AU2006202871A1 - Security and Identification Tag - Google Patents

Description

04/07/2006 23:07 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 03/20 1 Va SECURITY AND IDENTIFICATION TAG O0

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ci 0 SECURITY AND IDENTIFICATION TAG 00 FIELD OF THE INVENTION o The invention described herein relates to a security tag that can 0 15 prevent or deter opening or tampering with an item of baggage, and that can assist a user to identify his or her item of luggage.

BACKGROUND

It is no longer acceptable to most travelers to place their items of luggage in the hands of an airline, railway operator, bus line or the like, without some means of ensuring that their luggage will not be opened or tampered with while it is out of their sight. Travelers also desire a means of ensuring that they can identify their own luggage amongst large quantities of luggage on, for example, an airline baggage carousel.

It is known to provide a baggage tag that can be secured to a luggage item for identification purposes, and it is further known to make tag that can actually prevent opening of the luggage item. For example, some zip fasteners have two pull tabs that are pulled towards each other to close the fastener, and a tag may be provided that can be secured to both pull tabs when they come together, so as to prevent opening of the baggage item.

There is a need for improved choice in the supply of such tags. The present invention provides an improved identification tag, with the advantages of being easy to use, robust, inexpensive and suitable for one-time use. The tag can be signed by the user for identification and as a strong deterrent to tampering, but can be used in such a way that the signature is destroyed when the tag is removed for discarding. Moreover, the tag of the invention can be removed when required without the need for a special tool such as a knife COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 04/20 2 orscissors. This is an important convenience given today's restrictions on carrying sharp items on airplanes in particular.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is provided an identification tag for luggage and the like, comprising: a body; a bendable elongate tongue secured at one end to the tag body and having a free end; wherein the body has an opening into an internal cavity so that the free end of the tongue can be passed through the opening to position a portion of the tongue in the cavity and means for preventing withdrawal of the portion of the tongue from the cavity so that the tag can be secured to an item by passing the free end of the tongue through an opening of the item and then into the opening of the body; and the body is rupturable by a user along a defined line of weakness whereby to enable release of the portion of the tongue from the body between opposing sides of the rupture.

The tag is thus suited to be a single-use tag.

Preferably, the tag body has a markable surface adapted to be signed or marked by a user the markable surface being so positioned that when the tag body is ruptured the ruptured line of weakness ruptures extends across the markable surface. Thus, the surface bearing the signature or mark that a user places on the tag will be destroyed or damaged when the tag is removed, making it harder for a person to retrieve the tag and dupkicate the signature or mark.

The markable surface may be a roughened surface to assist in retaining the signature or mark during use of the tag.

The markable surface may have a surface coating adapted to retain a mark or signature thereon. This may be a paint or paint-like coating for example.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 05/20 3

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O Altemrnatively, the tag body may include a label whose surface Cl comprises the markable surface and which is secured adhesively or otherwise 3Z to the remainder of the tag body.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said internal cavity comprises a hole through the tag body the hole extending at least approximately parallel to and sufficiently close to the markable surface of the tag body to define a web betweenthe hole and the markable surface which 00 web ruptures when the tag body is ruptured.

oThe tongue may have in its cross sectional shape a vertex that bears Cl 10 against a bdundary of the cavity and the web when the tag body is being

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ruptured. This can assist in allowing the rupturing to be done by pulling the Cl tongue backwardly across the tag body.

To assist in rupturing the tag easily when required, the tag body may be notched externally and/or internally along the line of weakness.

In one form, the line or weakness may be one of a pair of lines of weakness defining opposite edges of a strip comprised in the tag body and that is tearable from the remainder of the tag body whereby to rupture the tag body.

Preferably, the tongue has ratchet-like teeth formed over at least a part of its length and wherein the tag body comprises a resilient pawl-like formation that: deflects to allow each successive tooth to pass during entry of the tongue into the tag body; and bears against a said tooth to resist movement of the tongue backwardly out of the internal cavity of the tag body.

The tag lends itself to production by injection moulding of a suitable plastics material, and this is the preferred method of manufacture.

