GB2369612A

GB2369612A - An Enclosure that Indicates Tampering via Mechanical Means

Info

Publication number: GB2369612A
Application number: GB0025300A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Vize
Original assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Current assignee: Glasdon Ltd; Glasdon Group Ltd
Priority date: 2000-10-16
Filing date: 2000-10-16
Publication date: 2002-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2020-10-16
Also published as: GB0025300D0; GB2369612B

Abstract

A tamper-evident enclosure having a lid (2) and a base (1) that combine to form interior chamber (4) which can be used for storage of a lifebelt. The lid and base are hinged (3) at one end and are lockable by a latch arm (34) at the other. A coloured visual indicator plate (46) is disposed inside the enclosure and is biassed towards a position where it can be viewed from the outside of the enclosure through an inspection window (47). When the enclosure is closed the plate is held by a retaining tongue (38) away from the window against the force of a biassing spring. When it is opened the plate (46) is released from the tongue (38) and is biassed to the window (47). The indicator plate (46) allows quick and rapid inspection of the enclosure so as to ascertain whether or not it has been opened since the last inspection.

Description

A TAMPER-EVIDENT ENCLOSURE The present invention relates to a tamper-evident enclosure and particularly, but not exclusively, to such an enclosure for safety equipment such as a lifebuoy for water rescue.

It is common for water rescue equipment such as lifebuoys, buoyant throwing lines or other flotation devices to be disposed at waterside locations such as beaches, piers, harbours, canal tow-paths, riversides etc. where there is a risk to the public of drowning. The equipment is typically stored in an enclosure that is prominently displayed on a wall, support post or the like.

It is desirable for enclosures of this nature to be inspected regularly by the appropriate authorities in order to ascertain that the equipment contained therein is still present and in working order. If the equipment has been used, or alternatively vandalised since the previous inspection it may not all be present or may be unworthy for future use. Currently such an inspection can only be conducted by opening the enclosure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for an improved enclosure that is readily tamper-evident such that only a quick visual inspection is required to ascertain whether or not the enclosure has been opened since the last inspection.

According to the present invention there is provided a tamper-evident enclosure comprising a first portion and a second portion that combine to define an interior chamber for storage, the first and second portions being moveable relative to one another between a closed position in which access to the chamber is prevented and an open position, a latch for holding the first and second portions in the closed position, a visual indicator connected to said first portion and an adjacent inspection window in a wall of the first portion, the visual indicator being movable between a first position in which it can be viewed through said window and a second position where it is substantially out of the view through said window, a biasing member that biases the indicator towards the first position, and a retention member connected to the second portion, wherein in the closed position the retention member holds the indicator in said second position against the biasing force of the biasing member and in the open position the retention member is clear of the indicator so as to allow the biasing force to move the indicator to the first position.

The provision of the inspection window and the visual indicator that automatically comes into view of the window if the enclosure is opened allows quick and easy inspection to ascertain whether it has been opened and therefore whether there is a risk that the contents have been removed or damaged.

The indicator is preferably a plate member that may be coloured for easy visual recognition. It is ideally hinged to the enclosure or to another plate that is fixed to the enclosure but may be otherwise attached. The biasing member is preferably a torsion spring that is associated with the hinge of the indicator.

In one preferred embodiment the first portion is a closure lid and the second portion of the enclosure is a base.

The retention member is preferably a projection integral with the base. The length of the retention member determines how far the two portions must be moved towards the open position before the indicator is free to move from the second position to the first position. When the two portions are moved relative to one another from the closed to the open position the indicator plate ideally slides relative to the retention member.

The retention member, window and indicator are preferably mounted on interior walls of the enclosure disposed adjacent to the chamber.

The first and second portions of the enclosure are preferably hinged together at one end and the visual indicator and window are preferably located at an opposite end near the latch.

The enclosure is preferably for water rescue equipment and the chamber may be in the form of a toroidal cavity for receipt of a lifebelt.

In a preferred embodiment the latch is at least partially elastomeric so as to allow limited relative movement of the first and second portions relative to one another when they are held in the closed position. The latch may comprise an arm that is pivotally mounted on one of the enclosure portions and a recess associated with the other portion of the enclosure into which the arm is latchable, the arm being at least partially elastomeric.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to t, accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a life belt enclosure of the present invention shown partially cut away to expose interior features, the enclosure shown in the closed position ; Figure 2 is perspective view of the enclosure of figure 1 shown unlatched from the closed position ; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the enclosure of figure 1 shown in the open position.

