Container tamper detection bladder, bladder operation method, and container tamper detection method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container tamper detection bladder comprising a top cover member (2), a lid member (3), an NFC tag adhesive (4), a drive member (5), a ring member (6) and a stop member (7) wherein the drive member (5) is configured to move within the ring member (6) between: i) a first closed position in which a secondary component (4b) is adhered to the ring member (6); ii) a second open position in which the secondary part (4b) is separated from the primary part (4a) of the NFC tag adhesive (4) and the drive member (5) is fixed in both axial and longitudinal directions in the annular member (6), the stop member (7) being inserted and fixed in a lower portion of the annular member (6). The invention also relates to a method of operating a container tamper detection bladder and a container tamper detection method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container tamper detection bladder, which is designed to provide information to a user about the presence of an attempt to tamper with a container sealed by the bladder. The present invention also relates to a method of operating the bladder 1 for detecting container tampering and a container tamper detection method.

[0002] The present invention is applied to the production and sales fields of bladders for various containers, especially beverage bottles, and mainly applied to the production field of corks in the cork industry. Background Art

[0003] In the related art, it is well known to use bladders having the following mechanism: the mechanism enables easy identification of the first opening of a container sealed with such a bladder, and the bladder is particularly located in a bottle for beverages or food. Many such bladders on the market currently constitute systems that are easily damaged, that is, when the first opening of a container sealed with such a bladder occurs, the bladder must be partially damaged, otherwise, it will be completely damaged when the bladder is first removed from the container.

[0004] Another problem with these bladders is the reversibility of the mechanism that allows these bladders to operate. That is, if the function of these bladders is to inform consumers of the first opening of a container sealed with such a bladder, then the bladder must not have defects related to the irreversibility of its operating mechanism, otherwise, counterfeiters can take advantage of the reversibility of its operating mechanism to circumvent the safety and authenticity of the bladder.

[0005] Document WO2014 / 122300 discloses a bladder having the following mechanism: the mechanism allows a user to identify whether a container sealed with such a bladder has been tampered with. The disclosed bladder consists of a top cover, a spring, an inner member, and an outer cylindrical member. The outer cylindrical member can move relative to the inner member from a first position corresponding to the closed position before the container is first opened to a second position after the user removes the bladder. This operating mechanism acts such that: when the bladder is first removed from the container, that is, when the bladder is first triggered, the spring fixedly accommodated in the inner member cooperates with the outer cylindrical member and allows the outer cylindrical member to be blocked relative to the inner member at the second position, thereby showing a change in the shape of the bladder, which allows the user to identify that the container has been tampered with. However, the design of the bladder disclosed in this related art document allows the user to open a closed container having such a bladder without actuating the detection mechanism, that is, the design of the bladder disclosed in this related art document enables the bladder (and its corresponding stopper) to be removed from the container without actuating the detection mechanism. In some embodiments of the bladder, the detection mechanism of the bladder can also be unlocked after being actuated and restored to its initial safe position. This defect allows the bladder (and its cork) to be removed from the bottle and then reinserted into the same container or other containers after being restored to the initial detection configuration of the bladder without leaving any signs of tampering.

[0006] Document PT108721(A) discloses a container tamper detection bladder that provides the user with information regarding the existence of an attempt to tamper with a container sealed with such a bladder. The bladder includes a top covering member, an internal spring support member, a spring member, and a bottom covering member. The spring member can move between i) a first closed position and ii) a second open position. In the first closed position, the spring member is disposed on the inner member; in the second open position, the spring member is disposed between the inner member and the top covering member, thereby locking the bladder mechanism in the second open position. When the bladder disclosed in this document is tampered with, the detection mechanism of the bladder is triggered and the shape of the bladder changes, thereby allowing the user to identify the intention to tamper with the closed container. This bladder solves the technical defect existing in the previous document WO 2014 / 122300, that is, the defect related to the irreversibility of the detection mechanism of the bladder. However, the tamper detection mechanism of such a bladder requires a change in the shape of the bladder to enable the user to identify the intention to tamper with the closed container. Therefore, the visual appearance of the bladder has changed.