Other preferred and/or additional features of the invention of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description.

In order that the invention may be better understood there will now be described, non-limitingly, preferred embodiments of the invention as shown in the attached Figures, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a security tag according to the invention; COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PAGE 06/20 4 Va 0 O Figure 2 is a further perspective view of the security tag shown in SFigure 1; 3 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the security tag shown in Figure 1, in use on an item of baggage; Figure 4 is a cross-section of the tag shown in Figure 1, the section eing taken at station "4 4"; Figure 5 is a cross-section the same as Figure 4, save that the tag is o00 shown in a ruptured condition; oFigure 6 is a cross-section of the tag as shown in Figure 4, the section C1 0 being taken at station "6 6"; I0 Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second security tag according to the Sinvention; .Figure 8(a) is a perspective view of a third security tag according to the invention; Figure 8(b) is a partial view of the tag shown in Figure 8(a) as seen in the direction of arrow Figure 9 is a perspective view of the tag shown in Figure shown partially ruptured; Figure 10 is a perspective view of a fourth security tag according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figures I and 2 show a security tag 1 according to the invention, in an unused condition. Tag 1 has a body 2 and a bendable elongate tongue 3, the body 2 and the tongue 3 being integrally formed with each other. Although there is no intention to limit the scope of the invention, tag 1 lends itself well to production by injection moulding in suitable plastics materials. Tag 1 has a surface 4 on which it is possible for a user to write his or her name, or make some other personal mark that is preferably not easy for others to duplicate.

Figure 2 shows the tag 1 inverted (by reference to the view in Figure 1).

Figure 3 shows tag 1 in use on a bag 5 (shown only in part) having a zip fastener 6 with two sliding tags 7 that are brought together to close the bag 5 in known manner. Tag 1 is used as follows. A user passes free end 8 of the tongue 3 through openings 9 in the tags 7 and then into an opening 10 in COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 04/7/0062307 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PG 72 PAGE 07/20

INC

o SQ .end face 11 of body 2. The body 2 and tongue 3 now form a closed loop, 0 of a size that depends on how far tongue 3 is pulled through body 2. Tongue 3 3 is shown in Figure 3 as passing right through body 2 in an internal cavity 12, having the form of a through-hole, so that free end 8 emerges from an end face 13 of body 2 opposite to end face 11. By means set out below, tongue 3 is retained in cavity 12 of body 2 after being pushed into body 2. Thus tag 1 becomes captive on tags 7 and with tongue 3 pulled sufficiently far through oc body 2 can hold tags 7 in close proximity to each other so that the bag 0 Apart from tag 1 helping to identify the bag 5 to its owner, a person oN wishing to open bag 5 without authorization must destroy the tag 1 to remove o it, as described below, so that a degree of security against such opening is provided to the owner of bag 5 when the bag 5 is not in his -or her possession for e xample during an airplane trip. The owner, seeing that the tagi has been removed or damaged to allow its removal, knows that the bag 5 is likely to have been opened.

Of course, if the unauthorized person has available a tag identical to tag 1, he or she can simply remove tag 1, destroying it in the process, and then after opening bag 5 place the replacement tag on bag 5 in the same way as tag 1. Avoiding this problem is the reason for the provision of surface 4 on tag 1.

The user of tag 1 can simply place his or her signature 14 (or other identifying mark) on the surface 4 using a suitable marking device (not shown) such as a pen. Surface 4 and the writing instrument are chosen to satisfactorily retain the signature 14 during expected handling of the baggage bag 5. This means that If a replacement tag is to be used, the signature must also be duplicated. That is as difficult as duplicating a signature on any other surface (eg a document surface) and so deters the use of duplicate tags.

Tag 1 must be removed from tags 7 to allow opening of bag 5. It is desirable for convenience that this be able to be done without requiring the use of tools such as knives, scissors or the like. It is often not possible to carry such items on aircraft and so requiring a tool for tag removal is undesirable.

Yet any tag must be unlikely to separate from the item it is attached to when being handled by baggage handlers, customs or security personnel and the COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 04/7/008 2307 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSUCS PG 92 PAGE 08/20 6

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o Iike. This requirement militates against, for example, making tongue 3 easily 0 breakable by hand.

