EP3323755A1

EP3323755A1 - Electronic seal and electronic sealing system

Info

Publication number: EP3323755A1
Application number: EP16823773.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Zhiqiang Chen; Yuanjing Li; Xianghao WU; Yonggang Chen; Xu Fang; Mingdong SU
Original assignee: Nuctech Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nuctech Co Ltd
Priority date: 2015-07-14
Filing date: 2016-06-27
Publication date: 2018-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-27
Also published as: MY188542A; MX373839B; EP3323755A4; CN104989184B; WO2017008626A1; MX2016010490A; CN104989184A; EP3323755B1; PL3323755T3

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic seal and an electronic seal system. The electronic seal is adapted to indicate whether an attached box is opened. The electronic seal comprises an integrated housing having a first surface and a second surface, at least one magnet arranged and at least one Hall element paired with the magnet. The magnet and the Hall element are arranged in the housing. The first surface is adapted to contact and fit with the box, so that the magnet is adapted to contact with and be attached on the box to fix the electronic seal on the box, and after the magnet is attached on the box, the magnet and the Hall element cooperate to send a signal that the electronic seal is moved, when the electronic seal leaves the box.

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic seal and an electronic seal system.

Background of the Invention

At present, it needs to prevent door of containers used at customs from being illegally opened when entering/leaving customs and ports, and it is desired to not open the door in many cases to reduce trouble of inspection.
An existing container, however, employs a lead seal, which requires manual working and results in waste of lead. In addition, the lead seal is likely to be remade by forging after being illegally sheared off. The existing container also employs a sensor-type seal for sealing, for example, a clamping sensor seal between door leaves of the container. Such a clamping sensor seal is installed between door leaves. When the door is opened, the clamping sensor seal sends information to a control center to report, so as to prevent illegally opening the door. However, as a clamping sensor seal needs to be installed by opening the door, such a clamping sensor seal can not be used if it requires to perform protection detection in a case of closing the door.

Summary of the Invention

In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic seal, which can be reused and installed for use without opening the door of a container, so as to solve part or all of problems of the seal in the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic seal convenient to install and disassemble. A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic seal which can be protected from damage and forging.
In a first aspect of the present invention, an electronic seal is provided, for indicating whether an attached box is opened, wherein the electronic seal comprises a housing having a first surface and a second surface, the electronic seal further comprises at least one magnet and at least one Hall element paired with the magnet, and the magnet and the Hall element are arranged in the housing,
wherein the first surface is adapted to contact and fit with the box, and after said magnet is attached on the box, the magnet and the Hall element cooperate to send a signal that said electronic seal is moved, when said electronic seal leaves the box.
In a second aspect of the present invention, an electronic seal system is provided, comprising a customs lock and at least one electronic seal described above, wherein each electronic seal establishes data communication with said customs lock configured to send information of the electronic seal to users.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figs. 1A and 1B show an L-shaped electronic seal of the present invention;
Figs. 2A and 2B show a line-type electronic seal of the present invention; and
Figs. 3A and 3B show an electronic seal system of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Embodiments

