Security seal

• US 20060202489A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITW Limited (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITW Limited (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Collingham, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/328
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0311 having arrow-like sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0358 using a rigid hasp lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/50 Readily interlocking, two-part fastener requiring either destructive or tool disengagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/505 including additional fastener structure linking parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/48 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/516 Sliding catch, seal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/528 Seal catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/413 Padlocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/485 With seal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8162 Padlock

Abstract

The application discloses a padlock-type security seal comprising a housing and a J-shaped hasp, the hasp being locked by a disposable seal having a body and a head separated by a line of weakness, the housing having first and second openings to receive the legs of the hasp, the longer leg of the hasp having a recess on its inside edge for receiving the head of a disposable seal and including means for engaging the head, the housing having a third opening which communicates with the opening for the said one leg of the hasp so as to allow insertion of the head of the disposable seal, the housing having a seat for the disposable seal, the third opening being laterally of the other openings such that the disposable seal is inserted transversely of the insertion direction of the hasp. An edge of the third opening of the housing is adjacent the seat and forms an edge against which the seal is bent to break the seal along the line of weakness, and preferably the longer leg of the hasp extends laterally beyond the said bending edge and thus beyond the line of weakness of the disposable seal when the disposable seal is in its inserted position. The application also discloses a disposable seal having a body and a head separated by a line of weakness, the head being formed of a pair of hook-shaped elements including resiliently flexible barbs, the barbs facing each other.

Claims

1. A security seal, comprising a housing and a hasp moveable relative to said housing in a first direction between a locked position and a unlocked position;

said hasp, in the locked position, being lockable to said housing by a disposable seal;

said housing having an opening allowing insertion of the disposable seal in a second direction different from the first direction; and

said hasp including a first locking element engageable, in the locked position, with a second, matching locking element of the disposable seal to prevent movement of said hasp in the first direction toward the unlocked position and withdrawal of said disposable seal in the second direction.

2. The security seal according to claim 1, wherein said hasp further includes a portion which, in the locked position, is received in said housing, extends across an edge of said opening, and is adapted to engage the disposable seal on both sides of a line of weakness adapted to be arranged along the edge of said opening, thereby minimizing the possibility of undesirable failure of the line of weakness of the disposable seal when said hasp is pulled in the first direction away from the locked position.

3. The security seal according to claim 2, wherein said portion of the hasp extends at least 1 mm on each side of the edge of said opening.

4. The security seal according to claim 1, further comprising said disposable seal having a body, the second locking element, and a line of weakness separating said body from the second locking element,

the second locking element comprising an arrow-head shaped head with barbs engageable with the first locking element of said hasp.

5. The security seal according to claim 1, further comprising said disposable seal having a body, the second locking element, and a line of weakness separating said body from the second locking element,

the second locking element comprising a pair of hook-shaped, resiliently flexible barbs, the barbs facing each other.

13. The security seal of claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

14. The security seal of claim 1, wherein said hasp is J-shaped and comprises a longer leg and a shorter leg;

said housing comprising further openings for receiving the legs of said hasp;

said longer leg comprising a recess, which defines said first locking element, for receiving and engaging the second locking element of the disposable seal;

the opening for the disposable seal communicating with the opening for the longer leg and being laterally of the openings for the legs.

15. The security seal of claim 14, wherein said housing further comprises a seat for a body of the disposable seal, said seat being located on an imaginary extension of the opening for the shorter leg which is a blind bore.

16. The security seal according to claim 1, further comprising said disposable seal having a body, the second locking element, and a line of weakness separating said body from the second locking element;

wherein said hasp further includes an end portion which, when said hasp is locked in the locked position by said disposable seal, is received in said housing, extends across the line of weakness of said disposable seal, and engages the disposable seal on both sides of the line of weakness, thereby minimizing the possibility of undesirable failure of the line of weakness of the disposable seal when said hasp is pulled in the first direction away from the locked position.

17. The security seal according to claim 16, wherein, when said hasp is locked in the locked position by said disposable seal, the line of weakness of said disposable seal is arranged along an edge of said opening, said edge defining a folding guide for folding and breaking said disposable seal along said line of weakness.

18. The security seal according to claim 16, wherein, when said end portion of said hasp extends from about 1 mm to about 15 mm on each side of said line of weakness.

