RU2415625C2 - Safety device for container (versions) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: personal use articles. ^ SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to protection device (10) for protection against break-in into containers of such type as suitcases, briefcases, bags or cases equipped with a buckle of "zipper" type with a slider lock (16) serving as a closing device. The specified protective device (10) comprises the lower part (12) for attachment to container and a connection facility (14) for attachment of the protective device (10) to the specified slider lock (16) of the zipper directly or with application of intermediate elements. The upper part (20) serves for arrangement of the specified connecting facility (14). A female facility (24) is arranged with the possibility to install a brittle seal (26) in it ans serves to avoid displacement of the specified fragile seal (26) without its breakage. An access-limiting facility (28) limits access to the specified connecting facility (14) and female facility (24). The protective device (10) comprises a zone of strength weakening (30) arranged with the possibility of destruction whenever the specified protection device (10) is detached from the container with an effort. ^ EFFECT: device protects against break-in into containers of such type as suitcases, briefcases, bags or cases equipped with a buckle of "zipper" type with a slider lock serving as a closing device. ^ 20 cl, 9 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to protective devices equipped with means of indicating unauthorized access attempts. In particular, the present invention relates to a security device with means of indicating unauthorized access attempts, namely, a zipper slider lock.

State of the art

Suitcases, briefcases, bags, or cases using zippers with a slider lock as closure are well known in the art. When using these containers to store items in them, ensuring their protection against unauthorized removal from the container, it is known to use several types of protective devices that restrict access to a zipper and are equipped with indicators to indicate attempts of unauthorized access to a closure of the specified type.

As an example of a prior art protective device, US Pat. No. 6,533,335 can be referenced. The device disclosed in this patent is intended to exclude access to the zipper slide lock. The specified protective device also includes a brittle locking element, or a seal as a means of indicating attempts to unauthorized access to the slide lock.

In US patent No. 6,533,335 the specified protective device has a two-piece housing. The bottom of the case is permanently attached to the bag or case with rivets or similar fasteners. The upper part of the housing is made with the possibility of rotation between open and closed positions. When the upper part of the housing closes the lower part of the housing, access to the slide lock of the zipper is not possible. Parts of the housing of the protective device are connected to each other by breaking the seal. It is assumed that penetration into the protective device, for example, an attempt to access the slide lock of the fastener, will be detected by the destruction of the indicated breaking seal.

Protective devices known from the prior art, for example the device disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,533,335, are not without drawbacks. So, in some cases, it is possible to separate the protective device from the bag or case with force, for example using a lever, if you “push” them out the rivets that fasten the lower part of the body of the protective device to the bag or case. After that, by pulling on the tongue of the zipper slide lock, it becomes possible to open the specified bag or case without violating the specified seal. There is even the possibility of re-attaching the housing of the protective device to the bag or case using the same rivets. As a result, the cracker gains access to the contents of the bag or case, without leaving any factual evidence that took place when the protective device was opened.

Disclosure of invention

The objective of the present invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages or reduce their impact on the functioning of the known prior art protective devices.

Accordingly, according to the first aspect, the present invention provides a protective device for a container, closed with a zipper fastener with a slide lock, comprising:

the lower part, made with the possibility of attachment to the specified container;

connecting means for attaching a protective device to said slide fastener of the zipper directly or using intermediate elements;

an upper portion for accommodating said connecting means;

covering means for installing a frangible seal therein and preventing displacement of said frangible seal without breaking it; and

means for restricting access to said connecting means and female means;

moreover, in the specified protective device there is provided a zone of weakening of the strength with the possibility of destruction upon separation of the specified protective device from the container with effort, for example, using a lever.

The specified protective device is operable with any of the zippers known from the prior art. Typically, the specified clasp consists of two, equipped with teeth of tapes and a slide lock, which provides adhesion and disengagement of these teeth when closing and opening the fastener in a known manner.

