EP0043726B1 - Sealable fastening device - Google Patents
Sealable fastening device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0043726B1 EP0043726B1 EP81303081A EP81303081A EP0043726B1 EP 0043726 B1 EP0043726 B1 EP 0043726B1 EP 81303081 A EP81303081 A EP 81303081A EP 81303081 A EP81303081 A EP 81303081A EP 0043726 B1 EP0043726 B1 EP 0043726B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- container
- housing
- movable body
- seal device
- head
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
- G09F3/02—Forms or constructions
- G09F3/03—Forms or constructions of security seals
- G09F3/0305—Forms or constructions of security seals characterised by the type of seal used
- G09F3/0311—Forms or constructions of security seals characterised by the type of seal used having arrow-like sealing means
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
- A44B—BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
- A44B19/00—Slide fasteners
- A44B19/24—Details
- A44B19/26—Sliders
- A44B19/30—Sliders with means for locking in position
- A44B19/301—Sliders with means for locking in position at the end of their upward travel with any suitable device, e.g. pull member combined with a press-button, a hook, a key-operated lock
Definitions
- This invention relates to a sealable fastening device, and is primarily, although not exclusively, concerned with a device for fastening the runner of a zip fastener, especially the runner of a zip fastener which serves to close a container, such as a reusable container, for example.
- sealable fastening devices which comprise a movable body, a body (herein referred to as the fixed body) to which in use of the device the movable body is to be fastened, and a seal device, the movable body, fixed body and seal device being arranged to co-operate so that when the movable body is suitably attached to the fixed body the seal can be fitted so as to fasten the movable body to the fixed body in such a manner that, in order to remove the movable body from the fixed body it will normally be necessary to break the seal device.
- the seal devices are expendable, and fresh supplies are only available to authorised persons, so that if an unauthorised person removes the movable body from the fixed body, there will normally be evidence of this because the seal will have been broken. Examples of such fastening devices are disclosed in G.B. 930,508, 1,424,680, 1,476,430 and 1,543,380 and DE-A-2416826.
- DE-A-2416826 discloses a sealable fastening device for a container, in which a movable body is attached to a sliding fastener which opens and closes the container.
- a movable body When the container is closed the movable body fits over a housing attached to the container and is fixed to the housing by a seal device. Feet of the seal device are inserted through cooperating slots in the housing and movable body and are held by a resilient member in the housing. A body of the seal device rests against the outside on the top of the movable body. To undo the seal the seal must be broken between the body and the feet, a tool normally being employed for this purpose, thus showing that the container has been opened.
- the housing is separated from the inside of the container and has an open end to allow the broken feet to be removed, the open end being covered by the movable body when it is in position on the housing.
- Sealable fastening devices of the above described kind are often used to protect closure devices (e.g. zip fasteners) on containers, so that any unauthorised opening of the closure device can be detected.
- closure devices e.g. zip fasteners
- a container which is commonly protected in this manner is what has become known as a reusable container.
- a reusable container comprises a pouch which is closed by a zip and has on its outside a window through which the destination address may be shown and optionally an additional window for postage stamps.
- the runner of the zip is attached to the movable body, and the fixed body is attached to the container adjacent to the position of the zip fastener when the zip is closed, so that the zip runner can be fastened via the movable body to the fixed body and the sealing device can then be fitted.
- a container having a sealable fastening device comprising a housing attached to the container and having a cavity therewithin, a movable body attached to a movable part of the container for closing the container, the movable body being shaped to fit over the housing, the housing and movable body having a passage therethrough through which a head of a seal device is inserted, the movable body and the housing being locked together by the seal device to lock the container closed and the head of the seal device being adapted so that once the head has been inserted through the passage it cannot normally be removed through said passage, the seal device having a frangible neck which extends through the passage and is broken to enable the housing and movable body to be parted, and a tail portion which is larger than said passage, and the housing having an aperture covered by the movable body and through which the head can be removed after the seal device has been broken, the cavity being separated from the inside of the container to prevent the head of the seal device falling into the container when the seal
- the seal device or part seal device retained in the cavity of the housing after unfastening of the device can be removed from outside a container to which the fastening device may be applied, and yet the fastening device can be resistant to tampering when in the fastened condition.
- the form of movable body employed in the device of the invention can lend itself to easy manipulation in use, and the seal is readily broken by hand.
