Mechanical tamper-evident high security seal and method of use to secure a cargo container

• US 7,740,292 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lazzaro A. Fattori, Paul L. Fattori
• Original Assignee: Lazzaro A. Fattori, Paul L. Fattori
• Inventors: Fattori, Paul L., Fattori, Lazzaro A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo; Peter M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fulton; Kristina R
• Application Number:
  US11/525,468
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 292/327, 292/308, 292/340, 292/347, 292/320, 292/307.R, 292/307.A, 292/307.B, 292217-218, 241/36.A, 40662-675, 406/30, 406/38
• US Class Current: 292/307.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/00 Tamper-indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/008 Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers locking E05B83/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/22 Safety features floating covers B65D88/34; arrangements of indicating or measuring devices B65D90/48; fire-fighting A62C
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0292 tamper indicating labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0317 having bolt like sealing means means for preventing relative axial movement of a pin, spigot, shaft or the like and a member surrounding it F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0329 having electronic sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/48 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/51 Seal bolts

Abstract

A mechanical tamper evident security seal for sealing a cargo container door includes a metallic pin having a head at an upper end and circumferential indents at a second end. An upper banner includes a portion non-removably encasing the head of the metallic pin. The banner includes first identifying indicia unique to a particular one of a plurality of like mechanical seals. A lock receptacle receives the second end of the metallic pin therein and includes a lock housing retaining at least two locks therein. A first of the locks engaging a first of the circumferential indents and a second of the locks simultaneously engages a second of the circumferential indents. Any attempt to withdraw the metallic pin results in visually identifiable destruction of the seal. A lower banner extending from the lock receptacle includes second unalterable identifying indicia identical to the first identifying indicia. The seal is one element of a security seal tamper-evidencing kit providing a multi-layered approach to securing a cargo container.

Claims

1. A tampering and data security kit for a shipping container door and shipment, said kit comprising:

a mechanical security seal for sealingly secure said container door, said security seal including a metallic pin and a lock receptacle for receiving said pin, said seal further including an unalterable visible unique identifier;

a tamper proof adhesive label including at least one tamper-evident feature and including a visual depiction of said mechanical security seal printed thereon to associate said tampering proof adhesive label to said mechanical security seal, said visual depiction including said unique identifier, wherein said sealing security adhesive label is provided for attachment to the shipping container door such that the sealing security adhesive label spans an opening between the shipping container door and an adjacent surface which would cause at least one of fracturing and tearing of the tamper proof security adhesive label when the door is opened;

an identification adhesive label including a visual depiction of said mechanical security seal printed thereon, said visual depiction including said unique identifier, wherein said identification adhesive label is provided for attachment to a shipping document associated with the shipment being protected by the mechanical security seal;

said association between said security seal, said tamper proof label and said identification label provides the user proof of unauthorized tampering of the shipping container door and contents of the container; and

wherein said visual depiction and said unique identifier can be stored as a digital image file using an electronic memory device electronically connected with a data processing device.

2. The kit according to kit according to claim 1 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises a border, and a solvent soluble ink disposed upon at least a portion of said border to create an inked image as a tamper-evident feature.

3. The kit according to kit according to claim 1 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises an ink visible only upon illumination with a light radiating in the infra-red spectrum as a tamper-evident feature, wherein said ink is applied in the format of a message printed on the tamper proof adhesive label.

4. The kit according to kit according to claim 2 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises:

a thin flexible substrate receiving said visual depictions and said printings on a front surface thereof; and

an adhesive layer applied to a back surface of said thin flexible substrate, said adhesive layer including a tamper-evident message that remains visible when said sealing security adhesive label is affixed to an adhered surface and said substrate layer is subsequently peeled away.

5. The kit according to kit according to claim 1 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises:

a thin flexible substrate receiving printings and said visual depictions on a front surface thereof; and

an adhesive layer applied to a back surface of said thin flexible substrate, said adhesive layer including a tamper-evident message that remains visible when said sealing security adhesive label is affixed to an adhered surface and said substrate layer is subsequently peeled away.

6. The kit according to kit according to claim 1 wherein said identification adhesive label is detachably affixed to the tamper proof adhesive label.

