Rotary security seal

• US 9,175,501 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIC Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NIC Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Nazzari, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MERLINO, ALYSON MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/276,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20140338405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 292/307.R, 292/315, 292/316, 292318-321, 292/323, 292/325, 292/326, 292/307.A, 292/307.B, 292/327, 292/328, 292/330, 292/DIG.16, 249/09, 242/338.1, 242/388.6, 70/14, 70/20, 70/30, 70/49, 70/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 15/00 Other details of locks; Parts for engagement by bolts of fastening devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0364 having rotary sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/402 Fetters

Abstract

A rotary security seal assembly is disclosed for sealing container closures, meters, equipment and various other articles. The assembly is configured to reveal surreptitious entry or attempted access into or to a sealed area or article and comprises a housing body and a locking filament. The housing body includes a socket and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket. The locking filament has a first end area and a second end area. The first end area of the locking filament is permanently secured to the housing body by hardened molding material forming the housing body. The second end area of the locking filament is dimensioned and configured to be received in and extended at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside the housing body when so received.

Claims

1. A rotary security seal assembly comprising:

a housing body defining a socket including a top opening, a tab portion at or near the top opening of the socket, and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket, wherein the socket includes a peripheral socket wall and a plurality of peripheral socket one-way detent features located along the peripheral socket wall, the peripheral socket one-way detent features comprising solid molded ratchet teeth;

a locking filament including;

a first end area permanently secured to the housing body by hardened molding material forming the housing body, the first end area extending through at least part of the tab portion outside of the socket; and

a second end area dimensioned and configured to be received in and extended at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside the housing body when so received; and

a rotor body receivable in the socket and including a central body area and a rotor locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the rotor body and intersecting the central body area,

wherein the second end area of the locking filament is dimensioned and configured to be received in and extend at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore and the rotor locking filament receiving bore when the bores are substantially aligned and the rotor body is received within the socket leaving the continuous locking filament loop outside the housing body when the second end area is so received.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing locking filament receiving bore comprises the only bore intersecting the socket, and wherein the rotor locking filament receiving bore comprises the only bore intersecting the central body area.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotor body includes rotor one-way pawl features configured to engage the socket one-way detent features to enable one-way only relative rotation of the rotor body relative to the socket in a winding direction when the rotor body is received in the socket.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the rotor one-way pawl features comprises at least one involute arm.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein upon insertion of the second end area of the locking filament at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore and the rotor locking filament receiving bore and with rotation of the rotor body in the winding direction within the socket, the second end area of the locking filament is irreversibly secured to the rotor body by forming a winding or windings around the rotor body within the socket, with the locking filament loop remaining outside the housing body.

6. A batch of rotary security seal assemblies comprising:

a plurality of the rotary security seal assemblies and a locking filament, each of the rotary security seal assemblies including;

a housing body defining a socket including a top opening, a tab portion at or near the top opening of the socket, and a housing locking filament receiving bore extending at least in part through the housing body and intersecting the socket; and

a portion of the locking filament including;

a first end area permanently secured to the housing body by hardened molding material forming the housing body, the first end area extending through at least part of the tab portion outside of the socket; and

a second end area dimensioned and configured to be received in and extended at least in part through the housing locking filament receiving bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside the housing body when so received, wherein the housing bodies are mutually connected together along weakened fracture zones at least in multiple pair sets by the hardened molding material forming the housing bodies and the locking filament extending through and between the housing bodies, and wherein the rotary security seal assemblies are separable from one another such that the second end area of each portion of the locking filament is free to be received in the housing locking filament receiving bore.

7. The batch of claim 6, wherein the locking filament connects four housing bodies.

8. A housing and locking filament assembly fora rotary security seal comprising:

a housing body having a housing top and housing bottom, and formed of hardened molding material;

a circular open socket in the housing body having a socket axis and being defined by a peripheral socket wall, a top opening disposed at or adjacent the housing top, an upper socket area adjacent to the top opening, and a lower socket area located towards the housing bottom, said upper and lower socket areas concentric with each other and the socket axis, said housing body having a single locking filament receiving housing bore extending through the housing body transversely of and intersecting the socket, with portions of said housing bore intersecting the socket wall at the upper socket area;

a tab portion connected to the housing body, the tab portion including atop surface defined by the housing top; and

a locking filament having a captured end area terminating at a captured end and a free end area terminating at a free end, said captured end area permanently secured to the housing body and extending at least in part through the tab portion outside of the socket, said locking filament free end area dimensioned so as to be receivable in and extend at least in part though the housing bore leaving a continuous locking filament loop outside the housing bore.

9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of peripheral socket one-way detent features located along the peripheral socket wall.