In a preferred embodiment, the slide lock has a hinge or window to which said connecting means is directly attached. Direct attachment of the connecting means to the zipper slide lock is optional. Such fastening may be carried out using one or more intermediate elements. For example, a slide lock can be equipped with an exhaust tongue, to which the connecting means is connected.

The lower part of the protective device, made with the possibility of attachment to the specified container, may consist of one or more elements. In a preferred embodiment, the lower part of the protective device is made in the form of a plate attached to the container with rivets, with the possibility of attaching to it the specified upper part of the protective device.

It is also preferred that said upper part forms the base of the chamber in which said enclosing means is located with a frangible seal placed therein. The upper part is also arranged to hold said connecting means, although this holding may not be fully effective while said means of restricting access to the connecting means is in the operating position.

The covering means with a brittle seal installed in it can be structurally made in any suitable form. When using a frangible seal of the kind described in Australian patent No. 738059 (see, in particular, Figs. 8 and 9), the contents of which are incorporated into the present application by reference, the covering means is preferably a passage configured to let the legs of the frangible seal pass through it and their retention due to the engagement of the teeth of the brittle seal outside the specified passage after the elastic straightening of the legs of this seal. Other designs are possible.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the design of the covering means allows only a selected group of fragile fillings to enter, for example, as described in Australian patent No. 738059 (see, in particular, Figs. 8 and 9). Preferred is the design where the female means comprises a hairpin or any other suitable barrier element due to which only fragile seals having disconnected legs can be installed in the female means.

As is known from the prior art, a brittle seal of this type has a zone of weakening strength, which is located at the junction of the legs and the main part of the brittle seal. Therefore, any attempt to force the fragile seal to be removed from the female means when the teeth of the specified seal are engaged in the region of the end of the aisle leads to the fact that the legs of the seal break off from its main part, which is an indication of an attempt of unauthorized access.

It is also preferable if said lower part of the protective device is adapted to be attached to the container by making one or more holes in said lower part for receiving suitable fastening means therein. And finally, it is preferable to also have similar openings in the upper part of the protective device. Rivets here are preferred fasteners.

The zone of weakening of the strength is made with the possibility of destruction of the seal when trying to separate the specified protective device from the container with effort. In one of the embodiments of the invention, the zone of weakening of strength is located in the immediate vicinity of the site of attachment of the protective device to the container. For example, when a pair of rivet holes are made in the upper part of the protective device located at a distance from each other, it is preferable if the zone of weakening of strength is located between them so that the force applied to the protective device in the area of the rivets leads to destruction of the material.

Obviously, the presence of destruction of the material in the area of weakening of strength will be a sign of an attempt to separate the protective device from the container, thereby indicating unauthorized access to the container. When in the assembled state in the protective device there is a brittle seal installed in the proper position, it is preferable to provide for the possibility of visual inspection of both the zone of weakening of strength and the brittle seal itself in order to detect their possible destruction. For example, this may require, in a constructive manner, that the specified zone of weakening of strength is not hidden under the main part of the breaking seal. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the zone of weakening of the strength of the fully assembled protective device is located outside the main part of the fragile seal, which facilitates inspection.

The preferred location of the zone of weakening of strength is the upper part of the protective device, but this zone can be performed in other places.

For example, in another preferred embodiment of the invention, several weakening zones are provided at once which surround each rivet hole. The purpose of this solution is that when you try to separate the protective device from the container with a force around the rivet hole, the material is destroyed and this no longer allows you to quietly attach the protective device to the container again.

In addition, the scope of the claims of the present invention also provides an option where the zone of weakening of strength is not around all rivet holes, but only around one or more of these holes.

