Carton sealing tape with a plurality of security features

Abstract

Various carton sealing tapes are disclosed that have a plurality of security features, at least two of which include nanomarker particles having identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification and taggants visible upon exposure to a pre-selected wavelength outside the visible spectrum included in the same or different layers of the tape structure depending upon the selection of the backing material for the substrate of the tape. The carton sealing tapes are also printable for inclusion of a consecutive sequence of coded identification information in the form of a barcode or a 2D code.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A carton sealing tape comprising:
 a polymeric film backing having a major top surface and an opposing major bottom surface, wherein the top surface comprises a material configured to receive an ink composition, 
 a layer of adhesive generally covering the bottom surface of the backing; and 
 taggants visible upon exposure to a pre-selected wavelength outside the visible spectrum and nanomarker particles invisible to the human eye having company identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification dispersed together throughout the backing or the layer of adhesive, or the taggants in the backing and the nanomarker particles in the layer of adhesive, or the nanomarker particles in the backing and the taggants in the layer of adhesive. 
 
     
     
       2. The carton sealing tape of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive and the top surface comprises a printable release layer. 
     
     
       3. The carton sealing tape of  claim 2 , wherein the printable release layer is printed with a consecutive sequence of coded identification information. 
     
     
       4. The carton sealing tape of  claim 3 , wherein the coded identification information is a barcode or a 2D code. 
     
     
       5. The carton sealing tape of  claim 1 , wherein the company identification indicia on the nanomarker particles is one or more of a company name, company logo, company trademark, or company phrase. 
     
     
       6. The carton sealing tape of  claim 1 , wherein adhesive material in the layer of adhesive bonds to fibers in a carton, thereby tearing away a portion of the carton when the carton sealing tape is peeled from the carton. 
     
     
       7. The carton sealing tape of  claim 6 , wherein the backing further comprises reinforcing elements. 
     
     
       8. The carton sealing tape of  claim 7 , wherein the reinforcing elements are fiberglass or polyethylene terephthalate fibers. 
     
     
       9. The carton sealing tape of  claim 6 , wherein the adhesive material is a natural rubber-styrene-isoprene-styrene blend pressure sensitive adhesive, styrene-isoprene-styrene pressure sensitive adhesive, a natural rubber pressure sensitive adhesive, or an acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       10. The carton sealing tape of  claim 1 , wherein the backing comprises a biaxially-oriented polypropylene film or a polyethylene terephthalate film. 
     
     
       11. A carton sealing tape comprising:
 a backing having a major top surface and an opposing major bottom surface, 
 a layer of adhesive generally covering the bottom surface of the backing; 
 a clear coat layer generally covering the top surface of the backing; 
 an ink composition printed on the clear coat layer; 
 wherein at least one of the backing, the clear coat layer, or the ink composition comprises taggants visible upon exposure to a pre-selected wavelength outside the visible spectrum; 
 wherein when the backing comprises the taggants, the clear coat layer or the ink composition comprises nanomarker particles having company identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification; 
 wherein when the clear coat layer comprises the taggants, the clear coat layer or the ink composition comprises the nanomarker particles having the company identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification; and 
 wherein when the ink composition comprises the taggants, the clear coat layer or the ink composition comprises the nanomarker particles having the company identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification; and 
 wherein the nanomarker particles are invisible to the human eye. 
 
     
     
       12. The carton sealing tape of  claim 11 , wherein the company identification indicia on the nanomarker particles is one or more of a company name, company logo, company trademark, or company phrase. 
     
     
       13. The carton sealing tape of  claim 11 , wherein the layer of adhesive is a water activatable adhesive, and the backing comprises paper. 
     
     
       14. The carton sealing tape of  claim 11 , wherein the layer of adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive and the clear coat layer is a printable release layer. 
     
     
       15. The carton sealing tape of  claim 11 , wherein the ink composition printed on the clear coat layer comprises a consecutive sequence of coded identification information in the form of a barcode or a 2D code. 
     
     
       16. A carton sealing tape comprising:
 a paper backing having a major top surface and an opposing major bottom surface, 
 a layer of a water activatable adhesive generally covering the bottom surface of the paper backing; 
 an ink composition printed on the top surface of the paper backing, the ink composition comprising nanomarker particles invisible to the human eye having identification indicia visible under about 100 to about 400 times magnification; and 
 taggants visible upon exposure to a pre-selected wavelength outside the visible spectrum in either the paper backing or the ink composition. 
 
     
     
       17. The carton sealing tape of  claim 16 , wherein the identification indicia on the nanomarker particles is company identification indicia having one or more of a company name, company logo, company trademark, or company phrase. 
     
     
       18. The carton sealing tape of  claim 16 , wherein the taggants are up-shifting phosphorus. 
     
     
       19. The carton sealing tape of  claim 16 , wherein the ink composition printed on the top surface comprises a consecutive sequence of coded identification information in the form of a barcode or a 2D code.