Tamper-evident container and process of making the same

Abstract

A tamper-evident container (1) including: a store (2) for housing at least one product, a closure system (7) placed at a passage opening (5) of the store (2) and configured for obstructing said passage opening to define a closed condition of the container (1). The store (2) has at least one glued portion at which a layer (40) made of heat-sensitive material is arranged, configured for irreversibly varying, following a heating of said layer (40), an optical and/or physical property of the same layer to provide evidence of an attempted tampering of the container (1).

1 . A tamper-evident container comprising:
 a store defining an internal volume configured for housing at least one product, the store having a predetermined number of lateral walls defining at least one passage opening delimited by a free edge, said passage opening being configured for placing the internal volume in communication with the outside environment to allow the passage of said at least one product, wherein the predetermined number of lateral walls of the store has an overlap zone which comprises at least one first and at least one second constraint portions at least partly overlapped and engaged with each other by means of a glued portion,   at least one closure system arranged at the passage opening of the store and configured for obstructing said passage opening to define a closed condition of the container, and   at the glued portion of the overlap zone of the store, at least one layer made of heat-sensitive material configured for irreversibly varying at least one of an optical and physical property of the same layer to provide evidence of an attempted tampering of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat-sensitive material comprises at least one of a heat-sensitive paint and a heat-sensitive film,
 wherein the heat-sensitive material is configured for varying, following a heating of said layer, at least one optical property thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat-sensitive material is configured for at least partly varying, following a heating of said layer, at least one of the following optical properties: color, opacity, transparency, transmittance, refraction, brightness. 
     
     
         4 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer defines at least one part of an external surface of the container overlapped on the glued portion of the store. 
     
     
         5 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the first constraint portion defines at least part of an internal wall of the store delimiting said internal volume while the second constraint portion delimits at least part of an external wall of the store,
 wherein said layer at least partly covers the surface of the wall of the second constraint portion to define at least part of an external surface of the container.   
     
     
         6 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the store is made of sheet material, at least partly wound on itself to form a tubular body defined by the predetermined number of lateral walls which delimits two opposite longitudinal passage openings,
 wherein at least one enclosed portion of the predetermined number of lateral walls is overlapped and is engaged by glue to define said overlap zone,   wherein said overlap zone is extended between the two opposite passage openings, and   wherein the layer, made of heat-sensitive material, is only arranged on the store in proximity to the glued overlap zone.   
     
     
         7 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of lateral walls comprises a front wall and a rear wall facing and parallel to the front wall, the front wall and the rear wall are connected by a first and second connection walls facing and parallel to each other,
 wherein the front wall is spaced from the rear wall by said first and second connection walls, said first and second connection walls being spaced from each other by the front wall and the rear wall,   wherein at least the second connection wall comprises said overlap zone, and   wherein the layer at least partly externally covers said second connection wall, at least in proximity to the glued portion.   
     
     
         8 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 7 , wherein the overlap zone is only defined on the second connection wall, wherein the layer externally covers a main part of the second connection wall. 
     
     
         9 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the glued portion comprises at least one of:
 one or more glue portions,   one or more portions of adhesive material,   wherein the layer made of heat-sensitive material is defined at the second constraint portion directly engaged to the first constraint portion.   
     
     
         10 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure system is at least partly made of sheet material and comprises a tab engaged at said free edge of the passage opening and movable relative to the store, the tab of the closure system being configured to define at least:
 a closed condition in which the tab itself prevents the communication between the internal volume of the store and the outside environment, preventing the passage of the at least one product from the passage opening,   an open condition in which the tab itself allows the communication between the internal volume and the outside environment, allowing the passage of the at least one product from the passage opening,   wherein the closure system comprises:   at least one first coupling portion carried by the tab,   at least one second coupling portion,   wherein said first and second coupling portion, in the closed condition of the container, are configured for being stably engaged with each other to define an activation condition of the container,   wherein at least one of said first and second coupling portion comprises at least one removable portion configured for being separated from at least one of said closure system and store following a first opening of the closure system, following said activation condition, to provide evidence of a tampering of the container.   
     
     
         11 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 1 , wherein the glued portion has a softening point defined at a predetermined temperature higher than 50° C.,
 wherein the layer is configured for varying at least one of an optical and physical property following a heating of said layer, at a predetermined reference temperature, and 
 wherein a ratio between the predetermined reference temperature and the softening point is in a range of 0.8 and 1.2. 
 