- said head portion comprises a substantially V-shaped member, the apex of the V-shaped member being connected to said tail portion through an end of a first one of the legs of the V, which end is remote from the apex of the V, the second of the legs of the V being capable of being resiliently urged towards said first leg to permit said head portion to pass through said passage into said cavity; when in said cavity said first leg can spring back to its original position, so that if it is then attempted to withdraw the seal device, the free end of said first leg will catch on the interior of the fastening device (e.g. on the interior wall of the housing) to resist such withdrawal.
- the fastening device e.g. on the interior wall of the housing
- the seal device should include a shoulder at the point of attachment of said first leg to the rest of the seal device, said shoulder being in opposed relation to said tail portion; again, the shoulder can, by catching on the interior of the fastening device, resist withdrawal of the seal device.
- the housing of the fixed body of the fastening device should be of substantially cuboid (rectangular parallelepiped) shape.
- the fixed body may have a pair of outwardly projecting legs attached to the base of said housing in opposed relationship; or it may have a pair of downwardly projecting legs attached to the base of said housing in opposed relationship.
- the movable body is attached to the runner of a zip fastener so that, when the zip fastener is closed, the movable body, and thus also the runner of the zip fastener, can be fastened to the fixed body.
- the container is in the form of a reusable container which is closed by a zip fastener situated in a side of the container and running adjacent to an edge of the container, the fixed body of the fastening device having outwardly projecting legs as described above and being attached to said side of the container.
- the seal is to be inserted so that after insertion it has a tail portion projecting from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane of said side of the container and perpendicular to said edge of the container; we have found that with this arrangement the seal is generally less likely to be accidentally damaged.
- the container is in the form of a reusable container which is closed by a zipfastener situated along an edge of the container, the fixed body of the fastening device having downwardly projecting legs as described above and being attached to said edge of the container.
- the seal device is to be inserted so that after insertion it has a tail portion projecting from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to said edge of the container and away from the zip fastener; again, we have .found that with this arrangement the seal is generally less likely to be accidentally damaged.
- the sealable fastening device shown therein comprises a movable body 1, a body 2 (designated the fixed body) and a seal device 3.
- the fixed body 2 is of a suitable structural plastics material and is in the form of a hollow substantially cuboid-shaped housing 4 defining a cavity 4a, and having a pair of outwardly projecting legs 5 and 6, which are attached to the base of the housing 4 in opposed relationship, there being holes 7, 8, 9 and 10 formed through the legs.
- Housing 4 has a rectangular slit 11 in a side wall 12, an aperture 13 extending in the lower portion of the front wall 14 right down to the level of the bottom of legs 5 and 6, and a further aperture 15 (designated the base aperture) constituting the base of the cuboid of the housing 4. It will be seen that apertures 13 and 15 abut each other.
- Movable body 1 again is of a suitable structural plastics material, and comprises a hollow generally cuboid-shaped housing 16 having a tab 17 projecting rearwardly therefrom, tab 17 having a hole 18 therethrough.
- Formed in side wall 19 of housing 16 is a rectangular slit 20, the rectangular dimensions of which are substantially the same as those of rectangular slit 11. It will be seen that the front wall 21 of the housing 16 has a depending lip 22.
- the housing of the fixed body 2 and the housing 16 of the movable body 1 are so dimensioned that the movable body 1 can be snugly fitted over the housing 4 to act as a cover for it, with the rectangular slits 11 and 20 in alignment with each other so as to form a passage 23 of rectangular cross-section, and the front wall 21 together with its lip 22 fully covering the aperture 13 in the front wall 14 of the housing 4.
- Seal device 3 comprises a head portion 24 and a tail portion 25 connected to the head portion 24 by a short connecting portion 26.
- the head portion 24 consists of a substantially V-shaped member 27 and a length 28 which links V-shaped member 27 to the connecting portion 26.
- V-shaped member 27 consists of a first leg 29 and a second leg 30 joined together at the apex 31 of the V-shaped member 27, the length 28 serving to link the end 32 of the first leg 29 which is remote from apex 31 to the connecting portion 26. It will be seen that this arrangement results in a shoulder 33 at the point of attachment of first leg 29 to the connecting portion 26, the shoulder 33 being in opposed relation to the tail portion 25.
- Connecting portion 26 includes a depression at 34 which reduces the amount of material required and provides an additional point of weakness to ensure that the seal can be broken when required, although breakage of the seal normally occurs at the junction between the tail portion 25 and the connecting portion 26.
- Tail portion 25 is of generally rectangular shape and includes a central depression 35 which reduces the amount of material required and also makes it easier to manipulate the tail portion 25.