3 It is further desirable that when removed and discarded the tag I no longer bears the mark of the user in undamaged form, especially if illis a signature. Simply having an example of one's signature fall into the wrong hands is itself undesirable.

The objective of enabling removal of tag 1 without tools is achieved in tag I by providing that the body 2 has a defined portion that is rupturable by a 00 user so as to enable the portion of tongue 3 that is held in body 2 to be separated from body 2 other than be being pulled backwards out of opening o 10. That is, the closed loop formed by body 2 and tongue 3 when tongue 3 is 0 pushed into body 2 and held there can be broken by rupturing a defined portion of the body 2 and tongue 3 lifted clear of body 2 between those parts of body 2 that are separated when it is ruptured. Once body 2 is ruptured, tongue 3 can no longer be held reliably in cavity 12 and the tag 1 is discarded.

The objective of not leaving the user's mark or signature undamaged on tag I is achieved by providing that the portion of body 2 that is rupturable is so positioned that the rupturing damages surface 4 and with it the signature 14 (or other mark) thereon.

The defined rupturable portion of body 2 of tag 1 extends along a line of weakness extending between end faces 11 and 13, Figure 4 shows a typical cross section of body 2 and it will be seen that between internal cavity 12, which is a straight hole through body 2, and surface 4 there is a relatively thin and hence rupturable web 16. To further enhance the rupturability of web 16 either the external surface 4 or internal surface 17 of cavity 12, or both, may be notched between end faces 11 and 13. A notch 15 is shown in surface 4 only, by way of illustration. Figure 4 shows three vectors 19 representing forces that can readily be applied to body 2 by a user using his or her fingers, so as to rupture body 2 along line of weakness 15. When web 16 is ruptured in this way, a thin web 20 between cavity 12 and bottom surface 21 of body 2 can act as a hinge, as shown in Figure 5, and the ruptured edges 22 along line of weakness IS can be separated enough for tongue 3 to be passed through them, so releasing tongue 3 from body 2.

Stiffening ribs 23 are provided on body 2 to prevent the main part 24 of body 2 COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 84/7/888 2387 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS ASSOCS PG 92 PAGE 09/20 7

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o flexing during the process shown in Figures 4 and 5 so hampering the 0 rupturing process.

3 Other Ways of providing for rupturing of a tag body are described below and are also within the scope of the invention.

To ensure that tongue 3 remains captive in cavity 12 once pushed into it, tongue 3 is provided along part of its length with ratchet-like serrations or teeth~ 25 along part of its length, and a pawl-like formation 26 is formed internally in cavity 12. As tongue 3 is pushed forwardly through cavity 12, 00 formation 26 deflects to enable each serration 25 to pass, but is so)-shaped as to prevent backwards movement of tongue 3. See Figure 6. This principle

INC

o is known in such arts as for example the art of plastics cable ties of the type 0 often used in electrical cabling work.

.As an alternative (not shown) to the arrangement described in the preceding paragraph, it is possible to provide serratiorns on tongue 3 that are deflectable and a formation in cavity 12 that is substantially non-deflectable, so that each serration deflects to pass the formation during forward movement of tongue 3 and backward movement is prevented by the serration that abuts the non-deflecting formation.

Tongue 3 and cavity 12 of tag 1 are shown as being of substantially circular cross-section. Serrations 25 are shown as extending around the whole circumference of tongue 3, but this is not essential. In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the serrations could be provided only over a part of the circumference of the tongue, chosen to face formation 26 in use of tag 1.

However, it will be recognized that other shapes may be used. Figure 7 shows a tag 27 that is generally similar to tag 1, having. body 28 and tongue 29 corresponding to body 2 and tongue 3 of tag 1, but whose tongue 29 is of rectangular cross-section, with serrations 30 on one surface 31 only. The tongue 29 may be easier for a user to bend when fitting tag 27 than is the case for tongue 3.

