Abstract:
A method for production of a tamper-proof packaging (V), is disclosed whereby recesses ( 3 ) are formed in a formed strip for accommodating a product for packaging and at least one security mark is applied to the packaging. The at least one security mark is applied before the forming of the recesses ( 3 ) to a region of the blank wherein the formed strip remains largely unchanged during the forming of the recesses.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a U.S. national phase patent application filed under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/CH2005/000212filed Apr. 15, 2005. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a method for producing a counterfeit-proof packaging in which cups for accommodating a product to be packaged are formed in a blank and in which at least one security label is affixed to the packaging, and a packaging produced by this method. 
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The problem of counterfeiting of original goods and pirating of copyright-protected products has moved to a larger and larger scale in recent years and become a concern for the most varied industries, including the pharmaceutical industry. 
         [0004]    The counterfeiting of drugs and the trade in counterfeit medicines have developed into a serious problem for world health. Counterfeit medicines frequently contain too little active ingredient or none at all, and many of the purported medicines are stretched with foreign substances, posing a danger to the lives of patients. 
         [0005]    Further, the manufacturers of original products, who must factor the costs of research and technical know-how into the selling price of their products, suffer substantial economic harm through counterfeiting. 
         [0006]    Many efforts have heretofore been made to find remedies to the problem of product counterfeiting. 
         [0007]    Thus for example there are known packagings for medicines, such as for example tablets, lozenges, capsules or suppositories (hereinafter designated as pharmaceutical products for short), that are provided on the outside with a sealing film having holograms, the sealing film serving to seal the containers in which the pharmaceutical products are disposed. Holograms are held to be good security features because they are difficult to counterfeit. 
         [0008]    The disadvantage here is that when the hologram is affixed to the outside of the sealing film, the hologram is subjected to severe mechanical and thermal loads in the packaging operation. 
         [0009]    It is therefore an object of the invention to identify a method for producing counterfeit-proof packagings that does not exhibit the aforesaid disadvantage. 
         [0010]    This object is achieved with the method of producing a counterfeit-proof packaging of the present invention wherein, before forming of the cups in the blank for accommodating a product to be packaged, at least one security label is fastened in a region of the blank that remains at least almost undeformed in the forming of the cups. Further embodiments of the invention as well as a packaging are identified below. 
         [0011]    The method according to the invention has the advantage that comparatively mild requirements are placed on the resistance of the security labels to the action of forces and that it is more efficient than the prior art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In what follows, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail with reference to the Drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a blank for a packaging in the raw state; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the blank of  FIG. 1  after the affixing of a longitudinally disposed hologram strip; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the disposition of  FIG. 2 , now provided with drawn cups; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the disposition of  FIG. 3  with filled and sealed cups; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a section along line A-B of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a disposition similar to that in  FIG. 4  having transversely disposed hologram strips; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a section along line C-D of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]      FIGS. 1 to 4  depict a packaging for pharmaceutical products after various steps of the production method according to the invention ( FIGS. 1 to 3 ) and of the subsequent filling and sealing operation and are numbered in correspondence with the temporal sequence of the processing operation. 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a flat blank  1  of a packaging in the raw state, as it exists before the production method according to the invention. In the raw state, the top and the bottom (not illustrated) of blank  1  exhibit a planar surface. 
         [0022]    For simplicity of illustration, blank  1  in the exemplary embodiments depicted comprises only one film. 
         [0023]    It is pointed out, however, that blank  1  in which cups  3  are formed in the production method according to the invention can comprise a plurality of components bonded together into the blank. 
         [0024]    Thus the blank can for example be a film system that comprises a plurality of films disposed one over another in plies. 
         [0025]    The blank is for example a film system made up of a base film and a protective film affixed on the base film, a barrier film possibly being affixed in turn on the protective film in order to protect the product to be packaged against water vapor and oxygen. 
         [0026]    A variety of materials can be considered for blank  1  or for the films of the blank, such as for example aluminum or plastics such as for example polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl chloride-polyvinylidene chloride (PVC-PVDC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and/or combinations thereof, materials having PVC-PVDC being highly suitable for the barrier film. 
         [0027]    The first step in the method according to the invention is to affix at least one security label provided to enhance the counterfeit-proof character, for example in the form of a hologram strip  4 , to one place or in one region of blank  1  that remains at least largely undeformed in the subsequent forming of cups  3 . 
