HK1139370B - Security transparent bag - Google Patents

Description

Safety transparent bag

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a security transparent bag, and more particularly, to a transparent bag that may be employed when passing through a security checkpoint at an airport or other confined area. The bag has certain safety characteristics that may be of concern to the transportation safety administration or other agencies in the united states or around the world. Also, other portions of the bag may be used for advertising, loyalty programs, lottery tickets and other businesses.

Background

To protect passengers from the new threat of liquid explosions, the united states and canada (9.2006), european union, switzerland, norway and iceland (11.2006) have jointly adopted new safety regulations that limit the amount of liquid that passengers can carry at airports through security checkpoints. The passenger is now allowed to hold a small amount of liquid in the individual container. The general rule allows each person to carry three ounce bottles in a quart-sized fully transparent plastic zipper bag. Due to the different metrology systems, european regulations allow 100 ml containers in one liter bags for the sake of simplicity.

The bags used for this purpose are of various plastic materials and shapes, and are generally fluid-tight to prevent liquids stored in containers in the bags from accidentally spilling out of the bags.

All bags meeting the requirements currently used at airport checkpoints should have the essential property of being completely transparent so that their contents can be inspected from any possible viewing or perspective angle without opening the mouth of the bag.

To achieve this, the bag may be constructed from two transparent plastic panels sealed to one another at three edges and defining a mouth at a fourth edge, the mouth comprising a resealable fastener having a profile adapted to resealably interlock with one another, such as a zipper closure fastener without a slider.

Bags are known which are used as boxes for various articles without being used for security inspection of restricted areas. Such a bag may be formed of more than two panels, which are sealed to each other at their edges to obtain a prismatic shape, e.g. a triangular cross-section. A zipper closure slider fastener is typically provided at one corner of the prismatic shaped bag.

Furthermore, suitcases are known which comprise a transparent window through which the contents of the suitcase can be partially seen.

Transparency requires that, although it may have a positive advertising effect on the cosmetics, personal care or pharmaceutical industries because of the cosmetic brand or pharmaceutical product visible from outside the bag, it is not a source of revenue for airlines. Moreover, transparency poses a serious problem for the owner of the bag, since the contents of a transparent bag to be inspected at an inspection station are generally of a private nature. Owners may not want others to see the contents while waiting for inspection because the contents may expose, for example, the owner of the bag to a particular ailment or use of a particular product.

In addition to the privacy requirements, another problem with known transparent bags for inspection at inspection stations at airports and similar locations is that the requirement for complete transparency prevents the bag from being immediately identified as a particular person's property or as an item associated with a particular flight or airline. Indeed, if the bag includes a feature thereon, that feature would make a portion of the sidewall to which it is applied opaque and would therefore obstruct at least one view of the interior volume of the bag, thus preventing the appearance of a mark on a transparent bag because a criminal could utilize the mark to hide electronic or explosive material just behind the mark.

The consequence of preventing a transparent bag from having a mark on it is: if the bag is lost, the owner may not be identified by their personal identification data or by their flight data (e.g., flight number, destination, and seat number) or by an automatically readable tracking number. Thus, it may not be possible to distribute the bag immediately or even automatically to the owner's personal belongings before boarding the aircraft, for example to his luggage or to distribute the bag directly to the seats on the flight, and/or to handle the bag separately from the passengers.

Moreover, another disadvantage associated with the absence of indicia on the bag is the inability to provide commercial, promotional or sponsorship activities on the transparent bag. Thus, there is currently no room for a sponsor's plan or for the common marketing and common business activities of lotteries.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and safe bag which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with prior bags.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a transparent bag which, although completely transparent, serves to allow its contents to be visible from the outside from any perspective, but which also allows the privacy of its contents to be maintained.

Another object is to provide a transparent bag that complies with any safety standard or can be easily made to comply with such a standard.

It is a further object to provide a completely clear transparent bag for use at inspection stations with indicia of a certain character without altering the bag.

Moreover, a particular object is to allow the bag to be provided with markings independently of the manufacturer or the place of manufacture of the bag, in order to provide the markings separately, for example by an airline or commercial company, for example in an inspection station environment.

A further object is to provide a security transparent bag that is particularly useful for flight passengers and is associated with a particular flight or airline.

A further object is to provide a transparent bag that can be automatically tracked and/or traced back to the owner without changing the transparent characteristics of the bag.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transparent travel bag that, while uniquely associated with a particular passenger or flight, can be reused or recycled and associated with another passenger or flight, thereby reducing cost and environmental impact.

It is a very important object of the present invention to provide a transparent bag which is highly reliable and relatively simple to manufacture and highly customizable.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by providing a transparent security bag comprising a storage compartment made of plastic or plastic-like material, which is completely transparent and defines a storage volume of the bag, the storage compartment comprising an opening provided with a resealable fastener, the storage compartment comprising a transparent wall that completely encloses the storage volume when the opening is closed, the bag being characterized in that: the bag includes an opaque fitment movable relative to at least one of the walls of the storage compartment between a covering position in which the fitment is at least partially located on the at least one wall for at least partially obscuring the storage volume of the bag from outside the storage compartment, and an inspection position in which the fitment is not located on the at least one wall for allowing the entire storage volume of the bag to be viewed through either wall of the storage compartment without opening the resealable fastener, the fitment being attached to the storage compartment by an attachment member so as not to obscure any portion of the storage volume of the bag when the fitment is in the inspection position.

The fitment is preferably, but not necessarily, removable or peelable from the bag.

The plastic storage compartment may be manufactured using any known prior art method, such as a heat sealing process or an extrusion process of a plastic material. The fitment can be made independently of the storage compartment and even in different places, and the connection of the two components of the pouch can be carried out along one edge of the storage compartment, so that its contents are completely clearly visible.

By "storage compartment" is meant the portion of the bag that allows the insertion of a storage of containers (e.g., liquid containers) through a closable or sealable opening. The storage compartment preferably ensures a fluid-tight seal, is provided in any suitable design and any opening closure means to perform these functions, and may have dimensions within a maximum volume range specified by predetermined safety regulations.

The opaque appendix, which will also be referred to hereinafter as "no-storage-volume appendix", may be at least one side panel or sheet, of flexible or foldable nature, having a different or equal thickness with respect to the bag wall, and preferably having a colored, translucent or completely opaque surface. The opaque appendage may even be a transparent panel or sheet that is rendered opaque by indicia, labels, tickets, cards, or removable media applied thereto. In either case, the opaque fitment used in the present invention is not a flap of the bag, i.e., does not have the purpose of closing the opening of the storage compartment or providing additional closure of the opening. The storage compartment already includes its own resealable fastener for this purpose. Thus, the opaque appendix used for the invention is preferably located completely on the same side of the storage compartment when it is in the covering position.

