Security seal

• US 5,219,194 A
• Filed: 02/28/1992
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Tyden Seal Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Viking Corporation
• Inventors: Trent, Steven J., Ponsetto, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US07/843,729
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 292/307 R, 292/307 A, 292/322, 292/325, 40/2.2, 40/626, 40/714, 283/9 R, 283/93, 283/99
• US Class Current: 292/307.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0352 using cable lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/49 Fastener destructively secured by reshaping distortion force [e.g., ductile fastener]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/48 Seals

Abstract

A security seal and method for detecting tampering. The security seal includes a first member, an adhesive layer applied to the first member, and an indicia printed directly on the adhesive layer in a desired detectable pattern. In one embodiment, the first member is adhered to the second member with the indicia detectable at least through the first member. With this arrangement, the pattern becomes detectably disrupted if the first and second members are moved relative to each other. In the preferred embodiment, both of the first and second members are part of a single transparent strip that can be looped through a shipping container locking mechanism and attached to prevent unauthorized access to the shipping container. In one form, tamper indicating tape is used to form the tamper indicating message "VOID" thereon if tampered with, thus giving a second visual indication of tampering. Heat sensitive material is used to prevent overcoming the tamper indicating tape by heating. A method embodying the present invention includes providing a strip with adhesive thereon, printing a disruptable pattern on the adhesive, adhering the strip to a surface by use of the adhesive, and inspecting same for tampering.

Claims

1. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

a flexible strip including the two members;

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected so that said flexible strip takes on the shape of a loop, said adhesive means having printed indicia applied directly thereon in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location; and

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with.

2. A security seal as set forth in claim 1 wherein said two members are transparent or translucent at said location to permit visual inspection of said indicia pattern.

3. A security seal as set forth in claim 2 wherein said indicia is an ink that can be applied by a printing process directly on the adhesive means without contacting the adhesive means.

7. A security seal as set forth in claim 1 wherein said indicia is an ink capable of being applied by a printing process directly on the adhesive means without contacting the adhesive means.

9. A security seal as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adhesive means is part of a tamper indicating tape, said tamper indicating tape including a second means for indicating relative motion between said members.

14. A sheet including a plurality of said security seals as set forth in claim 1, said sheet including tab means for holding said plurality in a planar arrangement to facilitate handling, shipping and storage of said security seals, said tab means being severable to separate individual of said security seals for use.

4. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

a flexible strip, said tow members being part of said flexible strip;

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means having printed indicia in the form of ink applied directly on the adhesive means in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location, at least one of the two members being transparent or translucent at said location to permit visual inspection of said indicia pattern; and

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initially joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with.

5. A security seal as set forth in claim 4 wherein said strip includes means for temporarily holding said strip in a loop while said two members are aligned before said two members are joined.

6. A security seal as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for temporarily holding includes an aperture intermediate the length of said strip, and said strip further includes an end that can be placed at least part way through said aperture.

8. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

a flexible strip including the two members;

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means having printed indicia applied directly thereon in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location;

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with; and

said strip including means for temporarily holding said strip in a loop while said two members are aligned before said two members are joined.

10. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

a flexible strip;

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means having printed indicia applied directly thereon in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location, said adhesive means being part of a tamper indicating tape, said tamper indicating tape including a second means for indicating relative motion between said members;

said two members being part of said strip, and said tamper indicating tape being applied to one end of said strip on one of said two members before the joining of said two members; and

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with.

11. A security seal as set forth in claim 10 wherein said tamper indicating tape forms a legible message when said two members are separated.

12. A security seal as set forth in claim 10 including an aperture intermediate the length of said strip, and said strip further includes an end that can be placed at least part way through said aperture for temporarily holding same.

13. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means having printed indicia applied directly on the adhesive means in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location, both of said two members being transparent or translucent, and the disruption of said printed indicia being visible from both sides of said two members at said location; and

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with.

15. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means having printed indicia applied directly thereon in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location;

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with; and

a heat sensitive material that provides evidence of tampering if heated above a predetermined temperature, said heat sensitive material being applied to said adhesive means.

16. A security seal for a shipping container including an access port and a movable door for covering the access port operatively associated therewith, comprising:

a flexible strip including two portions;

adhesive means joining said two portions together so that said flexible strip forms a loop, said loop being shaped to operably connect the container and the movable door so that the access port cannot be entered without breaking said loop, said adhesive means joining said two portions at a location whereat relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means including tamper indicating means for indicating relative motion between said two portions; and

means for inspecting said tamper indicating means, said tamper indicating means being detectably disturbed upon relative motion between said two portions after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that said security seal has been tampered with.

17. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tamper indicating means gives a visible indication upon experiencing said relative motion, and said flexible strip is transparent or translucent along at least a part of one of said two portions, thereby allowing visual inspection of said tamper indicating means.

18. A security seal as set forth in claim 17 wherein both of said two portions are transparent or translucent, and said visible indication can be seen through either of said two portions.

19. A security seal as set forth in claim 17 wherein said visible indication is in the form of a word.

20. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tamper indicating means includes means for separating a first part of said adhesive means with one of said two portions, and means for separating a second part of said adhesive means with the other of said two portions.

21. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 wherein said adhesive means includes a tacky adhesive, and said tamper indicating means includes a disruptable pattern of indicia applied directly on said adhesive prior to joining said two portions together at said location.

22. A security seal as set forth in claim 21 wherein said disruptable pattern includes an ink that can be applied by a noncontact printing process.

23. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 wherein said adhesive means includes a tamper indicating tape.

24. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 including an aperture intermediate the length of said flexible strip, and said flexible strip further includes an end that can be placed at least part way through said aperture for temporarily holding same while said two portions are adhesively joined.

25. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tamper indicating means includes at least two different modes for indicating said relative motion.

26. A security seal as set forth in claim 16 including temperature sensitive means for evidencing if said tamper indicating means has been heated above a predetermined temperature, said temperature sensitive means being located on one of said flexible strip or said adhesive means.

27. A security seal as set forth in claim 26 wherein said temperature sensitive means includes a material that changes color if heated above said predetermined temperature.

28. A security seal for detecting tampering comprising:

a flexible strip including a portion to be attached to a receiving surface;

adhesive means located on said portion of said strip including an exposed side for adheringly attaching said portion to the receiving surface;

indicia printed on said exposed surface of said adhesive in a predetermined pattern before attaching said portion to the receiving surface;

said adhesive means including disruption means for disrupting said predetermined pattern if said portion of said strip is moved relative to the receiving surface after attachment; and

inspection means for sensing if said pattern has been disrupted.

29. A security seal as set forth in claim 28 wherein said disruption means blurs said predetermined pattern upon experiencing the relative movement so that said portion cannot be reattached to the receiving surface without detection.

30. A security seal as set forth in claim 28 wherein said adhesive means includes a tacky adhesive.

31. A security seal as set forth in claim 28 wherein said disruption means separates said predetermined pattern upon experiencing the relative movement, a first part of said predetermined pattern remaining with said portion of said strip, and a second part of said predetermined pattern remaining on the receiving surface.

32. A security seal as set forth in claim 31 wherein at least one of said first and second part form a visible message in the form of a word.

33. A security seal as set forth in claim 28 including heat sensitive material that provides evidence of tampering if heated above a predetermined temperature, said heat sensitive material being applied to one of said flexible strip or said adhesive means.

34. A method for detecting tampering comprising:

providing a flexible strip with adhesive thereon, said adhesive having an exposed surface;

printing a disruptable pattern on said exposed surface;

adhering said strip to a receiving surface by use of said adhesive, said receiving surface being located on said strip, said pattern being intact as applied but disruptable if said strip is moved relative to said receiving surface thereafter;

inspecting said pattern to determine if said pattern has been disrupted;

threading said flexible strip around two shipping container members to be held together; and

adhering said strip to itself to form a loop which must be broken if said shipping container members are to be separated.

35. A method for detecting tampering comprising:

providing a flexible strip with adhesive thereon, the said adhesive having an exposed surface;

printing a disruptable pattern on said exposed surface;

adhering said strip to a receiving surface by use of said adhesive, said pattern being intact as applied but disruptable if said strip is moved relative to receiving surface thereafter;

inspecting said pattern to determine if said pattern has been disrupted; and

providing a heat sensitive material located on one of said flexible strip or said adhesive, and inspecting said heat sensitive material to determine if said heat sensitive material has been heated above a predetermined temperature.

36. A method for detecting tampering with a shipping container which is provided with an access port, a moveable door operatively associated with the access port, and a lockable mechanism associated with the door, comprising:

providing a security seal having a first portion with adhesive thereon with a disruptable pattern printed on said adhesive, and a second portion;

extending said security seal through or around said lockable mechanism to prevent access to the shipping container;

adheringly joining said portions of said security seal together to form a loop by use of said adhesive, said adhesive having an adhesive strength chosen so as to disrupt said disruptable pattern upon relative movement of said portions after adheringly joining same; and

inspecting said disruptable pattern to determine if said relative movement has occurred and hence if said lockable mechanism has been tampered with.

