Optical device for sealing a container and process for detecting an attempted burglary or break-in with the aid of the device

• US 4,688,891 A
• Filed: 12/24/1984
• Issued: 08/25/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Maurel, Jean-Joseph, Pecastaings, Serge, Carratt, Michel, Hakoun, Roland, Repain, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, James C.
• Application Number:
  US06/685,902
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.10, 350/96.20, 350/96.24, 350/96.25, 340/555, 340/556
• US Class Current: 385/115
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4469 Security aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/202 for labels being formed by a combination of interchangeable elements, e.g. price labels G09F3/203 - G09F3/207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8243 With seal

Abstract

Device for sealing a container and process for detecting an attempted break-in with the aid device. In per se known manner, part of the fibres at one end of an optical fibre cable is masked and the other end of the cable is observed on illuminating the first end. According to the invention, the two cable ends are held in a seal, while masking is obtained either with the aid of a masking disk, or with the aid of a high-energy beam, which destroys the end of certain fibres. The second end of the cable is observed either with the aid of a camera, or with the aid of a sighting camera making it possible to mark the coordinates of the unilluminated fibres.

Claims

1. A device for sealing a container, of the type comprising an optical fibre cable passing into at least one ring-shaped member integral with the container, said cable having a light entry end and a light exit end, means for masking at least part of the fibres at the cable entry end and means for observing the exit end upon illumination of the entry end, wherein the two ends of the cable are held in a seal which is at least partly light-transmitting, and said device further comprising, within said seal, a prism arranged so as to reflect part of the light directed towards the cable entry and, said prism carrying alpha numeric characters permitting the coded marking of said device.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for masking at least part of the fibres at the cable entry end comprise a masking disk placed in front of said entry end.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means for masking part of the fibres at the cable entry end comprise an apparatus emitting a high-energy beam, on the cable entry end in order to darken or hide the end of certain fibres, means for displacing the said emitting apparatus in order to direct the beam onto a specific fibre and means for marking the location of the fibres with respect to said seals, of which one end has been darkened or hidden.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the means for observing the cable exit end upon illumination of the entry end comprises a sighting camera and means for marking the location of the non-illuminated fibres with respect to said seal, on the cable exit face.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the seal has two cavities, each of which houses a cable end, each cable end being placed within a tube, which is itself held in the cavity, the tube being crimped onto the cable.

6. A process for sealing a container wherein it comprises passing an optical fibre cable into at least one ring-shaped member integral with the container, said cable having a light entry end and a light exit end, the two cable ends are placed in a seal, whereof at least part is light-transmitting, using an apparatus emitting a high-energy beam on the end of fibres at the cable entry end in order to darken or hide the end of certain ones of said fibers, beam is supplied to the cable entry end and the location of the non-illuminated fibres with respect to said seal are marked on the exit face and during a subsequent inspection, the cable entry face is illuminated, the location of said non-illuminated fibres at the exit end is marked and compared with what was noted during the fitting of the device.

7. A process according to claim 6, wherein a statistical method is used for comparing said location of the fibres during the fitting of the device and during the subsequent inspection.

8. A process according to claim 6, wherein, during the fitting of the device, said location of the fibres at the cable exit end is converted into a message by means of a code, the same code being used for converting said location of the fibres into a message during a subsequent inspection.

9. a process according to claim 6, wherein a light beam is supplied to the cable exit end and said location of the fibres are marked on the exit face, thereby making it possible to reidentify a container whose marking has been lost.

10. A device for sealing a container, of the type comprising an optical fibre cable passing into at least one ring-shaped member integral with the container, said cable having an light entry end and a light exit end, means for masking at least part of the fibres at the cable entry end and the means for observing the exit end upon illumination of the entry end, wherein said two ends of the cable are held in a seal which is at least partially light-transmitting and wherein said means for masking said fibres at the cable entry end comprises an apparatus emitting a high-energy beam on the cable entry end in order to darken or hide the end of certain ones of said fibres, means for displacing the said emitting apparatus in order to direct the beam on to a specific fibre and means for marking the location of the fibres with respect to said seals, of which one end has been darkened or hidden.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the means for observing the cable exit end upon illumination of the entry end comprises a sighting camera and means for marking the location of the non-illuminated fibres on the cable exit face.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein said seal has two cavities, each of which houses a cable end, each cable end being placed within a tube, which is itself held in the cavity, the tube being crimped onto said cable.