Rotary security seal

• US 10,186,176 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIC Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NIC Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Nazzari, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlino, Alyson M
• Application Number:
  US14/718,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20150259951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0364 having rotary sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/402 Fetters

Abstract

A rotary security seal assembly includes a housing body defining a socket including a top opening and a peripheral socket wall. A rotor body is receivable in the socket that includes a top flange, a bottom flange, and a center body area between the top and bottom flanges. A locking filament includes a first end area permanently secured to the housing body by hardened material forming the housing body and a second end area dimensioned and configured to be received in and extend at least in part through a housing locking filament receiving bore defined by the housing body and a rotor locking filament receiving bore defined by the rotor body. At least one axial locking structure extends radially inward from the peripheral socket wall and between the top and bottom flanges of the rotor body.

Claims

1. A rotary security seal assembly comprising:

a housing body defining a socket including a top opening and a peripheral socket wall, and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket;

a rotor body receivable in the socket and including a top flange, a bottom flange, a center body area between the top and bottom flanges, and a rotor locking filament bore extending at least in part through the central body area;

a locking filament including a first end area permanently secured to the housing body by hardened material forming the housing body and a second end area dimensioned and configured to be received in and extend at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore and the rotor locking filament bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside of the housing body when so received, wherein the first end area of the locking filament extends through at least part of a tab portion located at a top side of the housing body outside of the socket; and

at least one axial locking structure extending radially inward and located between the top and bottom flanges of the rotor body so as to prevent the rotor body from being pulled out of the socket after the rotor body has been received in the socket, wherein the at least one axial locking structure comprises a crimp in the housing body defining at least one protrusion on the peripheral socket wall substantially aligned with at least one indentation in an outer surface of the housing body.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion is sized and arranged to engage at least the bottom flange of the rotor body to prevent the rotor body from being pulled out of the socket after the rotor body has been received in the socket.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a pair of protrusions.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing body includes a tab portion at or near the top opening of the socket.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a relief notch is defined in the top side of the housing body so as to intersect the first end area of the locking filament.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the peripheral socket wall includes a plurality of peripheral socket one-way detent features located along the peripheral socket wall, the peripheral socket one-way detent features comprising solid molded ratchet teeth.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the rotor body includes rotor one-way pawl features configured to engage the peripheral socket one-way detent features to enable one-way rotation of the rotor body relative to the socket via a winding direction when the rotor body is received in the socket.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the rotor one-way pawl features comprise at least one involute arm.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein upon insertion of the second end area of the locking filament at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore and the rotor locking filament receiving bore and with rotation of the rotor body in the winding direction within the socket, the second end area of the locking filament is irreversibly secured to the rotor body by forming a winding or windings around the rotor body within the socket, with the locking filament loop remaining outside of the housing body.

10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a knob at or adjacent to a top area of the rotor body.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking filament comprises a metal wire.

12. A rotary security seal assembly comprising:

a housing body defining a socket including a top opening and a peripheral socket wall, and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket;

a rotor body receivable in the socket and including a top flange, a bottom flange, a center body area between the top and bottom flanges, and a rotor locking filament bore extending at least in part through the central body area;

a locking filament including a first end area permanently secured to the housing body by hardened material forming the housing body and a second end area dimensioned and configured to be received in and extend at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore and the rotor locking filament bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside of the housing body when so received, wherein the first end area of the locking filament extends through at least part of a tab portion located at a top side of the housing outside of the socket;

at least one axial locking structure extending radially inward from the peripheral socket wall and between the top and bottom flanges of the rotor body; and

at least one indentation defined in an outer surface of the housing body substantially aligned with the least one axial locking structure.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the at least one axial locking structure is sized and arranged to engage at least the bottom flange of the rotor body to prevent the rotor body from being pulled out of the socket after the rotor body has been received in the socket.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein a relief notch is defined the top side of the housing body so as to intersect the first end area of the locking filament.

15. A rotary security seal assembly comprising:

a housing body defining a socket including a top opening and a peripheral socket wall, and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket;

a rotor body receivable in the socket and including a top flange, a bottom flange, a center body area between the top and bottom flanges, and a rotor locking filament bore extending at least in part through the central body area;

a locking filament including a first end area permanently secured to the housing body by hardened material forming the housing body and a second end area dimensioned and configured to be received in and extend at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore and the rotor locking filament bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside of the housing body when so received, wherein the first end area of the locking filament extends through at least part of a tab portion located at a top side of the housing outside of the socket; and

at least one axial locking structure extending radially inward from the peripheral socket wall and between the top and bottom flanges of the rotor body.