Tamper indicating tape and delaminating film therefore

• US 4,876,123 A
• Filed: 06/27/1988
• Issued: 10/24/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: VanVleet, Stephen B., Rivera, Raymond R., Wilson, Shari J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US07/212,412
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 156/344, 206/631, 206/807, 229/102, 283/81, 428/34.2, 428/40, 428/187, 428/343, 428/513, 428/916
• US Class Current: 428/34.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/026 initial opening or unauthorised access being indicated by a visual change using indicators other than tearable means, e.g. change of colour, pattern or opacity B65D55/066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0861 Saponified vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/142 at least partially crystalline copolymers of propene with other olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0292 tamper indicating labels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/807 Tamper proof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1195 Delaminating from release surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1303 Paper containing [e.g., paperboard, cardboard, fiberboard, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31902 Monoethylenically unsaturated

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.

Claims

1. 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.

2. The film of claim 1, wherein said first copolymer comprises at least 90 pbw propylene monomeric units.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The film of claim 1, wherein said second copolymer is a copolymer containing monomeric units of hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate.

8. The film of claim 7, wherein said second copolymer is ethylene vinyl alcohol.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said first copolymer comprises at least 90 pbw propylene monomeric moeities.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. The tamper indicating tape of claim 9, wherein said second copolymer is a copolymer of hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate.

17. The tamper indicating tape of claim 16, wherein said second copolymer is ethylene vinyl alcohol.

18. 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.

19. 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.