         [0028]    It is particularly advantageous to fasten hologram strip  4  in a region that remains at least largely undeformed in the subsequent forming of cups  3  because the forces and, if applicable, the elevated temperatures (for example in the deep drawing of blank  1  in order to form cups  3  by hot deformation) associated with the forming of cups  3  are relatively slight there, and thus hologram strip  4  is subjected to relatively little force loading or thermal loading there. 
         [0029]    It is pointed out that not only hologram strips  4  but in principle all known security labels such as are employed to enhance the counterfeit-proof character of products in danger of being counterfeited (such as banknotes, credit cards or the like) can be considered for use as security labels. 
         [0030]    It is conceivable for example to employ as security label a pearl-luster strip that reflects light within a certain color range when tilted relative to a light source. 
         [0031]    The security labels should be difficult for an unauthorized party to copy and should bear information that confirms to an acceptor that the packaged products are “original goods.” In this connection, as a rule, “original goods” means that the products originate with a maker duly legitimized or authorized to produce them. 
         [0032]    In the case of hologram strip  4 , this information comprises for example the company name of the legitimate producer, which is visible in colors that change in dependence on the viewing angle. 
         [0033]    It is pointed out that the hologram can be present not only in strip form but in any other geometrical form. 
         [0034]    It is further pointed out that, if the blank is a film system that comprises a plurality of films disposed one over another in plies, the security label can also be disposed between two films. Here, however, it must be guaranteed that the security label is visible from outside after affixing, which can be achieved through the use of transparent films. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2  depicts blank  1  after hologram strip  4 , which extends centrally and in longitudinal direction  1  on the top of blank  1 , has been affixed. The affixing of hologram strip  4  to blank  1  can be effected by known bonding techniques such as for example gluing or hot contact methods. 
         [0036]    In a step subsequent to the affixing of hologram strip  4  to blank  1 , cups  3  are formed in blank  1 , which cups serve to accommodate products, which are for example pharmaceutical products. 
         [0037]    It is pointed out that the production method according to the invention is also suitable for producing packagings for other, nonpharmaceutical products such as batteries, printer cartridges or the like. 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  depicts blank  1  after the forming of cups  3 , which are depressions in blank  1  disposed a distance apart from one another. 
         [0039]    Cups  3  can also be produced for example through the use of a known cold-drawing method, blank  1  being deformed by pressure at room temperature. 
         [0040]    In the example depicted in  FIG. 3 , cups  3  are disposed in two rows of cups  3  in the longitudinal direction, one row beside the other and to either side of hologram strip  4 , each row having three cups  3 . 
         [0041]    It is pointed out that hologram strips  4  can also be affixed in regions of blank  1  other than that depicted in the exemplary embodiments. Thus it is conceivable for example to dispose the hologram strips near edges  6  of blank  1 , for example parallel to edges  6 . What is important for the production method according to the invention is that cups  3  are so positioned and formed in blank  1  that those regions of blank  1  in which the security label(s) have been affixed remain undeformed. 
         [0042]    After the forming of cups  3 , cups  3  are next filled with the products. In a further step, cups  3  are sealed with a sealing film  2  in known fashion. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  illustrates packaging V filled with capsules  5  and sealed. 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  depicts a section transverse to the longitudinal extent of blank  1 , through cups  3  filled with capsules  5  and fashioned as depressions in blank  1 , cups  3  standing out from the side of blank  1  on which hologram strip  4  is located. 
         [0045]    It is pointed out that hologram strip  4  can also be affixed on the opposite side of blank  1  (that is, on the side on which the openings of cups  3  issue). According to the invention, hologram  4  is affixed before the forming of cups  3  in this case as well. Further, care should be taken in this case that cups  3  remain visible from outside even after the sealing foil has been affixed. This can be achieved for example by sizing the sealing foil so that it does not cover hologram strip  4  after sealing. 
         [0046]      FIG. 6  depicts a further possibility for disposing hologram strips  4  on blank  1  in a region that remains at least nearly undeformed in the forming of cups  3 . Hologram strips  4  now run transversely to the longitudinal extent of blank  1 , centrally between adjacent cups  3 , on the side of blank  1  from which cups  3  stand out. Aside from the different disposition of hologram strips  4 , packaging V′ according to  FIG. 6  coincides in structure and production method with packaging V according to  FIG. 4 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 7  depicts a section in the longitudinal direction of blank  1  through cups  3 , fashioned as depressions in blank  1 , of one of the rows of cups.