The "no storage volume fitment" used in the present invention cannot contain containers or liquids or other hazardous materials due to its nature.

The expression "opaque" is used hereinafter to characterize the following: a large portion of the visible light directed to the object is not transmitted, but is, for example, backscattered, reflected or absorbed by the object due to the surface or color properties of the object. Preferably, opaque is when all or most of the visible light is not transmitted through the object. Conversely, the term "transparent" means an object through which most or substantially all visible light is transmitted.

Note that the security transparent bag described below is particularly relevant to aircraft operations or airport security, but is not limited to these applications. It is also suitable for other environments where inspections are required to strictly comply with certain specific regulations.

Drawings

Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the device according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a security bag according to a first general embodiment of the invention, showing a storage compartment with a volume without storage accessories in an inspection position.

Fig. 2 is a left side elevational view of the bag shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bag of fig. 1 with the fitment in a covering position without a storage volume.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the storage compartment of fig. 1 with a plastic strip sealed to one edge of the storage compartment.

Fig. 5 is a left side elevational view of the storage compartment of fig. 4.

Fig. 6-7 are rear elevational views of accessories having airline names and no storage volume for promotional or lottery codes, respectively.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the fitment without a storage volume wherein a double sided tape is used to maintain the covering position.

Fig. 9 is a rear side elevational view of an accessory having a transparent pocket for storing a registration certificate or ticket.

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of an embodiment in which the storage compartment holds a liquid container therein and the fitment without the storage volume includes indicia on a rear surface thereof.

Fig. 11 is a front side elevation view of a further embodiment of the security bag in an inspection position with attachment means connecting the accessory to the storage compartment at a short edge of the storage compartment.

Fig. 12 is a further embodiment of the security bag showing two plastic sheets with cardboard between them.

Fig. 13 is a further embodiment of the security bag wherein adhesive is applied to a strip protruding from one edge of the storage compartment.

Fig. 14 shows a specific opaque appendix in which perforated lines are provided to obtain a removable coupon.

Fig. 15a-15b are a perspective view and a left side elevation view of a storage compartment according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a bag comprising the storage compartment of fig. 15a and an opaque fitment in a covering position.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the storage compartment of fig. 15a with adhesive applied to the joined edges thereof.

Fig. 18a-18b are front and back elevation views of an opaque appendage including a transparent edge region.

Fig. 19 is a rear elevational view of an opaque appendage including adhesive at one edge region.

Fig. 20 is a left side elevational view of an embodiment of the security bag according to the invention, wherein the opaque appendix of fig. 18a-18b is attached to the joining edge of the storage compartment.

Fig. 21a-21c are left side elevation views of an embodiment of the security bag with an opaque fitment attached to the storage compartment in a different manner.

Fig. 22a-22b are perspective and left side elevational views of attachment means for engaging the opaque fitment to the storage compartment as used in embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 23a-23c are perspective views of an opaque appendage using the attachment member of fig. 22a-22 b.

Fig. 24a-24c are perspective views of the opaque fitment of fig. 23a-23c and a safety pouch using the fitment, wherein an adhesive is applied to the attachment member.

25a-25b are perspective and left side elevational views of three strap attachment members for engaging an opaque accessory to the storage compartment as used in embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 26 shows the arrangement of the opaque attachments and attachment members of FIGS. 25a-25 b.

27a-27b are front and back elevation views of the opaque attachment of FIG. 26.

Fig. 28a-28b are perspective views of a security bag according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising the opaque attachment and attachment means of fig. 26, in an inspection position and in a covering position, respectively.

Fig. 28c is a perspective view of a security bag according to an embodiment of the invention in the covering position, including an accessory having a tag thereon.

29a-29b are perspective views of an opaque attachment having a transparent attachment member at its edge.

Fig. 30a-30b are perspective views of a security bag according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising the opaque attachment and attachment means of fig. 29a-29b, in an inspection position and in a covering position, respectively.

Figure 31 is a perspective view of a storage compartment having a first microchip on one sidewall that can be used in embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 32 is a perspective view of a storage compartment with a second microchip on one edge that can be used in embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 33a-33c are perspective views of a storage compartment having a pocket that may be used in embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 34a-34b are front and rear elevational views of three strip-type belts used as attachment members in embodiments of the present invention.

In the figures described above and in the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to indicate the same or technically equivalent features.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1 to 5, a security bag 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage compartment 2 and an opaque appendix 3, the opaque appendix 3 being attached to the storage compartment 2 by an attachment member 4.

The storage compartment 2 defines the storage volume of the bag and is made of plastic or a plastic-like material such as PVC, polyethylene or polypropylene.

These materials may be processed according to any known method for manufacturing plastic bags. For example, for a given tubular roll of transparent plastic, a die-cutting operation is performed to obtain plastic sheets of the desired size, and finally, one or more plastic sheets are welded or heat-sealed to obtain the desired form of the bag. If the bag is made from a single transparent sheet, the bag may be obtained by folding the sheet in half generally along a centre line and by heat sealing the two edges together to define a mouth. If two or more plastic sheets are used as starting materials, they can be joined to one another at their edges by heat sealing.

Obviously, the bag can be manufactured using any joining method, such as electrical or ultrasonic welding, gluing or sewing, in addition to heat sealing. Most preferably, the joining method is selected such that the sealed joint of the bag is fluid tight.

The thickness of these transparent sheets, corresponding to the thickness of the walls of the bag 1, is preferably in the range from 0.20mm to 0.50mm, although any thickness may be used as required.

The storage compartment 2 formed by the transparent sheet is also completely transparent, so that its contents can be inspected from any perspective from the outside without the need to rotate or open the bag.

In order to access the storage volume of the bag, in all embodiments of the invention the storage compartment comprises an opening 5, the opening 5 comprising a resealable fastener, preferably of the type having mutually facing profiles adapted to resealably interlock with each other. More preferably, the resealable fastener is a zipper closure fastener 5a, the zipper closure fastener 5a optionally being provided with a slider 5b and a stopper 5 d. As is well known, the zipper closure fastener 5a can be manufactured separately and easily joined to the bag by a welding operation along line 5c during its manufacture.

Obviously, any sealable or resealable fastener, such as an adhesive, may be provided at the opening of the bag. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag is fluid-tight, and the closure means of the opening 5 are therefore selected such that they provide a fluid-tight seal when the closure means is in the closed state. For simplicity, in all embodiments depicted in the figures, the opening closure member always includes a zipper closure fastener 5 a.

The storage compartment 2 comprises transparent walls 2a-2d which completely enclose the storage volume when the opening 5 is closed. At least the storage volume and thus its contents must be completely visible from outside the bag and from any perspective.