Still another tag 32 is shown in Figure 8. Tag 32 has a body 33 similar to body 2 of tag 1, and a tongue 34 that performs the same function as tongue 3 of tag 1. However, tongue 34 is of approximately triangular cross-section, with a vertex 35 that when tongue 34 is captured In body 33 faces and lies close to surface 36 (corresponding to surface 4 of tag This cross-sectional COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 04/7/008 2307 +613-9699-98 D SHANKS ASSOCS PG 02 PAGE 10/20 8 o shape enhances the ease of rupturing the body 33 in the same way as body 2 Cl of tag 1us ruptured (see Figs. 4 and as the vertex 35 applies high localized Z pressure against the interior of internal cavity 37 of body 33.

In fact, with the arrangement of Figure 8, an alternative way of rupturing is possible. If the body 33 is gripped by a user and tongue 34 pulled out and back as shown in Figure 9, body 33 can be ruptured by tearing along its length. The signature surface36 on body 33 is ruptured during this 00 process.

o Still another possible arrangement is shown in Figure 10. Tag 39 has a INO 10 body 40 and a tongue 41 corresponding in function to body 2 and tongue 3,' respectively, of tag 1. Body 40 has a surface 42 that can be signed or marked, Cl corresponding to surface 4 of tag 1. Comprised in body 40 is a strip 43 whose longitudinal edges 45 are defined by weakening notches extending along the length of body 40. Strip 43 has a tab 46 at one end that can be grasped and used to tear strip 43 away from the remainder of body 40, so enabling withdrawal of tongue 41. Tearing away of strip 43 also destroys the integrity of a signature 44 or other mark placed on surface 42 by a user. The tag 39 can be discarded after being released in this way.

In all of the tags shown in the Figures and described above, the surface provided for a signature or other marking (eg surface 4 of tag 1) may be roughened in the manufacturing process to hold the signature or mark better than a smooth surface, or it may be covered with a suitable coating (similar to a matt paint for example) that better lends itself to retaining the signature or mark. Alternatively, an adhesively applied label may be used- This could be for example of the type used for the signature label of a credit card or a paper label of the type used to mark prices on goods displayed for sale in retail establishments.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that many variations can be made to the embodiments described above without exceeding the spirit or scope of the present invention.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04067480 Received by IP Australia: Time (H:rn) 22:03 Date 2006-07-04

Claims (5)

1. 3. An identification tag according to claim 1 wherein the tag body has a markable surface adapted to be signed or marked by a user the markable surface being so positioned that when the tag body is ruptured the ruptured line of weakness ruptures extends across the markable surface.
2. 4. An identification tag according to claim 2 wherein the markable surface is a roughened surface. An identification tag according to claim 2 wherein the markable surface has a surface coating adapted to retain a mark or signature thereon.
3. 6. An identification tag according to claim 2 wherein the tag body includes a label whose surface comprises the markable surface and which is secured adhesively or otherwise to the remainder of the tag body. COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04 04/07/2006 23:07 +613-9699-9886 D SHANKS S ASSOCS PAGE 12/20 O i 7. An identification tag according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said internal cavity comprises a hole through the tag body the hole o extending at least approximately parallel to and sufficiently close to the markable surface of the tag body to define a web between the hole and the markable surface which web ruptures when the tag body is 00 ruptured. C' 10 8. An identification tag according to claim 6 wherein in cross section the tongue has a vertex that bears against a boundary of the cavity and the Ci web when the tag body is being ruptured.
4. 9. An identification tag according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the tag body is notched externally and/or internally along the line of weakness. An identification tag according to claim 1 wherein the line or weakness is one of a pair of lines of weakness defining opposite edges of a strip comprised in the tag body and that is tearable from the remainder of the tag body whereby to rupture the tag body.
5. 11. An identification tag according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the tongue has ratchet-like teeth formed over at least a part of its length and wherein the tag body comprises a resilient pawl-like formation that: deflects to allow each successive tooth to pass during entry of the tongue into the tag body; and bears against a said tooth to resist movement of the tongue backwardly out of the internal cavity of the tag body. COMS ID No: SBMI-04057480 Received by IP Australia: Time 22:03 Date 2006-07-04