- Seal device 3 is monolithically constructed (by moulding, for example) of a plastics material which is of sufficient strength to enable to seal device to remain in its sealing position without. breakage when subjected to the forces to be expected during normal use of the fastening device when in its sealed condition.
- the strength of the plastics material must not be sufficiently great as to prevent the seal from being broken, when required, by manipulation of the tail portion 25.
- the plastics material employed must be such as to permit the second leg 30 to be resiliently urged towards the first leg 29.
- Figure 1 shows a backing plate 38 and rivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 which can be used for fitting the fixed body 2 of the sealable fastening device to another body, for example a reusable container as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
- Backing plate 38 has holes 7a, 8a, 9a and 10a positioned to be aligned with holes 7, 8, 9 and 10 in fixed body 2, and is shaped to provide a depression 43, which can accommodate excess material of the body to which the fixed body 2 is being fixed.
- the fixed body 2 and the backing plate 38 are placed in position on the body in question so that the latter is sandwiched between them and the respective holes 7, 7a etc.
- the movable body 1 is fitted over the housing 4 of the fixed body 2 so as to act as a cover for the housing 4, as can best be seen in Figure 2, the front wall 21 together with its depending lip 22 fully covering the aperture 13 in the front wall 14 of the housing 4.
- the seal device is fitted, by inserting the apex 31 of the V-shaped member 27 into the passage 23 and pushing the seal fully home so that the second leg 30 is gradually resiliently urged, by wedge action, towards the first leg 29 until its free end 36 fits snugly into the recess 37, and then, when the head portion 24 enters into the cavity 4a, the free end 36 springs away again and the head portion 24 takes up the position best shown in Figure 3, wherein the tail 25 abuts against the outside of wall 19 of housing 16, and shoulder 33 and/or free end 36 of leg 30 abut against the inside of side wall 12 of housing 4.
- the seal 3 is broken, conveniently by manipulating the tail portion 25 upwards so that breakage occurs in the region of the junction of the tail portion 25 and the connecting portion 26, and the tail portion 25 generally together with part of the connecting portion 26 is withdrawn so that the remaining part of the seal 3 (the head portion 24 generally together with part of the connecting portion 26) falls or is pushed into the cavity 4a.
- the movable body 1 is then lifted off the housing 4 of the fixed body 2, thus unfastening the device and uncovering the aperture 13 to permit the portion of the seal device within cavity 4a to be removed.
- the aperture 13 can be made of substantial size so as greatly to facilitate the removal of this broken portion of the seal 3.
- the movable body 1 includes housing 16 which acts as a cover for the housing 4 of the fixed body 2, it can be relatively large and accessible for ease of handling.
- the container comprises a pouch 46 the interior of which is, in use, closed by a zip fastener 47 and is fitted with a sealable fastening device as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3.
- Pouch 46 is constructed predominantly of plastics material, and has a transparent window 48 sealed around its periphery 49 to side 50 of the pouch.
- a slit 51 is provided in side 50 beneath window 48 so that an address card can be placed in view from within the pouch 46. If the reusable container is to be used in the public mails, an additional window device may be provided for postage stamps.
- stamps are to be accessible for cancellation, no slit in communication with the interior of the pouch 46 is provided under the additional window, but instead provision is made for inserting a card bearing the stamps from outside the pouch, and the portion of the window below which the stamps are to appear will be left open, so that the stamps will be accessible for cancellation.
- Zip fastener 47 is situated in side 50, and runs adjacent to edge 52 of the pouch 46, and includes a runner 53 having a projecting finger 54 which passes through hole 18 in the movable body 1.
- movable body 1 acts as pull tab for runner 53.
- Fixed body 2 is attached to the side 50 of the pouch 46 in a position adjacent to the end of the zip fastener 47 at which the runner 53 is situated when the zip fastener 47 is closed.
- Backing plate 38 and rivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 are used for the attachment of fixed body 2 to pouch 46, in the manner described above.
- the rivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 are replaced by heat- deformable spikes which are formed integrally with the fixed body 2 and project downwardly therefrom at locations corresponding to the positions of the holes 7,8,9 and 10 in the embodiment described above.
- the zip fastener 47 is opened to permit the insertion of the address card and the articles which are to be carried in the pouch 46, the zip fastener 47 is closed, and the movable body 1 is fastened to the fixed body 2 as described above, using the seal device 3.
- the base aperture 15 is completely covered by the part of the side 50 which the fixed body 2 overlies, and the aperture 13 is covered by the front wall 21 together with its depending lip 22.
