GB2357738A

GB2357738A - Tamper evident seal for zip fastener of mail pouch

Info

Publication number: GB2357738A
Application number: GB9930676A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Sheehan
Original assignee: VERSAPAK
Current assignee: VERSAPAK
Priority date: 1999-12-24
Filing date: 1999-12-24
Publication date: 2001-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 2019-12-24
Also published as: GB2357738B; GB9930676D0

Abstract

A seal for a mail pouch comprises a head 3 and legs 15a,b, the legs include protruding feet 17a,b. The legs 15a,b are resiliently deformable to allow the seal to be inserted into a hole 21 which is narrower (l) than the width of the feet 17a,b combined (d1). The feet 17a,b can be arrow-shaped or have rounded ends to allow them to overlap (fig 3) as they deflect toward one another on entering the hole 21. On full insertion into the hole 21 the legs spring back and the feet 17a,b lock behind shoulders 23a,b preventing removal of the seal. A semi-cylindrical support 11 has breakable parts which snap to release the seal.

Description

2357738 SEALING DEVICE The present invention relates to an improved

sealing device. The sealing device is particularly adapted for use in sealing reusable mailing pouches, although it may be used in other applications.

GB 1 476 430 describes a known sealing device of the type used for sealing reusable mailing pouches, which are closed by means of a zip fastener. The sealing device is an expendable item, typically formed ftom plastics material, having a tail portion adapted for engagement with a lock, which is located in a housing mounted on the mailing pouch adjacent the zip fastener, and a head portion. When the zip fastener is closed, the slider of the zip fastener is positioned to overlie the lock housing and the tail portion of the sealing device is inserted through an aperture in the slider and into the lock opening to engage the lock. The head portion covers the lock opening thereby preventing access to the lock and retaining the zip fastener in the closed position. The sealing device includes a narrowed portion between the head and tail portions, which enables the head portion to be broken away from the tail portion by the recipient of the mailing pouch to gain access to its contents. The bag can then be reused with a new seal.

One of the primary functions of a sealing device is to prevent access to an object without breaking the sealing device, so that any access to the object is evident from the broken sealing device. In the case of a sealing device for a reusable mailing pouch, the sealing device prevents access to the contents of the mailing pouch whilst in transit. If access is gained to a sealed mailing pouch, the scaling device must be broken and removed from the pouch, and this would be evident to the recipient, who would notice the absence of a sealing device, that the sealing device is broken or that a replacement scaling device has been used. Thus, it should only be possible to remove the sealing device from a mailing pouch by breaking the sealing device.

Although known sealing devices have been generally effective, it has been possible for a person with the necessary skills to carefully remove the sealing device from the 2 lock without breaking it, to gain access to the contents of the mailing pouch, and th to replace the original sealing device.

The present invention seeks to address this problem and provide an improved sealing device, which cannot be removed from the lock so easily. without breaking.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a scaling devic comprising a head portion, and a tail portion extending from the head portion, the ta portion including a pair of resiliently deformable legs having mutually opposed fe( for latching engagement behind respective shoulders provided on either side of a loc opening of a lock, wherein when the tail portion is inserted into the lock opening th legs are moved together and the adjacent ends of the feet are adapted to deflect pa each other to thereby reduce the distance between the remote ends of the feet. i By enabling the distance between the remote ends of the feet to be reduced, it i's possible to reduce the corresponding dimension of the opening of the lock, throu which the tail portion of the sealing device must pass, thereby making it more difficu.

to remove the sealing device without breaking. Conversely, it is possible to exten the length of the feet, for the same size of lock opening, thereby providing a larg( area for engagement between the feet and the shoulders of the lock, which similar] makes it more difficult to remove the sealing device without breaking.

Preferably, the legs of the seal are joined together at the base thereof Preferably, the legs are joined to a mounting on the base of the head portion by a narrow join so that the legs can pivot about an axis extending through the join. Preferably, each leg of the tail portion is additionally joined to the head portion by a narrow join, which is easily broken. 30 Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a side view of a sealing device forming a preferred embodiment of the present invention.' Figure 2 is an end view of the sealing device of Figure 1 in a first position; Figure 3 is an end view of the sealing device of Figure 1 in a second position, and Figure 4 is a cross section of the sealing device along the line X-X of Figure 2 shown in an engaged position in a lock in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a sealing device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The sealing device 1 comprises a head portion 3 and a tail portion 5 and is moulded in one piece from plastics using conventional injection moulding techniques. In the preferred embodiment, the head portion 31 is disc shaped, but it will be 20 appreciated that the head may be formed in other shapes, and need not be planar but could be, for instance, spherical, cuboid or pyramid shaped. The tail portion 5 extends generally perpendicularly from a mounting 7 on the centre of the underside of the head portion 3. The mounting 7 includes a platform 9 and a 25 generally sen--cvlindrical support 11. The tail portion 5 comprises a pair of generally parallel legs 15a and 15b extending generally orthogonal to the head portion 3 and joined together and to mounting 7 at the proximal ends thereof, as described in more detail below. The legs 15a and 15b have respective feet 17a and 17b arranged generally at right angles to the respective legs adjacent the distal ends thereof As 30 shown in Figure 2, the feet 17a and 17b are generally symmetrical and extend along a 4 common line in a mutually opposed arrangement with adjacent ends towards the centre of the device and remote ends a distance d apart.

