Tamper evident cargo seal

• US 8,052,180 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Security Agency
• Original Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Director National Security Agency
• Inventors: Lassen, David
• Primary Examiner(s): FULTON, KRISTINA ROSE
• Application Number:
  US12/069,006
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 70/55, 70/56, 703/07.A, 703/07.R
• US Class Current: 292/307.A
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• 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: Y10T 292/48 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/507 Tag type

Abstract

A tamper-evident cargo seal is disclosed, comprising a pin that is passed through a hasp on a shipping container, a body member, a pair of parallel guide members, at least one security label blank, and a cover. One end of the pin is keyed. The body member has a slot through a side surface extending into the interior, and is keyed to receive the pin. Abutting the top surface of the body member are two parallel guide members, bounding an area comprising the top surface of the body member. One of the guide members also has a slot to allow the pin to engage the slot in the body member. One or two removable security label blanks are inserted between the guides after the pin is inserted into the slot, and a security label is affixed over the blanks. A cover engages the body and guide members to protect the label.

Claims

1. A tamper-evident cargo seal, comprising:

a) a pin, said pin having a first end and a second end, said first end separated from said second end a user-definable distance, and said second end having a user-definable keying;

b) a body member, said body member having at least one side surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface, said at least one side surface having at least one slot through the side surface extending from the top surface to a user-definable distance from the bottom surface and extending a user-definable distance into the interior of the body member, said slot extending into the interior of the body member shaped to accept said second end of said pin having a user-definable keying;

c) two parallel guide members having a user-definable keying, said parallel guide members affixed to and abutting the top surface of said body member and a portion of the at least one side surface forming a user-definable area between the two parallel guide members and the at least one side surface, at least one of said two parallel guide members abutting said at least one slot through the side surface of said body member such that said pin can pass through said guide member to said body member;

d) two removable security label blanks, each of said two removable security blanks having a user-definable thickness, a user-definable shape, at least one adjoining surface wherein said at least one adjoining surface further comprising at least one protrusion extending from said at least one adjoining surface, and a corresponding keying that engages said corresponding keying of the other removable security label blank and requires one-way insertion of each of said at least two removable security label blanks wherein each of said two removable security label blanks are inserted in opposing directions and are slideably positioned as a single unit on top of said body member and between said two parallel guide members, and covering substantially the entire area bound by the two parallel guide members and said at least one side surface; and

e) a cover, said cover slideably extending over said top surface of said body member and abutting two parallel guide members, a portion of the at least one side surface, and substantially covering the two removable security label blanks.

2. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 1, wherein said body member is comprises a geometric shape.

3. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 2, wherein a security label is affixed to said two removable security label blanks and extending substantially between said two parallel guides and at least one side surface.

4. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 3, wherein said body member further comprises at least one identifier, where said at least one identifier is selected from the group of identifiers consisting of a printed code, a holographic image, a Radio Frequency Identification tag, a magnetic strip, a capacitive sensor, a user-definable indicia, and any combination thereof.

5. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 4, wherein said pin, said body member, said two parallel guide members, said two removable security label blanks, and said cover are constructed from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of steel, aluminum, copper, titanium, wood, plastic, fiberglass, aramid fiber, acrylic resin, composite fiber, and any combination thereof.

6. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 5, wherein said pin further comprises at least one identifier, where said at least one identifier is selected from the group of identifiers consisting of a printed code, a holographic image, a Radio Frequency Identification tag, a magnetic strip, a capacitive sensor, a user-definable indicia, and any combination thereof.

7. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 6, wherein said interior of the body member further comprises a higher-strength material insert, said higher-strength material insert strengthening said interior of the body member from high tension loads such that said interior of the body member is stronger than the exterior of said body member.

8. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 7, wherein said higher-strength material insert added to the interior of the body member surrounds a portion of the interior of said body member shaped to accept said second end of said pin having a user-definable keying.

9. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 1, wherein a security label is affixed to said two removable security label blanks and extending substantially between said two parallel guides and at least one side surface.

10. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 1, wherein said body member further comprises at least one identifier, where said at least one identifier is selected from the group of identifiers consisting of a printed code, a holographic image, a Radio Frequency Identification tag, a magnetic strip, a capacitive sensor, a user-definable indicia, and any combination thereof.

11. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 1, wherein said pin, said body member, said two parallel guide members, said two removable security label blanks, and said cover are constructed from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of steel, aluminum, copper, titanium, wood, plastic, fiberglass, aramid fiber, acrylic resin, composite fiber, and any combination thereof.

12. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 1, wherein said pin further comprises at least one identifier, where said at least one identifier is selected from the group of identifiers consisting of a printed code, a holographic image, a Radio Frequency Identification tag, a magnetic strip, a capacitive sensor, a user-definable indicia, and any combination thereof.

13. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 1, wherein said interior of the body member further comprises a higher-strength material insert, said higher-strength material insert strengthening said interior of the body member from high tension loads such that said interior of the body member is stronger than the exterior of said body member.

14. The tamper-evident bolt seal of claim 13, wherein said higher-strength material insert added to the interior of the body member surrounds a portion of the interior of said body member shaped to accept said second end of said pin having a user-definable keying.