Now, detailed references are provided for the embodiments of the present invention, and examples thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers all represent like elements. To explain the present invention, the embodiments below will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, an electronic seal 11 is provided, for indicating whether a sealed box 2 is opened.
Figs. 1A and 1B show an L-shaped electronic seal 11 of the present invention. Refer to Figs. 1A and 1B. The electronic seal 11 comprises an integrally formed housing 114, which can be formed by an ultrasonic injection molding process, for example. The integrated housing 114 has the advantage that entering the inside of the housing 114 will inevitably cause a damaged trace on the housing 114. In other words, if access to the inside of the housing 114 is desired, the housing 114 must be opened or damaged, and a trace will be left on the surface of the housing 114 in opening or damaging the housing 114, so inspectors could know the electronic seal has been damaged. The integrated housing 114 can be prevented from being illegally damaged. The integrated housing 114 comprises a front face 115 (corresponding to the second surface) and a back face 116 (corresponding to the first surface). The front face 115 of the housing 114 faces outwards, and the back face 116 of the housing 114 is adapted to contact and fit with the sealed box 2 (corresponding to the attached box). "Fit" refers to that the back face 116 of the housing 114 is substantially complementary with the surface of the box 2 to be contacted, so that after the back face 116 of the housing 114 and the surface of the box 2 contact and fit with each other, no obvious gap is formed between the back face 116 of the housing 114 and the surface of the box 2. Tools such as a blade, a screw driver, etc. or foreign objects cannot enter the back face 116 of the housing 114, so as to prevent the back face 116 of the housing 114 from being damaged.
The electronic seal 11 further comprises at least one magnet 111 and at least one Hall element 112 paired with the magnet. The magnet and the Hall element are arranged in the housing 114. The Hall element is adapted to send a warning signal when the housing 114 of the electronic seal 11 is opened.
A very strong magnetic attractive force is generated when the magnet 111 contacts and fits with the metal box 2 such as a steel container, accordingly, the electronic seal 11 is attached and fixed on the surface of the box 2 of the container. When the electronic seal 11 is fixed on the surface of the box 2, no part of the back face 116 of the housing 114 of the electronic seal 11 can be contacted. The back face 116 of the electronic seal 11 can be contacted only when the electronic seal 11 is pried off the box 2, but in such case, the electronic seal 11 will send a signal indicating the electronic seal 11 has left the box 2.
The electronic seal 11 comprises at least one magnet 111 and at least one Hall element 112 paired with the magnet. When the magnet 111 is not attached on the metal box 2, the state of the Hall element 112 is "0"; and when the magnet 111 is attached on the metal box 2, the magnet 111 and the Hall element 112 interact with each other, so that the state of the Hall element 112 is "I". After the electronic seal 11 is installed on the box 2, the state of the Hall element 112 is recorded; and when the state of the Hall element 112 changes, the Hall element 112 will send out state information through an antenna. In such a way, an operator can obtain change of the state of the electronic seal 11 and information that the electronic seal 11 is moved. The magnet of the electronic seal is not only adapted to attach the electronic seal to the metal box through magnetic attractive force, but also reflect the state of the electronic seal through interaction with the Hall element.
Accordingly, as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, in some cases, a door 20 may be removed by cutting an L-shaped hinge 1, which is welded on the box 2 and connects the door 20 and a side edge 21, for example, of the box 2 (a part of the hinge 1 is welded on the door 20, the other part is welded on a side of the box 2 orthogonal to the door 20), and after illegal movement is completed, the hinge 1 is welded on the box 2 again, so as to avoid that the door 20 is found be opened. In order to prevent the hinge 1 from being damaged, the electronic seal 11 may cover the hinge 1 and protect the hinge 1 from contact or removal, thereby preventing criminal behaviors. Such an electronic seal 11 may be in the shape of L as shown in Figs. 1A and 1B. As shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the electronic seal 11 covers the hinge 1 in two directions of the L-shaped hinge perpendicular to each other to be attached to the box 2, thereby protecting the hinge 1. Any action damaging the hinge must be performed by removing the electronic seal 11, and illegally removing the electronic seal 11 will trigger warning. Alternatively, the electronic seal 11 may further comprise one or more additional Hall elements 117. The additional Hall elements send a signal indicating the housing 114 is damaged when the housing 114 of the electronic seal 11 is damaged. Due to the additional Hall elements 117, the integrally formed housing 114 cannot be damaged, and the electronic seal 11 itself is monitored. For example, the additional Hall elements 117 are distributed in the electronic seal, and mutually cooperate with magnet matched with the same and arranged in the electronic seal, and when the housing 114 of the electronic seal is damaged, the additional Hall elements 117 send a signal. Favorably, the additional Hall elements 117 mutually cooperate with the magnet 111, which is arranged in the electronic seal and adapted to determine whether the electronic seal leaves the box. Thus, there's no need of arranging additional or special magnet or magnets in the electronic seal, and the magnet 111 can cooperate with the additional Hall elements 117 and at the same time protect the housing of the electronic seal through cooperation with the additional Hall elements 117. Alternatively, the electronic seal 11 may further comprise one or more additional optical elements. The additional optical elements are arranged at one or more positions in the electronic seal, and these additional optical elements may comprise, for example, a optical sensor. When the electronic seal is damaged and external light irradiates to the inside of the electronic seal, light is sensed by an optical sensor, and then a signal is sent for warning. The optical sensor may comprise an infrared sensor, an ultraviolet sensor, a broadband optical sensor or the like, for example. The optical sensor may be an active optical sensor.
Alternatively, the electronic seal 11 may further comprise one or more additional optical elements and one or more additional Hall elements 117. Such a structure is favorable and can provide redundant protection.
The electronic seal 11 comprises two magnets 111 and two Hall elements 112 respectively paired with the two magnets. Two magnets 111 and two Hall elements 112 are respectively disposed at positions adjacent to two end portions of the electronic seal 11, for example, as shown in Fig. 1B. One of the functions of the magnets 111 is fixing the electronic seal 11. The two magnets 111 respectively are arranged adjacent to two ends of the electronic seal 11 may maintain the electronic seal 11 to be fixed on the box 2 in a balancing manner. At the same time, the magnets 111 are also adapted to form the warning together with the Hall elements 112. When the magnet 111 is disposed together with the Hall elements 112 paired with it, and the magnet 111 is attached on the box 2 due to magnetic property, the state of the Hall element 112 is 1; and when the magnet 111 leaves the box 2, the state of the Hall element 112 is changed to be 0, and is sent out. Accordingly, the state of the electronic seal 11 may be determined.
In the first embodiment, the electronic seal 11 further comprises a magnet locking device 113. The extending and retracting of the magnet 111 is controlled by virtue of the magnet locking device 113. The magnet locking device 113 is adapted to drive the magnet 111 to contact or leave the box 2. The magnet locking device 113 comprises a lock plunger adapted to be operated on the front face 115 (corresponding to the second surface), and a user drives said magnet 111 to contact or leave the box 2 by rotating said lock plunger from the second surface. The second surface is the front face 115 of the housing 114 of the electronic seal 11 facing outwards. Arranging the magnet locking device 113 on the face facing outwards allows an operator to control extending and retracting of the magnet 111 from the front face 115 of the housing 114. For example, if the lock plunger of the magnet locking device 113 is rotated from the second surface, the lock plunger will extend forwards or retract backwards, and the lock plunger pushes or pulls the magnet 111, so as to drive the magnet 111.
The electronic seal 11 comprises an antenna, for transmitting a signal indicating the state of the Hall element 112.
The electronic seal 11 comprises a power supply, for providing power for the Hall element 112 and additional Hall elements.
Preferably, the electronic seal 11 comprises a switch for turning on/off the power supply.
Preferably, the switch of the electronic seal 11 is a press-in trigger switch, configured to be pressed in for turning on the power supply when the electronic seal 11 is installed on the box 2.
Alternatively, the electronic seal further comprises an electronic control switch, which can be a power supply switch or other electronic switch in parallel with the press-in trigger switch and controlled by program, thereby ensuring that the electronic seal will not power down in abnormal conditions.

