SEALING BOLT AND SEALING SYSTEM

• US 20160217877A1
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)
• Original Assignee: The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)
• Inventors: SIRONI, Marco, LITTMANN, Franois
• Granted Patent: US 10,468,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/028 initial opening or unauthorised access being indicated by the presence or absence of an audible or electrical signal
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 5/12 Closures for containers; Sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 5/125 Means to monitor or detect the leak-tightness of the closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/48 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/509 Encasing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/534 Seal-rupturing devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealing bolt (2) for sealing a container lid (4) to a container body (6). The sealing bolt (2) comprises a seal stud (10) mounted to the container body (6), a seal head (8) connecting the container lid (4),and a pin (14) connecting the seal head (8) to the seal stud (10). The container lid (4) is connected to the container body (6) by connecting the seal head (8) to the seal stud (10). According to an aspect of the present invention, a rupture cable (30) is fed through a transverse passage (24) in the pin (14) and arranged such that any rotational or translational movement of the pin (14) with respect to the seal head (8) and/or the seal stud (10) causes the rupture cable (30) to break. The invention also relates to a sealing system for sealing a container lid (4) to a container body (6), said sealing system comprising a plurality of such sealing bolts (2), a connection cable arranged between the sealing bolts (2) and a fibre optic reader (34) arranged and designed to detect the rupture of the rupture cable (30) and/or the connection cable.

Claims

1. Sealing bolt for sealing a container lid to a container body, said sealing bolt comprising:

a seal head mounted to said container lid;

a seal stud mounted to said container body;

a pin connecting said seal head to said seal stud; and

a rupture cable arranged through a transverse passage in said pin,

wherein said rupture cable is a fiber optic, said rupture cable being arranged such that any rotational or translational movement of said pin with respect to said seal head and/or said seal stud causes said rupture cable to break.

2. Sealing bolt according to claim 1, wherein said seal head comprises a borehole and a header plate, said pin being connected to said header plate and passing through said borehole.

3. Sealing bolt according to claim 2, wherein said pin comprises an area of reduced thickness thereby providing a weak point causing said pin to fail if a predetermined tensile stress or a predetermined sheer stress of said pin in said area of reduced thickness is reached.

4. Sealing bolt according to claim 1, wherein said seal stud comprises a clamping element for connecting said pin to said seal stud and preventing release of said pin.

5. Sealing bolt according to claim 4, wherein said pin comprises a cone- shaped end portion, said cone-shaped end portion engaging said clamping element of said seal stud.

6. Sealing bolt according to claim 1, wherein said seal head comprises lateral passages aligned with said transverse passage of said pin, arranged so as to pass said rupture cable through said lateral passages and said transverse passage.

7. Sealing bolt according to claim 1, further comprising an identification means, said identification means comprising one or more of the following:

ultrasonic identification means;

RFID-tag.

8. Sealing bolt according to claim 1, wherein said rupture cable has two ends with at least one fiber optic connector arranged at one end.

9. Sealing system for sealing a container lid to a container body, said sealing system comprising:

a plurality of sealing bolts according to claim 1;

a connection cable arranged between said sealing bolts, wherein said connection cable is a fiber optic;

a fiber optic reader arranged and designed to detect the rupture of said rupture cable and/or said connection cable.

10. Sealing system according to claim 9, wherein said connection cable and said rupture cable are integrally formed so as to form a single fiber optic.

11. Sealing system according to claim 9, wherein said connection cable is optically connected to said rupture cable by an optic fiber connector.

12. Sealing system according to claim 9, further comprising communication means associated with said fiber optic reader, said communication means being arranged and designed for transmitting status information of said rupture cable or connection cable from said fiber optic reader to a remote location.

13. Sealing system according to claim 12, said further communication means comprising encryption means for encrypting said status information.