Tamper-evident brace for juncture of case pieces

• US 10,444,805 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beall, Christopher Strickland, Paterra, Frank Charles, Frink, Darin Lee, Hastings, Robert, Song, Scott, An, Felix
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Chun Hoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Brijesh V.
• Application Number:
  US15/360,792
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 2064595, 292307 A, 292307 R, 70285, 70333, 70439-440, 283 80- 81, 283 98-101, 40649, 40 6
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/10 of polygonal cross-section and all parts being permanently connected to each other B65D11/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/205 Means for the attachment of labels, cards, coupons or the like; cards or coupons for the other types of rigid or semi-rigid containers B65D25/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 79/02 Arrangements or devices for indicating incorrect storage or transport B65D79/005 takes precedence ; measuring devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

A brace can be installed over a juncture between releasably joined case pieces. The brace includes a first tab and a second tab interconnected by a transition portion. The tabs are arranged to deform or break apart from one another along the transition portion in response to relative rotation between the case pieces. The deformation or breakage along the transition portion provides a tamper-evident indication of the case having been opened by rotation for access to the interior of the case since the brace was installed on the case.

Claims

1. A tamper-evident assembly, comprising:

a case comprising a first case piece and a second case piece configurable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, the first case piece and the second case piece in the closed configuration releasably joined together so as to define a juncture between the first case piece and the second case piece, the first case piece and the second case piece in the open configuration at least partially separated from one another so as to provide access to an interior of the case;

a first interface included on the first case piece and adjacent the juncture in the closed configuration, the first interface comprising a left anchor segment and a right anchor segment defining a gap between the left anchor segment and the right anchor segment;

a second interface included on the second case piece and adjacent the juncture in the closed configuration, the second interface comprising a middle anchor segment; and

a brace configured to straddle the juncture in an installed position on the case in the closed configuration, the brace comprising a body, the body comprising a left tab, a middle tab, a right tab, a first transition portion between and connecting adjacent sides of the left tab and the middle tab, and a second transition portion between and connecting adjacent sides of the right tab and the middle tab, the brace in the installed position arranged such that;

the left tab is anchored to the first case piece in the left anchor segment;

the right tab is anchored to the first case piece in the right anchor segment; and

the middle tab is anchored to the second case piece in the middle anchor segment and arranged at least partially extending over the gap defined between the left anchor segment and the right anchor segment such that rotation of the first case piece relative to the second case piece along the juncture causes the middle tab to be received in the gap while the left and right tabs move relative to the middle tab, thereby causing deformation or rupturing along the first transition portion and the second transition portion so as to provide a tamper-evident indication of the case having been opened by rotation for access to the interior of the case since the brace was installed on the case.

2. The tamper-evident assembly of claim 1, wherein the brace in the installed position is arranged such that:

the left tab of the brace is anchored to the first case piece in the left anchor segment by a prong of the left tab being in locking engagement with a space in the left anchor segment;

the right tab of the brace is anchored to the first case piece in the right anchor segment by a prong of the right tab being in locking engagement with a space in the right anchor segment; and

wherein the prongs on the left tab and the right tab are arranged to be inaccessible for disengaging the locking engagement in the closed configuration of the case and arranged to be accessible for disengaging the locking engagement in the open configuration of the case.

3. The tamper-evident assembly of claim 1, wherein the second interface includes a bracket arranged in the closed configuration at least partially extending underneath the gap defined between the left anchor segment and the right anchor segment.

4. The tamper-evident assembly of claim 1, wherein the brace further comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having circuitry extending through at least one of the first transition portion or the second transition portion such that the RFID tag is detectable in a different broadcast condition when the at least one of the first transition portion or the second transition portion have undergone the deformation or rupturing than a broadcast condition detectable when the at least one of the first transition portion or the second transition portion have not yet undergone the deformation or rupturing.

5. A tamper-evident assembly comprising:

a first case piece comprising a rim and a gap defined along the rim;

a second case piece releasably joined with the first case piece along the rim so as to define a juncture between the first case piece and the second case piece; and

a brace comprising a first tab and a second tab connected by a transition portion, the brace straddling the juncture such that the first tab is attached with the first case piece and such that the second tab is attached with the second case piece and adjacent the gap in the first case piece, the brace straddling the juncture further comprising the brace being arranged such that rotating the first case piece relative the second case piece and into the brace will cause the second tab to be received in the gap of the first case piece, the first tab to be pushed by the first case piece and to undergo relative movement away from the second tab received in the gap of the first case piece, and the transition portion to undergo rupturing or deformation in response to the relative movement of the first tab away from the second tab.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the second tab comprises a prong that extends into a space so as to anchor the second tab to the second case piece.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the space is positioned in a bracket that is anchored to the second case piece and that is arranged at least partially extending underneath the gap in the first case piece when the second case piece is releasably joined with the first case piece.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the bracket is formed of a material that is at least one of stiffer or stronger than a material forming the second case piece.

9. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first tab comprises a prong that extends into a space so as to anchor the first tab to the first case piece.

10. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the rupturing or deformation of the transition portion is visually detectable.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the rupturing or deformation of the transition portion is electrically detectable.

12. The assembly of claim 5, further comprising a near field communication component having circuitry extending through the transition portion such that the near field communication component is detectable in a different broadcast condition when the transition portion has undergone the deformation or rupturing than a broadcast condition detectable when the transition portion has not yet undergone the deformation or rupturing.

13. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the brace comprises at least a third tab and a second transition portion connecting the third tab to the second tab, wherein the brace straddling the juncture further comprises the brace being arranged such that the third tab is arranged adjacent the first case piece and such that rotating the first case piece relative the second case piece and into the brace will further cause the third tab to be pushed by the first case piece and to undergo relative movement away from the second tab received in the gap of the first case piece and further cause the second transition portion to undergo rupturing or deformation in response to the relative movement of the third tab away from the second tab.

14. A method performed by a tamper-evident assembly, the tamper-evident assembly comprising a first case piece, a second case piece releasably joined to the first case piece so as to define a juncture, and a brace arranged across the juncture so that a first tab of the brace connected to a second tab of the brace by a transition portion is anchored to the first case piece and so that the second tab is anchored to the second case piece and adjacent a gap in the first case piece, the method comprising:

receiving the second tab in the gap of the first case piece in response to rotating of the first case piece relative to the second case piece about the juncture and toward the brace;

pushing the first tab by the first case piece into relative movement away from the second tab received in the gap of the first case piece in response to the rotating of the first case piece relative to the second case piece about the juncture and toward the brace;

undergoing rupture or deformation along the transition portion in response to the relative movement of the first tab away from the second tab; and

exhibiting a tamper-evident indication that the first case piece and the second case piece have been rotated relative one another since the brace was installed on the case, the tamper-evident indication comprising the rupture or deformation along the transition portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first tab is anchored to the first case piece by at least a first prong and the second tab is anchored to the second case piece by at least a second prong.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first case piece and the second case piece enclose an interior of the tamper-evident assembly.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a computer-readable storage medium is arranged within the interior of the tamper-evident assembly.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the tamper-evident indication is visually detectable.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the tamper-evident indication is electrically detectable.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the tamper-evident indication further comprises circuitry extending through the brace being detectable in a different condition based on the rupture or deformation along the transition portion than when the rupture or deformation has not yet occurred.