     
     
         12 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 10 , wherein the second coupling portion defines at least one undercut configured for stably engaging the first coupling portion, in the closed condition of the container to define said activation condition,
 wherein the undercut of the second coupling portion comprises at least one hook configured for stably engaging said first coupling portion, wherein said hook lacks glued portions.   
     
     
         13 . A tamper-evident container comprising:
 a store defining an internal volume configured for housing at least one product, the store having a predetermined number of lateral walls defining at least one passage opening delimited by a free edge, said passage opening being configured for placing the internal volume in communication with the outside environment to allow the passage of said at least one product,   at least one closure system arranged at the passage opening of the store and configured for obstructing said passage opening to define a closed condition of the container,   wherein the closure system is at least partly made of sheet material and comprises a tab engaged at said free edge of the passage opening and movable relative to the store, the tab of the closure system being configured to define at least:   a closed condition in which the tab itself prevents the communication between the internal volume of the store and the outside environment,   an open condition in which the tab itself allows the communication between the internal volume and the outside environment,   wherein the closure system comprises:   at least one first coupling portion carried by the tab,   at least one second coupling portion engaged to the store by a glued portion,   wherein said first and second coupling portions, in the closed condition of the container, are configured for being engaged with each other to define an activation condition of the container,   wherein at least one of said first and second coupling portion comprises at least one removable portion configured for being separated from at least one of said closure system and store following a first opening of the closure system, following said activation condition, to provide evidence of a tampering of the container, and   wherein the container comprises, at the glued portion, at least one layer made of heat-sensitive material configured for irreversibly varying at least one of an optical and physical property of the same layer to provide evidence of an attempted tampering of the container.   
     
     
         14 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 13 , wherein the second coupling portion defines at least one undercut configured for stably engaging the first coupling portion, in the closed condition of the container to define said activation condition, and
 wherein the undercut of the second coupling portion comprises at least one hook configured for stably engaging said first coupling portion, wherein said hook lacks glued portions.   
     
     
         15 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 14 , wherein the second coupling portion comprises at least one base fixed by glue to the store, the hook of the second coupling portion being directly carried by the base,
 wherein the hook is constrained to the base by at least one weakened portion to define said removable portion, and   wherein the layer defines at least one part of an external surface of the store opposite the base.   
     
     
         16 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 15 , wherein the hook of the second coupling portion is only constrained directly to the base,
 wherein the hook of the second coupling portion is hinged to the base and lacks glued portions, and   wherein the base is the only part of the second coupling portion glued to the store.   
     
     
         17 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 15 , wherein the base of the second coupling portion is joined to a section of the free edge of the store,
 wherein the hook of the second coupling portion and the base delimit in cooperation with each other a through opening configured for insertingly receiving at least one part of the first coupling portion to allow the engagement thereof with the second coupling portion to define said activation condition.   
     
     
         18 . A tamper-evident container comprising:
 a store defining an internal volume configured for housing at least one product, the store having a predetermined number of lateral walls defining at least one passage opening delimited by a free edge, said passage opening being configured for placing the internal volume in communication with the outside environment to allow the passage of said at least one product, and   at least one closure system arranged at the passage opening of the store and configured for obstructing said passage opening to define a closed condition of the container,   wherein the closure system comprises a glued portion at which at least one layer made of heat-sensitive material is present, said layer is configured for irreversibly varying at least one of an optical and physical property of the same layer to provide evidence of an attempted tampering of the container, and   wherein the closure system comprises at least one label configured for locking the container in the closed condition, wherein the layer is placed at the label.   
     
     
         19 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 18 , wherein the layer, made of heat-sensitive material, is arranged outside the container at least on a part of the store and/or of the closure system, at the label. 
     
     
         20 . The tamper-evident container according to  claim 18 , wherein the closure system comprises a tab engaged at said free edge and movable relative to the store, the tab of the closure system being configured to define at least:
 a closed condition in which the tab itself prevents the communication between the internal volume of the store and the outside environment,   an open condition in which the tab itself allows the communication between the internal volume and the outside environment,   the label is placed outside the container and constrains the tab of the closure system to the store,   wherein the label is configured for stably maintaining the tab of the closure system in the closed condition, and   wherein the layer is arranged outside the container on at least one of the store and the tab, at the label.