- the tail portion 25 projects in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane of side 50 and perpendicular to edge 52. We have found that with this arrangement, manipulation of the seal device is easy, and yet the seal is considerably protected by the pouch 46 from accidental damage. Unfastening of the movable body 1 is also as described above, and permits the zip fastener 47 to be opened so that the contents of the pouch 46 can be removed.
- the reusable container shown in Figures 6 and 7 is generally the same as that shown in Figures 4 and 5, except that the zip fastener 47 is situated along edge 52 of the pouch 46, and the fixed body 2 is modified and repositioned accordingly.
- the outwardly projecting legs 5 and 6 of the previously described fastening device are replaced by downwardly projecting legs 5a and 6a attached, in opposed relationship, to the base of the housing 4 of the body 2, and the fixed body 2 is fixed, in a manner entirely analogous to that described above, so that it straddles the edge 52 at a position adjacent the end of the zip fastener 47 at which the runner 53 is situated when the zip fastener 47 is closed.
- the seal.device 3 is positioned so as to lie in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the side 50.
- the fastening device For many purposes,.we prefer to modify the fastening device, by relocation of slits 11 and 20 to the front walls 14 and 21 respectively, so that the seal device can be inserted so that it will project from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to the edge 52 and away from the zip fastener 47.
- manipulation of the seal is easy, and, provided that the fixed body 2 is sufficiently withdrawn from the edge 55 of the pouch 46, the seal is considerably protected by the pouch 46 from accidental damage.
- the aperture 13 need not be located in the position shown; it can be located in any suitable position which will both enable the removal of the broken portion of the seal device retained within cavity 4a after unfastening of the device, and be covered by the movable body 1 when the device is fastened.
- the aperture 13 could be located in the lower section of the rear wall of the housing 4.
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Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to a sealable fastening device, and is primarily, although not exclusively, concerned with a device for fastening the runner of a zip fastener, especially the runner of a zip fastener which serves to close a container, such as a reusable container, for example.
- There are already known several types of sealable fastening devices which comprise a movable body, a body (herein referred to as the fixed body) to which in use of the device the movable body is to be fastened, and a seal device, the movable body, fixed body and seal device being arranged to co-operate so that when the movable body is suitably attached to the fixed body the seal can be fitted so as to fasten the movable body to the fixed body in such a manner that, in order to remove the movable body from the fixed body it will normally be necessary to break the seal device. The seal devices are expendable, and fresh supplies are only available to authorised persons, so that if an unauthorised person removes the movable body from the fixed body, there will normally be evidence of this because the seal will have been broken. Examples of such fastening devices are disclosed in G.B. 930,508, 1,424,680, 1,476,430 and 1,543,380 and DE-A-2416826.
- DE-A-2416826 discloses a sealable fastening device for a container, in which a movable body is attached to a sliding fastener which opens and closes the container. When the container is closed the movable body fits over a housing attached to the container and is fixed to the housing by a seal device. Feet of the seal device are inserted through cooperating slots in the housing and movable body and are held by a resilient member in the housing. A body of the seal device rests against the outside on the top of the movable body. To undo the seal the seal must be broken between the body and the feet, a tool normally being employed for this purpose, thus showing that the container has been opened. The housing is separated from the inside of the container and has an open end to allow the broken feet to be removed, the open end being covered by the movable body when it is in position on the housing.
- Sealable fastening devices of the above described kind are often used to protect closure devices (e.g. zip fasteners) on containers, so that any unauthorised opening of the closure device can be detected. A container which is commonly protected in this manner is what has become known as a reusable container. In its usual form, a reusable container comprises a pouch which is closed by a zip and has on its outside a window through which the destination address may be shown and optionally an additional window for postage stamps. When fitted with the above- described kind of fastening device, the runner of the zip is attached to the movable body, and the fixed body is attached to the container adjacent to the position of the zip fastener when the zip is closed, so that the zip runner can be fastened via the movable body to the fixed body and the sealing device can then be fitted.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealable fastening device of the above- described kind which can be simple in construction and use and yet resistant to undetectable tampering and in which the seal can be readily broken by hand.