The tail potion 5 is adapted for insertion into a slot-shaped lock opening 21 (see Figure 4), having a minimum length 1 slightly less than the distance d between the remote ends of the feet, without breaking the sealing device. To achieve this, the lq S 15a and 15b are resiliently deformable, and in particular are adapted to deflect towards each other, thus reducing the distance d between the remote ends, without breaking. Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, the adjacent ends (if the feet 17a and 17b are configured to deflect or distort when brought together so that they can slide past each other, thus further reducing the distance d between the remol e ends of the feet, as described in further detail below.

In the preferred embodiment, the feet are generally arrow shaped with the arrowhead at the adjacent ends of the feet as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the normal position, as shown in Figure 2, the arrowheads of the feet are separated by a small distance, and the remote ends are separated by a distance dj. When the legs are moved towarc s each other, as shown in Figure 3, instead of abutting each other, the legs can distort and the arrow heads are able to slide past each other, thus reducing the distan(e between the remote ends of the feet to a distance d2. where di > d,, and d, < L It will be appreciated that the adjacent ends need not be arrow shaped but could t e semi-circular or oval and still be able to slide past each other. Alternatively, the feet could be dissimilar in shape, with one having a recess in its adjacent end to recei,, e the complementary-shaped adjacent end of the other, when the feet are brouglit together.

As can been seen in Figure 1, the proximal ends of legs 17a and 17b are provided wil h a curvature complementary to and spaced slightly from the semi- cylindrical support 11, to provide an arch over the semi-cylindrical support 11. The legs are joint d together to form a U-shape and a narrow join is provided between the underside of tl e U-shape and the semi-cylindrical support 11. The device structure thus has a weakness between the legs, which enables them to resiliently pivot about the semi cylindrical support 11 but which causes the tail portion to break away from the head portion when a breaking force is applied. In addition, the proximal end of each of the legs is joined by a narrow join to the platform 9, on respective sides of the cylindrical support to provide further stability to the device structure, when inserting it into a lock, as described below.

Thus the sealing device is easier to break in comparison with known structures, and thus more difficult to remove from engagement with a lock without breaking.

Figure 4 shows the sealing device 1 inserted into a lock 19 having a lock opening 21 with walls which taper inwardly to a minimum length L When the tail portion 5 of sealing device 1 is inserted into the lock opening 21 the feet 17a and 17b are forced together by the tapered walls of the opening 21 and deflect past each other, as shown in Figure 31, in order to pass through the minimum width 1 at the bottom of the lock opening 21. This is facilitated by the ability of the legs to pivot about the join to support 9. As the feet 17a and 17b pass beyond the opening 21, the feet spring apart to their normal position as shown in Figure 2. As can be seen from the drawing, the remote ends of the feet 17a and 17b then latch behind respective shoulders 23a and 23b in the lock structure for engagement within the lock and to thereby prevent removal thereof without breaking the sealing device 1.

As will le appreciated from the above, the sealing device of the preferred embodiment is difficult to remove without breaking, due to the weak joints between the head and tail portions of the sealing device, and the reduced distance d,, which can be achieved when the sealing device is inserted into the lock 19. It will further be appreciated that the reduction in the distance d, to less than the combined length of the feet 17a and 17b, as in the prior art, enables the length of the feet to be increased to provide improved engagement in the lock, or the minimum length 1 of the lock opening 21 to be reduced for the same benefit in comparison with the prior art.

6 Many variations and modifications may be made to the described embodiment. It is intended to include all such variations and modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention.

7

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A sealing device comprising: a head portion, and a tail portion extending from the head portion, the tail portion including a pair of resiliently deformable legs having mutually opposed feet for latching engagement behind respective shoulders provided on either side of a lock opening of a lock, the feet having adjacent ends which are adjacent to each other and remote ends which are remote from each other, wherein the legs are adapted to move together when the tail portion is inserted into the lock opening, and the adjacent ends of the feet are adapted to deflect past each other to thereby reduce the distance between the remote ends of the feet.

2. A sealing device as claime d in claim 1, wherein the legs are connected together at a position adjacent the head portion-

3. A sealing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tail portion is connected to a mounting on of the head portion by a narrow first join such that each leg can pivot about an axis extending through the join.

4. A sealing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tail portion extends 20 generally orthogonally from an underside of the head portion.

5. A sealing device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a generally sendcylindrical support attached to the underside of the head portion, wherein the first join is attached to the semi-cylindrical surface of the support. 25

6. A sealing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each leg is connected to the head portion by a respective narrow second and third joins.

7. A sealing device as claimed in any preceding claiM wherein the feet are 30 provided adjacent the distal ends of the legs, and extend generally orthogonally therefrom along a common axis.

8 8. A sealing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adjacent ends of the fe are separated by a distance s and the remote ends of the feet are separated by distance dj, such that the tail potion may be inserted into a lock opening having minimum length 1, where 1 > s + dj. 5

9. A sealing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adjacent ends of the feet are arrow-shaped.

10. A sealing device substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.