[0007] In the related art, there are still some documents related to the application of NFC technology to verify the authenticity of the contents of a bottle. For example, documents EP3146642(B1), EP3146644(B1) and EP3146645(B1) disclose a near-field magnetic coupling non-contact identification device such as an NFC device for ensuring the authenticity of the contents of a bottle.

[0008] Therefore, in summary, there is a need in the art for a container tamper detection bladder having a detection mechanism that does not damage the bladder or change the appearance of the bladder and is irreversible, that is, after the bladder is tampered with, the detection mechanism of the bladder does not allow the security and authenticity of the bladder to be circumvented. There is also a need for a bladder that allows detection of tampering or attempted tampering in a simple manner by means of an electronic device. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention relates to a container tamper detection bladder 1, comprising:

[0010] a top covering member 2,

[0011] a cap member 3,

[0012] an NFC tag bonding member 4,

[0013] a driving member 5, and

[0014] an annular member 6,

[0015] wherein,

[0016] the NFC tag bonding member 4 includes a main part 4a and a secondary part 4b, wherein the main part 4a is bonded to the driving member 5 and the secondary part 4b is bonded to the inner side wall of the annular member 6,

[0017] the cap member 3 is arranged to engage with the NFC detection member 4, thereby forming an engagement assembly of the cap member 3, the NFC detection member 4 and the driving member 5, and

[0018] the annular member 6 houses the driving member 5 therein and is closed by the cap member 3,

[0019] the driving member 5 is configured to move within the annular member 6 between the following positions:

[0020] i) a first closed position, in which the secondary part 4b is bonded to the annular member 6, and

[0021] ii) a second open position, in which the secondary part 4b of the NFC tag bonding member 4 is separated from the main part 4a, and the driving member 5 is fixed to the annular member 6 both axially and longitudinally.

[0022] Thus, the drive member 5 is capable of occupying two alternative positions within the annular member 6: a first closed position or a second open position.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the bladder 1 further includes a stop member 7 inserted and fixed in the lower portion of the annular member 6.

[0024] In another embodiment of the present invention, the top cover member 2 is arranged to cover the assembly formed by the members 3, 4, 5, and 6 from the outside.

[0025] On the one hand, the stop member 7 is made of a material selected from plastics, wood, cork, composite materials, and combinations thereof.

[0026] On the other hand, the top cover member 2 is made of a material selected from plastics, wood, cork, composite materials, and combinations thereof.

[0027] The present invention also relates to a method of operating the bladder 1, the method comprising the steps of: moving the assembly formed by the drive member 5, the NFC tag adhesive 4, and the cover member 3 relative to the annular member 6 from a first closed position to a second open position,

[0028] wherein,

[0029] in the first closed position, the main part 4a of the NFC tag adhesive 4 is adhered to the drive member 5, and the secondary part 4b of the NFC tag adhesive 4 is adhered to the inner side wall of the annular member 6; and

[0030] in the second open position, the secondary part 4b of the NFC tag adhesive 4 is physically separated from the main part 4a of the NFC tag adhesive 4.

[0031] The present invention also relates to a method for detecting container tampering, comprising the step of electronically detecting the physical integrity of the NFC tag adhesive 4 incorporated into the container stop bladder.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the method for detecting container tampering further comprises the step of electronically detecting the physical separation of the secondary part 4b from the main part 4a, both the secondary part 4b and the main part 4a constituting the NFC tag adhesive 4.

[0033] The bladder of the present invention is suitable for closing a container containing a beverage selected from wine, beer, spirits, water, and soft drinks. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1Shows a schematic exploded view of two main components of the container tamper detection bladder 1 according to the present invention, the two main components being: the group 8 of components and the top cover member 2, and the stop member 7, thereby forming the group 9 of components.

[0036] Figure 2 Shows a cross-sectional view of the container tamper detection bladder 1 mounted on the stop member 7.

[0037] Figure 3 Shows a schematic exploded view of all the components of the container tamper detection bladder 1 according to the present invention including the stop member 7 - namely the group 9 of components.

[0038] Figure 4 Shows the assembly of the drive member 5 located on the annular member 6.

