Sealing system for an object and seal therefor

• US 5,422,627 A
• Filed: 02/14/1994
• Issued: 06/06/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nv Kema
• Original Assignee: Nv Kema
• Inventors: Rieksen, Richard H., Tap, Geert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US08/194,840
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 902/4, 902/5, 340/542, 340/545, 340/547, 340/550, 340/548, 340/568, 70/439
• US Class Current: 340/542
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/037 having tie-wrap sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealing system for an object comprising a locking member closing the object, a seal coupled to the locking member and provided with integrity arrangement, and a sensor with which the response of the integrity arrangement, and therewith the integrity of the seal, can be determined, wherein preferably the integrity arrangement comprise magnetic material with a low magnetic coercivity and/or a transponder, and to a seal for such a sealing system.

Claims

1. A sealing system for an object comprising a locking member for closing the object, a seal coupled to said locking member and provided with integrity means, and sensor means for sensing a condition of said integrity means to determine the integrity of said seal, wherein said integrity means comprises magnetic material with a low magnetic coercivity.

2. The sealing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein magnetic material has the form selected from the group consisting of a wire and a strip.

3. The sealing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said integrity means is embedded into a plastic seal.

4. The sealing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said locking member is a locking screw to which said seal is coupled.

5. The sealing system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said seal is provided with a unique code.

6. The sealing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said code is a code which can be read by said sensor.

7. The sealing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sensor is provided with means for storing the response of said seal.

8. The sealing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sensor is provided with a display for showing data of the owner of the object.

9. The sealing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said sensor is provided with means for entering a meter reading recorded by the object.

10. A sealing system for an object comprising a locking member for closing the object, a seal coupled to said locking member and provided with integrity means, and sensor means for sensing a condition of said integrity means to determine the integrity of said seal, wherein said integrity means comprises a transponder.

11. A sealing system for an object comprising a locking member for closing the object, a seal coupled to said locking member and provided with integrity means, and sensor means for sensing a condition of said integrity means to determine the integrity of said seal, wherein said seal is provided with a unique code which can be read by said sensor.

12. A sealing system for an object comprising a locking member for closing the object, a seal coupled to said locking member and provided with integrity means, and sensor means for sensing a condition of said integrity means to determine the integrity of said seal, wherein said sensor is provided with means for storing the condition of said seal.

13. A sealing system for an object comprising a locking member for closing the object, a seal coupled to said locking member and provided with integrity means, and sensor means for sensing a condition of said integrity means to determine the integrity of said seal, wherein said sensor is provided with a display for showing data of the owner of the object.

14. A sealing system for an object comprising a locking member for closing the object, a seal coupled to said locking member and provided with integrity means, and sensor means for sensing a condition of said integrity means to determine the integrity of said seal, wherein said sensor is provided with means for entering a meter reading recorded by the object.

15. The sealing system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said sensor is adapted to be coupled to a central processing unit for processing the condition measured by said sensor and said entered data.