- According to the present invention, there is provided a container having a sealable fastening device, the device comprising a housing attached to the container and having a cavity therewithin, a movable body attached to a movable part of the container for closing the container, the movable body being shaped to fit over the housing, the housing and movable body having a passage therethrough through which a head of a seal device is inserted, the movable body and the housing being locked together by the seal device to lock the container closed and the head of the seal device being adapted so that once the head has been inserted through the passage it cannot normally be removed through said passage, the seal device having a frangible neck which extends through the passage and is broken to enable the housing and movable body to be parted, and a tail portion which is larger than said passage, and the housing having an aperture covered by the movable body and through which the head can be removed after the seal device has been broken, the cavity being separated from the inside of the container to prevent the head of the seal device falling into the container when the seal device is broken, characterised in that the head of the seal device is resiliently deformable, the tail portion is adapted to be gripped manually for breaking the tail portion from the head, and the passage is positioned in a sidewall of the housing and movable body and spaced from walls of the container, the position of the passage and the arrangement of the seal device being such that the tail portion of the seal device projects from said side wall and is spaced from the container walls to enable the tail portion to be readily manually gripped.
- It will be appreciated that with a fastening device in accordance with the invention, it is possible to arrange that the seal device or part seal device retained in the cavity of the housing after unfastening of the device can be removed from outside a container to which the fastening device may be applied, and yet the fastening device can be resistant to tampering when in the fastened condition. Also, the form of movable body employed in the device of the invention can lend itself to easy manipulation in use, and the seal is readily broken by hand.
- In accordance with the form of design which we at present prefer, said head portion comprises a substantially V-shaped member, the apex of the V-shaped member being connected to said tail portion through an end of a first one of the legs of the V, which end is remote from the apex of the V, the second of the legs of the V being capable of being resiliently urged towards said first leg to permit said head portion to pass through said passage into said cavity; when in said cavity said first leg can spring back to its original position, so that if it is then attempted to withdraw the seal device, the free end of said first leg will catch on the interior of the fastening device (e.g. on the interior wall of the housing) to resist such withdrawal. We particularly prefer that in this design the seal device should include a shoulder at the point of attachment of said first leg to the rest of the seal device, said shoulder being in opposed relation to said tail portion; again, the shoulder can, by catching on the interior of the fastening device, resist withdrawal of the seal device.
- We have found it advantageous that the housing of the fixed body of the fastening device should be of substantially cuboid (rectangular parallelepiped) shape.
- For attaching the body to the container, the fixed body may have a pair of outwardly projecting legs attached to the base of said housing in opposed relationship; or it may have a pair of downwardly projecting legs attached to the base of said housing in opposed relationship.
- In a preferred application of the fastening device of the invention, the movable body is attached to the runner of a zip fastener so that, when the zip fastener is closed, the movable body, and thus also the runner of the zip fastener, can be fastened to the fixed body.
- In one embodiment of the invention, the container is in the form of a reusable container which is closed by a zip fastener situated in a side of the container and running adjacent to an edge of the container, the fixed body of the fastening device having outwardly projecting legs as described above and being attached to said side of the container. With this embodiment, it is preferred that it is arranged that the seal is to be inserted so that after insertion it has a tail portion projecting from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane of said side of the container and perpendicular to said edge of the container; we have found that with this arrangement the seal is generally less likely to be accidentally damaged.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the container is in the form of a reusable container which is closed by a zipfastener situated along an edge of the container, the fixed body of the fastening device having downwardly projecting legs as described above and being attached to said edge of the container. With this embodiment, it is preferred that it is arranged that the seal device is to be inserted so that after insertion it has a tail portion projecting from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to said edge of the container and away from the zip fastener; again, we have .found that with this arrangement the seal is generally less likely to be accidentally damaged.
- In order that the invention may be more fully understood, some embodiments in accordance therewith will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealable fastening device in accordance with the present invention, in an unfastened condition, the view additionally showing a backing plate and rivets which may be employed in fixing the fixed member of the fastening device to another body;
- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sealable fastening device shown in Figure 1, when in its fastened condition;
- Figure 3 is a view of the device shown in Figure 2, as seen from below;
- Figure 4 is a side view of a reusable container in accordance with the invention, employing the fastening device, backing plate and rivets shown in Figures 1 to 3;
- Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4, but with the seal device ommitted for clarity;
- Figure 6 is a side view of another reusable container in accordance with the invention, employing a modified form of fastening device; and
- Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 6, again with the seal device omitted for clarity.
- In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar parts.
- Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the sealable fastening device shown therein comprises a
movable body 1, a body 2 (designated the fixed body) and aseal device 3. Thefixed body 2 is of a suitable structural plastics material and is in the form of a hollow substantially cuboid-shaped housing 4 defining acavity 4a, and having a pair of outwardly projectinglegs holes rectangular slit 11 in aside wall 12, anaperture 13 extending in the lower portion of thefront wall 14 right down to the level of the bottom oflegs apertures -
Movable body 1 again is of a suitable structural plastics material, and comprises a hollow generally cuboid-shaped housing 16 having atab 17 projecting rearwardly therefrom,tab 17 having ahole 18 therethrough. Formed inside wall 19 ofhousing 16 is arectangular slit 20, the rectangular dimensions of which are substantially the same as those ofrectangular slit 11. It will be seen that thefront wall 21 of thehousing 16 has a dependinglip 22. - The housing of the
fixed body 2 and thehousing 16 of themovable body 1 are so dimensioned that themovable body 1 can be snugly fitted over the housing 4 to act as a cover for it, with therectangular slits passage 23 of rectangular cross-section, and thefront wall 21 together with itslip 22 fully covering theaperture 13 in thefront wall 14 of the housing 4. -
Seal device 3 comprises ahead portion 24 and atail portion 25 connected to thehead portion 24 by a short connectingportion 26. Thehead portion 24 consists of a substantially V-shaped member 27 and alength 28 which links V-shaped member 27 to the connectingportion 26. V-shaped member 27 consists of afirst leg 29 and asecond leg 30 joined together at theapex 31 of the V-shaped member 27, thelength 28 serving to link theend 32 of thefirst leg 29 which is remote fromapex 31 to the connectingportion 26. It will be seen that this arrangement results in ashoulder 33 at the point of attachment offirst leg 29 to the connectingportion 26, theshoulder 33 being in opposed relation to thetail portion 25. - Connecting
portion 26 includes a depression at 34 which reduces the amount of material required and provides an additional point of weakness to ensure that the seal can be broken when required, although breakage of the seal normally occurs at the junction between thetail portion 25 and the connectingportion 26. -
Tail portion 25 is of generally rectangular shape and includes acentral depression 35 which reduces the amount of material required and also makes it easier to manipulate thetail portion 25. -
Seal device 3 is monolithically constructed (by moulding, for example) of a plastics material which is of sufficient strength to enable to seal device to remain in its sealing position without. breakage when subjected to the forces to be expected during normal use of the fastening device when in its sealed condition. However, the strength of the plastics material must not be sufficiently great as to prevent the seal from being broken, when required, by manipulation of thetail portion 25. Also, the plastics material employed must be such as to permit thesecond leg 30 to be resiliently urged towards thefirst leg 29. - Inspection of the drawings will show that the height of the
passage 33 formed by therectangular slits passage 23 is slightly greater than the maximum width of thehead portion 24 when thesecond leg 30 has been urged fully towards thefirst leg 29 so that thefree end 36 of the former is snugly accommodated inrecess 37 formed between connectingportion 26 and thelength 28. It will also be seen that the width of thetail 25 is substantially greater than that of thepassage 23, so that thetail 25 cannot enter into thehousing 4a. - Figure 1 shows a
backing plate 38 and rivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 which can be used for fitting thefixed body 2 of the sealable fastening device to another body, for example a reusable container as shown in Figures 4 and 5.Backing plate 38 hasholes holes body 2, and is shaped to provide adepression 43, which can accommodate excess material of the body to which thefixed body 2 is being fixed. In use, thefixed body 2 and thebacking plate 38 are placed in position on the body in question so that the latter is sandwiched between them and therespective holes 7, 7a etc. are aligned, the body in question being bored at the appropriate places so that the shaft ofrivet 39 can pass throughholes 7 and 7a until the head of the rivet abuts theleg 5, and theremaining rivets fixed body 2 to the body in question. - We will now describe the manner of fastening and unfastening the sealable fastening device shown in Figures 1 to 3. First, the
movable body 1 is fitted over the housing 4 of thefixed body 2 so as to act as a cover for the housing 4, as can best be seen in Figure 2, thefront wall 21 together with its dependinglip 22 fully covering theaperture 13 in thefront wall 14 of the housing 4. Next, the seal device is fitted, by inserting theapex 31 of the V-shaped member 27 into thepassage 23 and pushing the seal fully home so that thesecond leg 30 is gradually resiliently urged, by wedge action, towards thefirst leg 29 until itsfree end 36 fits snugly into therecess 37, and then, when thehead portion 24 enters into thecavity 4a, thefree end 36 springs away again and thehead portion 24 takes up the position best shown in Figure 3, wherein thetail 25 abuts against the outside ofwall 19 ofhousing 16, andshoulder 33 and/orfree end 36 ofleg 30 abut against the inside ofside wall 12 of housing 4. (Normally bothshoulder 33 andfree end 36 will so abut, but only one of these will do so if theseal device 3 is in either of its extreme lateral positions, i.e. if it is laterally slid within thepassage 23 either as leftwardly or rightwardly as possible, as viewed in Figure 3.) It will be appreciated that in this position theseal device 3 prevents the removal of themovable body 1 from thefixed body 2, because to do this it would be necessary to lift themovable body 1 upwardly relative to thefixed body 2 and this is prevented by the lower edge of theslit 20 fouling theseal device 3.Seal device 3 cannot be pushed further into the fastening device, because thetail portion 25 abuts thewall 19. Attempts to withdraw the seal are thwarted by the reaction of theshoulder 33 and/or thefree end 36 ofleg 30 against the inside ofwall 12, so that such attempts will result in thetail portion 25 becoming detached from the seal device rather than withdrawal. Theaperture 13 in thefront wall 14 of the housing 4 is covered by themovable body 1 as explained above, and the normal manner of mounting the fixedbody 2 is such that access cannot be gained from the outside of thebase aperture 15, so that thehead portion 24 of theseal 3 will, when the fixed body is so mounted, be protected from prying, both physical and (so long as the structure of the fastening device is not transparent) visual. - When the fastening device is to be unfastened, the
