Tamper Evident Tuck End Container Flap Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tamper evident packaging lacks enhanced security features to reliably indicate unauthorized tampering, particularly for sensitive products like over-the-counter medicines and prescription pharmaceuticals.
Innovation Solution
A tamper evident container design featuring a plurality of panels and flaps with a catch point feature and trap aperture, along with viewing apertures and frangible bridges, which provides a visible indication of access when the container is opened, ensuring tamper evidence through alignment and adhesive adherence of major and minor flaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tamper evident packaging is used, then basic tamper indication is provided, but enhanced security features and reliable indication of unauthorized tampering are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom flap is divided into a major flap and a minor flap that can be separated. The minor flap includes a trap aperture that catches the catch point feature when the container is opened, providing reliable tamper indication through clear visual separation of the flaps.
Solution Approach 2:
A catch point feature is introduced as an intermediary element that connects the major and minor flaps in the closed state. When the container is opened, the catch point feature is caught by the trap aperture, creating a visible indication that the container has been accessed.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If viewing apertures are added to allow viewing of the tamper evident access feature, then visibility of tamper status is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The viewing apertures are integrated into both the major flap and the minor flap. When the flaps are adhered together in the closed state, the apertures align to provide a clear view of the tamper evident access feature through both flaps, enhancing visibility without requiring separate viewing mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If frangible bridges are used to connect the tamper evident access feature, then ease of opening is improved, but structural strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible bridges are designed to be fragile and breakable under opening force. When the container is opened, the frangible bridges break, allowing the minor flap to separate from the major flap and the catch point feature to be caught by the trap aperture, providing clear tamper indication.
4Reliability
If the minor flap is adhered to the major flap with adhesive, then reliability of closed state is improved, but ease of opening may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied selectively to specific areas of the major and minor flaps to maintain the closed state while allowing easy opening. The adhesive bonds the flaps together in the closed state, but the frangible bridges are designed to break under opening force, enabling the flaps to separate cleanly without requiring excessive force.
Data Source
AI summary
A blank for forming a tamper evident container includes a plurality of panels connected together at fold lines configured for extending at least partially around an interior space, including a first side panel, a top panel, a second side panel and a bottom panel. A bottom flap is foldably connected to an edge of the bottom panel on the first end of the blank. A top flap is foldably connected to an edge of the top panel on the first end of the blank. The bottom flap includes a major flap and a minor flap, the major flap connecting between the bottom panel and the minor flap. The top flap includes a catch point feature and wherein the minor flap includes a trap aperture configured to catch the catch point feature of the top flap when opening a container constructed from the blank to provide a tamper evident access feature.