US 2013/0026771 A1Published application

Security seal assembly

AssigneeNIC Products Inc.

InventorIan A. NAZZARI

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Abstract

A security seal using a captured lock wire for sealing a device in a manner revealing tampering with the seal includes a locking insert that fits closely within a central cavity of an outer body and is locked within the outer body against removal without visible damage to the insert or the outer body using locking fingers on the insert that cooperate with locking abutments in the cavity that permit insertion of the locking insert into the central cavity but not removal there from. A lock wire is secured at one end to the locking insert or the outer body in a manner preventing its separation from either of them and a free end of the lock wire is threaded through apertures and grooves in the insert and outer body after being secured to a device to be sealed in a secured manner such that the wire cannot be separated from the security seal without causing visible damage to the seal or wire. The outer body includes a guide projection with the locking abutments located centrally within the cavity and the locking insert has two legs fitting over the central guide on either side thereof, with the locking fingers extending cantilever fashion from one leg of the insert to engage the locking abutments when the insert is fully received in the cavity. The arrangement of projection, locking fingers and locking abutments provides resistance to surreptitious tampering with the locking fingers.

A security seal comprising

a locking insert;
an outer body;
said outer body having an upper end, a central cavity having an opening facing said upper end, and a cavity bottom, and a central guide having opposed sides located centrally within the cavity arising upwardly from the cavity bottom;
said central guide having along a side thereof at least an upper and a lower locking abutment vertically spaced apart from each other and projecting distally from said one side, said locking abutments having locking finger engaging surfaces on lower sides thereof;
said locking insert including a first and second downwardly extending leg and a central opening between the legs;
a first and second locking finger each having a distal end and being connected in a cantilever manner at an end opposite said distal end to the second leg in spaced apart relationship along said second leg, and extending from the second leg in an upwardly diagonal direction toward the central opening;
said locking fingers being configured to be resiliently bendable laterally to a sufficient extent under lateral applied force to permit lateral movement of their respective distal ends from at-rest positions and to return to said at-rest positions after removal of said lateral applied force;
said locking insert having a main body central wall to which the first and second legs are attached and from which the first and second legs extend downwardly;
said central wall, first and second legs and locking fingers being configured to be received and to fit closely within said central cavity with the first and second legs disposed on opposite sides of said central guide in juxtaposed relationship;
the distal ends of said first and second locking fingers being configured to be respectively juxtaposed said locking finger engaging surfaces from below said upper and lower locking abutments when the locking insert is fully received in said central cavity, thereby resisting any motion of the locking insert in a direction of withdrawal upwardly from the central cavity.

7 more elements

Abstract

Claims11