The above mentioned disadvantages inherent in the prior art protective devices, such as the device disclosed in US patent No. 6,533,335. Despite the fact that the present invention in its first, above-mentioned aspect allows to eliminate such disadvantages, or to reduce their influence, another technical solution is possible. A disadvantage of prior art protective devices, such as the device disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,533,335, is in part that there is practically no gap between the container and the device when assembled. The protective device is rigidly attached to the container with rivets or other fasteners. Due to this feature, it becomes relatively easy to separate the protective device from the container, lifting the device body with a lever so that it is possible to "push out" the rivets.

In accordance with the aforementioned other technical solution, the present invention provides a protective device for a container closed by a zipper with a slide lock, comprising:

the lower part, made with the possibility of attachment to the specified container;

connecting means for attaching a protective device to said slide fastener of the zipper directly or using intermediate elements;

an upper portion for accommodating said connecting means;

means for restricting access to the specified connecting means;

moreover, the specified protective device is made with the possibility of attaching to the container using fastening means so that the specified protective device in the assembled state maintains mobility relative to the specified fastening means, while remaining attached to the container.

In said alternative aspect of the invention, the lower part, the connecting means and the upper part of the protective device may be considered, as indicated above, with respect to the first aspect of the present invention.

In accordance with an alternative aspect of the invention, the protective device in the assembled state is intended to provide a predetermined amount of clearance relative to the fastening means, for example, such as a rivet. This problem can be solved in various ways and then it will become obvious to experts in the prior art due to the disclosure of the idea of the invention.

The design of the protective device as an example may include the presence of a lower part, made with the possibility of attachment to the container and equipped with clamps for fastening means. Moreover, these latches can be made in such a way that they will provide the desired amount of clearance.

Another example is the design of the protective device, which provides coordination of the length of the rivets and the distance between the lower part and the means of restricting access. For example, the access restriction means may be located a little further from the rivets, compared with the structural options presented in US patent No. 6,533,335.

In both the first and second aspects of the present invention, it is preferable that the access restriction means forms the cover of the security device, in particular when the upper part of the device forms the base of the camera. In such an embodiment of the invention, the access restriction means can serve as a means of closing the chamber and preventing both unauthorized access to the enclosing means and unauthorized attempts to manipulate the connecting means. An example is illustrated by the following drawings.

In accordance with the first and second aspect of the present invention, said protective device may be made of any suitable material. For example, the preferred material for the manufacture of the lower part, upper part, covering means and means of restricting access to said protective device is impact resistant acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic (ABS plastic). The preferred material for the manufacture of the connecting means of said protective device is metal, for example stainless steel.

It is also possible and joint implementation of the first and second aspects of the present invention in the form of a single protective device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The description of the invention will now be devoted to one of the options for its implementation, not limiting the scope of the claims of the applicant, with reference to the following figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a security device in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the indicated embodiment of the invention depicted in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of a specified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the secant A-A of Figure 3;

5 is an exploded three-dimensional view of the protective device;

6 is a bottom view in perspective of the protective device shown in the previous figures;

7 is an exploded three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of a protective device;

Fig - exploded three-dimensional bottom view of the lid of the camera of the protective device shown in Fig.7; and

Fig.9 is a view of the lid of the camera depicted in Fig.8 after installing the studs.

The implementation of the invention

Obviously, the views of the device according to the invention in Figs. 1-5 and Figs. 7-9 are made in the same scale, while the views of the device in Fig. 6 are made in a significantly enlarged scale.

With reference to FIGS. 1-6, and in particular in FIG. 5, it is understood that the protective device 10 comprises a lower part 12 and a connecting means 14 for attaching the protective device 10 by means of the window 18 to the slider lock 16 of the zipper type . (The indicated figures do not show the container to which the protective device 10 is attached.)

The protective device 10 also includes the upper part or the base of the chamber 20 with the chamber 22, in which the covering means or passage 24 for installing the breaking seal 26 is located.

The camera 22 is made with the possibility of cover by means of access restrictions or the cover of the camera 28.

