Sealing device

• US 9,177,491 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: European Community
• Original Assignee: European Community
• Inventors: Azzalin, Graziano, Sironi, Marco, Timossi, Paolo, Barboni, Marcello
• Primary Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Royit
• Application Number:
  US13/130,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 105, 340/542, 340/568.1, 73/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0329 having electronic sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0335 using RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0358 using a rigid hasp lock
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0376 using a special technique to detect tampering, e.g. by ultrasonic or optical means

Abstract

A sealing device including a housing and a closure member having a first end and a second end, at least one of the first and second ends being removably attached to the housing, the housing having means for checking the integrity of the closure member and a first transponder for transmitting information on the status of the sealing device where, the sealing device further includes a second transponder, preferably a passive transponder, associated with at least one of the first and second ends (16, 20) of the closure member, the second transponder comprising a second identity, and a transponder reader associated with the first transponder, preferably an active transponder, the transponder reader being arranged for reading the second identity of the second transponder; the first transponder being configured for receiving the second identity from the transponder reader and for transmitting the second identity.

Claims

1. A sealing device comprising:

a housing and a closure member having a first end with a first connection pin received in the housing and a second end with a second connection pin received in the housing, at least one of said first and second ends being removably attached to said housing, said housing comprising means for checking integrity of said closure member and a first transponder for transmitting information on a status of the sealing device;

a second transponder associated with at least one of said first and second ends of said closure member, said second transponder comprising a second identity and being mounted to said first connection pin; and

a transponder reader associated with said first transponder, said transponder reader being arranged for reading said second identity of said second transponder when said first connection pin is correctly installed in said housing;

wherein said first transponder is receiving said second identity from said transponder reader and for transmitting said second identity.

2. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said first transponder comprises a first identity, wherein said first transponder is configured for transmitting said first identity.

3. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said closure member comprises a flexible cable having a core therein.

4. The sealing device according to claim 3, wherein said core comprises an optical fiber and said means for checking the integrity of said closure member comprises an optical emitter arranged to emit an optical signal into the optical fibre and an optical detector arranged to detect a signal from the optical fibre.

5. The sealing device according to claim 3, wherein said core comprises an electrical conductor and said means for checking the integrity of said closure member comprises a first electrical terminal connected to the core at a first end of said cable and a second electrical terminal connected to the core at a second end of said cable.

6. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises means for checking correct installation of said first and/or second end of said closure member.

7. The sealing device according to claim 6, wherein said means for checking correct installation comprises a micro switch.

8. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises memory means for recording data collected from said second transponder and/or said first transponder and/or said means for checking the integrity and/or said means for checking correct installation.

9. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said first end of said closure member is removably attached to said housing and said second end of said closure member is fixedly attached to said housing, said first end of said closure member comprising said second transponder.

10. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said first transponder is an active transponder.

11. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said second transponder is a passive transponder.

12. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein said sealing device further comprises lock means for releasing at least one of the removably connected ends of the closure element from the housing.

13. The sealing device according to claim 1, wherein the first transponder comprises encryption and/or decryption means.