37. A process for making security seals comprising:

providing a flexible strip with adhesive located therein, said adhesive having an exposed surface;

printing a disruptable pattern on said exposed surface; and

providing a releasable protective cover over said adhesive, removing said protective cover to expose said exposed surface to allow said step of printing, and reattaching said protective cover at least partially to said exposed surface to prevent accidental adhering of said exposed surface to an undesired surface.

38. A process for making security seals comprising:

providing a flexible strip with adhesive located therein, said adhesive having an exposed surface;

printing a disruptable pattern on said exposed surface;

providing a flexible sheet having an edge; and

attaching said flexible strip to said flexible sheet by use of said adhesive with part of said flexible strip and said adhesive overhanging from said edge of said flexible sheet.

39. A process as set forth in claim 38 including cutting said flexible sheet and said flexible strip into a plurality of elongated security seals.

40. A process as set forth in claim 39 wherein said step of cutting includes leaving one or more tabs to hold adjacent of said security seals together so that said seals can be held in the arrangement of a flat sheet to facilitate shipping, storing, and handling of said seals, said tab means being severable so that said security seals can be readily removed from each other for use, and removing said seals from said sheet for use.

41. A process for making security seals comprising:

providing a flexible strip with adhesive located therein, said adhesive having an exposed surface;

printing a disruptable pattern on said exposed surface; and

printing a pattern of heat sensitive material on one of said flexible strip or said exposed surface.

42. A security seal for a shipping container, the shipping container including an access port and a movable door for covering the access port operably associated therewith and further including a clasp for holding same closed, comprising:

a narrow clear plastic strip including a first and second end, said first end being tapered to form a tongue portion, said plastic strip further including means defining an opening spaced from said second end to permit said tongue portion to be frictionally inserted in said opening to form an initial closed loop after said plastic strip is inserted through the clasp of the container to be sealed;

adhesive means applied to said second end outwardly of said opening for adhering said plastic strip in a permanent loop, said adhesive means including a void indicating tape with void indicating means therein for displaying a void pattern upon tampering;

a releasable covering for covering said adhesive means which, when removed, permits said second end to be adhered to said first end of said strip inwardly of said tongue portion permanently securing said plastic strip in a closed loop such that if said adhesive means is tampered with by relative movement of said adhered ends, said void pattern will reflect the evidence of tampering; and

additional indicia applied by noncontact printing to said adhesive means prior to joinder of said ends, said additional indicia being disrupted by any relevant movement between said adhered portions thereby also indicating the presence of tampering;

whereby relative movement of said two adhered members whether disrupting said adhesive or not, will interrupt at least one of said void indicating means and said additional indicia regardless of the application of excessive or reduced temperature gradients to said permanent closed loop and regardless of the amount of care taken in separating and reapplying same after the separation of said two ends.

43. A security seal for detecting relative motion between first and second surfaces having adjacent edges comprising:

a flexible strip including first and second portions;

a layer of adhesive for joining said first and second portions to said first and second surfaces, respectively;

tamper indicating means for indicating forced separation of at least one of said portions from the respective surface after attaching the one portion to the respective surface, said tamper indicating means including a first pattern of printed indicia in contact with said layer of adhesive, and further including a layer of material located between said layer of adhesive and said flexible strip portions and bonded to the flexible strip in a second pattern, said first pattern being different than said second pattern so that, when one of said first and second portions are separated from the respective of said surfaces, said layer of adhesive is disrupted in the shape of said second pattern thus also disrupting said first pattern; and

means for inspecting said first and second patterns to determine if tampering activity has occurred, whereby disruption of said second pattern indicates tampering activity and disruption of said first pattern prevents reassembling the seal to the respective surface to hide the tampering activity.

44. A security seal as set forth in claim 43 wherein the second pattern forms a message, which message can be read upon inspection.

45. A security seal as set forth in claim 43 wherein said portions of said strip are translucent or transparent, and one of said layer of adhesive and said material forming said second pattern includes opaque material that is pulled away from said flexible strip upon tampering so that when one of said portions is tampered with said second pattern becomes visible, but the tampering activity cannot be easily hidden due to the existence of the first pattern which has been disrupted.

46. A security seal as set forth in claim 45 wherein said first pattern is also visible.

47. A security seal for detecting relative motion between two members comprising:

an adhesive means joining said two members together at a location wherein said relative motion is to be detected, said adhesive means having printed indicia applied directly thereon in a pattern prior to joining said two members together at said location; and

means for inspecting said printed indicia as applied, said indicia pattern being disrupted upon relative motion between said members after initial joinder by said adhesive reflecting that the seal has been tampered with.