seal 3 is broken, conveniently by manipulating thetail portion 25 upwards so that breakage occurs in the region of the junction of thetail portion 25 and the connectingportion 26, and thetail portion 25 generally together with part of the connectingportion 26 is withdrawn so that the remaining part of the seal 3 (thehead portion 24 generally together with part of the connecting portion 26) falls or is pushed into thecavity 4a. Themovable body 1 is then lifted off the housing 4 of the fixedbody 2, thus unfastening the device and uncovering theaperture 13 to permit the portion of the seal device withincavity 4a to be removed. It will be appreciated that with this design in accordance with the invention, theaperture 13 can be made of substantial size so as greatly to facilitate the removal of this broken portion of theseal 3. It will also be appreciated that, as themovable body 1 includeshousing 16 which acts as a cover for the housing 4 of the fixedbody 2, it can be relatively large and accessible for ease of handling. - We will now describe the reusable container in accordance with the invention which is shown in Figures 4 and 5. The container comprises a pouch 46 the interior of which is, in use, closed by a
zip fastener 47 and is fitted with a sealable fastening device as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Pouch 46 is constructed predominantly of plastics material, and has atransparent window 48 sealed around itsperiphery 49 to side 50 of the pouch. Aslit 51 is provided in side 50 beneathwindow 48 so that an address card can be placed in view from within the pouch 46. If the reusable container is to be used in the public mails, an additional window device may be provided for postage stamps. If the stamps are to be accessible for cancellation, no slit in communication with the interior of the pouch 46 is provided under the additional window, but instead provision is made for inserting a card bearing the stamps from outside the pouch, and the portion of the window below which the stamps are to appear will be left open, so that the stamps will be accessible for cancellation. -
Zip fastener 47 is situated in side 50, and runs adjacent to edge 52 of the pouch 46, and includes arunner 53 having a projectingfinger 54 which passes throughhole 18 in themovable body 1. Thus,movable body 1 acts as pull tab forrunner 53.Fixed body 2 is attached to the side 50 of the pouch 46 in a position adjacent to the end of thezip fastener 47 at which therunner 53 is situated when thezip fastener 47 is closed. Backingplate 38 and rivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 are used for the attachment of fixedbody 2 to pouch 46, in the manner described above. In a modification, therivets body 2 and project downwardly therefrom at locations corresponding to the positions of theholes - In use the
zip fastener 47 is opened to permit the insertion of the address card and the articles which are to be carried in the pouch 46, thezip fastener 47 is closed, and themovable body 1 is fastened to the fixedbody 2 as described above, using theseal device 3. As will be seen from Figure 5, thebase aperture 15 is completely covered by the part of the side 50 which the fixedbody 2 overlies, and theaperture 13 is covered by thefront wall 21 together with its dependinglip 22. It should also be noted that after insertion of theseal device 3, thetail portion 25 projects in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane of side 50 and perpendicular to edge 52. We have found that with this arrangement, manipulation of the seal device is easy, and yet the seal is considerably protected by the pouch 46 from accidental damage. Unfastening of themovable body 1 is also as described above, and permits thezip fastener 47 to be opened so that the contents of the pouch 46 can be removed. - The reusable container shown in Figures 6 and 7 is generally the same as that shown in Figures 4 and 5, except that the
zip fastener 47 is situated alongedge 52 of the pouch 46, and the fixedbody 2 is modified and repositioned accordingly. For this purpose, the outwardly projectinglegs legs body 2, and the fixedbody 2 is fixed, in a manner entirely analogous to that described above, so that it straddles theedge 52 at a position adjacent the end of thezip fastener 47 at which therunner 53 is situated when thezip fastener 47 is closed. - As can be seen in Figure 6, the
seal.device 3 is positioned so as to lie in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the side 50. For many purposes,.we prefer to modify the fastening device, by relocation ofslits front walls edge 52 and away from thezip fastener 47. With this arrangement, manipulation of the seal is easy, and, provided that the fixedbody 2 is sufficiently withdrawn from theedge 55 of the pouch 46, the seal is considerably protected by the pouch 46 from accidental damage. - It will, of course be appreciated that the
aperture 13 need not be located in the position shown; it can be located in any suitable position which will both enable the removal of the broken portion of the seal device retained withincavity 4a after unfastening of the device, and be covered by themovable body 1 when the device is fastened. For example, provided that the rear wall 56 (see Figure 6) of thehousing 16 is suitably extended downwardly, theaperture 13 could be located in the lower section of the rear wall of the housing 4.
