TAMPER RESISTANT STORAGE AND TRANSPORT SYSTEM FOR CONTAINERS OF LIQUID

Abstract

A storage and transport system for containers of liquid, comprising a detachable or separable handle component configured to securely hold or enclose a liquid-holding container and provide a carrying handle therefor; and a self-sealing receipt or label configured to receive printed information regarding the contents of the liquid-holding container, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label cooperates with the carrying handle to securely close the handle component around the liquid holding container, and wherein the self-sealing receipt or label is configured to provide visual evidence of tampering if the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

Claims

1. A system for storing and transporting containers of liquid, comprising: (a) a detachable or separable handle component configured to securely hold or enclose a liquid-holding container and provide a carrying handle therefor; and (b) a linerless self-sealing receipt or label configured to receive printed information regarding the contents of the liquid-holding container, wherein the handle component is an H-cut bag that includes handle portions that when tied together create loops through which the self-sealing receipt or label is looped, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label cooperates with the carrying handle to securely close the H-cut bag around the liquid-holding container, and wherein the self-sealing receipt or label is configured to provide visual evidence of tampering if the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label includes a plurality of cuts formed completely through a material of the receipt or label, wherein the plurality of cuts form regions of weakness in the receipt or label for providing visual evidence of receipt or label tampering when the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label includes an exterior surface for receiving the printed information thereon and an interior surface upon which an adhesive has been deposited.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual evidence of tampering includes visible fiber tears in the receipt or label or visible adhesive transfer from one portion of the receipt or label to another portion of the receipt or label.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the interior surface adheres to itself such that a first end portion of the receipt or label is offset from a second end portion of the receipt or label.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the adhesive is permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive, cohesive, remoistenable adhesive, repositionable adhesive, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the adhesive is deposited in adjacent strips, and wherein the strips contain different types of adhesives.

8. A system for storing and transporting containers of liquid, comprising: (a) a H-cut bag configured to hold or enclose a liquid-holding container, wherein the H-cut bag includes handle portions that when tied together form loops for carrying the liquid-holding container; and (b) a linerless self-sealing receipt or label having printed information thereon regarding contents of the liquid-holding container, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label cooperates with the formed loops to securely close the H-cut bag around the liquid-holding container, and wherein the self-sealing receipt or label is configured to provide visual evidence of tampering when the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label includes a plurality of cuts formed completely through a material of the receipt or label, wherein the plurality of cuts form regions of weakness in the receipt or label for providing visual evidence of receipt or label tampering when the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label includes: (a) a release coating layer; (b) a thermo-ink layer; (c) an uncoated paper layer; (d) a primer layer; and (e) an adhesive layer deposited over the primer layer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the adhesive layer includes a first and a second cohesive with a repositionable adhesive deposited therebetween.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the visual evidence of tampering includes visible fiber tears in the receipt or label or visible adhesive transfer from one portion of the receipt or label to another portion of the receipt or label.

13. A system for storing and transporting containers of liquid, comprising: (a) a plastic H-cut bag that receives a liquid-holding container, wherein the H-cut bag includes two handles that when tied together form two loops for carrying the liquid-holding container contained therein; (b) a linerless self-sealing receipt or label having printed information thereon regarding contents of the liquid-holding container, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label is looped through the two formed loops and adhered to itself such that the H-cut bag is securely closed around the liquid-holding container, and wherein the self-sealing receipt or label is configured to provide visual evidence of tampering when the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label includes a plurality of cuts formed completely through a material of the receipt or label, wherein the plurality of cuts form regions of weakness in the receipt or label for providing visual evidence of receipt or label tampering when the self-sealing receipt or label is separated from itself.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label includes: (a) a release coating layer; (b) a thermo-ink layer; (c) an uncoated paper layer; (d) a primer layer; and (e) an adhesive layer deposited over the primer layer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the adhesive layer includes a first and a second cohesive with a repositionable adhesive deposited therebetween.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first cohesive, the second cohesive, and the repositionable adhesive are deposited in strips.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the visual evidence of tampering includes visible fiber tears in the receipt or label or visible adhesive transfer from one portion of the receipt or label to another portion of the receipt or label.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the two handles are tied together once or twice to form the two loops.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the self-sealing receipt or label is looped through the two formed loops and adhered to itself such that a first end portion of the receipt or label is offset from a second end portion of the receipt or label.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, schematically illustrate one or more example implementations of the disclosed inventive subject matter and, together with the general description given above and detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed subject matter, and wherein:

