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US 11,594,153 B2Granted
Seal assembly for utility meter and associated methods
AssigneeLandis+Gyr Innovations, Inc.
InventorsBahadur Singh Rathore, Sitaram Sunda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a seal assembly for a utility meter enclosure. The seal assembly secures together a front cover and a base of the utility meter enclosure in a way that requires breaking of the seal assembly in order to open the utility meter enclosure. As such, the seal assembly provides an indication if the utility meter enclosure has been opened or tampered with.
Claims19
A seal assembly for a utility meter enclosure, the seal comprising:
- a female component joined with a male component by a flexible rib;
- and
- a stainless steel wire, wherein:
- the female component comprises a cavity sized and dimensioned to receive the male component;
- the male component comprises a top side and a bottom side opposite the top side, wherein the top side comprises a first channel and a second channel and the bottom side comprises a third channel and a fourth channel, wherein a U-shaped groove extends between an end of the first channel and an end of the third channel, wherein a V-shaped groove extends between an end of the second channel and an end of the fourth channel, and wherein two apertures extend between the top side and the bottom side;
- the female component further comprises two body openings, and wherein, when the male component is received in the cavity of the female component, a first body opening of the two body openings aligns with the second channel of the male component and a second body of the two body openings aligns with the fourth channel of the male component;
- and
- the female component further comprises two U-Shaped openings, each U-shaped opening configured to receive a portion of the stainless steel wire, wherein a first U-shaped opening of the two U-shaped openings aligns with the first channel of the male component when the male component is received in the cavity of the female component.
5 more elements
A tamper system for a utility meter enclosure comprising:
- a front cover joined with a base of the utility meter enclosure;
- a female component comprising a cavity and two body openings;
- a male component received within the cavity of the female component, the male component comprising:
- a plurality of anchors, two apertures, a top side, a bottom side, a U-shaped groove extending between the top side and the bottom side, and a V-shaped groove extending between the top side and the bottom side;
- and
- a stainless steel wire that extends through each of the two apertures of the male component, the U-shaped groove, at least a portion of the utility meter enclosure, the V-shaped groove, and each of the two body openings of the female component to secure the base to the front cover, wherein:
- the top side of the male component comprises a first channel and a second channel, wherein the bottom side of the male component comprises a third channel and a fourth channel, wherein the U-shaped groove extends between an end of the first channel and an end of the third channel, and wherein the V-shaped groove extends between an end of the second channel and an end of the fourth channel, and wherein the two apertures extend between the first channel and the third channel;
- when the male component is received in the cavity of the female component, a first body opening of the two body openings aligns with the second channel of the male component and a second body opening of the two body openings aligns with the fourth channel of the male component;
- and
- the female component further comprises two U-shaped openings, and wherein the stainless steel wire is positioned within the two U-shaped openings when the male component is press fit into the female component.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.