Tamper-evident containers and related methods

Abstract

The present invention refers to a tamper-evident container comprising: a store defining an internal volume and exhibiting a passage opening delimited by a free edge; a closure system engaged at the free edge and movable with respect to the store between a closure condition and an opening one; a safety device engaged at least partially with the store and at least partially with the closure system. The safety system comprises a breakage portion configured for separating from at least one between said closure system and store following a first opening of the closure system. The container comprises an electric circuit defined at least partially on the breakage portion of the safety device; said circuit being configured for changing at least one between an electric property and a physical property following the first opening of the closure system. The present invention further refers to a process of making the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tamper-evident container comprising:
 a housing made of sheet material, defining an internal volume, configured for housing products, and defining an opening delimited by an edge, the opening being configured for communicating the internal volume of the housing with an external environment;   a closure made of sheet material, disposed along the edge, and movable with respect to the housing, the closure being configured for defining a closed configuration in which the closure blocks communication between the internal volume of the housing and the external environment, and the closure being configured for defining an open configuration in which the closure permits communication between the internal volume of the housing and the external environment;   a safety device engaged with the housing and with the closure, the safety device comprising a breakage portion configured for separating from at least one of the closure and housing following a first opening of the closure; and   an electric circuit disposed at least in part on the safety device, the electric circuit being configured for varying one or both of an electric property and a physical property following the first opening of the closure.   
     
     
         2 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric property comprises one or both of a resistance of the electric circuit and an impedance of the electric circuit, and wherein the physical property comprises an electric continuity between two points of the electric circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric circuit comprises a circuit line extending partially on the breakage portion, and wherein the electric circuit is configured such that:
 a circuit line extends seamlessly on the breakage portion and on at least one of the housing and the safety device following a first closing of the closure and before the first opening of the closure, and   an interrupted circuit line provides an evidence of a tampering with the container following the first opening of the closure.   
     
     
         4 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the circuit line extends seamlessly between first and second end portions before the first opening of the closure,   wherein at least one of the first and second end portions are spaced apart from the breakage portion, and   wherein the first and second end portions are electrically disconnected from each other following the first opening of the closure.   
     
     
         5 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first and second end portions of the electric circuit are spaced apart from the breakage portion,   wherein the circuit line passes through at least part of the breakage portion and seamlessly connects the first and second end portions following the first closure and before the first opening of the closure, and   wherein at least part of the circuit line is configured for separating from the breakage portion for interrupting a connection between the first and second end portions following the first opening of the closure.   
     
     
         6 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric circuit is configured for:
 transmitting an electric signal representative of a closed condition of the electric circuit following a first closing of the closure and representative therefore of the first closing of the closure; and   defining an interruption point of the electric circuit, the interruption point adapted to prevent transmission of the electric signal representative of the closed condition of the electric circuit following the first opening of the closure, the electric circuit being configured for providing the evidence of the tampering of the container according to a failed transmission of the electric signal.   
     
     
         7 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the housing comprises an internal surface delimiting the internal volume and an external surface that is opposite to the internal surface and that outwardly delimits the housing,   wherein the first and second end portions are disposed apart from each other on the external surface of the housing for respectively defining first and second contacts, and   wherein the first and second contacts are configured for:   electrically connecting a detecting device,   transmitting a representative signal of a closed condition of the electric circuit to the detecting device for confirming a presence of the breakage portion following the first closing of the closure and before the first opening of the closure,   refraining from transmitting any signal following the first opening of the closure and following the first closing of the closure for providing an indication that the breakage portion is missing in association with the tampering of the container.   
     
     
         8 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises a tab having a closure portion engaged with the edge of the housing and movable with respect to the housing, the tab further having an inserting portion configured for inserting inside of the volume of the housing in the closed configuration of the closure,
 wherein the safety device comprises:
 a first hooking portion provided by the tab of the closure, 
 a second hooking portion engaged with the housing and configured for cooperating with the first hooking portion, 
   wherein the first and second hooking portions are configured for stably engaging with each other during a first closing of the closure,   wherein one or both of the first and second hooking portions bears the breakage portion, and   wherein the electric circuit is disposed on the breakage portion borne by one or both of the first hooking portion and the second hooking portion.   
     
     
         9 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the second hooking portion is disposed at least partially in the internal volume of the housing,   wherein the first hooking portion is configured for inserting at least partially in the internal volume of the housing for stably engaging the second hooking portion during the first closing of the closure, and   wherein the breakage portion bears at least part of the electric circuit during the first closing of the closure.   
     
