GB2067959A - Security seal - Google Patents

Abstract

When hinged cover piece (7) is folded down over information carrier (4), its folded edge (8) laps over the corner edges of the information carrier (4) and the lock housing (1). The cover piece (7) can then be locked by way of a flexible fastening strip (11) passed through a hole (9) in the cover piece into cooperation with stop elements (16) in a bore (10) in the lock housing (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A hand closure seal The present invention relates to a hand closure seal which has a lock housing which defines a socket incorporating at least one elastic stop element as well as having a flexible fastening strip having catch means which are lockable in the socket with respect to the direction opposed to the input direction of the strip in the socket.

A series of such hand closure seals have already become known, for example through the Swiss patent specifications Nos. 525 813 and 525 814. These, however, cannot be used as the so-called signature seals since the information carriers thereon, in the forms of faces on which labels can be stuck, are unprotected and accessible at any time.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a hand closure seal of the aforementioned type which is adapted to serve as a signature seal.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a hand closure seal having a lock housing which defines a socket incorporating an elastic stop element, a flexible fastening strip having catch means which are lockable in the socket with respect to a direction opposed to the input direction of the strip in the socket, a flat information carrier which extends from the lock housing and has a cover piece hinged thereto which has dimensions such that, during the sealing action, it extends over the information carrier and the lock housing and the fastening strip is slidable into the socket through a hole in the cover piece.

Preferably, the cover piece carries a dependent edge which laps over the corner edges at least of the information carrier when the cover piece is hinged over the information carrier.

As a result of these measures it is possible to provide a closure secure against manipulation of the information carrier as a result of locking of the closed cover piece during a sealing operation.

Preferably, the information carrier in this case has a surface on which writing can be carried out or it can receive a leaf carrying the information before the closure of the cover piece.

Furthermore, it is preferable for the cover piece to be fixed onto the information carrier by way of a flexible hinge band.

Preferably also, the lock housing has a conically tapering external shape from the head of which both the information carrier and the fastening strip extend radially.

In order to secure the hand closure seal against manipulation seeking to open it illegally, it is preferable if the festening strip passes from a ribbon-like end portion into a series of conical frusta forming a Christmass tree profile and serving as catch means. The construction is then preferably such that a centrally located bore of said socket in the lock housing has a transverse dimension only slightly larger than the external diameter of the Christmas tree profile of the fastening strip.

Preferably also, the elastic stop element extends radially inwardly in a dove-tail-like manner from a shoulder of a recess of the socket in the lock housing and in the input direction of the strip.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a hand closure seal constructed in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the hand closure seal of Figure 1 but partially cut away.

The illustrated hand closure seal includes a casing-like lock housing 1 which comprises an approximately cylindrically shaped head 2 and a depending conical part 3.

From the head 2 of the lock housing 1 there extends radially a strip-like flat information carrier 4 whose carrier face 5 lies preferably at least approximately in the plane of the front face of the head 2 of the lock housing 1.

The carrier face 5 is preferably provided with a surface on which one can write.

On the outer edge of the information carrier is hinged a cover piece 7 by way of a bendable hinge strap 6, a peripheral folded edge 8 depending from the edges of the cover piece. The construction is so arranged that, when the cover piece 7 is hinged down over the information carrier 4, its folded edge 8 laps over the corner edges of the information carrier 4 and extends over the head 2 of the lock housing 1, as is shown by way of the dot-dash lines in Figure 1. In this closed position of the cover piece 7 a hole 9 in the cover piece 7 is aligned with the centrally located bore 10 in the lock housing 1.

In this way an inSCription on the face 5 of the information carrier 4 or a leaf introduced therein is protected from all sides and is inaccessible.

For the purpose of the sealing operation a flexible fastening strip 11 extends, preferably, from the head 2 of the lock housing 1 and this preferably comprises a ribbon-like end part 12 as well as a Christmas tree profile 1 3 formed from conical frusta which serve as catch means. For easier insertion of the strip 11 into the central bore 10 of the lock housing 1 the strip 11 can carry an entry pin 14 and a centering portion 1 5 at its free end. Furthermore, the ribbon-like end part 12 of the strip 11 can carry nubs (not illustrated in detail) on its inner face which prevent a rotation of the seal after looping in and sealing.

A socket including elastic stop elements 1 6 in the lock housing 1 cooperates with the fastening strip 11 and with its Christmas tree profile 13. In this case the stop elements 1 6 extend in dove-tail fashion from the shoulder 1 7 of a recess 1 8 of the casing bore 10 in the lock housing 1 in the direction of inward sliding of the strip 11 and radially inwardly.

For the cremation of a seal then, when the cover piece 7 is closed, the Christmas tree profile 1 3 is slid inwardly through the cover hole 9 into the casing bore 10 of the lock housing 1 and then the fastening strip 11 is pushed through the lock housing 1 until the established loop of the fastening strip 11 enclose tightly around the lugs of a seal element or the like. Furthermore, the stop elements 16, subject to pressure through the conical frusta of the Christmas tree profile 13, act in a locking manner on the rearward faces 19 of the individual frusta and in a manner to secure against a withdrawal of the fastening strip from the lock housing 1.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the stop element being acted upon from the outside in order to obtain unauthorised withdrawal of the fastening strip 11 the transverse dimension of the central bore 10 in the lock housing 1 is only slightly larger than the outside diameter of the Christmas tree profile 13 of the fastening strip 11.

The aforedescribed signature seal preferably is made of a plastics material so that at least the cover piece 7 is transparent.

Within the scope of the invention a series of constructional variants are possible. In some cases the cover piece can also be hingedly mounted on the longitudinal edge of the information carrier.

Furthermore, the stop element of the locking socket as well as the catch means on the fastening strip can have another form.

Furthermore, the lock housing can also have an alternative external form, for example a cylindrical one.

Claims (9)

1. A hand closure seal having a lock housing which defines a socket incorporating an elastic stop element, a flexible fastening strip having catch means which are lockable in the socket with respect to a direction opposed to the input direction of the strip in the socket, a flat information carrier which extends from the lock housing and has a cover piece hinged thereto which has dimensions such that, during a sealing action, it extends over the information carrier and the lock housing and the fastening strip is slidable into the socket through a hole in the cover piece.

2. A hand closure seal according to claim 1, wherein the cover piece carries a dependent edge which laps over the corner edges at least of the information carrier when the cover piece is hinged over the information carrier.

3. A hand closure seal according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the information carrier has a surface for receiving writing.

4. A hand closure seal according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover piece is fixed onto the information carrier by way of a flexible hinge band.

5. A hand closure seal according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock housing has a conically tapering external shape from the head of which both the information carrier and the fastening strip extend radially.

6. A hand closure seal according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fastening strip passes from a ribbon-like end part into a series of conical frusta forming a Christmas tree profile and serving as the catch means.

7. A hand closure seal according to claim 6, wherein a centrally located bore of said socket in the lock housing has a transverse dimension which is little bigger than the external diameter of the Christmas tree profile of the fastening strip.

8. A hand closure seal according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic stop element extends radially inwardly in a dove-taillike manner from a shoulder of a recess of the socket in the lock housing and in the input direction of the strip.

9. A hand closure seal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.