7. A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein said

metallic pin has a head at an upper end non-removably encased in an upper banner, said upper banner further having first identifying indicia formed thereon, said indicia unique to a particular one of a plurality of like mechanical seals, said metallic pin having a plurality of circumferential indents at a second end;

where said lock receptacle receives said second end of said metallic pin therein, said lock receptacle including a lock housing retaining at least two locks therein, a first of said locks for non-removable engagement of a first of said circumferential indents and a second of said locks for non-removable engagement of a second of said circumferential indents, said lock receptacle further including a substantially transparent lower banner extending therefrom and having embedded therein a second identifying indicia identical to said first identifying indicia on said upper banner.

8. The kit according to kit according to claim 7 wherein a first of said locks in said mechanical security seal comprises a lock structure retained in said lock receptacle, said lock structure having an aperture therethrough defined by a cannular surface therein for receiving said second end of said metallic pin, said aperture marginally larger than a diameter of said metallic pin, said cannular surface further defining a circumferential recess therein, said circumferential recess having an upper frusto-conical surface such that a lower diameter of said frusto-conical surface is greater than an upper diameter thereof, and a radially expansive lock ring disposed in said circumferential recess and having a relaxed diameter less than said metallic pin diameter, said lock ring for engagement in one of said metallic pin circumferential indents when said metallic pin is received in said lock receptacle such that an outer diameter of said lock ring engaged in said metallic pin circumferential indent is greater than said aperture diameter.

9. The kit according to kit according to claim 7 wherein said second identifying indicia in said lower banner further includes a machine readable bar code.

10. The kit according to kit according to claim 9 wherein said lock housing and said lower banner are fabricated of a substantially transparent thermoplastic material and said second identifying indicia is encapsulated within said transparent thermoplastic.

11. The kit according to kit according to claim 7 wherein said upper banner further includes at least one tamper-evident fin extending below said head of said metallic pin.

12. A method of security sealing and tamper-proofing a container for shipping, said method comprising the steps of:

associating a uniquely identified mechanical security seal with a uniquely identified container;

inserting a mechanical security seal metallic pin having an upper banner with a unique identifying indicia formed thereon through a pair of aligned openings adapted to receive a lock on a door closure structure of the container such that the door cannot be opened without removing the metallic pin;

sleeving a locking receptacle having a plurality of locks therein and a lower banner with an identical identifying indicia over the metallic pin until all locks engage the metallic pin;

adhesively applying a tamper proof adhesive label to an area of a door-frame interface area of the container such that opening the door will fracture the tamper proof adhesive label, the tamper proof adhesive label including at least one tamper-evident feature and further including a visual depiction of the mechanical security seal printed thereon wherein the visual depiction includes the unique identifying indicia;

adhesively applying an identification adhesive label to a shipping document separate from the container wherein the shipping document includes the unique identifier of the container and the identification adhesive label includes a visual depiction of the mechanical security seal printed thereon wherein the visual depiction also includes the unique identifying indicia, wherein an association between said security seal, said tamper proof label and said identification label provides the user proof of unauthorized tampering of the shipping container door and contents of the container.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising after said adhesively applying the identification adhesive label step, the steps of:

connecting an electronic memory device to a data processing device wherein the electronic memory device has a pre-stored digital HTML text file corresponding to the unique identifying indicia of said mechanical security seal;

electronically communicating said HTML text file to a remote computer database having stored thereon a digital image visually depicting the mechanical seal associated with said unique identifying indicia;

digitally combining the text file and the digital image of the mechanical seal; and

electronically transmitting the digitally combined text and image files to the destination of the container.

14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising, after the step of electronically transmitting, the steps of:

inspecting the integrity of the mechanical security seal at the container destination;

inspecting the integrity of the tamper proof adhesive label at the container destination; and

comparing the mechanical security seal affixed to the container with the visual representation of the mechanical security seal on the tamper proof adhesive label, the visual representation of the mechanical security seal on the identification adhesive label on the shipping document, and the visual representation on the electronically transmitted digital identification file at the container destination.

