SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING SOLID INK LAMINATE SECURITY FEATURES

• US 20140048204A1
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: HUNTER, Jonathan B., HOOVER, Linn C., GIBSON, George A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,925,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/277
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/406 Bright, glossy, shiny surface
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2519/00 Labels, badges
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2553/00 Packaging equipment or accessories not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/185 Laminating sheets, panels or inserts between two discrete plastic layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship

Abstract

A system and method are provided that employ an ink jet process to dispose a non-aqueous solid ink product on a flexible clear film layer as an image receiving substrate to create multi-layer tamper-evident closures including tape, wrapping, labeling, marking or sealing products, in which visual information is embedded. These processes provide manufacturers of the multi-layer tamper-evident closures an ability to present variable image content in ways that would be difficult to counterfeit. These processes provide manufacturers of the multi-layer tamper-evident closures a capability to coordinate the variable image content of the multi-layer tamper-evident closures with the images that are contained in the labeling or marking of a particular product'"'"'s package. In this manner, presence of the multi-layer tamper-evident closure may be partially hidden as it may be designed to blend with background packaging images in a manner that does not disrupt an aesthetically-pleasing nature of the product package.

Claims

1. A method for producing a tamper-evident mark, comprising:

positioning a first film layer as an imaging substrate;

depositing a solid ink image on a portion of the first film layer;

providing an adhesive at least over the exposed portions of the first film layer;

positioning a second film layer opposite the first film layer with the solid ink image, disposed between the first film layer and the second film layer; and

laminating the first film layer, the solid ink image and the second film layer to encapsulate the solid ink image between the first film layer and the second film layer to produce the tamper-evident mark.

2. The method of claim 1, at least one of the first film layer and the second film layer being a flexible packaging material.

3. The method of claim 2, the flexible packaging material being a bi-axially oriented polypropylene material.

4. The method of claim 1, the adhesive being an adhesive compound that is coated on at least one of the first film layer and the second film layer.

5. The method of claim 1, the adhesive being a separate adhesive layer.

6. The method of claim 1, the adhesive being a heat activated adhesive.

7. The method of claim 1, the solid ink image being deposited on the portion of the first film layer using a super-fine ink jet process that jets solid ink from at least one ink jet nozzle.

8. The method of claim 7, the solid ink image being deposited on the portion of the first film layer by a direct-to-film process.

9. The method of claim 7, the solid ink image being deposited on the portion of the first film layer by a transfer process.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing information regarding a packaging on which the tamper-evident mark is to be placed; and

formatting the solid ink image such that the tamper-evident mark corresponds to a portion of an image on the packaging.

11. The method of claim 1, the laminating the first film layer, the solid ink image and the second film layer to encapsulate the solid ink image between the first film layer and the second film layer comprising applying at least one of heat and pressure to a stack of layers comprising the first film layer, the solid ink image and the second film layer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of (1) embedding the tamper-evident mark in and (2) attaching the tamper-evident mark to at least one of a tape, wrap, label, seal or packaging.

13. A system for producing a tamper-evident mark, comprising:

an image formatting device that directs deposition of a solid ink image onto a portion of a substrate, the substrate comprising at least one of a plastic or paper material; and

a laminating device that directs the application of at least one of heat and pressure to a stack of layers comprising the substrate, the solid ink image deposited on the substrate and a covering film to encapsulate the solid ink image between the substrate and the covering film to produce the tamper-evident mark.

14. The system of claim 13, the solid ink image being deposited on the portion of the substrate using a super-fine ink jet process that jets solid ink from at least one ink jet nozzle in a direct-to-film process or a transfer process.

15. The system of claim 13, at least one of the substrate and the covering material being a flexible packaging material composed of a bi-axially oriented polypropylene material.

16. The system of claim 13, at least one of the substrate and the covering film having an adhesive applied to at least a portion of the surface that faces the other of the substrate and the covering film, the adhesive comprising at least one of (1) a heat activated adhesive compound coated on the substrate and the covering film and (2) a separate heat activated adhesive layer interposed between the substrate and the solid ink image and the solid ink image and the covering film.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising at least one data storage device storing information regarding a packaging on which the tamper-evident mark is to be disposed,

the image formatting device accessing the stored information regarding the packaging, and formatting the solid ink image such that the tamper-evident mark corresponds to a portion of an image on the packaging.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method for producing a tamper-evident mark, the method comprising:

positioning a first film layer as an imaging substrate;

depositing a solid ink image on a portion of the first film layer;

providing an adhesive at least over the exposed portions of the first film layer;

positioning a second film layer opposite the first film layer with the solid ink image disposed between the first film layer and the second film layer; and

laminating the first film layer, the solid ink image and the second film layer to encapsulate the solid ink image between the first film layer and the second film layer to produce the tamper-evident mark.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, the solid ink image being deposited on the portion of the adhesive-provided first film layer using a super-fine ink jet process that jets solid ink from at least one ink jet nozzle.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, the method further comprising at least one of (1) embedding the tamper-evident mark in and (2) attaching the tamper-evident mark to at least one of a tape, wrap, label, seal or packaging.