[0039] Figure 5 Shows a cross-sectional view of the assembly of the drive member 5 located on the annular member 6.

[0040] Figure 6 Shows the assembly of the NFC tag adherent 4 located on the drive member 5 and the annular member 6.

[0041] Figure 7 Shows the group 8 of components related to the assembly of the cover member 3, the NFC tag adherent 4, the drive member 5 and the annular member 6.

[0042] Figure 8 Is a schematic diagram of the NFC tag adherent 4, showing the main part 4a and the secondary part 4b.

[0043] Figure 9 Shows the arrangement of the drive member 5, the annular member 6 and the NFC tag adherent 4 in the open configuration.

[0044] Figure 10 Shows a cross-sectional view of the arrangement of the drive member 5, the annular member 6 and the NFC tag adherent 4 in the open configuration, showing the main part 4a and the secondary part 4b of the NFC tag adherent 4.

[0045] Figure 11 Shows a cross-sectional view of the bladder including the stop member 7 in the closed configuration.

[0046] Figure 12 Shows a cross-sectional view of the bladder including the stop member 7 in the open configuration. Detailed Description

[0047] The present invention relates to a container tamper detection bladder based on NFC technology, a method for its operation, and a container tamper detection method.

[0048] In the context of the present invention, the term "container" refers to an object of closed shape generally having a spherical body, having an opening or neck for receiving food or non-food products. The bladder of the present invention is for example used in food product containers, i.e. beverage containers, such as bottles for beverages selected from wine, beer, spirits, water, soft drinks and the like. Of course, the bladder of the present invention can also be used in containers for non-food products, since the characteristics of the bladder are not limited by the type of container it can close or cover and by the product contained in the container.

[0049] The expression "mouth of the container" refers to the opening part of the container, such as the neck of the bottle.

[0050] The term "bladder" refers to a covering for closing or covering a container, the covering being arranged on the outside of the container, for example covering the free end of the neck of the bottle, and the bladder can be associated with a stop arranged inside the mouth of the container. The bladder can be made of any suitable material, but plastic materials are generally used.

[0051] The expression "NFC label adhesive" refers to an adhesive including any device having a small microchip that can be read at a distance by other mobile devices such as a smartphone, where information is stored on these microchips.

[0052] The expression "stop member 7" refers to a body having a generally cylindrical or conical shape with two ends, one end being beveled or rounded and intended to be partially or completely inserted into the mouth or neck of the container; the opposite end can be attached to the bladder in any desired way.

[0053] The expression "cork material" or simply "cork" refers to natural cork, formed natural cork, polymeric cork, micro-polymeric cork or a combination thereof.

[0054] The expression "plastic material" or simply "plastic" refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or the like or a combination thereof.

[0055] In the context of this specification, the term "comprising" should be understood as "including inter alia". Thus, the term should not be construed as "consisting only of".

[0056] The sac-like member is particularly used for closing a container containing a beverage. The present invention allows the tampering of the container to be detected in an irreversible manner, that is, the sac-like member mechanism cannot be restored to a non-tampered mode, and there is no change in the appearance level of the sac-like member, that is, the consumer can only detect whether the container has been tampered with by using an NFC technology reading device.

[0057] Whenever the user pulls or attempts to pull the sac-like member to remove the sac-like member from the mouth or neck of the container, the sac-like member of the present invention is triggered.

[0058] The sac-like member of the present invention uses a detection mechanism based on the physical integrity of an NFC tag. When the sac-like member is tampered with or an attempt is made to tamper with it, the physical integrity of the NFC tag will be damaged, and thus it can be detected by an electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet with NFC technology.

[0059] The sac-like member of the present invention completely solves the problems existing in the sac-like members of the related art, thereby being able to prevent the removal or attempted removal of the sac-like member without triggering the sac-like member, providing irreversible detection, which is only carried out by an electronic device, and due to its new design and the integration of the NFC tag, it will not cause damage to the sac-like member or change the appearance of the sac-like member.