19. The security seal according to claim 16, wherein, when said end portion of said hasp extends from about 2 mm to about 5 mm on each side of said line of weakness.

20. The security seal according to claim 1, further comprising said disposable seal having a body, the second locking element, and a line of weakness separating said body from the second locking element;

wherein said hasp comprises a recess, which defines said first locking element, for receiving and engaging the second locking element of the disposable seal; and

wherein, when said hasp is locked in the locked position by said disposable seal, the line of weakness is completely located in said recess, thereby minimizing the possibility of undesirable failure of the line of weakness and enhancing pull resistance of said security seal.

6. A disposable seal having a body and a head separated by a line of weakness,

the head comprising a pair of hook-shaped, resiliently flexible barbs, the barbs facing each other.

7. The disposable seal according to claim 6, wherein an outer edge of each of the barbs is in line with an outer edge of said body.

8. The disposable seal according to claim 6, wherein an outer edge of each barb has a notch.

11. In combination,

a disposable seal having a body and a head separated by a line of weakness, the head comprising a pair of hook-shaped, resiliently flexible barbs, the barbs facing each other;

a lock chamber; and

a locking element receivable in the lock chamber and engageable with the barbs of said disposable seal.

9. The combination of claim 11, further comprising a security seal comprising a housing defining said lock chamber and a hasp including said locking element, said housing having an opening allowing insertion of said disposable seal in said housing to engage with the locking element of said hasp;

wherein said locking element comprises a T-shaped protrusion which, upon insertion of said disposable seal into said opening, slots between the hook-shaped barbs which then engage behind forward edges of the T-shaped protrusion.

10. The combination of claim 11, further comprising an envelope or container comprising said lock chamber, the envelope or container being lockable by means of the disposable seal engaging in the lock chamber, the lock chamber comprising said locking element being formed by a T-shaped protrusion which, upon insertion of said disposable seal into said lock chamber, slots between the hook-shaped barbs which then engage behind forward edges of the T-shaped protrusion.

12. The combination of claim 9, wherein

an outer edge of each barb of said disposable seal has a notch;

and

said hasp further comprises projections other than said T-shaped protrusion, said projections engaging the notches when said barbs engage said T-shaped protrusion.

21. A security seal, comprising:

a housing;

a hasp moveable relative to said housing between a locked position and a unlocked position and having a first locking element at an end thereof; and

a disposable seal insertable into said housing and having a body, a second locking element, and a line of weakness separating said body from the second locking element;

wherein said hasp is lockable in the locked position to said housing by said disposable seal with the first locking element of said hasp engaging the second locking element of said hasp; and

wherein said end of said hasp includes a projection which, when said hasp is locked in the locked position by said disposable seal, extends across the line of weakness of said disposable seal, thereby minimizing the possibility of undesirable failure of the line of weakness of the disposable seal when said hasp is pulled away from the locked position.

22. The security seal according to claim 21, wherein said disposable seal is breakable along the line of weakness into more than two parts.

23. The security seal according to claim 21, wherein, when said hasp is locked in the locked position by said disposable seal, said projection of the hasp extends at least 1 mm on each side of the line of weakness.

24. The security seal according to claim 21, wherein the second locking element comprises an arrow-head shaped head with barbs engageable with the first locking element of said hasp.

25. The security seal according to claim 21, wherein the second locking element comprises a pair of hook-shaped, resiliently flexible barbs, the barbs facing each other.

26. A method of providing evidence of potential tampering with a security seal comprising a body, a hasp and a disposable seal, said method comprising:

introducing the hasp, in a first direction, in the housing until the hasp reaches a locked position; and

inserting the disposable seal, in a second direction angled relative to the first direction, into the housing until the disposable seal engages the hasp in the locked position, thereby preventing withdrawal of both the hasp and the disposable seal from the housing.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

providing the hasp, at an end thereof, with a first locking element and a projection;

providing the disposable seal with a body, a second locking element, and a line of weakness separating said body from the second locking element; and

engaging the second locking element of the disposable seal with the first locking element of the hasp in the locked position with the projection of the hasp extending across the line of weakness of the disposable seal, thereby minimizing the possibility of undesirable failure of the line of weakness of the disposable seal when the hasp is pulled away from the locked position.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

breaking the disposable seal at the line of weakness to separate the second locking element from the body; and

withdrawing the hasp and the separated second locking element from the housing.