U.S. patent application number 10/027705 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-26 for stress relieving security bag.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ampac Plastics LLC. Invention is credited to Geyer, Thomas E..
Application Number | 20030118252 10/027705 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21839302 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030118252 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Geyer, Thomas E. |
June 26, 2003 |
Stress relieving security bag
Abstract
A security bag having a side opening. The opening includes a
leading edge with a tamper indicating adhesive strip. The bag
further includes a flap portion which extends into the opening
under the adhesive strip and leading edge. The bag is closed by
adhering the adhesive strip to the flap. This provides a better
seal which is less prone to inadvertent tamper indication.
Inventors: |
Geyer, Thomas E.;
(Westchester, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, LLP
2700 CAREW TOWER
441 VINE STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
Ampac Plastics LLC
|
Family ID: |
21839302 |
Appl. No.: |
10/027705 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/5 ;
383/87 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/34 20130101;
B65D 33/1691 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/5 ;
383/87 |
International
Class: |
B65D 033/16; B65D
033/34 |
Claims
1. A security bag having a front panel and a rear panel, said front
panel having a leading edge; a flap member extending from a top
edge of said bag said flap extending into an inside portion of said
bag beneath said leading edge of said front panel; an adhesive
portion on said front panel proximate said leading edge of said
front panel adapted to contact said flap sealing said bag
closed.
2. The bag claimed in claim 1 wherein said adhesive coats a tamper
indicating adhesive strip which is adhered to said front panel and
extends beyond said leading edge toward said upper edge of said
bag.
3. The bag claimed in claim 2 further including a plastic receipt
strip attached at a perforation line to said leading edge.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Tamper indicating bags or security bags are used to transfer
valuable or sensitive materials. These bags which can be formed
from plastic and have some feature which provides an indication
that the bag has been opened in transit. Thus from the point of
sealing to the point of delivery, no one should be able to access
the contents of the bag without being discovered. Once delivered to
its intended destination, the recipient ascertains if the bag was
opened. It is important that the recipient be able to detect if the
bag was opened. It is also important that an unopened bag not show
a false indication that it has been opened or tampered.
[0002] There are many different tamper indicating bags such as
those disclosed in Geyer, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,716, Wheeling, U.S.
Pat. No. 4,483,018, Sack et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,196, Sack,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,621, Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,940, Boto U.S.
Pat. No. 4,988,547, Edelman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,196, Mackrauer,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,256 and Diplock, U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,043.
[0003] The invention disclosed in the Diplock patent addresses the
issue of improper sealing of the bag and directing force away from
the seal area to prevent an inadvertent tamper indication. More
specifically, this patent discloses incorporation of a separate
inner flap between the front and rear walls of the bag. The flap
underlies the seal area. Thus if a seal is formed with the bag
partially open, the adhesive will attach to this inner flap as
opposed to the back wall of the bag. Also, as pressure is exerted
against the bag, it will force the flap against the seal area as
opposed to forcing the seal area opened.
[0004] This design effectively addresses these issues. However, the
requirement of an extra internal flap increases the cost of the bag
and increases its complexity and the cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a simple tamper indicating security bag which directs
internal forces away from the seal area and reduces the problem of
imperfectly formed seals.
[0006] More particularly the present invention is a tamper
indicating bag which is formed from preferably a single sheet of
plastic wherein the top edge of the bag is a first fold. The front
bag wall extends away from the fold and forms a flap. The bottom of
the bag is a second fold which forms the lower portion of the front
of the bag. The opening into the bag is at the leading edge of that
lower portion. The flap from the top extends underneath the leading
edge of forming the opening and seal area. This leading edge
includes an adhesive strip which is adapted to adhere to the
extended flap to form a tamper indicating seal. Since the flap
extends below this edge into the interior of portion of the bag,
the forces inside the bag are directed primarily to the top and
bottom of the bag and not to the seal area. Since the seal is
formed by an edge being adhesively bonded to the flap portion,
precise alignment is not critical. Thus, there is no possibility of
the adhesive bonding to the back wall of the bag.
[0007] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will
be appreciated in light of the following detailed descriptions and
drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at lines 2-2 of FIG.
1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view partially broken away
showing the bag prior to sealing.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view as in FIG. 2 showing the
bag as sealed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the present invention is a
security bag 10 which includes a front panel 12, a back panel 14
and an opening 16. This particular bag is formed from a single
sheet of plastic and includes a lower fold 18 and an upper fold 20.
These folds could be replaced with heat seals if desired. The front
panel 12 extends up from the lower fold 18 and terminates at a
closure structure 24. Extending from upper fold 20 is a flap
portion 22 which extends into an inside portion 23 of the bag under
closure structure 24 of front panel 12. The sides 11 and 13 of bag
10 are simply heat sealed edges.
[0013] As shown, closure structure 24 includes an optional
tear-away strip 26 attached to panel 12 at a perforation 28.
Adhered to front panel 12 just below perforation 28 is an adhesive
strip 30. The adhesive strip 30 is preferably a separate strip
which includes some type of tamper indication. These are generally
referred to as void tapes or tamper tapes because when the adhesive
strip is pulled away from a surface, it will give some visual
indication that the seal has been broken such as showing the word
"void". These tamper tapes as shown in FIG. 1 include a silicone
coated removable liner 32 which prevents the adhesive from bonding
to any surface until desired.
[0014] To use the bag of the present invention, the tear-away strip
26 is removed. This can be used as a receipt. The contents are then
placed inside the bag 10 and the liner 32 is removed. The adhesive
strip 30 is pressed against the flap 22 adhering front panel 12 to
the flap 22 and sealing the bag closed.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, when the contents of the bag move
forward towards the sealed portion of the bag, the force
(represented by arrow 34) is directed to upper fold 20 as opposed
to the seal area. Thus, the forces are directed away from the
adhesive and towards a physical fold in the bag. This will reduce
the likelihood of any false indication that someone has tampered
with the bag. Also since the flap extends substantially below edge
24, there is no possibility that the adhesive will bond to the back
panel 14 as opposed to the flap 22. Thus, a good seal is virtually
guaranteed.
[0016] Although the present invention shows a separate adhesive
strip for use in the present invention, the adhesive can also be
applied directly to the inside of front panel 12 at the edge
surface if desired. However, this is more difficult to manufacture
and accordingly less preferred.
[0017] Bag 10 can be formed and printed using standard bag forming
apparatus. Preferably the bag of the present invention is formed
from a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene or the like.
[0018] Preferably, the upper fold is formed followed by the lower
fold. The tamper tape is applied at edge 28. A heat seal/cut is
formed at the edges to form the final bag. This forming process is
significantly simpler and less expensive than the method used to
form the structure disclosed in the Diplock bag, yet the bag of the
present invention provides the same benefits.
[0019] This has been a description of the present invention and the
preferred mode of practicing the invention, however, the invention
itself should only be defined by the appended claims wherein we
claim:
* * * * *