[0060] Refer to Figures 1 to 12 , the sac-like member 1 of the present invention includes a top covering member 2, a lid member 3, an NFC tag adhesive 4, a driving member 5, and an annular member 6, wherein,

[0061] The NFC tag adhesive 4 includes a main component 4a and a secondary component 4b, wherein the main component 4a is adhered to the driving member 5, and the secondary component 4b is adhered to the inner side wall of the annular member 6.

[0062] The lid member 3 is arranged to engage with the NFC detection member 4, thereby forming an engagement assembly of the lid member 3, the NFC detection member 4, and the driving member 5, and

[0063] The annular member 6 houses the driving member 5 therein and is closed by the lid member 3.

[0064] The driving member 5 is configured to move within the annular member 6 between i) a first closed position and ii) a second open position. In the first closed position, the secondary component 4b is adhered to the annular member 6, and in the second open position, the secondary component 4b is separated from the main component 4a of the NFC tag adhesive 4, and the driving member 5 is fixed in the annular member 6 both axially and longitudinally.

[0065] The group 8 of each member includes four members 3, 4, 5, and 6, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 7These four components 3, 4, 5, and 6 are arranged such that components 3, 4, and 5 form an engagement assembly that is configured to longitudinally move between various positions within the annular member 6. In this configuration, the cover member 3 has the function of enclosing and protecting the internal components 4 and 5.

[0066] In one embodiment, the top cover member 2 is arranged to cover the group of components 8 from the outside, and the top cover member 2 is commonly connected to components 3, 4, and 5 ( Figure 1 and 2 ).

[0067] In another embodiment, the bladder includes a stop member 7 that is inserted and fixed in the lower portion of the annular member 5 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). The stop member 7 is fixed in terms of axial, longitudinal, and rotational directions with respect to the annular member 6.

[0068] In one embodiment, the top cover member 2 is formed of a material selected from plastics, wood, cork, composite materials, and combinations thereof.

[0069] In another embodiment, the stop member 7 is formed of a material selected from plastics, wood, cork, composite materials, and combinations thereof.

[0070] The present invention also relates to a method of operating the container tamper detection bladder 1.

[0071] The method of operating the bladder 1 includes the steps of moving a component formed by the drive member 5, the NFC tag adhesive 4, and the cover member 3 relative to the annular member 6 from a first closed position to a second open position, wherein,

[0072] in the first closed position, the main part 4a of the NFC tag adhesive 4 is adhered to the drive member 5, and the secondary part 4b of the NFC tag adhesive 4 is adhered to the inner sidewall of the annular member 6; and

[0073] in the second open position, the secondary part 4b of the NFC tag adhesive 4 is physically separated from the main part 4a of the NFC tag adhesive 4.

[0074] The present invention also relates to a container tamper detection method, which includes the step of electronically detecting the physical integrity of the NFC tag adhesive 4 incorporated in the container stop bladder.

[0075] In one embodiment, the container tamper detection method further includes the step of electronically detecting the physical separation of the secondary part 4b from the main part 4a, where both the secondary part 4b and the main part 4a are components of the NFC tag adhesive 4.

[0076] Finally, the present invention relates to the use of the container tamper detection bladder 1 for closing a container containing a beverage selected from the group consisting of wine, beer, spirits, water and soft drinks.

[0077] The irreversibility of the mechanism of the bladder is also achieved by the drive member 5 which, when moved to the open position, is fixed axially and longitudinally in the annular member 6. This fixing of the drive member 5 is achieved by elastic deformation of a protrusion 5a provided in the drive member 5 which is caused by a narrower portion provided in the annular member 6 ( Figure 11 and Figure 12 ). After passing through this narrowest portion, the protrusion 5a of the drive member 5 will return to its initial position, thereby preventing the rotational movement of the drive member 5 to the closed position.

[0078] Preferably, the bladder 1 of the present invention includes a stopper member 7 for closing a container containing a beverage such as wine, beer, spirits, water, soft drinks, etc.

[0079] Referring Figure 3 to the embodiment of, the container tamper detection bladder 1 is formed by five plastic parts: a top cover member 2, a cap member 3, an NFC tag adhesive 4, a drive member 5 and an annular member 6.

