Tamper indicating seal
| DWPI Title: Passive tamper indicating seal for use with lock and hasp arrangement to detect unauthorized access/tampering to high value and security area, has serration e.g. notch, compressing ends of wire folded over ring against sidewall of recess |
| Abstract: Seals have a flexible wire that can be looped through a hasp-like device. The seals include a body having a recess, a plug insertable into the recess and a snap ring for fastening the plug to the body. The plug and/or body can have access holes for inserting the wire into the recess. “Teeth” on the outer diameter and through-holes through the thickness of the snap ring allow for passing the ends of the flexible wire from the recess through the snap ring. The ends of the wire can be folded back over the snap ring and into engagement with the teeth. Assembly of the seal causes the ends of the wire to be securely fastened between the teeth of the snap ring and the sidewall of the recess. Seals can include a plug and/or body made of a frangible material such as glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic or brittle polymer. |
| Use: Passive tamper indicating seal for use with a lock and hasp arrangement to detect unauthorized access/tampering to a hazardous area and high value and security area, container i.e. commercial trade shipping container, and materials. |
| Advantage: The plug is not removed from the body and the seal is irreversible without causing visible damage e.g. scratches, chips and cracks, to the plug, the body, the snap ring and the wire. The serration compresses the ends of the wire folded over the snap ring against sidewall of the recess to secure the ends of the wire within the body, so that the seal can be assembled in a quick and easy manner without using special tools. The serration in the plug causes the ends of the wire to be easily accessible to an operator assembling the seal. |
| Novelty: The seal (100) has a snap ring (106) comprising through-holes (114) extending through thickness of the snap ring. The through-holes allow free ends (108a, 108b) of a flexible wire (108) i.e. polymer coated metal wire, to pass through the snap ring. The ends of the wire are folded over an outer diameter of the snap ring. A serration (116) e.g. notch, formed on the outer diameter of the snap ring compresses the ends of the wire folded over the snap ring against sidewall of a recess (110) to secure the ends of the wire within a transparent body (102) e.g. ceramic body, of the seal. |
| Filed: 4/14/2009 |
| Application Number: US2009423263A |
| Tech ID: SD 11122.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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