Closure fasteners – Seals – Interengaging shackle ends – inclosing housing
Patent
1994-09-29
1996-08-06
Meyers, Steven N.
Closure fasteners
Seals
Interengaging shackle ends, inclosing housing
292307R, B65D 2730
Patent
active
055427243
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention refers to a new sealing system suitable for use in security seals and other devices designed to seal objects.
Many sealing systems are known in which a locking pin is received within a cavity or orifice having internal teeth for cooperating with and locking the pin, thus preventing relative movement between the two parts. However, many known drawbacks are associated with seals of this type, for example: orifices passing right through the part in which they are formed have a generally reduced degree of security since access to the teeth is available from the side of the orifice opposite that which is penetrated by the locking pin; often fail to provide the ideal security desired and almost always increase manufacturing costs; and are closed so as to prevent access to the pins after closure are manufactured using injection moulds having complex structures subject to all types of malfunction, this also increasing the cost of the final product to an inacceptable level.
An example of a seal having a closed cavity is the plastic/metal padlock type seal of EPO-A-0 223 905. That seal comprises a plastic body formed internally with two closed cavities separated by a wall having lateral protuberances behind and below which reversely bent prongs of a metal shackle element engage for closure of the seal. Such lateral protuberances that have the function of internal locking teeth have negative surfaces facing the bottoms of the respective closed cavities. Although EPO-A-0 223 905 does not relate to, nor does it disclose, the manner of manufacturing the seal, it is clear that if injection moulding techniques are to be used, the presence of the under surfaces of the protuberance require the use of an mould having a complex structure with movable parts (wedges or the like) that have to move at the beginning and end of each injection cycle.
The purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a high security sealing system that can be manufactured using an extremely simple injection mould that is not subject to malfunction.
According to the present invention, a sealing system for a security seal is of the type comprising a first part having a cavity containing a tooth and a second part carrying a locking pin which, on being inserted into the cavity through an entry opening, cooperates in locking relation with the tooth to assume a sealed configuration that prevents its removal from the cavity. There is a second entry opening to the cavity adjacent the first entry opening and the region between the two entry openings comprises a base of the tooth. The cavity is substantially closed with the exception of the two entry openings and an inner wall of the cavity--which extends from the edge of one of the said entry openings to the bottom of the cavity which is opposite the entry openings--is curved under the base of the tooth.
This novel sealing system is suitable for manufacture by injection moulding using a mould having a fixed part and a rotary part to mould the closed cavity with the inner tooth. This is possible precisely due to the novel characteristics of the sealing system, that is to say, the fact that there are two adjacent entry openings with the base of the tooth between them and that the inner wall of the cavity is curved under the base of the tooth.
With further reference to the sealing system, the tooth is preferably formed with a longitudinal slot and the locking pin has a longitudinal rib that fits into such slot in the sealed configuration.
It is also preferable that the edge of the entry opening from which the curved wall extends is the edge of the second entry that is opposite the edge adjacent the base of the tooth.
According to another aspect of the invention, a security seal comprises a sealing system as defined above, an elongate flexible strip extending from the first part and formed along its length with a series of openings longitudinally spaced from each other, and hinge means joining the second part to the first part to permit the second part to be folded over the firs
REFERENCES:
patent: 1866461 (1932-07-01), Goschnick
patent: 2781217 (1957-02-01), Swan
patent: 2913274 (1959-11-01), Brooks et al.
patent: 3489449 (1970-01-01), Lai
patent: 3556575 (1971-01-01), Farkas
patent: 3920368 (1975-11-01), Levelson
patent: 4330256 (1982-05-01), Reichenbach et al.
patent: 4470173 (1984-09-01), Adamson
patent: 4501049 (1985-02-01), Adamson
patent: 4676535 (1987-06-01), Mautner
patent: 4731212 (1988-03-01), Hasegawa
patent: 5275548 (1994-01-01), Tibiletti
patent: 5356284 (1994-10-01), Sheffield
ELC Produtos de Seguranca Industria E Comercio LTDA
Meyers Steven N.
Millner Monica E.
LandOfFree
Sealing system, security seal and injection moulding system for does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sealing system, security seal and injection moulding system for , we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sealing system, security seal and injection moulding system for will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2186948