[0080] The cap member 3, the NFC detection adhesive 4 and the drive member 5 form an engagement assembly. The annular member 6 then houses the drive member 5 within the annular member 6. The NFC tag adhesive 4 includes two parts: a main part 4a and a secondary part 4b. The main part 4a is adhered to the drive member 5 and the secondary part 4b is adhered to the inner sidewall of the annular member 6.

[0081] A cylindrical cork stopper is inserted and fixed into the lower part of the annular member 5, and the top cover member 2 is arranged to cover the said group 8 of members from the outside, thereby forming the bladder 1 of the present invention having the stopper member 7, wherein the individual members forming the group 8 of members are not accessible from the outside ( Figure 1 and Figure 8 ).

[0082] After assembly, the union is irreversible and the bladder is in an untampered (closed) state ( Figure 11 ).

[0083] The bladder 1 thus formed is placed into a spirit bottle by inserting the cylindrical cork stopper into the bottleneck.

[0084] To trigger the bladder detection mechanism 1, the user pulls the group 9 of the components to remove the cork from the bottle. By this movement, the drive member 5 moves relative to the annular member 6, and the secondary member 4b breaks and separates from the primary member 4a ( Figure 9 、 Figure 10 and Figure 12 ), thus moving from the first closed position to the second open position.

[0085] Tamper detection is carried out by breaking the secondary member 4b, which will allow the physical separation to be detected electronically by the NFC technology reading device, thus indicating the open state to the consumer.

[0086] It should be noted that although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make many modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the present invention defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A container tamper detection bladder (1), characterized in that, The container tamper detection bladder (1) comprises: a top cover member (2), a lid member (3), an NFC tag adhesive (4), a drive member (5); and a ring member (6), wherein, the NFC tag adhesive (4) includes a main part (4a) and a secondary part (4b), the main part (4a) being bonded to the drive member (5), and the secondary part (4b) being bonded to the inner side wall of the ring member (6), the lid member (3) is arranged to engage with the NFC detection member (4) such that the lid member (3), the NFC detection member (4) and the drive member (5) form an engagement assembly, and the ring member (6) houses the drive member (5) therein and is closed by the lid member (3), the drive member (5) is configured to move within the ring member (6) between the following positions: i) a first closed position, in which the secondary part (4b) is bonded to the ring member (6), and ii) a second open position, in which the secondary part (4b) of the NFC tag adhesive (4) is separated from the main part (4a), and the drive member (5) is fixed to the ring member (6) both axially and longitudinally.

2. The sac-shaped member (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bladder further includes a stopper member (7) inserted and fixed in the lower part of the ring member (6).

3. The bladder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The top cover member (2) is arranged to cover the assembly formed by the members (3, 4, 5 and 6) from the outside.

4. The bladder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The stopper member (7) is made of a material selected from plastics, wood, cork, composite materials and combinations thereof.

5. The bladder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The top cover member (2) is made of a material selected from plastics, wood, cork, composite materials and combinations thereof.

6. A method of operating a bladder member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The method includes the steps of moving the assembly formed by the drive member (5), the NFC tag adhesive (4) and the lid member (3) relative to the ring member (6) from a first closed position to a second open position, wherein, in the first closed position, the main part (4a) of the NFC tag adhesive (4) is bonded to the drive member (5), and the secondary part (4b) of the NFC tag adhesive (4) is bonded to the inner side wall of the ring member (6); and in the second open position, the secondary part (4b) of the NFC tag adhesive (4) is physically separated from the main part (4a) of the NFC tag adhesive (4).

7. A method for detecting container tampering, characterized in that, The method includes the step of electronically detecting the physical integrity of the NFC tag adhesive (4) incorporated into the container stopper bladder.

8. The method for detecting container tampering according to claim 7, wherein The method includes the steps of electronically detecting the physical separation of the secondary part (4b) relative to the main part (4a), both the secondary part (4b) and the main part (4a) constituting the NFC tag adhesive (4).

9. Use of the sac-shaped member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The bladder closes a container containing a beverage selected from wine, beer, spirits, water and soft drinks.

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