[0010] FIG. 1A depicts a first example implementation of the disclosed tamper-resistant containers, wherein the container is an envelope shown in an unsealed configuration;

[0011] FIG. 1B depicts the example implementation of FIG. 1A in a sealed configuration with a portion of the paper receipt component being visible on the exterior of the tamper-resistance container;

[0012] FIG. 2A depicts a second example implementation of the disclosed tamper-resistant containers, wherein the container is a paper bag shown in an open configuration;

[0013] FIG. 2B depicts the example implementation of FIG. 2A shown in a closed or sealed configuration, wherein the paper receipt component has been used as a closure device;

[0014] FIG. 3A depicts a first example implementation of a storage and transport system for cups used to hold consumable liquids, wherein the handle component of the system is shown in an unfolded configuration;

[0015] FIG. 3B depicts the handle component of FIG. 3A after insertion of a cup into the handle component and after the handle component has been folded around the cup and closed to secure the cup within the handle component;

[0016] FIG. 3C depicts the handle component of FIG. 3A after a self-sealing receipt has been looped through the opposing slots of closed handle portion to further secure the cup within the handle component in a tamper-resistant manner;

[0017] FIG. 4A depicts a second example implementation of a storage and transport system for cups used to hold consumable liquids, wherein an H-cut plastic bag is used for transporting a cup therein;

[0018] FIG. 4B depicts the H-cut plastic bag of FIG. 4A, wherein a cup for transporting liquids has been securely placed therein, and wherein the handles of the plastic bag have been tied twice to create two handles for use in transporting the stored cup;

[0019] FIG. 4C depicts a self-sealing receipt being looped through the two handles shown in FIG. 4B to further secure the cup within the handle component in a tamper-resistant manner;

[0020] FIG. 5A depicts an example implementation of the self-sealing receipt of FIG. 3C and FIG. 4C, wherein a series of V-shaped cuts have been formed completely though the material of the receipt to create regions of weakness in the receipt that easily tear when the receipt is separated from the itself;

[0021] FIG. 5B depicts the self-sealing receipt of FIG. 5A, wherein the receipt has been separated from itself and wherein the regions of weakness formed in the receipt have torn completely through the receipt, thereby providing visual evidence of receipt tampering; and

[0022] FIG. 5C depicts a series of example patterns for the creation of the regions of weakness in the disclosed self-sealing receipts (slit patterns or cuts), as well as possible placement of adhesive on the receipt relative to the placement of the slit patterns or cuts.

[0023] FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional depiction of an example implementation of an example implementation of a self-sealing receipt having a construction that includes a release coating layer; a thermos-ink layer; a paper layer; a primer layer; and an adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer may be a permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive, a cohesive, a remoistenable adhesive, or a repositionable adhesive, and wherein the adhesive may be deposited in adjacent strips, an example of which includes first and second cohesives with a repositionable adhesive deposited therebetween.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Example implementations are now described with reference to the Figures. Reference numerals are used throughout the detailed description to refer to the various elements and structures. Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the disclosed inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the following implementations are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed subject matter. With regard to certain terminology use herein, it is to be understood that the terms receipt and label may be used interchangeably to refer to the same structure or item.

[0025] FIG. 1A depicts a first example implementation of the disclosed tamper-resistant containers, wherein the container is an envelope shown in an unsealed configuration and FIG. 1B depicts the example implementation of FIG. 1A in a sealed configuration with a portion of the paper receipt component being visible on the exterior of the tamper-resistance container. In FIGS. 1A-1B, tamper-resistance container 100 includes an envelope, sack, or bag component 102 and a receipt component 120. Envelope, sack, or bag component 102 includes closed lower portion 104, middle portion 106, which accommodates various items for storage, and closeable upper portion 110. Adhesive 108 may be deposited on the upper area of middle portion 106 and adhesive 112 may be deposited on closeable upper portion 110. The adhesive allows container 100 to be sealed in a closed configuration simply by folding upper portion 110 onto middle portion 106 and applying pressure. In this implementation, receipt component 120 does not include adhesive, but rather is folded at a predetermined angle and inserted into container 100 prior to the closure and scaling thereof. Exterior portion 122, which includes identifying indicia (e.g., order contents, name of person ordering, delivery address, etc.) remains on the outside of container 100 while interior portion 124 remains within middle portion 106 after closure and sealing. In this manner, receipt component 120 cannot be removed or replaced without damaging the receipt itself or re-opening the sealed container, either of which would provide evidence of tampering to the customer. Various adhesives may be used with this example implementation including latex or rubber based adhesives or any other glue or adhesive material, including self-sealing materials, suitable for use with the disclosed tamper resistant containers.

