Tamper evident seal system

• US 10,556,687 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Flinn, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chi Q
• Application Number:
  US15/876,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20190225341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 29718801, 29718808, 29718812, 441 80, 441 88
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0631 for life vests
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/05 Tearable non-integral strips

Abstract

A seat for an aircraft comprises a compartment and a seal system. The seal system comprises a first tab connected to a first portion of the compartment, a second tab connected to a second portion of the compartment, and a piece of adhesive material connecting the first tab to the second tab.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a compartment disposed under a seat of an aircraft; and

a seal system comprising;

a first tab connected to a first portion of the compartment;

a second tab connected to a second portion of the compartment; and

a piece of adhesive material connecting the first tab and the second tab, wherein;

a first portion of the piece of adhesive material is interposed between the first tab and a perforation in the piece of adhesive material; and

a second portion of the piece of adhesive material is interposed between the second tab and the perforation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seal system provides a tamper evident seal for the compartment.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the perforation is configured to separate the piece of adhesive material when the tamper evident seal is broken.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first tab comprises a first end configured to engage with an opening in the first portion of the compartment and the second tab comprises a second end configured to engage with an opening in the second portion of the compartment.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first tab and the second tab have a first color that contrasts a second color of the compartment.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the piece of adhesive material has a third color that substantially matches the second color.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piece of adhesive material is configured to prevent the first tab and the second tab from protruding outward when the seal system is intact.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first tab or the second tab releases outward when the piece of adhesive material is broken.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piece of adhesive material is positioned over the first tab and the second tab such that a first surface of the first tab and a second surface of the second tab are not visible when the seal system is intact.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first tab and the second tab are interchangeable.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seal system is installed on a life vest compartment on an aircraft.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat is located in a passenger cabin in the aircraft.

13. A method comprising:

inspecting a compartment under a seat in an aircraft by;

inspecting a seal system having a first tab associated with a first portion of the compartment, a second tab associated with a second portion of the compartment, and a piece of adhesive material connecting the first tab and the second tab, wherein;

a first portion of the piece of adhesive material is interposed between the first tab and a perforation in the piece of adhesive material; and

a second portion of the piece of adhesive material is interposed between the second tab and the perforation; and

determining whether at least one of the first tab or the second tab protrudes outward.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining comprises:

determining whether a first color of at least one of the first tab or the second tab visibly contrasts a second color of the compartment.

15. An aircraft comprising:

a seat;

a life vest compartment associated with the seat; and

a seal system configured to indicate whether the life vest compartment has been tampered with, wherein the seal system comprises;

a first tab;

a second tab; and

a piece of adhesive material connecting the first tab to the second tab, wherein;

the first tab has a first portion disposed in the life vest compartment;

the first tab has a second portion protruding outward from the life vest compartment;

the second tab has a third portion disposed in the life vest compartment;

the second tab has a fourth portion protruding outward from the life vest compartment; and

the piece of adhesive material has a perforation configured to separate the piece of adhesive material when the seal system is broken.

16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the first tab is connected to a first portion of the life vest compartment and the second tab is connected to a second portion of the life vest compartment to provide a tamper evident seal for the life vest compartment.

17. The aircraft of claim 16, wherein the first tab and the second tab have a first color that contrasts a second color of the life vest compartment.

18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the piece of adhesive material has a third color that matches the second color.

19. The aircraft of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first tab or the second tab releases outward when the piece of adhesive material is broken.

20. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein the piece of adhesive material is positioned over the first tab and the second tab such that a first surface of the first tab and a second surface of the second tab are not visible when the seal system is intact.