Referring now to the drawings, the lifebelt enclosure comprises a two part plastics moulding in the form of a base 1 and a closure lid 2 connected together at one end by a hinge 3. The lid 2 is pivotally connected to the base 1 about the hinge 3 so that it can be moved between a closed position (as shown in figure 1) where it combines with the base 1 to define a toroidal chamber 4 for storing a lifebelt (not shown), and an open position as shown in figure 3.

The base 1 of the enclosure has rear 5, side 6 and end walls 7,8. The rear wall 5 has an elongate channel 9 extending from one end wall 7 of the enclosure towards the hinge 3. The channel 9 is open to the exterior of the enclosure and is designed to receive a post 9a on which the enclosure is supported in use. Apertures 10 in the channel walls are provided to accommodate fixings for the post. Inside the chamber 4 the rear of the channel wall is interrupted by an upstanding annulus 11 that projects towards the lid 2 and defines a locating wall for a lifebelt.

The lid 2 has front 20, end 21,22 and side walls 23. An annular depression 24 in said front wall 20 is disposed such that it lies over the lifebelt chamber 4 when the enclosure is closed and serves to retain the lifebelt on the upstanding annulus 11.

The end walls 7,21 of the base 1 and lid 2 that are opposite the hinge 3 are inturned to provide ledges 25,26 that support a locking arrangement 30 and a tamperevident mechanism 31 that are described below.

The ledge 25 of the base 1 has a central upstanding wall 32 that surrounds a cavity 33 in which one end of a pivotal latch arm 34 is supported. The arm 34 extends out of the cavity 33 towards the lid 2 where it terminates with a handle formation 36 and has a latching ball 37 disposed at an intermediate. position along its length. Below the latch ball 37 the arm is constructed of elastomeric material. To one side of the upstanding wall 32 the ledge 25 has an integrally moulded projecting tongue 38 extending towards the lid 2. The tongue 38 has an inclined wall 39 that faces the hinged end walls 8,22 of the enclosure and a vertical wall 40 facing in the opposite direction.

The ledge 26 of the base 1 has a locking recess 41 that has a complementary section for receipt of the latch ball 37 in latching engagement and has an opening 42 into which the projecting tongue 38 is received when the enclosure is closed. The opening 42 is lined at one end by an inclined wall 43 and houses a hinged bracket 44 comprising a fixing plate 45 that is attached to the inclined wall 43 and a visual indicator plate 46 that is hinged thereto. A torsion spring (not shown) mounted on the hinge of the bracket 44 biases the visual indicator plate 46 away from the fixing plate 45 and towards an inspection window 47 defined in the front wall 20 of the lid 2. The indicator plate 46 is coloured so that it can be seen clearly through the inspection window 47 from the outside of the enclosure.

When the enclosure is installed the lifebelt is fitted over the annulus 11 and the lid is closed so as to retain the lifebelt in place. Before closing the lid 2 the indicator plate 46 is manually hinged in a direction towards the fixing plate 45 against the bias of the torsion spring. Whilst holding the indicator plate 46 in that position the lid 2 is lowered until the indicator plate 46 passes in front of the tongue 38. The indicator plate 46 can then be released whereupon it is biased into contact with the vertical wall 40 of the tongue 38. The lid 2 is then closed properly and locked by pivoting the latch arm 34 towards the centre of the enclosure so that the latch ball 37 engages in the complementary part of the recess 41 in the lid 2. This locks the enclosure in the closed position. The arm 34 is held in this locked position by a suitable frangible tie (not shown) so as to prevent inadvertent opening of the lid 2. When the enclosure is subjected to vibration or adverse weather conditions such as high winds there is a tendency for the lid 2 to move slightly away from the base 1 about the hinge. This movement is accommodated by the flexing of the elastomeric part of the latch arm 34 whilst still retaining the lid 2 in the closed position. Moreover, the geometry of the tongue 38 and indicator plate 46 is also designed to accommodate such small movements of the lid 2 relative to the base 1. The height of the vertical wall 40 of the tongue determines the angle of inclination of the lid 2 to the base 1 at which the indicator plate 46 is able to move to the position where it can be seen through the inspection window 47. The indicator plate 46 has to travel the length of the vertical wall 50 to a position where it is clear of the tongue 38 and free to move towards the inspection window 47 under the biasing force of the torsion spring. The length that the plate 36 has to travel before it is clear of the tongue 38 (i. e. the length of the vertical wall) is therefore carefully designed to be greater than the length of travel that will be allowed to occur by the latch arm 34 as a result of vibration or adverse weather conditions etc.