An opaque appendix 3, which can be made and arranged independently of the storage compartment 2, is movable with respect to at least one wall 2a of the storage compartment 2 between a covering position (fig. 3), in which the appendix 3 is at least partially located on the wall 2a, for at least partially obscuring the storage volume of the bag, seen from the outside of the storage compartment 2, and an inspection position (fig. 1-2), in which the appendix 3 is not located on the wall 2a, for allowing the entire storage volume of the bag 1 to be completely seen through any one of the walls 2a-2d of the storage compartment 2. In this covering position, as can be seen from fig. 3, the opaque appendix 3 is located entirely on the same side of the storage compartment. The movement of the accessory 3 from the inspection position to the covering position is indicated by means of an arrow in fig. 1.

Thus, when the passenger or more generally the holder of the bag 1 wishes to hide the contents of the bag, the accessory is guided to the covering position (fig. 3) and the bag is held along a hip, for example with one hand. The contents of the bag are hidden from view from the front of the covered side of the bag due to the covering function of the no storage volume fitment 3. The contents cannot be seen from a perspective view such as that shown in fig. 3, either, as the visible part is not sufficient to deduce what the contents of the security bag 1 are. This covering function is sufficient to implement the required privacy protection and to prevent the contents of the storage compartment 2 from being displayed to other individuals. When the bag 1 is tilted on a surface, such as on the surface of a trolley, or held along a user's hip, the viewer has a very limited field of view, similar to that provided by the perspective view shown in fig. 3. At the checkpoint, the passenger or inspector simply opens the accessory 3 to the inspection position (fig. 1), so that the contents of the bag are inspected at the checkpoint as is done with conventional transparent bags, without having to open the opening of the bag.

Preferably, in all the embodiments of the invention, the surface extension of the appendix 3 is substantially equal to the surface extension of the covered wall 2a, so that when the appendix is in the covering position, the appendix completely covers the wall 2 a. However, the extension of the appendix 3 may be smaller or larger than the extension of the wall 2a, according to requirements. For example, the fitment may have an extension that allows it to be folded over the pouch and cover both opposing walls 2a and 2b without having to close or seal the opening of the storage compartment.

In an alternative embodiment, the security bag may comprise more than one no storage volume accessory to cover the respective walls of the storage compartment. However, from the point of view of safety standards, it is preferred to provide only one accessory shown in the embodiment depicted in the figures, so that even when the accessory without storage volume is in the covering position, the storage compartment 2 can be inspected at least for a first eye, for example from the uncovered wall 2b of the storage compartment 2.

The accessory without storage volume according to the invention may comprise fastening means for holding the accessory in the covering position after inspection of the bag. Referring to fig. 1-11, the fastening means may be hook and loop fasteners, such as velcro, applied to respective plastic sheets 8a-8b extending outwardly from the perimeter of the accessory 3 and storage compartment 2, respectively. An alternative fastening means may be a double-sided adhesive tape 18a, the exposed side of which is preferably covered with a repositionable adhesive, as shown in fig. 8. The adhesive tape 18a is applied on the side 13b of the no-storage-volume fitment 13, which in the covering position will be located on the wall 2a of the storage compartment.

In addition, the fastening means, which tend to keep the plastic surfaces attached to each other by means of a static cling, can be obtained simply by choosing a material (e.g. plastic or plastic coating) suitable for the no-storage-volume accessories and by exploiting the static electricity of such material that can characterize the no-storage-volume accessories 3 and/or the storage compartments 2.

Alternatively, holes or slots 9 may be present on the no-storage-volume accessory for holding the bag 1, for example by using a thread 9a (as shown in fig. 10) or fingers.

It should be noted that the covering position of the accessory without storage volume is not reversible and that the bag 1 can be carried with the accessory without storage volume in the inspection position (as shown in figure 1) or in the covering position (as shown in figure 3) according to the preferences of the owner or the requirements of the security personnel.

The attachment means according to the invention, which connect the storage compartment with the accessory without a storage volume, are chosen so as not to conceal any part of the storage volume of the bag when the accessory is in the inspection position, and will be described hereinafter. To achieve this, the storage compartment may comprise at least one edge 6 at its periphery and outside the storage volume, and the attachment means may be located at this edge 6. In addition, a transparent attachment member may be used and applied to a wall of the storage compartment that overlaps the storage volume.

In particular, with reference to fig. 1-5, the edge 6 at which the attachment member is provided is the joining edge of the storage compartment 2, which edge only protrudes slightly, for example less than 3mm, from the periphery of the storage compartment 2. In this case, the attachment means comprises a strap 4, which strap 4 projects outwardly from an edge 6 at the bottom of the storage compartment 2.

The accessory 3 without storage volume is attached to the strip 4 via the edge area 7 of the accessory 3. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, using the strip 4 as an attachment member, the edge region connecting the accessory to the strip 4 may be one of the outermost boundaries of the accessory without storage volume or may be located on one side of the accessory immediately adjacent this boundary. In the latter case, the edge region of the accessory may be located on a side 3b of the accessory or on an opposite side 3a of the accessory 3, the side 3b of the accessory being located on the wall 2a of the storage compartment in the covering position.

Note that the strip 4, which is located outside the storage volume of the bag 1, does not jeopardize the integrity of the storage compartment 2, which remains a separate container, and the attachment 3 is attached to the storage compartment along a line located completely outside the storage volume. Thus, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the storage compartment remains completely transparent even if an opaque appendix 3 is present. Safety is also ensured by the absence of any storage volume in the accessory 3, which prevents criminals from hiding hazardous materials in the accessory. Indeed, the accessory, although inherently opaque or transparent and may be made opaque by applying indicia, labels, tickets, cards or removable media thereto, is a sheet or sheet-like panel made of any material, preferably a non-metallic material or other material suitable for passing through a metal detector.

The strip 4 is preferably made of plastic or plastic-like material and is welded to the edge 6 of the storage compartment. In an alternative embodiment, the strip may be an excess area of the storage compartment, obtained by using a sheet longer than the other sheets for obtaining the wall 2a during manufacture, so that the storage compartment already obtained by using this sheet comprises an integral flap protruding from one edge.

Optionally, the strip 4 includes a tamper evident seal 4b applied over the strip, as shown in fig. 10, which serves as a guarantee of the bag integrity for the passenger.

The accessory 3 without storage volume can be joined to the strip 4 according to any known method. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 1-11, welding is used such that a weld zone 7b is formed on the edge region 7 of the attachment, which connects the attachment to the strip 4. As can be seen from fig. 1-2, note that the fused region 7b is located at the outermost boundary of the attachment 3. Fig. 8 shows an alternative fusion zone, indicated at 17b, which will be described in the following.

Alternatively, the welded region 7b joining the fitment 3 without storage volume to the strip 4 may comprise at least one weakened region for allowing the fitment to be easily torn from the bag. For example, the weakened area may be a line of reduced thickness or a pre-fractured or perforated line. The weakened area may also be the weld line itself.

