wall and including a group of first ports and a second port;

a first end of each of said group of electrically conductive tracks connected respectively one to each said first port;

a second end, opposite to said first end, of each of said first tracks connected to said second port; and

said electronic control circuit being operative to output electrical pulses from each said first port, the pulses output from each first port being distinguished from pulses output from others of said first ports;

said electronic control circuit being responsive to absence of receipt of pulses from any of the first ports via the conductive tracks to provide an indication of occurrence of damage to said wall.

2. Packaging as claimed in

claim 1

wherein electrical pulses output from different ones of the output ports are distinguished by the timing of output of said pulses and the electronic control circuit is responsive to the timing of the pulses to determine that one of the output ports from which a received pulse has been output.

3. Packaging as claimed in

claim 1

wherein electrical pulses output from different ones of the output ports are distinguished by coding of the pulses and the electronic control circuit is responsive to the coding of the pulses to determine that one of the output ports from which received coded pulses have been output.

4. Packaging as claimed in

claim 1

wherein the second ends of the conductive tracks are connected to a conductive strip at locations spaced along the length of the conductive strip and a further conductive track connects the conductive strip to the input port.

5. Packaging as claimed in

claim 4

wherein the conductive strip extends adjacent an edge of the wall.

6. Packaging as claimed in

claim 1

including a plurality of groups of conductive tracks and wherein the electronic control circuit includes a corresponding plurality of groups of output ports and a corresponding plurality of input ports.

7. Packaging as claimed in

claim 1

wherein the electronic control circuit includes memory means and the electronic control circuit is operative in response to absence of receipt of a pulse to write data into the memory means indicative of absence of receipt of the pulse.

8. Packaging as claimed in

claim 7

wherein the electronic control circuit includes interface means for communication with an external device.

9. Packaging as claimed in

claim 1

wherein the wall of the packaging is formed of electrically insulating material and the conductive tracks are deposited on a surface of the wall.

10. Packaging as claimed in

claim 9

wherein the electronic control circuit is formed by deposition on the surface of the wall.

11. A mailing envelope comprising packaging as claimed in

claim 1

.

13. A package handling system for handling packages including packaging as claimed in

claim 8

including communication means operative to communicate with the electronic control circuits of the packages via the interface means during passage of the packages through the package handling system.

12. A blank comprising a sheet of paper or cardboard bearing a group of electrically conductive first tracks extending over the sheet;

an electronic control circuit secured to the sheet and including a group of output ports and an input port;

a first end of each of said group of electrically conductive tracks connected respectively one to each said output port;

a second end, opposite to said first end, of each of said first tracks connected to said input port; and

said electronic control circuit being operative to output electrical pulses from each said output port, the pulses output from each port being distinguished from pulses output from others of said output ports;

said electronic control circuit being responsive to absence of receipt of pulses from any of the output ports via the conductive tracks to provide an indication of occurrence of damage to said sheet.