When it is necessary to have access to the lifebelt the tie is broken and the latch arm 34 is pivoted out engagement with the recess 41 in the lid 2 by pulling on the handle 36. The enclosure is then opened by hinging the lid 2 away from the base 1. In so doing the indicator plate 46 slides over the vertical wall 40 of the tongue 38 and moves out of the opening 42. As soon as the indicator plate 46 moves clear of the tongue 38 it is biased back towards the inspection window 47 by the torsion spring whereupon it is readily visible through window from the outside of the container.

As the indicator plate 46 is housed in the discreet opening 42 in the lid 2 it will only be apparent to those who have knowledge of the enclosure that it must be reset before closing the lid. Accordingly if the lid is closed without resetting the indicator plate 46 it will remain in view through the inspection window 47. The arrangement thus allows simple inspection of the enclosure to ascertain whether or not it has been tampered with since the last inspection. If the indication plate is visible through the inspection window it indicates that the enclosure has been opened since the last inspection and it is necessary to inspect the contents to establish that they are present and in working order.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described design may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the positions of the inspection plate and the retaining tongue may be reversed in which case the inspection window is located on the base. In addition the visual indicator may be of any convenient form and not necessarily a plate. Moreover, it is preferably brightly coloured to aid rapid inspection.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A tamper-evident enclosure comprising a first portion and a second portion that combine to define an interior chamber for storage, the first and second portions being moveable relative to one another between a closed position in which access to the chamber is prevented and an open position, a latch for holding the first and second portions in the closed position, a visual indicator connected to said first portion and an adjacent inspection window in a wall of the first portion, the visual indicator being movable between a first position in which it can be viewed through said window and a second position where it is substantially out of the view through said window, a biasing member that biases the indicator towards the first position, and a retention member connected to the second portion, wherein in the closed position the retention member holds the indicator in said second position against the biasing force of the biasing member and in the open position the retention member is clear of the indicator so as to allow the biasing force to move the indicator to the first position.
2. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is a plate member.
3. An enclosure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the visual indicator is coloured for easy inspection.
4. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the indicator is hinged to the enclosure.
5. An enclosure according to claim 4, wherein the biasing member is a torsion spring associated with the hinge.
6. An enclosure according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the indicator is hingedly connected to a fixing plate that is fixed to the enclosure.
7. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the first portion is a closure lid and the second portion of the enclosure is a base.
8. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the retention member is a projection integral with the base.
9. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the retention member has a surface against which the visual indicator bears when in the second position.
10. An enclosure according to claim 9, wherein the visual indicator plate travels over said surface of the retention member when the two portions are moved from the closed position to the open position.
11. An enclosure according to claim 10, wherein the surface is of a predetermined length so as to allow the two portions of the enclosure to be moved apart by a predetermined amount with the visual indicator remaining in said second position.
12. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the retention member, inspection window and visual indicator are mounted on interior walls of the enclosure disposed adjacent to the chamber.
13. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second portions of the enclosure are hinged together at one end.
14. An enclosure according to claim 13, wherein the visual indicator and inspection window are located at an end opposite the enclosure hinge and near the latch.
15. An enclosure according to any preceding claim wherein the latch is at least partially elastomeric so as to allow limited relative movement of the first and second portions relative to one another when they are held in the closed position.
16. An enclosure according to claim 15, wherein the latch comprises an arm that is pivotally mounted on one of the enclosure portions and a recess associated with the other portion of the enclosure into which the arm is latchable, the arm being at least in part of elastomeric material.
17. An enclosure according to any preceding claim, wherein the chamber houses water rescue equipment.
18. An enclosure according to claim 17, wherein the chamber is a toroidal cavity for receipt of a lifebelt.
19. A tamper-evident enclosure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.