AU2010317650B2

AU2010317650B2 - Tamper evident device

Info

Publication number: AU2010317650B2
Application number: AU2010317650A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kevin Partridge
Original assignee: Harcor Security Seals Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Harcor Security Seals Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-11-10
Filing date: 2010-11-08
Publication date: 2016-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-08
Also published as: WO2011057325A1; AU2010317650A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a security device for a container closable by a slide fastener having a slider. The security device includes a lower part, a means for attaching the security device to the slider, directly or indirectly, an upper part, receiving means for receiving a frangible seal, an upper part, receiving means, limiting means. The lower part is adapted for attachment to the container. The upper part is for retaining the attaching means. The access limiting means is for limiting access to the attaching means and the receiving means. The access limiting means and the receiving means are at a predetermined distance so as to permit only frangible seals with a selected configuration to be received by the receiving means.

Description

Tamper Evident Device

Technical Field

The present invention relates broadly to tamper evident devices including a security device which operates in conjunction with a security seal. In particular, this invention is concerned with a tamper evident device suitable for use with a slide fastener.

Background Art

It is generally desirable in the security device industry to provide a tamper evident device and frangible locking element or seal which are not susceptible to being operated by imitations or unauthorised substitutions.

As an example of a prior art security device, reference is made to PCT patent application PCT/AU2007/000929 (W02008/025052). This prior art security device is designed to cover a slider of a slide fastener to prevent access to it. The security device includes a frangible seal to indicate tampering.

The security device described above however has the shortcoming that it indiscriminately receives frangible seals which include a tab frangibly connected to legs with barbs. This results in the security device being operable by both proprietary and unauthorised frangible seals (including reproductions and imitations).

The object of the present invention is to provide a security device which may alleviate or overcome the above shortcoming.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a security device for a container closable by a slide fastener having a slider, the security device including: a lower part adapted for attachment to the container; an upper part attachable to the lower part, the upper part including retaining means for retaining a frangible seal; and a cover attachable to the upper part and configured to limit access to the retaining means, the cover including an aperture for receiving the frangible seal and a barrier attachable to the cover and configured to space apart the retaining means from the aperture.

Preferably, the barrier includes a pair of protuberances extending from a wall of the cover which defines the aperture.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a frangible seal for the security device above including: a tab; and an engaging portion joined to the tab by an area of weakness, the engaging portion having at least one detent, wherein the tab includes notches corresponding with the barrier.

Preferably, the notches are adapted to receive the protuberances as the frangible seal engages the security device.

The lower and upper parts may take the form of those disclosed in international application No. PCT/AU2007/000929, the contents of which are imported herein by reference.

The retaining means may include a ledge and an arch.

The part of the engaging portion is preferred to be a tongue. The tongue is preferred to include a pair of detents adapted to hook around a loop once they have extended through the retaining means. Preferably, the detents are barbs.

As is known in the art, the frangible seal has an area of weakness where the tongue joins a tab, so that any attempt to forcibly retract the frangible seal from the receiving means, while the barbs are hooked around the loop, causes the tongue to break from the tab, so as to indicate tampering.

The aperture in the cover may take any suitable form. In the case where the frangible seal is of the type described in international application No. PCT/AU2007/000929, the aperture is preferably a passageway adapted to receive the tongue of the frangible seal and to retain the tongue when the barbs on the tongue extend through the passageway to hook outside it.

Preferably, the cover forms a lid to the security device, particularly when the upper part forms a chamber base. In this embodiment, the cover serves to close off the chamber and to prevent both unauthorised access to the retaining means and unauthorised attempt to manipulate the attaching means. The cover is preferred to include a barrier adapted to further distance the aperture in the cover from the retaining means .

The selected configuration of the frangible seal may include the tab having a pair of notches adapted to receive the pair of protuberances when the tongue of the frangible seal is received by the receiving means. This causes the tongue to be able to extend through the retaining means thereby resulting in the barbs of the tongue hooking around the loop.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a frangible seal for the security device described above. The seal including: a tab; and an engaging portion joined to the tab by an area of weakness, the engaging portion having at least one detent; wherein the tab includes notches to correspond with the barrier.

In a preferred embodiment, the engaging portion of the frangible seal is in the form of a tongue with detents.

Preferably, the barrier includes a pair of protuberances. More preferably, the tab includes notches adapted to receive the protuberances as the frangible seal engages the security device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, a nonlimiting preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a security device of the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines A-A in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the security device;

Figure 6 is a perspective view from above of an embodiment of a frangible seal of the second aspect of the present invention; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view from below of the frangible seal of the second aspect of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a security device 10 has a lower part and attaching means 14 for attachment to slider 16 through aperture 18. The container to which security device 10 is to be attached is not shown in the Figures.