     
         10 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second end portions of the electric circuit are defined on the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 8 , wherein the first and second end portions of the electric circuit are defined on an external surface of the housing, and wherein the circuit line extends seamlessly from the housing to the breakage portion borne by the second hooking portion of the safety device following the first closing of the closure and before the first opening of the closure. 
     
     
         12 . A tamper-evident container comprising:
 a housing made of sheet material, defining an internal volume, and configured for housing products, the housing defining an opening delimited by an edge, the opening being configured for communicating the internal volume of the housing with an external environment;   a closure made of sheet material disposed along the edge and movable with respect to the housing, the closure being configured for defining a closed configuration in which the closure prevents communication between the internal volume of the housing and the external environment, the closure being further configured for defining an open configuration in which the closure permits communication between the internal volume and the external environment; and   an electric circuit connected to the housing and disposed at least in part on the closure, the electric circuit being configured for determining one or both of an electric property and a physical property of the electric circuit following a first closing of the closure.   
     
     
         13 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the electric property comprises one or both of a resistance of the electric circuit and an impedance of the electric circuit, and   wherein the physical property comprises one or more of an open state of the electric circuit, a closed state of the electric circuit, a number of openings of the electric circuit following a first closing of the electric circuit, and a number of closings of the electric circuit.   
     
     
         14 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 12 , wherein the electric circuit is configured for determining a tampering condition of the container as a function of a predetermined relationship between a reference parameter and one or both of the electric property and the physical property of the electric circuit, as determined by the electric circuit following a first closing of the closure. 
     
     
         15 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 12 , wherein the electric circuit is configured for
 determining a predetermined number of closings of the closure and for determining a tampering condition of the container when the electric circuit determines that the closure has been closed more than once.   
     
     
         16 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 12 , wherein the electric circuit comprises:
 a first terminal contact disposed on the closure;   a second terminal contact connected to the housing, the second terminal contact being adapted to contact the first terminal contact in the closed configuration of the closure for defining a closing of the electric circuit;   a circuit line electrically connecting the first and second terminal contacts in both the closed configuration and the open configuration of the closure; and   a control unit active on the circuit line and configured for:
 determining the electric contact between the first and second terminal contacts and therefore the closing of the electric circuit, 
 determining a number of closings of the electric circuit, and 
 determining a tampering condition of the electric circuit when the electric circuit has been closed more than once. 
   
     
     
         17 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the housing comprises an internal surface delimiting the internal volume and an external surface that is opposite to the internal surface and that outwardly delimits the housing,   wherein the closure comprises first and second surfaces respectively joined, seamlessly, with the internal and external surfaces of the housing,   wherein the closure is at least partially inserted in the internal volume of the housing in the closed configuration,   wherein the first terminal contact is defined on the second surface of the closure and the second terminal contact is defined inside of the housing,   and wherein the first and second terminal contacts are configured for defining an electric contact in the closed configuration of the closure.   
     
     
         18 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 17 , further comprising an abutment portion integrally joined to the edge of the housing and folded into the internal volume of the housing, the abutment portion made of sheet material and extending in thickness between first and second surfaces respectively joined, seamlessly, to the internal and external surfaces of the housing,
 wherein the closure is adapted to abut the abutment portion inside of the housing,   wherein the second terminal contact is defined on the second surface of the abutment portion, the first terminal contact being defined on the second surface of the closure, and   wherein the circuit line extends seamlessly on the second surface of the abutment portion, the external surface of the housing, and the second surface of the closure.   
     
     
         19 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the closure comprises a tab having a closure portion engaged with the edge of the housing and movable with respect to the housing, the tab further having an inserting portion configured for inserting, in the closed configuration of the closure, inside of the internal volume of the housing,   wherein the first terminal contact is defined on the inserting portion,   wherein the container comprises a safety device made of sheet material and having:
 a first hooking portion borne by the tab of the closure, 
 a second hooking portion engaged with the housing and configured for cooperating with the first hooking portion, 
   wherein the first and second hooking portions are configured for stably engaging with each other during a first closing of the closure,   wherein the second hooking portion is disposed inside of the housing and substantially defines at least part of the abutment portion bearing the second terminal contact configured for electrically contacting the first terminal contact borne by the inserting portion of the closure.   
     
     
         20 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 19 , wherein one or both of the first and the second hooking portions comprises at least one breakage portion configured for separating from the safety device following the first opening of the closure and following the first closing for providing evidence of a tampering with the container in the closing configuration of the closure, the first hooking portion being configured for inserting at least partially into the internal volume of the housing for stably engaging the second hooking portion.