The provision of the weakened zone is intended to make the security bag easily comply with even the most stringent security regulations: if the inspector of the checkpoint is not satisfied with the presence of the accessory, whether it is mobile or not, the accessory can be easily removed from the storage compartment, which of course complies with any safety regulations. It is further noted that the act of removing the accessory will occur just a few seconds prior to the examination, allowing the passenger to maintain privacy in the most critical phase.

Furthermore, the weakened area allows different owners to easily reuse the storage compartment by removing only the previous owner's accessory and applying a new accessory, on which specific personal information may be contained.

In an alternative embodiment, which will be discussed with reference to fig. 14-15, the accessory is secured to the strip using gluing or gluing instead of welding. Additionally, stitching (not shown in the figures) may also be used.

The accessory 3 without storage volume, in addition to providing a privacy retaining function, also defines a double surface that can be used for multiple purposes.

In particular, as shown in fig. 6-8, the inner side 3b of the accessory 3, without a storage volume, comprises a datum or marking. Obviously, it is also possible or alternatively to apply the marking to the outer lateral surface 3a of the accessory. For example, profile 301 represents the name of the airline that the security bag will take, and profile 302 is a sponsor: thus, the document provides a first instant highly visible indication to security personnel and is an advertising tool for both the airline 301 and the sponsor 302.

The lower part of the outer side 3a and/or the inner side 3b of the accessory 3 without storage volume can be used for advanced identification purposes. For this purpose, a single code 303 is provided, for example in the form of a bar code, which is assigned to a passenger without the passenger's name being presented on the side 3a or 3 b.

The security mark 304 may be present to indicate that the security bag 1 has been inspected and can be safely airborne. When the security bag 10 is not in the hand of a passenger, the profiles 306 and 305 indicate the flight and seat in which the security bag 20 should be located.

Further indicia may include a serial number or code identifying the accessory, which may be printed or more generally applied at the time of manufacture of the accessory.

Having provided the security bag 1 with details 301, 303, 304, 305, 306 opens up the possibility of carrying out a security check without the passenger being physically present and finally delivering the bag directly to the aircraft, reducing some of the usual inconveniences of the passenger.

Further markings may be provided on the accessory 3 without storage volume. For example, a code 307 for a promotional program or a lottery number may be applied or printed on the accessory 3, as shown in fig. 7.

This information or marking can alternatively or additionally be applied to the side 3b of the accessory 3 on the wall 2a of the storage compartment 2 in the covering position, as shown in fig. 6-8 and 10, in which the same reference numerals are used to identify identical or technically equivalent features. Note that in fig. 6-8, the welding zone 17b of the strip 4 for connecting the accessory 3 to the storage compartment 2 is not located on the outermost border of the accessory in fig. 1, but on the side 3b of the accessory adjacent to this border.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the opaque appendix 23 of the pocket can be provided with a transparent flat pocket 21 on its front or rear side for storing a ticket or boarding pass 22, as shown in fig. 9.

In other embodiments of the invention, the strip and opaque appendix according to the invention may be provided at the side edge 6b of the storage compartment instead of at the bottom edge. For example, as shown in fig. 11, an opaque appendix 23a with a transparent pocket 21a is welded to a strip 24 projecting from the lateral edge 6b of the storage compartment 2.

In another embodiment of the invention depicted in fig. 12, the opaque appendix 33 is formed by at least two layers 3c, 3d fixed to each other, and the strip 4 projecting from the edge 6 of the storage compartment 2 is sandwiched between these two layers of the appendix 33 at an edge region 37 of the appendix. Preferably, the first layer 3c is an opaque sheet and the second layer 3d is a transparent plastic sheet bonded to the opaque sheet 3 c.

The cardboard 32 with the indicia thereon may be enclosed between the two layers 3c and 3 d.

Obviously, the two layers constituting appendix 33 may be either both opaque or both transparent, with an opaque cardboard or sheet between the two layers, or the two layers constituting appendix 33 are made of different materials and may comprise markings applied to their surfaces.

To secure the accessory 33 to the strip, the adhesive may be applied on the surface of the strip 4 or on the inner surface of the edge regions of the layers 3c and 3 d. Alternatively, welding or stitching may be used.

In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in fig. 13, but not limited to the particular no-storage-volume accessory shown in fig. 13, the attachment means for connecting the no-storage-volume accessory to the storage compartment 2 may further comprise a first adhesive 4a applied on at least one side of the strip 4. In addition, a second adhesive 7a may be applied to at least one side of the accessory generally at the edge region of the accessory, as shown, for example, in fig. 14, in which only one repositionable adhesive 18a is shown. In both cases, the contact area between the strip of the storage compartment and the edge area of the opaque appendix will be larger compared to the embodiment in which only weld lines are used to connect the strip and the edge area together.

The first adhesive 4a or the second adhesive 7a may be any of a glue, a pressure sensitive adhesive, a double sided tape, a permanent adhesive or a repositionable adhesive.

If the storage compartment and the accessory without storage volume are provided separately, a removable liner (e.g. as shown by 7c in fig. 14) may be applied to the first adhesive 4a or to the second adhesive 7a, which liner may be easily removed when attaching the accessory to the storage compartment. This arrangement is particularly preferred when an advertiser or airline, who has provided a mark at an airport or near a checkpoint or on an accessory, joins together the storage compartment of the bag according to the invention and the accessory.

In the particular embodiment of fig. 13, another feature is shown that may be used in any of the embodiments of the present invention. An accessory 43 without storage volume is provided, comprising a plurality of pre-broken or perforated lines 45 arranged so as to define a closed area 46 for obtaining tickets, on which respective markings can be applied, and which can be removed from the accessory independently of one another.

The no-storage-volume attachment 43 is preferably selected from cardboard, photographic paper, printing paper or any other suitable material that can be printed or embossed, engraved or written using a laser printer, light emitting diode printer, solid ink printer, ink jet printer or thermal printer.

In an alternative, the no storage volume accessory may comprise a backing sheet having one or more adhesive labels applied to at least one side of the backing sheet. As a ticket 46, the labels can be printed and removed independently of each other.

Optionally, a pre-broken or weakened line 47a may be provided which separates the cover portion of the accessory 43 from the edge region 47 of the accessory which is to be attached to the strip 4 of the storage compartment 2. By tearing along the weakened line 47a, this line allows to permanently remove the covering portion of the appendix 43 from the bag.

Various embodiments of opaque fitments for application to a storage compartment of the present invention have been described wherein the storage compartment comprises a strip protruding from one edge of the storage compartment as shown in figure 4.