The upper part 20 also contains a weakening zone 30. In accordance with the shown embodiment of the invention, the material of this zone is impact-resistant acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic (ABS plastic) and the thickness of this zone is much less than the thickness of the remaining area of the specified upper part 20 of the protective device. Moreover, the strength of the specified zone is additionally weakened due to the peripheral groove or recess 62.

The lower part 12 is a plate fastened to the container with rivets with two rivet holes 32 on one side and two windows 34 on the other side. Before these rivet holes 32 there is a groove 36.

On the base of the chamber 20 there is a pair of fixing legs 38, made with the possibility of passing through the wide part of the window 34 and fixing with a plate 12 attached to the container with rivets, when the base of the chamber 20 is pushed from the rivet holes 32 so that the narrower part of the window 34 tightly holds the fixing legs 38.

Then, rivets or other fasteners are inserted into the openings 32 and 33 of the container (not shown).

Using a pair of fixing legs 38 passing through windows 34 made in the rivet plate 12 makes it possible to provide a gap between the rivets and the security device 10. Whereas the security devices known in the art can be attached to the container with four rivets, this embodiment of the present invention allows you to get by with only two rivets.

The base of the chamber 20 also includes a protrusion 40. When the fixing legs 38 pass through the windows 34 in the above manner, the protrusion 40 enters the groove 36 and helps align and fasten the rivet plate 12 to the base of the chamber 20.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, a fragile seal consists of its main part 42 and a pair of legs 44. On each of the legs 44 there is an external tooth 46 and an inclined tooth (relative to the plane of the seal) 48. The main part 42 of the seal includes a groove 50, which helps to align seals for printed purposes so that, for example, a trademark or serial number can be printed on the main part of the seal 42.

The drawing also shows that the brittle seal 26 has a shallow recess 68 made under the protrusions 70 located on the lid of the chamber 28, which contributes to its alignment. (Figure 5 shows two recesses 68 and two protrusions 70, but the reference number indicates only one element in each group of elements in order to reduce the total number of reference numbers in the drawing.)

The dimensions of the brittle seal 26 are such that when its legs 44 enter the passage 24 of the base of the chamber 20, these legs 44 are slightly pressed together and the inclined teeth are slightly pressed against the main plane of the main part of the seal 42. When the outer teeth 46 pass 24, the legs 44 are elastically straightened outward, assuming its initial position such that the outer teeth 46 engage with the distal end of the passage. At the same time, having passed edge 52, the inclined teeth 48 elastically straighten to their original position.

Obstacles to removing the brittle seal 26 from the passage 24 are both the outer teeth 46 abutting against the outer surface of the aisle 24 and the inclined teeth 48 abutting the edge 52. Therefore, any attempt to force the brittle seal 26 to force will break off the legs 44 from the main part 42 seals, because at the junction of the legs 44 and the main part 42 of the seal there is a zone of weakening of strength.

The connecting means 14 is made with a hole 54 for a rotary axis for installation on the rear 56 of the lid of the chamber 28 with the possibility of rotation on it.

The lid of the chamber 28 is fixed to the base of the chamber 20 using steps 64. The lid 28 mounted on the base of the chamber 20 prevents unauthorized manipulation of the connecting means 14 and covers the chamber 22 and passage 24. The lid of the chamber 28 is held on the base of the chamber 20 when a brittle seal 26 is inserted through slotted hole 58 in the lid of the chamber 28 and through the passage 24 in the base of the chamber 20.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, when the protective device 10 is in a fully assembled state, the fragile seal 26, which is securely installed in the intended location of the device, can be easily visually viewed. In this case, the zone of weakening of strength 30 at the base of the chamber 20 is viewed under the visor 60 of the cover of the chamber 28. Under normal conditions, the peak 60 protects the zone of weakening of strength 30 from unintentional damage due to careless handling and similar actions with the container to which the protective device 10 is attached.