Security device 10 also includes upper part or chamber base 20 including a chamber 22, in which is located receiving means or passageway 24 for receiving the frangible seal 40.

Upper part 20 includes an area of weakness 31. Lower part, or rivet plate 12, having a pair of rivet holes 32 at one end and a pair of apertures 34.

Chamber base 20 includes a pair of anchor legs 38. These are designed to pass into the wide part of apertures 34 and slide to clip into rivet plate 12 so that the narrow part of apertures 34 snugly holds anchor legs 38. Rivets or other suitable fasteners (not shown) are then inserted through rivet holds 32, on the rivet plate 12 and 33 on the upper part 20 into the container (not shown).

Various parts of the security device 10 and their functions are by and large the same as those described in prior art PCT/AU2007/000929 and hence will not be repeated here.

Chamber 22 is covered by access limiting means or chamber cover 28. The chamber cover 28 defines an entrance 58 to passageway 24 in the upper part 20. The chamber cover 28 is configured and located such that once it is put in place, the entrance 58 to the passageway 24 and the passageway 24 are at a predetermined distance as indicated by B-B in Figure 4 so as to permit only frangible seals with a selected configuration to be received by the chamber cover 28.

It is contemplated that the same result can be achieved by providing the passageway 24 at such a location that only frangible seals with a prescribed length can be received by the passageway 24.

The lower and upper parts 12, 20 may take the form of those disclosed in international application No. PCT/AU2007/000929, the contents of which are imported herein by reference.

The passageway 24 is defined by a retaining means 30. The retaining means 30 includes a ledge 32 and an arch 34.

The chamber cover 28 forms a lid to the security device 10, particularly when the upper part forms the chamber base 20. In this embodiment, chamber cover 28 serves to close off the chamber 22 and to prevent both unauthorised access to the passage 24 and unauthorised attempt to manipulate the attaching means 14. The chamber cover 28 includes a barrier in the form of a pair of protuberances 36 and 37. The protuberances 36 and 37 further distance the entrance 58 to the passageway 24 from the retaining means 30.

Turning to Figures 7 and 8, a frangible seal 40 is adapted to operate in conjunction with the security device 10 having the protuberances 36 and 37. The seal 40 includes a tab 42 and an engaging portion 44 joined to the tab 42 by an area of weakness 54. The engaging portion 44 is in the form of a tongue 52 flanked by a pair of detents in the form of barbs 46.

The tab 42 has means in the form of notches 48 and 50 which correspond with the protuberances 36 and 37, respectively. The notches 48 and 50 receive the protuberances 36 and 37 as the tongue 52 of the frangible seal 40 is received by the passageway 24. The frangible seal 40 is dimensional such that, when the tongue 52 is inserted in passageway 24 in the chamber base 20, the barbs 46 are slightly compressed towards one another. When the tongue 52 clears passageway 24, the barbs 46 spring outwardly to their original position resulting in the barbs 46 of the tongue 52 hooking around the arch 34.

As is known in the art, the frangible seal 40 has an area of weakness 54 where the tongue 52 joins a tab 42, so that any attempt to forcibly retract the frangible seal 40 from the passageway 24, while the barbs 46 are hooked around the arch 34, causes the tongue 52 to break from the tab 42, so as to indicate tampering.

The chamber cover 28 clips to the chamber base 20 via the ledge 32. The chamber cover 28, when fitted to chamber base 20, prevents unauthorised manipulation of attaching means 14 and covers chamber 22 and passageway 24. The chamber cover 28 is retained on chamber base 20 when the frangible seal 40 is inserted through the entrance 58 in chamber cover 28 and passageway 24 in chamber base 20.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in some detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the tamper evident device has at least the advantage of preventing use of unauthorised frangible seal to operate the security device of the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Industrial Applicability

The tamper evident device of the present invention is industrially applicable in that it is capable of minimising the risk of unauthorised use of a frangible seal to operate a specific type of security device.

Claims

The claims defining the invention

1. A security device for a container closable by a slide fastener having a slider, the security device including: a lower part adapted for attachment to the container; an upper part attachable to the lower part, the upper part including retaining means for retaining a frangible seal; and a cover attachable to the upper part and configured to limit access to the retaining means, the cover including an aperture for receiving the frangible seal and a protuberance at opposite sides of the aperture , wherein the protuberances are receivable within corresponding notches formed on the frangible seal .
2. A frangible seal for the security device of claim 1, the seal including: a tab; and an engaging portion joined to the tab by an area of weakness, the engaging portion having at least one detent, wherein the tab includes notches corresponding with the barrier.
3. The frangible seal of claim 2, wherein the notches are adapted to receive the protuberances as the frangible seal engages the security device.