However, the above-described opaque fitment and the fitment to be described below may be applied not only to the storage compartment 2, but also to the storage compartment 62, in which storage compartment 62 the attachment means is provided directly at the joining edge of the storage compartment that reciprocally joins at least two transparent walls (or the joining edge is produced by an extrusion or other manufacturing process), and the joining edge protrudes significantly outwards with respect to the storage volume of the bag to provide an extended attachment surface, as shown in fig. 15a-15 b. In this case, the opaque accessory is attached to this joining edge of the storage compartment at an edge region of the accessory.

The extended joining edge, indicated with the number 64 in fig. 15a-15b, can be obtained directly during the manufacture of the bag, using any known technique for joining edges of panels constituting plastic bags, for example by means of pressing or heat sealing, and can be provided at part or all of the borders of the bag. To provide an attachment surface, the engagement edge preferably protrudes at least about 3mm, preferably 5mm and more preferably 6mm from the periphery of the storage volume.

Any of the opaque appendages described above may be applied at the joining edge 64 using the same method as described above (e.g. by welding, gluing or sewing) to obtain a security bag which, when the appendage is in the covering position, appears as shown in fig. 16. For example, as shown in fig. 17, a third adhesive 64a may be applied to the attachment surface of the joining edge 64. The third adhesive 64a is preferably a double-sided tape provided with a removable liner 64 b. In other embodiments, the third adhesive may be any of a glue, a pressure sensitive adhesive, a permanent adhesive, a repositionable adhesive.

As an alternative, instead of providing a third adhesive at the joining edge 64, a second adhesive may be applied to at least one side of the opaque attachment, generally at the edge region of the opaque adhesive, such as shown in fig. 14.

In both cases, the edge region of the accessory attached to the engagement edge 64 may be located on the side of the accessory that is located on the covered wall 62a of the storage compartment in the covered position or on the opposite side of the accessory.

As a further alternative, the attachment may be formed from multiple layers as previously shown in fig. 12. In this case, the joining edge 64 may be sandwiched between the various layers of the accessory 33 at the edge region 37 thereof.

In one embodiment of the invention depicted in fig. 18a-18b, the opaque fitment 63 of the bag may comprise an opaque panel 63a made of plastic and optionally comprising a double-sided adhesive tape 68a and a corresponding liner 68b and an edge region 67, which is preferably transparent and which is to be attached to the engaging edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 as shown in fig. 20. Obviously, in other embodiments of the invention, the accessory 63 may be attached to the storage compartment 2 of fig. 4 by means of the strip 4 and the transparent edge area 67.

The transparent edge area 67 may be attached to the opaque panel 63a by a welding operation, so that a first weld line 67a is obtained between the edge area 67 and the opaque panel 63a, around which weld line the opaque panel 63a may be pivoted partially or totally with respect to the transparent edge area 67.

As an alternative, the first weld line 67a between the accessory and the transparent edge region of the accessory may be adapted to keep the opaque panel 63a folded over the transparent edge region 67 of the accessory 63 along the first weld line 67a so that the accessory 63 is held in the covering position.

First weld line 67a may be, for example, a weld line that allows opaque panel 63a to be removed from the bag by tearing along weld line 67 a. Weakened regions, such as perforated regions, may be provided to simplify the tearing or peeling operation.

In other alternative embodiments the edge region of the fitment may be obtained by folding the fitment along a fold line or along a plurality of substantially parallel fold lines.

To obtain the security pouch 60, the edge region 67 may be attached to the joining edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 by a sealing operation, other operations such as sewing, gluing or gluing may also be used. In the case of using an adhesive, one side of the edge region 67 may be covered with a double-sided adhesive 67b optionally provided with a respective removable liner 67c, as shown in fig. 19.

Regardless of the attachment means used, the edge region 67 of the fitment 63 overlaps the joining edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 such that the first weld line 67a (or fold line) is superimposed substantially at the dividing line 164a between the joining edge 64 of the storage compartment and one of the transparent walls 62a forming this joining edge 64 (fig. 20), or substantially at the first free border 164b of the joining edge of the storage compartment 62 (fig. 21a-21 b).

In another embodiment of the invention depicted in fig. 22a-22b and 23a-23c, the attachment means for the security bag may comprise a plurality of strips 220 joined together longitudinally at one end 224, for example by welding, so as to obtain a second weld line. This attachment means is preferably used to attach a paper or card accessory to one edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 or the strip 4 of the storage compartment 2. At least one first strip 221 of strips 220 is attached to opaque appendix 73 and at least one second strip 222 is attached to storage compartment 2 or 62.

In particular, as shown in fig. 21c, the free longitudinal border 223 of the first strip 221 may be attached to the border 77 of the accessory 73 by welding or other methods, while the second strip 222 may be attached to the strip 4 of the storage compartment 2 of fig. 4 or the extended joining edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 of fig. 15a by welding, gluing or stitching.

Preferably, at least one of the strips 221 and 222 comprises a fourth adhesive 225 for attaching the strip and thus the opaque appendix 73 to the edge of the storage compartment, which is the strip 4 or the extended joint edge 64. The fourth adhesive may be applied on the mutually facing sides 221a and 222a of the first strip 221 and the second strip 222, respectively, so as to sandwich the edges of the storage compartments between the mutually facing sides 221a-222a of the first and second strips, as shown in fig. 24a-24 c. As an alternative, a fourth adhesive may be applied on both sides of the strip 4 or the extended joint edge 64.

The fourth adhesive is preferably a permanent adhesive, although glue or repositionable adhesive may also be used.

Referring to fig. 25a-25b, the attachment means of a bag according to a further embodiment of the invention may comprise a plurality of strips 230 joined together longitudinally at one end 234, for example by welding. The attachment means is preferably used to attach a paper or cardboard accessory to one edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 or to the strip 4 of the storage compartment 2. A first strap 231 and/or a third strap 233 of the plurality of straps 230 are attached to the opaque appendix by sandwiching and at least a second strap 232 is attached to the storage compartment 2 or 62 optionally together with the third strap 233.

As a first alternative, the second and third strips 232, 233 may be attached to the strip 4 of the storage compartment 2 of fig. 4 or the extended joint edge 64 of the storage compartment 62 of fig. 15a by applying a fourth adhesive on the mutually facing sides 232a and 233a of the second and third strips 232, 233, respectively, so that the edges of the storage compartment may be sandwiched between the mutually facing sides 232a-233a of the second and third strips. Alternatively, the fourth adhesive is applied on both sides of the strip 4 or the extended joint edge 64, depending on the storage compartment used. To attach the opaque attachment to the plurality of strips 230, a first adhesive may be applied to one of the sides 231a or 231b of the first strip 231 and an edge region of the attachment without storage volume may be attached to that side.