However, when trying to “push” the rivets through the holes 32 in the plate 12, the weakening zone 30 will break due to the smaller thickness of this zone compared to the thickness of the rest of the base of the chamber 20 and also due to the recess 62 extending along the entire perimeter of the weakening zone 30. Thus thus, an intrusion attempt will be detected by visual inspection of the protective device 10 having traces of material rupture.

Therefore, an attempted intrusion can be indicated by the removal or damage of a brittle seal 26 in the protective device 10 or the destruction of the zone of weakening of strength 30.

7 shows another embodiment of the protective device 10 according to the invention, which uses a brittle seal 26 having integral legs, the type of which is disclosed in Australian Patent No. 738059, or a seal of equivalent type.

The lid of the chamber 128, here is similar to the lid of the chamber 28 described in the previous embodiment. However, a sleeve 82 is provided in the lid of the chamber 128 with a hole 84 into which the pin 80 is mounted. Thus, the specified pin 80 is an effective separation element installed in the slotted hole 58, due to which only a fragile seal 26 or the like can pass through the specified hole. a seal with severed legs 44. The presence of a stud 80 prevents passage of a brittle seal with one leg through the slot 58 of the hole 58.

For specialists in various fields of technology it will quickly become apparent that the invention disclosed in this description is not limited to the presented examples and is widely applicable in many fields of technology, thereby demonstrating significant success in this particular field.

Changes, modifications and variations of the present invention may also take place without departure from the essence and scope of the claimed claims.

Claims (20)

1. A protective device for a container closed by a zipper with a slide lock, including a lower part adapted to be attached to the specified container, connecting means for attaching a protective device to the specified zipper lock of the zipper directly or using intermediate elements, the upper a part for placing said connecting means, covering means for placing a breakable seal therein and preventing displacement of said breaking seal without h its destruction and means of restricting access to the specified connecting means and covering means, characterized in that it has a zone of weakening of strength, made with the possibility of destruction upon separation of the specified protective device from the container with effort. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains fastening means for attaching it to the container with the possibility of maintaining mobility in the assembled state relative to the specified fastening means and maintaining attachment to the container. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said connecting means is connected to the exhaust tongue of the zipper lock. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower part is a plate fixed to the container by means of rivets. 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper part forms the base of the chamber in which said enclosing means is located. 6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that said means of restricting access to said connecting means and female means forms a cover for said chamber. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part contains a pair of rivet holes located at a distance from each other. 8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the specified zone of weakening of strength is located between these rivet holes. 9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the specified zone of weakening of strength is visually visible when you install the specified fragile seals in the covering means. 10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the specified zone of weakening of strength is located around the rivet hole made in the specified upper part. 11. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that said means of restricting access to said connecting means and female means is located with a gap relative to said fixing means. 12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that said covering means includes a barrier element configured to prevent the installation of breaking brittle seals without disconnected legs inside the covering means. 13. The device according to p. 12, characterized in that the said barrier element is made in the form of a stud that separates the specified covering means. 14. A protective device for a container closed by a zipper with a slide lock, including a lower part adapted to be attached to the specified container, connecting means for attaching a protective device to the specified zipper lock of the zipper directly or using intermediate elements, the upper part to accommodate the specified connecting means and means for restricting access to the specified connecting means, characterized in that it is erzhit attachment means for attaching it to a container to store the mobility in the assembled state with respect to said attachment means and saving the attachment to the container. 15. The device according to 14, characterized in that said connecting means is connected to the exhaust tongue of the zipper lock. 16. The device according to 14, characterized in that the lower part is a plate attached to the container with rivets. 17. The device according to 14, characterized in that the upper part contains a pair of rivet holes located at a distance from each other. 18. The device according to 14, characterized in that the said lower part is provided with clamps for fixing means. 19. The device according to p. 18, characterized in that the said latches are made with the possibility of mutual movement of the fastening means and the lower part in working condition. 20. The device according to p. 18, characterized in that the said fixing means is located at a distance from the means of restricting access in working condition.

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