GB2121730A - Security seal with script-receiving surface - Google Patents

Abstract

A moulded plastics security seal which has a surface capable of receiving an indellible marking. The surface may be a paper sheet non-releasably fixed to the seal, or may be a painted or sprayed coating over all or part of the seal, or may be provided by moulding the seal from a plastics material which itself accepts indellible markings. The marking may be from a conventional writing instrument.

Description

SPECIFICATION Security seal with script-receiving surface The present invention relates to the provision of a script-receiving surface on a plastics article, and more specifically to the provision on a disposable security seal of a surface which the user may mark indellibly with writing implement commonly available, such as a ball-point pen, to provide an individual identification mark for such a seal.

Plastics security seals have hitherto been provided eitherwith individual indentifying markings, with generic identification such as a trade mark or house logo, or with no individual identifying feature whatsoever. Clearly, a security seal which carries no identifying marks does not provide a high level of security, as it merely has to be replaced by another of the same type fortampering to be undetectable.

The same applies to seals which only have generic or house marks, except that a seal bearing the house mark must be used to replace the original.

To provide effective security, a security seal requires to be individually identified so that it may not be undetectably replaced. However, producing seals which are individualized requires costly equipment and thus the seals themselves are prohibitively expensive to produce in small numbers. A user who requires only a small number of seals is then limited to using unmarked seals, or seals bearing a house mark, such a mark being made manually with an embossing tool.

The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a plastics article, particularly a security seal, which is only individually identified at the time of use, thus enabling production costs to be kept low. The identification applied to the seal makes it more difficult for violation of the seal to remain undetected as not only does the seal have to be replaced, but the identifying mark must be reproduced.

The fact that the identifying mark is applied by the user means that the seals may be initially identical, produced in large numbers at low cost. Thus the seals may be delivered immediately from stock, or maybe retailed directly to users.

According to the invention, a plastics security seal is provided with a surface capable of accepting an indellible marking.

The marking may advantageously comprise the users signature for generic identification together with a number or code for individual identification.

The indellibly markable surface may be a coating applied to the finished seal, or may be a thin laminate or paper sheet non-releasably attached to the seal.

The preferred form is a thin sheet of paper or the like, which is placed in the mould used for forming the seal prior to injection of plastics material. When the molten plastics material enters the mould, a bond is formed between the plastics material and the paper, which bond is strong enough to prevent peeling of the paper from the seal.

In order to prevent the thin paper sheet from moving during closure of the mould, a vacuum port or a porous area may be provided in the mould beneath the paper so that a vacuum may be applied to hold the sheet against the mould wall. Clearly, only a slight pressure difference will be necessary as the paper sheet will be small.

As previously stated, the markable surface may be a painted coating, preferably a thin layer with a matt-finish, the layer being sufficiently thin or fragile to prevent the layer from being peeled off intact and applied to another seal.

Clearly the layer may be applied to the finished seal over all or a part of its surface.

As a surface alternative the seal may be produced from a plastics material which itself accepts markings from ordinary instruments such as ball-point pens. This form of construction not only avoids any post-treatment such as is necessary in the case of coatings, but also does not require expensive machinery to insert and position a paper sheet or the like in the mould.

1. A moulded plastics security seal, characterized in that it comprises a surface capable of accepting an indellible marking.

2. A moulded plastics seal according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface capable of receiving an indellible marking is a sheet of paper or other fibrous laminate.

3. A moulded plastics seal according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface capable of accepting an indellible marking is a painted or sprayed coating.

4. A moulded plastics seal according to claim 1, characterized in that the seal is comprised of a material which itself accepts an indellible marking.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Security seal with script-receiving surface The present invention relates to the provision of a script-receiving surface on a plastics article, and more specifically to the provision on a disposable security seal of a surface which the user may mark indellibly with writing implement commonly available, such as a ball-point pen, to provide an individual identification mark for such a seal. Plastics security seals have hitherto been provided eitherwith individual indentifying markings, with generic identification such as a trade mark or house logo, or with no individual identifying feature whatsoever. Clearly, a security seal which carries no identifying marks does not provide a high level of security, as it merely has to be replaced by another of the same type fortampering to be undetectable. The same applies to seals which only have generic or house marks, except that a seal bearing the house mark must be used to replace the original. To provide effective security, a security seal requires to be individually identified so that it may not be undetectably replaced. However, producing seals which are individualized requires costly equipment and thus the seals themselves are prohibitively expensive to produce in small numbers. A user who requires only a small number of seals is then limited to using unmarked seals, or seals bearing a house mark, such a mark being made manually with an embossing tool. The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a plastics article, particularly a security seal, which is only individually identified at the time of use, thus enabling production costs to be kept low. The identification applied to the seal makes it more difficult for violation of the seal to remain undetected as not only does the seal have to be replaced, but the identifying mark must be reproduced. The fact that the identifying mark is applied by the user means that the seals may be initially identical, produced in large numbers at low cost. Thus the seals may be delivered immediately from stock, or maybe retailed directly to users. According to the invention, a plastics security seal is provided with a surface capable of accepting an indellible marking. The marking may advantageously comprise the users signature for generic identification together with a number or code for individual identification. The indellibly markable surface may be a coating applied to the finished seal, or may be a thin laminate or paper sheet non-releasably attached to the seal. The preferred form is a thin sheet of paper or the like, which is placed in the mould used for forming the seal prior to injection of plastics material. When the molten plastics material enters the mould, a bond is formed between the plastics material and the paper, which bond is strong enough to prevent peeling of the paper from the seal. In order to prevent the thin paper sheet from moving during closure of the mould, a vacuum port or a porous area may be provided in the mould beneath the paper so that a vacuum may be applied to hold the sheet against the mould wall. Clearly, only a slight pressure difference will be necessary as the paper sheet will be small. As previously stated, the markable surface may be a painted coating, preferably a thin layer with a matt-finish, the layer being sufficiently thin or fragile to prevent the layer from being peeled off intact and applied to another seal. Clearly the layer may be applied to the finished seal over all or a part of its surface. As a surface alternative the seal may be produced from a plastics material which itself accepts markings from ordinary instruments such as ball-point pens. This form of construction not only avoids any post-treatment such as is necessary in the case of coatings, but also does not require expensive machinery to insert and position a paper sheet or the like in the mould. CLAIMS

1. A moulded plastics security seal, characterized in that it comprises a surface capable of accepting an indellible marking.

2. A moulded plastics seal according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface capable of receiving an indellible marking is a sheet of paper or other fibrous laminate.

3. A moulded plastics seal according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface capable of accepting an indellible marking is a painted or sprayed coating.

4. A moulded plastics seal according to claim 1, characterized in that the seal is comprised of a material which itself accepts an indellible marking.