In an alternative embodiment, an attachment 83 may be provided, the attachment 83 including adhesive 88a-88b optionally covered with respective backing strips 88c-88d at both sides 83a-83b of one edge region 87. As shown in fig. 27a and 27b, the opaque appendix 83 may be a cardboard or equivalent sheet, optionally similar to the appendix of fig. 14, with perforated lines 85 forming a closed removable area 86. Additionally, opaque attachment 83 may be photographic paper, printing paper, or any other suitable material that can be printed or embossed, engraved, or written using a laser printer, light emitting diode printer, solid ink printer, ink jet printer, or thermal printer.

The edge region 87 can thus be sandwiched between the mutually facing sides 231b and 233b of the first and third belts, as shown in fig. 26. Obviously, the adhesive can be applied to the mutually facing sides 231b and 233b, instead of to both sides of the edge region 87 of the attachment 83. Then, a fourth adhesive may be applied to both sides 232a and 233a of the second and third strips for securing the second and third strips to the edge of the storage compartment (which is the strip 4 or the joining edge 64), or a fourth adhesive may be applied to only one side 232a or 232b of the second strip 232 depending on the storage compartment used, eventually attaching the second strip 232 to the strip 4 or the extended joining edge 64. In fig. 28a and 28b a security bag is shown in combination with a storage compartment 62, a fitment 83 and a plurality of straps 230 in an inspection position and a covering position, respectively.

Fig. 28c shows a similar opaque attachment in which, instead of using a pre-cut coupon 86 removable from cardboard 83, a removable adhesive label 86a is applied to at least one side of a backing sheet 86b, which may be a plastic material. As with ticket 86, labels 86a on backing sheet 86b may be printed independently of each other. For example, the backing sheet 86b with the label 86a can be fed into the carton of a printer to print different indicia on different labels at the same time.

In a further embodiment of the invention, to attach the opaque attachment to the edge of the storage compartment (which is strip 4 or extended joint edge 64), the attachment means may comprise a strip 240 consisting of three strips, as shown in fig. 34a-34 b: a first strip 241 having an adhesive side 241a and an opposite non-adhesive side 241 b; a second tape 242 having a non-adhesive side 242a and an opposing adhesive side 242 b; a transparent intermediate strip 243 located between the first and second strips 241, 242, the strips being arranged such that the first and second strips 241, 242 feature adhesive sides 241a, 242b on opposite sides of the strip 240.

The belt 240 may be particularly useful in those embodiments where the storage compartment is reusable for multiple passengers or owners. With the use of the tape 240, opaque accessories can be easily joined to a storage compartment, such as storage compartment 62, after cleaning or sterilization of the storage compartment 62. After the passenger uses and disposes the security bag, the security bag may be collected, for example, by an airline that provides the security bag to the passenger, the opaque enclosure along with the three strips 240 may be easily removed and disposed of, and the storage compartment may be cleaned and/or sterilized for later use. In this case, to obtain a reusable storage container, the storage container should be sufficiently strong, and therefore the panels constituting the container should preferably be thick, for example about 0.5mm thick.

In the above described embodiments, in order to apply an opaque accessory to the storage container, attachment members arranged at the protruding edge region of the storage compartment have been proposed.

However, another attachment member adapted not to conceal any part of the storage volume of the bag when the opaque accessory is in the inspection position may be a transparent connecting member placed directly on the wall 2a or 62a, or on another wall of the storage compartment, where the accessory will be in the covering position, and in a position overlapping a part of the storage volume of the bag.

In particular, the attachment means may consist of a completely transparent adhesive tape 97, the tape 97 having an adhesive surface 97a and being attached to the border 93a of the opaque, non-storage volume accessory 93 on the opposite face, preferably at the intermediate region of the tape 97, by a sealing operation, as shown in fig. 29a-29 b.

Another possible transparent attachment member may be arranged relative to the accessories discussed with reference to fig. 18a-18 b.

As shown in fig. 30a-30b, with the use of scotch tape 97, a no storage volume accessory 93 can be attached to the storage compartment 92 in a position of one wall 92a that overlaps the storage volume of the compartment 92. As is particularly evident from fig. 30a, the overlap between the transparent attachment member and the storage volume does not hide any part of the storage volume of the bag when the accessory is in the inspection position.

In all of the above embodiments of the invention, the accessory without a storage volume is made of an opaque material or a material that can be made opaque by means of indicia, labels, tickets, cards or removable media applied thereto. In particular, the accessory may be a single-layer or layered sheet made of a material selected from the group consisting of: cardboard, paper, photographic paper, printing paper, plastic or any other material on which a mark can be applied by printing, writing, sticking, engraving or embossing.

The marking, if present, can be applied by printing, writing, engraving or embossing on the side of the accessory without storage volume, or on the opposite side or on both sides, which in the covering position is located on one wall of the storage compartment. The indicia may contain or be in the form of information about: airline, sponsor, unique code assigned to passengers, security code, flight and seat number, promotion code, discount code, rebate code, key or password, internet access code, loyalty code, voucher code, benefit code, shopping code, reward code, lottery number.

Alternatively, when the accessory is made of cardboard or equivalent material, it may comprise a plurality of pre-broken lines arranged to define a closed area on which respective markings of the kind just listed above can be applied for obtaining tickets that can be removed from the accessory independently of one another.

Alternatively, the accessory may comprise a backing sheet having at least one adhesive label or a plurality of adhesive labels applied on one or both sides thereof. Any indicia of the kind listed above may be applied to one or more such labels.

Alternatively, indicia may be provided on the storage compartment in areas that do not overlap the storage volume, such as on zipper lock fasteners (fig. 33a, where an airline logo is depicted) or on the edges at the perimeter of the storage compartment (fig. 33b, where a serial number is depicted) or on strips attached to the edges at the perimeter of the storage compartment (e.g., strip 4 of fig. 4), or on attachment members (e.g., strips 220, 230, 240).

The security transparent bag according to the invention may comprise further optional features.

For example, any of the storage compartments described above (e.g., storage compartment 62) can additionally include a microchip 69a attached to one wall 62a, as shown in fig. 31. Most preferably, the microchip 69b may be applied on the protruding edge 66 of the storage compartment 62, as shown in fig. 32, so as to be located on this edge without obstructing the storage volume. As an alternative, not shown in the figures, the microchip is applied on an opaque appendix instead of the storage compartment, or on both.

The microchip 69a or 69b preferably includes an RFID antenna and a rewritable memory means storing one or more of the following information: tracking information, bag information, personal information of the owner of the bag, encrypted information, security information, weight information, promotional codes, loyalty prizes, lottery numbers. This information can be automatically read by an RFID reader to determine the owner of the bag or their flight and immediately load the bag on the owner's flight or mail the bag or appropriate notification to the owner's address. The RFID reader may even read multiple microchips 69a-69b simultaneously to speed up the sorting of the security transparent bags.