Claims (8)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AT81303081T ATE11865T1 (en) | 1980-07-08 | 1981-07-07 | LOCKABLE MOUNTING DEVICE. |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB8022273A GB2079362B (en) | 1980-07-08 | 1980-07-08 | Sealable fastening device |
GB8022273 | 1980-07-08 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0043726A1 EP0043726A1 (en) | 1982-01-13 |
EP0043726B1 true EP0043726B1 (en) | 1985-02-20 |
Family
ID=10514597
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP81303081A Expired EP0043726B1 (en) | 1980-07-08 | 1981-07-07 | Sealable fastening device |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0043726B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE11865T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3169031D1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2079362B (en) |
Families Citing this family (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0109793B1 (en) * | 1982-11-10 | 1987-03-04 | Bond (R.S.C.) Associates Ltd. | Containers provided with sealable sliding clasp fasteners |
JPS63192402A (en) * | 1987-02-03 | 1988-08-09 | ワイケイケイ株式会社 | Lock device for slide fastener |
GB2355233B (en) * | 1999-10-13 | 2003-08-27 | Envopak Group Ltd | Closable container |
AUPQ943200A0 (en) * | 2000-08-15 | 2000-09-07 | Tebco Pty Limited | Security device |
GB2451302B (en) | 2007-06-15 | 2012-10-24 | D G Capital Ltd | Zip closure system |
GB2463472A (en) | 2008-09-11 | 2010-03-17 | Itw Ltd | Container with tamper-evident seal |
DE102013106341B3 (en) * | 2013-06-18 | 2014-06-26 | Ernst Balzat | Safety slide fastener, has first locking part comprising attachment surface that is arranged corresponding to underside of slider, and second locking part connected in region of tape end that is arranged at closure tapes |
GB2541891B (en) * | 2015-09-01 | 2018-07-11 | Versapak Int Ltd | Sealing device |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB930508A (en) * | 1960-06-16 | 1963-07-03 | Frank Henry Arthur | Improvements relating to sealing devices |
GB1424680A (en) * | 1972-12-13 | 1976-02-11 | Envopak Ltd | Locking device |
GB1476430A (en) * | 1974-08-20 | 1977-06-16 | Versapak Ltd | Sealing devices |
DE2416826A1 (en) * | 1974-04-06 | 1975-10-23 | Hans Hillesheim | CLOSURE |
BR7501943A (en) * | 1975-04-01 | 1976-10-05 | Lima Castro Netto E De | UNIQUE PIECE SECURITY SEAL AND LACRAR SYSTEM |
GB1543380A (en) * | 1976-02-18 | 1979-04-04 | Versapak Ltd | Reusable envelope |
-
1980
- 1980-07-08 GB GB8022273A patent/GB2079362B/en not_active Expired
-
1981
- 1981-07-07 DE DE8181303081T patent/DE3169031D1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-07-07 EP EP81303081A patent/EP0043726B1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-07-07 AT AT81303081T patent/ATE11865T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ATE11865T1 (en) | 1985-03-15 |
EP0043726A1 (en) | 1982-01-13 |
DE3169031D1 (en) | 1985-03-28 |
GB2079362B (en) | 1984-07-11 |
GB2079362A (en) | 1982-01-20 |
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