Tamper evident shield assembly with tracking

• US 9,855,191 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brandon Hunt, Jonathan J. Vitello
• Original Assignee: Brandon Hunt, Jonathan J. Vitello
• Inventors: Vitello, Jonathan J., Hunt, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): OSINSKI, BRADLEY JAMES
• Application Number:
  US14/520,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/18 Arrangements for indicating condition of container contents, e.g. sterile condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

A shield assembly for enclosing and restricting access to the port of a container including a tamper evident structure. A housing includes two segments movable between closed and opened orientations. A hollow interior of the housing, when in the closed orientation, substantially corresponds to the enclosed port. A lock assembly includes male and female members wherein a frangible structure interconnects the female member in engaging relation to the male member in a locked orientation. Passage of the male member through the female member from the locked position into an unlocked position results in detachment of the frangible structure and an enlargement of the female member sufficient to restrict the lock assembly from assuming the locked position. A tracking assembly is included and operative to identify and distinguish a plurality of shield assemblies and/or their components from one another.

Claims

1. A shield assembly for a port of a container, said shield assembly comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior and comprising a first housing segment and a second housing segment movably connected to one another,

said first and second housing segments disposable in an open orientation and a closed orientation,

said housing comprising an open end and an oppositely disposed closed end when said first and second housing segments are disposed in said closed orientation,

said hollow interior being dimensioned and configured to enclose the port when in said closed orientation,

a lock assembly comprising a male locking member and a female locking member disposed on said housing and operative to maintain said first and second segments in said closed orientation, when said lock assembly is in a locked position,

said lock assembly including a frangible structure structured for at least partial detachment from said housing when said lock assembly is disposed into an unlocked position from said locked position,

said locked position comprising said male and female locking members disposed in interlocking engagement with one another concurrent to said frangible structure mounted on said female locking member,

said frangible structure flexibly disposed into said at least partial detachment from said female locking member upon disposition of said male locking member into said unlocked position, from said locked position, and

said at least partial detachment defining a restrictive configuration of said lock assembly preventative of maintaining said lock assembly in said locked position.

2. The shield assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said female locking member includes an opening dimensioned to receive said male locking member therein concurrently to said frangible structure flexibly connected to said female locking member in movably engaging relation to said male locking member.

3. The shield assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said frangible structure comprises at least one frangible member disposed in removable, interconnecting relation between said frangible structure and said female locking member concurrent to passage of said male locking member through said opening into said locked position.

4. The shield assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said at least one frangible member is disposed and structured for forced detachment from said interconnecting relation upon passage of said male locking member through said opening into said unlocked position.

5. The shield assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said partial detachment comprises a predetermined enlargement of said opening;

said predetermined enlargement sufficient to prevent retention of said male locking member in said interlocking engagement with said female locking member.

6. The shield assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said lock assembly further comprises a restrictor disposed in movement restricting relation to said frangible structure, said restrictor disposed to limit flexure and said at least partial detachment of said frangible structure upon passage of said male locking member through said opening into said locked position.

7. The shield assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a tracking assembly disposed on said housing and structured to at least identify each of a plurality of housings from one another.

8. The shield assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said tracking assembly comprises an indicator segment formed on said housing and including a tracking structure, said tracking structure disposed on said housing in an observable location.

9. The shield assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said tracking structure includes a predetermined code structured to identify and distinguish each of a plurality of said housings from one another.

10. The shield assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said tracking assembly comprises at least one RFID structure disposed on said housing and structured for electronic detection at least when said lock assembly is in said locked position.

11. The shield assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said predetermined code is electronically readable.

12. The shield assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said RFID structure is disposed and structured to restrict said electronic detection upon disposition of said lock assembly into said unlocked position from said locked position.

13. The shield assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a stabilizing assembly including an insert segment and a slot segment each disposed on and movable with a different one of said first and second housing segments;

said stabilizing assembly structured to facilitate aligned disposition of said lock assembly into said locked position.

14. The shield assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said insert segment is movable with a corresponding housing segment into movement restricting engagement within said slot segment, concurrent to movement of said first and second housing segments into said closed orientation.