Second Embodiment

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, an electronic seal 12 is provided, for indicating whether a sealed box 2 is opened.
Figs. 2A and 2B show a line-type electronic seal 12 of the present invention. Refer to Figs. 2A and 2B. Comparing the line-type electronic seal 12 of the second embodiment with the L-shaped electronic seal 11 of the first embodiment, the housings of the two are different in shape.
The line-type electronic seal 12 comprises an integrally formed line-type housing 124. The housing 124 comprises a front face 125 and a back face 126. The electronic seal 12 further comprises at least one magnet 121 and at least one Hall element 122 paired with the magnet 121. The magnet 121 and the Hall element 122 are arranged in the housing 124. The Hall element is adapted to send a warning signal when the housing 124 of the electronic seal 12 is opened. The electronic seal 12 further comprises a magnet locking device 123. The extending and retracting of the magnet 121 is controlled by virtue of the magnet locking device 123. The electronic seal 12 may further comprise one or more additional Hall elements 127 and/or one or more additional optical elements. The electronic seal 12 may further comprise an antenna, a power supply, a switch, an electronic control switch and the like.
As for others not illustrated in the second embodiment, please refer to relevant contents of the first embodiment. For example, reference to relevant description about the housing 114 in the first embodiment may be made with respect to the housing 124 and the front face 125 and back face 126 thereof, except for its different shape from the housing 114. For the magnet or magnets 121, the Hall element or elements 122, the magnet locking device 123, the additional Hall elements 127, the additional optical elements, the antenna, the power supply, the switch, the electronic control switch and the like, reference may be correspondingly made to relevant description about the magnet 111, the Hall element 112, the magnetic locking device 113, the additional Hall elements 117, the additional optical elements, the antenna, the power supply, the switch, the electronic control switch and the like in the first embodiment. Thus, according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, when the electronic seal 12 is attached to the door 20, for example, crossing a slot between door leaves of the door 20, the door 20 can not be opened. Because if once the door 20 is opened, the electronic seal 12 cannot well fit with the door 20, a signal indicating the electronic seal 12 leaves the box 2 is sent once the electronic seal 12 leaves the box 2, and then a customs officer or other relevant person, for example, could know the electronic seal 12 is moved and the door 20 is opened. Such electronic seal 12 may be in the shape of a strip, for example, a line-type shape as shown in Figs. 2A and 2B. The door 20 may be closed by enabling the electronic seal to cross the slot between door leaves of the door 20. The electronic seal 12 may further cover a lock 3 for locking the door, as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B.