[0026] FIG. 2A depicts a second example implementation of the disclosed tamper-resistant containers, wherein the container is a paper (or plastic) bag shown in an open configuration; and FIG. 2B depicts the example implementation of FIG. 2A shown in a closed or sealed configuration, wherein the paper receipt component has been used as a closure device. In FIGS. 2A-2B, tamper-resistance container 200 includes bag component 202 and receipt component 220. Bag component 202 includes closed bottom portion 204, middle portion 206, which accommodates various items for storage, front panel 208 in which first slot 210 is formed, rear panel 212, in which second slot 214 is formed, first side panel 216, and second side panel 218. Receipt component 220 includes first adhesive end 222 and second adhesive end 224, which are joined together when receipt component 220 is looped through first slot 210 and second slot 214 to form a closure device. When closed in this manner, container 200 cannot be re-opened without removing the receipt component, and receipt component 220 cannot be removed or replaced without damaging the receipt itself, which would provide evidence of tampering to the customer. Various adhesives may be used with this example implementation including latex or rubber based adhesives or any other glue or adhesive material, including self-scaling materials, suitable for use with the disclosed tamper resistant containers. In some implementations, the topmost portion of the container is folded over once or twice prior to looping the receipt component through the slots to provide a more secure closure and to more effectively retain the contents of the container.

[0027] FIG. 3A is an illustration of a first example implementation of a storage and transport system 300 for cups 302 used to hold consumable liquids, wherein the handle component 306 of the system 300 is shown in an unfolded configuration. FIG. 3B is an illustration of the handle component 306 of FIG. 3A after insertion of a cup 302 into the handle component 306 and after the handle component 306 has been folded around the cup 302 and closed to secure the cup 302 within the handle component 302. FIG. 3C is an illustration of the handle component 306 of FIG. 3A after a self-scaling receipt 324 has been looped through the opposing slots 308 of the closed handle portion 310 to further secure the cup 302 within the handle component 306 in a tamper-resistant manner. The handle component 306 is typically a die-cut rectangular paper card (e.g., cardstock) that includes a centrally placed aperture 312 for receiving the body of a cup 304; and two slots 308, the first of which is formed at one end 314 of the handle component 306 and the second of which is formed at the opposite end 316 of the handle component 306. A plurality of tabs 318 may be formed around the aperture 312 for stabilizing the cup 302 within the aperture 312 (see FIG. 3B). Either slot 308 may include a tab or similar structure 320 that engages the opposing slot 308 to more securely close the handle component 306 around the cup 302. When the handle component 306 is in the closed configuration shown in FIG. 3C, the cup 302 is securely contained within the handle component 306 and may be carried using a handle 322 created by the two opposing slots 308. As shown in FIG. 3C, a self-scaling receipt 324 may be looped through the slots 308 of the closed handle component 306 to further close and seal the handle component 306 around the cup 302 and to provide visual evidence of tampering if the receipt 324 has been torn or partially removed. The term self-sealing refers to a receipt that includes an adhesive deposited on one side thereof that allows the receipt to stick to itself in a permanent or semi-permanent manner.