15. The shield assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said stabilizing assembly and said lock assembly are cooperatively disposed and structured to facilitate aligned, interlocking engagement of components of said lock assembly, concurrent to movement of said insert segment and said slot segment into said movement restricting engagement with one another.

16. The shield assembly as recited in claim 13 further comprising a latch assembly at least partially connected to and movable with each of said first and second housing segments into said hollow interior, when said housing is in said closed orientation.

17. A shield assembly for a port of a container, said shield assembly having a tamper evident structure and comprising:

a housing including a hollow interior and a first housing segment and a second housing segment movably connected to one another,

said first and second housing segments relatively movable to define an open orientation and a closed orientation of said housing;

said housing including oppositely disposed closed and open ends when said first and second segments are in said closed orientation,

said hollow interior and said open end cooperatively dimensioned and configured to concurrently receive and enclose the port when said housing is in said closed orientation,

a lock assembly formed on said housing and including a frangible structure;

said lock assembly comprising a male locking member and a female locking member disposed in interlocking engagement with one another to define a locked position,

said female locking member including an opening dimensioned to receive said male locking member therein;

said frangible structure flexibly connected to said female locking member in movably engaging relation to said male member,

said frangible structure flexibly disposed into at least partial detachment from said female locking member upon disposition of said male locking member into said unlocked position, from said locked position, and

said at least partial detachment defining a restrictive configuration of said lock assembly preventative of said interlocking engagement of said male locking and female locking members.

18. The shield assembly as recited in claim 17 further comprising a tracking assembly disposed on said housing and structured to identify and distinguish said housing from others of a plurality of said housings.

19. The shield assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein said tracking assembly comprises a tracking structure including a predetermined code structured to identify and distinguish each of a plurality of said housings from one another.

20. The shield assembly as recited in claim 19 wherein said predetermined code is electronically readable.

21. The shield assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein said tracking assembly comprises at least one RFID structure disposed on said housing and structured for electronic detection at least when said lock assembly is in said locked position.

22. The shield assembly as recited in claim 21 wherein said RFID structure is disposed and structured to restrict said electronic detection upon disposition of said lock assembly into said unlocked position from said locked position.

23. The shield assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein said RFID structure is disposed on said lock assembly and structured for detection and identification of said housing.

24. The shield assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein at least a portion of said RFID structure is disposed on said frangible structure and separable from said remainder of said RFID structure and structured to restrict said electronic detection upon said at least partial detachment of said frangible structure.

25. The shield assembly as recited in claim 24 wherein said RFID structure is disposed on said female locking member and comprises an antenna at least partially disposed on said frangible structure, said antenna separable from the remainder of said RFID structure upon said at least partial detachment of said frangible structure.

26. The shield assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein said partial detachment comprises an enlargement of said opening;

said enlargement sufficient to prevent retention of said male locking member in said interlocking engagement with said female locking member.

27. A shield assembly for a port of a container, said shield assembly comprising:

a housing having a hollow interior and comprising a first housing segment and a second housing segment movably connected one another,

said first and second housing segments disposable in an open orientation and a closed orientation,

said housing comprising an open end and an oppositely disposed closed end when said first and second housing segments are disposed in said closed orientation,

said hollow interior being dimensioned and configured to enclose the port when in said closed orientation,

a lock assembly comprising a male locking member and a female locking member disposed on said housing and operative to maintain said first and second segments in said closed orientation, when said lock assembly is in a locked position,

said lock assembly including a frangible structure structured for at least partial detachment from said housing when said lock assembly is disposed into an unlocked position from said locked position,

said locked position comprising said male and female locking members disposed in interlocking engagement with one another concurrent to said frangible structure mounted on said female locking member,

said frangible structure further comprising at least one frangible member disposed in removable, interconnecting relation between said frangible structure and said female locking member concurrent to passage of said male locking member through said opening into said locked position,

said at least one frangible member disposed and structured for forced detachment from said interconnecting relation upon passage of said male locking member through said opening into said unlocked position, and

said at least partial detachment defining a restrictive configuration of said lock assembly preventative of maintaining said lock assembly in said locked position.