Third Embodiment

Refer to Fig. 3B. According to the third embodiment of the present invention, an electronic seal system is provided, comprising a customs lock 13 and at least one electronic seal described above. In this embodiment, each electronic seal establishes data communication with said customs lock 13 adapted to send information of the electronic seal to users. The customs lock 13 is configured to store state information of the electronic seal, for example, the information including the number, position and state information of the electronic seal. In this embodiment, said customs lock 13 is configured to activate the electronic seal.
According to the embodiments of the present invention, it should be known by a person skilled in the art the Hall element is merely a form of the present invention, and other elements adapted to detect the change of magnetic field or the occurrence of damage all can replace the Hall element under the teaching of the present invention. The present invention is specially illustrated and described with reference to typical embodiments of the present invention, however, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in forms and details could be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims

An electronic seal for indicating whether an attached box is opened, wherein the electronic seal comprises a housing having a first surface and a second surface, the electronic seal further comprises at least one magnet and at least one Hall element paired with the magnet, and the magnet and the Hall element are arranged in the housing,
wherein the first surface is adapted to contact and fit with the box, and after the magnet is attached on the box, the magnet and the Hall element cooperate to send a signal that the electronic seal is moved, when the electronic seal leaves the box.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the magnet is adapted to contact and attach on the box, so as to fix the electronic seal on the box.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the housing is an integrally formed housing.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal further comprises additional Hall element arranged in the electronic seal and for sending a warning signal when the housing of the electronic seal is opened.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal further comprises additional optical sensor arranged in the electronic seal and for sending a warning signal due to light received when the housing of the electronic seal is opened.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal is line-type seal for crossing a gap between door leaves of a door of the box to attach on the door, and when the door is opened, the electronic seal is separated from the door and sends a signal that the electronic seal leaves the door.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal is L-shaped for covering a hinge connecting a door of the box and the box to completely cover a L-shaped hinge in two directions of the L-shaped hinge, so as to prevent from contacting the hinge.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal comprises two magnets and two Hall elements respectively paired with the two magnets, and the two magnets and the two Hall elements are respectively disposed at two positions adjacent to two end portions of the electronic seal.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal comprises a magnet locking device adapted to drive the magnet to extend out to contact the box or retract to leave the box, the magnet locking device comprises a lock plunger adapted to be operated on the second surface, and a user drives the magnet to contact or leave the box by rotating the lock plunger from the second surface.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal comprises an antenna for transmitting a signal from the Hall element.
The electronic seal of claim 1, wherein the electronic seal comprises a power supply for providing power for the Hall element and additional Hall element.
The electronic seal of claim 11, wherein the electronic seal comprises a switch for turning on and off the power supply.
The electronic seal of claim 12, wherein the switch is a press-in trigger switch, configured to be pressed in when the electronic seal is installed on the box, so as to turn on the power supply.
An electronic seal system, comprising a customs lock and at least one electronic seal of claim 1, wherein each electronic seal establishes data communication with the customs lock which sends information of the electronic seal to users.
The electronic seal system of claim 14, wherein the customs lock is configured to activate the electronic seal and store information of the electronic seal, the information includes the number, position and state information of the electronic seal.