[0028] FIG. 4A is an illustration of a second example implementation of a storage and transport system 400 for cups 402 used to hold consumable liquids, wherein an H-cut plastic bag 404 (commonly used in restaurants and grocery stores) is used for transporting a liquid-containing cup 402 therein. FIG. 4B is an illustration of the H-cut plastic bag 404 of FIG. 4A, wherein a cup 402 for transporting liquids has been securely placed therein, and wherein handles 406 of the plastic bag 404 have been tied either once or twice to create two handles 408 for use in transporting the stored cup 402. FIG. 4C is an illustration of a self-scaling receipt 410 being looped through the two handles 408 shown in FIG. 4B to further secure the cup 402 within the plastic bag 404 in a tamper-resistant manner. Again, self-sealing refers to a receipt that includes an adhesive deposited on one side thereof that allows the receipt to stick to itself in a permanent or semi-permanent manner.

[0029] FIG. 5A is an illustration of an example implementation of the self-scaling receipt 500 or self-adhering of FIG. 3C and FIG. 4C, wherein a series of V-shaped cuts 502 have been formed completely though the material of the receipt 500 to create regions of weakness 504 in the receipt 500 that easily tear when the receipt 500 is separated from itself. FIG. 5B is an illustration of the self-sealing receipt 500 of FIG. 5A, wherein the receipt 500 has been separated from itself and wherein the regions of weakness 504 formed in the receipt 500 have created visible fiber tears 506, thereby providing visual evidence of receipt tampering. The V-shape of the cuts 502 is only one example of a suitable shape or geometry for the cuts 502, and FIG. 5C depicts a series of alternate example patterns for the creation of the regions of weakness 504 in the disclosed self-sealing receipts 500 (slit patterns or cuts), as well as various possible placements of adhesive 508 on the receipt 500 relative to the placement of the slit patterns or cuts 502. The slits or cuts 502 may be formed in various lengths such as, for example, one tenth of an inch. Another implementation of the self-sealing receipt 500 uses an aggressive self-seal bond, which when the label 500 is separated from itself provides visible evidence of adhesive transfer and which cannot be re-adhered (to itself).

[0030] Now referring to FIG. 5D, an example implementation of the disclosed self-sealing receipt 500 includes a linerless self-sealing system 512 having the following construction, from top 514 (the side of the receipt 500 that receives printing) to bottom 516 (the side of the receipt 500 upon which an adhesive 508 is deposited): (i) a release coating layer 518, wherein the release coating 518 is a water-based coating, an ultraviolet coating, or an electron beam coating; (ii) a thermo-ink layer 520, which may be include a leuco dye, and which may be inkjet-based or laser-based; (iii) an uncoated paper layer 524; (iv) a primer layer 526, which may be optional; and (v) an adhesive layer 508. The adhesive 508 may be permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive (e.g., acrylic-based or rubber-based), cohesive (e.g., natural rubber or synthetic rubber), remoistenable adhesive (e.g., polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, or dextrin), or repositionable adhesive (e.g., acrylic microspheres or cross-linked acrylic). The adhesive 508 may be deposited in adjacent strips, an example of which includes first and second cohesives 530, 532 with a repositionable adhesive 534 deposited therebetween. The adhesive 508 may also be deposited using a cohesive flood coat or in segments. The receipt 500 may be scored or cut 100% through the depth of the material of the label 500 in segments after the deposition of the adhesive 508 using different patterns to create an easy-tear system (see FIG. 5C).

[0031] As previously stated and as used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the, refer to both the singular as well as plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term comprising as used herein is synonymous with including, containing, or characterized by, and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. Although many methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used, particular suitable methods and materials are described herein. Unless context indicates otherwise, the recitations of numerical ranges by endpoints include all numbers subsumed within that range. Furthermore, references to one implementation are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional implementations that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, implementations comprising or having an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional elements whether or not they have that property.

[0032] Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the disclosed subject matter, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the disclosed subject matter. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various implementations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the disclosed subject matter. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.

[0033] There may be many alternate ways to implement the disclosed inventive subject matter. Various functions and elements described herein may be partitioned differently from those shown without departing from the scope of the disclosed inventive subject matter. Generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations. Different numbers of a given module or unit may be employed, a different type or types of a given module or unit may be employed, a given module or unit may be added, or a given module or unit may be omitted.

[0034] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail herein (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the disclosed inventive subject matter. All combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. While the disclosed inventive subject matter has been illustrated by the description of example implementations, and while the example implementations have been described in certain detail, there is no intention to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the disclosed inventive subject matter in its broader aspects is not limited to any of the specific details, representative devices and methods, and/or illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept.