Closure fasteners – Seals – Encasing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-01-16
Boucher, Darnell M. (Department: 3627)
Closure fasteners
Seals
Encasing
C292S318000, C292S321000, C292S322000, C292S30700B, C024S0160PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174006
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tamper resistant seal of the kind including a series of ratchet teeth arranged along a strap, with one end of the strap being secured to a body and the other end of the strap being insertable into the body so as to move the ratchet teeth sequentially past a resiliently deformable catch.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It should not be possible to withdraw the strap from the body by moving the ratchet teeth in the reverse direction past the resiliently deformable catch.
As a result, when the tamper resistant seal is used in conjunction with a cash box, for example, it should not be possible to open the cash box without necessarily breaking or at least damaging the tamper resistant seal.
Typically, the ratchet teeth are of frusto-conical form and the resiliently deformable catch is formed from three fingers which extend longitudinally from a common circumferentially continuous base.
The fingers are flexed outwardly as a leading conical part of each ratchet tooth is moved therepast, and simultaneously snap inwardly as a trailing flat part of each ratchet tooth is moved therepast.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to improve upon a typical tamper resistant seal particularly in terms of reducing the thickness of a typical tamper resistant seal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a tamper resistant seal of the kind hereinbefore defined is characterized in that the resiliently deformable catch includes a pair of opposed jaws which are movable laterally primarily with a vise-like or spreading action rather than a collet-like or flexing action.
It will be appreciated that by providing two jaws which move apart with a spreading action rather than three fingers which move apart with a flexing action as in a typical tamper resistant seal, the longitudinal dimension or thickness of the resiliently deformable catch can be considerably reduced in the tamper resistant seal of the present invention.
Preferably, the resiliently deformable catch is formed separately from the body and is of a substantially planar construction.
The resiliently deformable catch may have a peripheral wall spanned by a pair of parallel inner walls, with a central part of each of the inner walls being formed with a respective one of the jaws and, between the inner walls, the peripheral wall has V-shaped portions.
Preferably, the resiliently deformable catch is sandwiched between the body and a generally conical cap; the resiliently deformable catch, the body and the cap are all formed of plastic materials; and a free end of an initially cylindrical side wall of the body has been turned-in by heat-forming over the cap.
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Boucher Darnell M.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Schwartz & Weinrieb
Vaterlaus Clifford B.
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