15. A tampering and data security kit for a shipping container door and shipment, said kit comprising:

a mechanical security seal for sealingly secure said container door, said security seal including a metallic pin and a lock receptacle for receiving said pin, said seal further including an unalterable visible unique identifier;

a tamper proof adhesive label including at least one tamper-evident feature and including a visual depiction of said mechanical security seal printed thereon to associate said tampering proof adhesive label to said mechanical security seal, said visual depiction including said unique identifier, wherein said sealing security adhesive label is provided for attachment to the shipping container door such that the sealing security adhesive label spans an opening between the shipping container door and an adjacent surface which would cause at least one of fracturing and tearing of the tamper proof security adhesive label when the door is opened;

an identification adhesive label including a visual depiction of said mechanical security seal printed thereon, said visual depiction including said unique identifier, wherein said identification adhesive label is provided for attachment to a shipping document associated with the shipment being protected by the mechanical security seal;

said association between said security seal, said tamper proof label and said identification label provides the user proof of unauthorized tampering of the shipping container door and contents of the container.

16. The kit according to kit according to claim 15 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises a border, and

a solvent soluble ink disposed upon at least a portion of said border to create an inked image as a tamper-evident feature.

17. The kit according to kit according to claim 15 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises an ink visible only upon illumination with a light radiating in the infra-red spectrum as a tamper-evident feature, wherein said ink is applied in the format of a message printed on the tamper proof adhesive label.

18. The kit according to kit according to claim 17 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises:

a thin flexible substrate receiving said visual depictions and said printings on a front surface thereof; and

an adhesive layer applied to a back surface of said thin flexible substrate, said adhesive layer including a tamper-evident message that remains visible when the tamper proof adhesive label is affixed to an adhered surface and said substrate layer is subsequently peeled away.

19. The kit according to kit according to claim 15 wherein the tamper proof adhesive label further comprises:

a thin flexible substrate receiving printings and said visual depictions on a front surface thereof; and

an adhesive layer applied to a back surface of said thin flexible substrate, said adhesive layer including a tamper-evident message that remains visible when the tamper proof adhesive label is affixed to an adhered surface and said substrate layer is subsequently peeled away.

20. The kit according to kit according to claim 15 wherein said identification adhesive label is detachably affixed to the tamper proof adhesive label.

21. A kit as recited in claim 15, wherein said

metallic pin has a head at an upper end non-removably encased in an upper banner, said upper banner further having first identifying indicia formed thereon, said indicia unique to a particular one of a plurality of like mechanical seals, said metallic pin having a plurality of circumferential indents at a second end;

where said lock receptacle receives said second end of said metallic pin therein, said lock receptacle including a lock housing retaining at least two locks therein, a first of said locks for non-removable engagement of a first of said circumferential indents and a second of said locks for non-removable engagement of a second of said circumferential indents, said lock receptacle further including a substantially transparent lower banner extending therefrom and having embedded therein a second identifying indicia identical to said first identifying indicia on said upper banner.

22. The kit according to kit according to claim 21 wherein a first of said locks in said mechanical security seal comprises a lock structure retained in said lock receptacle, said lock structure having an aperture therethrough defined by a cannular surface therein for receiving said second end of said metallic pin, said aperture marginally larger than a diameter of said metallic pin, said cannular surface further defining a circumferential recess therein, said circumferential recess having an upper frusto-conical surface such that a lower diameter of said frusto-conical surface is greater than an upper diameter thereof, and a radially expansive lock ring disposed in said circumferential recess and having a relaxed diameter less than said metallic pin diameter, said lock ring for engagement in one of said metallic pin circumferential indents when said metallic pin is received in said lock receptacle such that an outer diameter of said lock ring engaged in said metallic pin circumferential indent is greater than said aperture diameter.

23. The kit according to kit according to claim 21 wherein said second identifying indicia in said lower banner further includes a machine readable bar code.

24. The kit according to kit according to claim 23 wherein said lock housing and said lower banner are fabricated of a substantially transparent thermoplastic material and said second identifying indicia is encapsulated within said transparent thermoplastic.

25. The kit according to kit according to claim 21 wherein said upper banner further includes at least one tamper-evident fin extending below said head of said metallic pin.