The possibility of encrypting the information prevents the illegal rewriting of the data stored in the memory means of the microchips 69a-69b, thereby providing an anti-counterfeiting feature. On the other hand, the encrypted information stored in the microchips 69a-69b only allows authorized companies, such as airlines, to overwrite the data stored in the memory means of the microchips 69a-69b, for example when the storage compartment is reused by multiple passengers.

In any of the above embodiments of the invention, one or more walls of the storage compartment may comprise a transparent pocket, which may even be an attachment member in the sense claimed herein. For example, as shown in fig. 33a and 33b, respectively, a first transparent pocket 65a having one entrance may be provided on the wall 62a covered by the opaque appendage according to the present invention, and a second transparent pocket 65b may be provided on the opposite wall 62 b. The opaque fitment for at least partially obscuring the contents of the storage compartment may be a pivotable fitment attached to one edge of the storage compartment (as any of the opaque fitments described above), or may be a cardboard or other opaque sheet that is inserted into the pocket 65a or 65b and is removable from the pocket 65a or 65 b.

In other embodiments of the invention, a third clear pocket 65c (FIG. 33c) having two entrances may be applied to either or both of the walls 62a-62b of the storage compartment to provide a comfortable pocket for both left-handed and right-handed users. The opaque appendix for at least partially obstructing the contents of the storage compartment can be pivoted to one edge of the storage compartment according to the various possibilities described above. In addition, like pockets 65a and 65b of the embodiment of FIGS. 33a-33b, third transparent pocket 65c may be an attachment means in the sense of the claimed invention. In this case, the opaque appendix may comprise a cardboard 65d or other opaque sheet inserted into the pocket 65c, as shown in fig. 33 c: the covering position of the appendix 65d will correspond to the position shown in fig. 33c, and the inspection position of the appendix 65d will correspond to the complete removal of the cardboard 65d or the like from the pocket 65 c.

In practice it has been found that the bag according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it is completely transparent and at the same time allows temporarily hiding the personal belongings contained in the bag. Due to the provision of the accessory without a storage volume, it is not possible to conceal hazardous materials even in the opaque part of the bag.

At the same time, a novel surface is provided for identification purposes and commercial activities while protecting the privacy of the owner of the bag.

The novel safety bag is a highly customizable article by connecting different types of "no storage volume accessories" or "accessories" depending on the environmental and market conditions. The accessory may be provided independently of the bag, for example by the airline or by another company with advertising purposes, and finally attached to the storage compartment.

The security bag according to the invention may be provided in standard sizes in order to solve the measurement problem. Furthermore, the security bag according to the invention can be provided in a ready-to-use manner by an automatic machine, such as an automated teller machine, which is capable of printing indicia on opaque accessories for discrete operations and to avoid long queues in ticket checking and registration.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and discussed, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that: there are various modifications, adaptations, and alternatives of the materials used, which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as discussed and illustrated herein in connection with the various preferred embodiments of the invention.

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No.60/868960, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, which are included merely to facilitate the understanding of the claims and which therefore do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element represented by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims (64)

1. A security transparent bag comprising a storage compartment made of plastic or a plastic-like material, the storage compartment being completely transparent and defining a storage volume of the bag, the storage compartment comprising an opening provided with a resealable fastener, the storage compartment comprising a transparent wall completely enclosing the storage volume when the opening is closed, characterized in that: the bag comprises an opaque fitment movable relative to at least one of the walls of the storage compartment between a covering position in which the fitment is at least partially located on the at least one wall for at least partially obscuring the storage volume of the bag from outside the storage compartment, and an inspection position in which the fitment is not located on the at least one wall so that the entire storage volume of the bag can be viewed through either wall of the storage compartment without opening the resealable fastener, the fitment being attached to the storage compartment by an attachment member so as not to obscure any portion of the storage volume of the bag when the fitment is in the inspection position.

2. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said storage compartment comprises at least one edge at its periphery and outside said storage volume, said attachment member being arranged at said edge of said storage compartment.

3. The security transparent bag of claim 2, wherein said attachment means comprises a strip protruding outwardly from said edge of said storage compartment, and said appendix is attached to said strip by an edge region of said appendix.

4. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said strip is made of plastic and is welded to said edge of said storage compartment.

5. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said strip is an excess area of said storage compartment.

6. The security transparent bag of claim 3, including a tamper evident seal applied over said strip.

7. The security transparent bag of one of claims 3-6, wherein said attachment means comprises a welded area between said strip and said edge area of said appendix.

8. The security transparent bag of claim 7, wherein said welded area comprises at least one weakened area to allow easy tearing of said accessory from said bag.

9. The security transparent bag of claim 8, wherein said weakened area is constituted by any one of a line of reduced thickness or a line of pre-breaking.

10. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said attachment means comprises a seam fastening said accessory to said strap.

11. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said attachment means comprises a first adhesive applied on at least one side of said strip.

12. The security transparent bag of claim 11, wherein said attachment means comprises a second adhesive applied on at least one side of said appendix substantially at said edge region of said appendix.

13. The security transparent bag of claim 12, wherein said first adhesive or said second adhesive is selected from the group comprising glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, double sided tape, permanent adhesive, repositionable adhesive.

14. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said edge region of said appendix is located on the side of said appendix located on said at least one wall of said storage compartment in said covering position or on the opposite side of said appendix.

15. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said appendix is formed by at least two layers fixed to each other, said strip being sandwiched between said at least two layers of said appendix at said edge region of said appendix.

16. The security transparent bag of claim 15, wherein a cardboard is enclosed between said at least two layers.

17. The security transparent bag of claim 15 or 16, wherein a first layer of said at least two layers is an opaque sheet and a second layer of said at least two layers is a transparent sheet bonded to said opaque sheet.

18. The security transparent bag of claim 16, wherein indicia is included on said cardboard.

19. The security transparent bag of claim 17, wherein said opaque sheet comprises indicia and is selected from cardboard, photographic paper, printing paper or any other suitable material that can be printed or imprintable, engraved or written by means of a laser printer, light emitting diode printer, ink jet printer or thermal printer.

20. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said at least one edge of the storage compartment is a joining edge reciprocally joining at least two of the transparent walls of the storage compartment, said joining edge protruding outwards with respect to the storage volume of the bag to provide an extended attachment surface, said appendix being attached to the joining edge of the storage compartment at an edge region of the appendix.

21. The security transparent bag of claim 20, wherein the attachment means comprises a third adhesive applied to the attachment surface of the joining edge.

22. The security transparent bag of claim 21, wherein the attachment means comprises a second adhesive applied to at least one side of the accessory substantially at the edge region of the accessory.

23. The security transparent bag of claim 22, wherein said second adhesive or said third adhesive is selected from the group comprising glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, double sided tape, permanent adhesive, repositionable adhesive.

24. The security transparent bag of claim 20, wherein said edge region of said appendix is located on the side of said appendix located on said at least one wall of said storage compartment in said covering position or on the opposite side of said appendix.

25. The security transparent bag of claim 20, wherein said appendix is formed by at least two layers fixed to each other, said joining edge being sandwiched between said at least two layers of said appendix at said edge region of said appendix.

26. The security transparent bag of claim 25, wherein a cardboard is inserted between said at least two layers.

27. The security transparent bag of claim 26, wherein a first layer of said at least two layers is an opaque sheet and a second layer of said at least two layers is a transparent sheet bonded to said opaque sheet.

28. The security transparent bag of claim 26, wherein indicia is included on said cardboard.

29. The security transparent bag of claim 27, wherein said opaque sheet comprises indicia and is selected from cardboard, photographic paper, printing paper or any other suitable material that can be printed or imprintable, engraved or written by means of a laser printer, light emitting diode printer, ink jet printer or thermal printer.

30. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said edge region of said appendix comprises a pre-broken or weakened line to allow permanent removal of said appendix from said bag by tearing along the pre-broken or weakened line.

31. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said edge region of said appendix is transparent.

32. The security transparent bag of claim 3, wherein said edge region of said appendix is joined to said appendix by welding so as to obtain a first welding line between said edge region of said appendix and said appendix.

33. The security transparent bag of claim 32, wherein the first weld line between the edge region of the appendix and the appendix is adapted to allow the appendix to pivot substantially freely with respect to the edge region of the appendix about the first weld line.

34. The security transparent bag of claim 32, wherein the first weld line between the edge region of the appendix and the appendix is adapted to keep the appendix folded over the edge region of the appendix along the first weld line so that the appendix tends to maintain the covering position.

35. The security transparent bag of claim 32, wherein the edge region of the appendix overlaps the joining edge of the storage compartment such that the first welding line is substantially at a free border of the joining edge of the storage compartment or substantially superimposed to a boundary between the joining edge of the storage compartment and one of the transparent walls forming the joining edge.

36. The security transparent bag of claim 20, wherein said edge region of said appendix is welded to said joining edge of said storage compartment.

37. The security transparent bag of claim 3 or 20, wherein said edge region of said appendix is obtained by folding said appendix along a line or along a plurality of substantially parallel lines.

38. The security transparent bag of claim 20, wherein said attachment means comprises a plurality of strips longitudinally joined together at one end, at least a first strip of said plurality of strips being attached to said accessory and at least a second strip of said plurality of strips being attached to said storage compartment.

39. The security transparent bag of claim 38, wherein the second strap is attached to the strip.

40. The security transparent bag of claim 38, wherein the second strap is attached to the joining edge of the storage compartment.

41. The security transparent bag of claim 38, wherein a free longitudinal border of said first strap is attached to a border of said accessory.

42. The security transparent bag of claim 38, wherein at least one of said plurality of strips includes a fourth adhesive.

43. The security transparent bag of claim 42, wherein said fourth adhesive is applied to mutually facing sides of said first and second strips, and said edges of said storage compartment are sandwiched between said mutually facing sides of said first and second strips.

44. The security transparent bag of claim 38, wherein said plurality of bands includes a third band.

45. The security transparent bag of claim 44, wherein said edge of said storage compartment is sandwiched between said second band and said third band.

46. The security transparent bag of claim 44, wherein an edge region of the appendix is sandwiched between the first and third bands.

47. The security transparent bag of one or more of claims 38-46, wherein said strip of said plurality of strips is joined longitudinally at said one end by a second weld line, said strip being at least partially pivotable about said second weld line.

48. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said attachment member is transparent and arranged on said at least one wall or on another wall of said storage compartment so as to overlap a portion of said storage volume of said bag.

49. The security transparent bag of claim 48, wherein said attachment member is constituted by a completely transparent adhesive tape, a border of said appendix being sealed to a middle area of said tape.

50. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said attachment member comprises a strap consisting of three straps: a first strip having an adhesive side and an opposing non-adhesive side, a second strip having a non-adhesive side and an opposing adhesive side, and a transparent intermediate strip positioned between the first strip and the second strip, the first strip and the second strip characterized by their adhesive sides on opposite sides of the strip.

51. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said appendix comprises markings on the side of said at least one wall of said storage compartment or on the opposite side of said appendix or on both sides of said appendix in said covering position.

52. The security transparent bag of claim 51, wherein said indicia contains or is in the form of material relating to: airline, sponsor, unique code assigned to passengers, security code, flight and seat number, promotion code, discount code, rebate code, key or password, internet access code, loyalty code, voucher code, benefit code, shopping code, reward code, lottery number.

53. The security transparent bag of claim 51, wherein said accessory is made of a material selected from the group comprising: cardboard, paper, photographic paper, printing paper, plastic or any other material on which a mark can be applied by printing, writing, gluing, engraving or embossing.

54. The security transparent bag of claim 51, wherein said appendix is made of cardboard and comprises a plurality of pre-broken lines arranged to define a closed area on which respective markings can be applied for obtaining a ticket, and which can be removed from said appendix independently of each other.

55. The security transparent bag of claim 54, wherein said attachment comprises a backing sheet, at least one adhesive label being applied on at least one side of said backing sheet.

56. The security transparent bag of claim 55, wherein a mark is applied on at least one of said closed areas or on at least one of said labels, and contains or is in the form of information about: airline, sponsor, unique code assigned to a passenger, security code, flight and seat number, promotion code, discount code, rebate code, key or password, internet access code, loyalty code, voucher code, benefit code, shopping code, reward code, lottery number.

57. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said accessory comprises fastening means for holding said accessory in said covering position, selected from the group comprising: adhesive tape applied to the side of the accessory that is located on the at least one wall of the storage compartment in the covering position, adhesive tape applied to the at least one wall of the storage compartment, hook and loop fasteners applied to the perimeter of the accessory and the storage compartment, static cling.

58. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said storage compartment is fluid tight upon closing of said resealable fastener, said resealable fastener comprising a zipper lock fastener or an adhesive member.

59. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein at least one of said opaque appendix and said storage compartment comprises a microchip comprising an RFID antenna and a memory means storing one or more of the following information: tracking information, bag information, personal information of the owner of the bag, encrypted information, security information, weight information, promotional codes, loyalty prizes, lottery numbers.

60. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein at least one wall or another wall of the storage compartment comprises a transparent pocket.

61. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said accessory comprises a pocket.

62. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said storage compartment comprises indicia on an area that does not overlap said storage volume.

63. The security transparent bag of claim 62, wherein the region not overlapping the storage volume is one or more of: at least one edge at the perimeter of the storage compartment, a strip attached to the edge, the resealable fastener.

64. The security transparent bag of claim 1, wherein said appendix or said storage compartment comprises an aperture for holding the bag.