ZA200501637B - A housing with tamper indicating means - Google Patents
A housing with tamper indicating means Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- ZA200501637B ZA200501637B ZA200501637A ZA200501637A ZA200501637B ZA 200501637 B ZA200501637 B ZA 200501637B ZA 200501637 A ZA200501637 A ZA 200501637A ZA 200501637 A ZA200501637 A ZA 200501637A ZA 200501637 B ZA200501637 B ZA 200501637B
- Authority
- ZA
- South Africa
- Prior art keywords
- tamper indicating
- indicating device
- housing
- base
- cover
- Prior art date
Links
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims description 34
- 238000005755 formation reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 34
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 210000005069 ears Anatomy 0.000 description 7
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Landscapes
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Description
v
This invention relates to a housing with tamper indicating means.
Although the housing of the present invention is primarily intended for use in a telecommunications network to house circuitry so as to define, for example, either a line terminating unit or a maintenance terminating unit, the housing described below can quite clearly have far broader applications.
South African patent no. 2003/9197 discloses a housing for a line terminating unit, the housing comprising a base including an interlocking formation, and a cover that is slidably engageable with the base. The cover includes an interlocking formation adapted to interlock with the interlocking formation on the base so that when the cover is slid onto the base the interlocking formations engage with one another to keep the cover connected to the base.
Significantly, the housing includes a tamper indicating member sized to pass through an opening in the cover and into a receiving lug fitted to the base. The tamper indicating member comprises a shaft and a head, with the shaft being fitted with a locking formation for locking the tamper indicating member to the cover. In particular, the locking information is arranged to engage a guide fitted to the inside of the cover, the guide defining an aperture that is in line with the opening in the cover through which the tamper indicating device is arranged to slide.
v < .. IRIN % Xe
Thus, in use, any tampering of the housing will generally lead to the tamper indicating device snapping, typically at the region of the shaft located between the guide fitted to the inside of the cover and the receiving lug on the base. As a result of this snapping, the head of the tamper indicating device will generally come loose and fall away from the housing itself, thereby providing a clear indication that the housing has been tampered with. However, in some situations, it has been determined that it would be better to ensure that the tamper indicating device snaps whenever the housing is tampered with, and that the head does not fall away from the housing after the tamper indicating device has snapped. The present invention aims to meet these last two requirements.
According to the present invention there is provided a housing with tamper indicating means, the housing comprising: a base including an interlocking formation and a receiving lug, the receiving lug having a primary slot defined therein; a cover that is slidably engageable with the base, the cover including an interlocking formation adapted to interlock with the interlocking formation on the base so that when the cover is slid onto the base the interlocking formations engage with one another to keep the cover connected to the base, the cover further including an apertured guide defining an intermediate primary slot that is arranged to be aligned with the primary slot of the receiving lug on the base; and a tamper indicating device comprising a head portion and a shaft portion that are arranged to snap in the event of there being tampering
L with the housing, the shaft portion comprising a key formation that is arranged to slide through the intermediate primary slot of the apertured guide and the primary slot of the receiving lug, with the head portion comprising at least one locking formation that is arranged to lock the tamper indicating device to the apertured guide in a snap fit.
Typically, the apertured guide further defines at least one secondary intermediate slot for slidingly accommodating the at least one locking formation of the tamper indicating device, so that after the head and the shaft have snapped, the head of the tamper indicating device can be removed from the apertured guide after rotating the head until the at least one secondary intermediate slot is in alignment with the at least one locking formation on the head portion of the tamper indicating device.
Conveniently, a circumferential line of weakness is defined between the shaft and head portions of the tamper indicating device, for facilitating the snapping of the head portion from the shaft portion.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a housing with tamper indicating means, according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded, partly cross-sectional side view of the housing shown in Figure 1, the housing comprising a base, a cover and a tamper indicating device;
Figure 3 is a detailed perspective end view of the base of the housing, showing a receiving lug for receiving the tamper indicating device;
[
Figure 4 is a detailed perspective end view of the cover of the housing, showing an apertured guide lug for receiving the tamper indicating device;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tamper indicating device, the tamper indicating device comprising a head and a shaft;
Figure 6 is a detailed perspective end view of the base of the housing, showing the tamper indicating device fitting within the receiving lug;
Figure 7 is a detailed perspective end view of the cover of the housing, showing the tamper indicating device extending through the apertured guide;
Figure 8 is a detailed perspective end view of the base of the housing, showing the shaft of the tamper indicating device within the receiving lug after the head has been snapped off during the tampering with the housing;
Figure 9 is a detailed perspective end view of the base of the housing, showing the shaft of the tamper indicating device being removed from the receiving lug after the head has been snapped off during the tampering with the housing;
Figure 10 is a detailed perspective end view of the cover of the housing, showing the head of the tamper indicating device remaining within the apertured guide after it has been snapped off during the tampering with the housing; and e »
Figure 11 is a detailed perspective end view of the cover of the housing, showing the head of the tamper indicating device being rotated to enable it to be removed from the apertured guide after it has been snapped off during the tampering with the housing.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a housing 10 with tamper indicating means comprises a base 12 including an interlocking formation 14, and a cover 16 that is slidably engageable with the base 12. The base 12 and the cover 16 are slidably engageable with one another so that in order to remove the cover 16 from the base 12, the cover 16 would need to be slid in the direction of arrow A.
The cover 16 includes an interlocking formation 18 adapted to interlock with the interlocking formation 14 on the base 12 so that when the cover 16 is slid onto the base 12 the interlocking formations 14, 18 engage with one another to keep the base 12 connected to the cover 16.
The housing 10 includes a tamper indicating device 20, which is shown in more detail in Figure 5. The tamper indicating device 20 comprises a hollow shaft portion 22 and a head portion 24, with the head portion 24 being fitted with a locking formation in the form of a pair of ears 26, 28. The shaft portion 22 includes a key formation 30. Significantly, a circumferential line of weakness 32 is defined between the shaft and head portions of the tamper indicating device 20, for ensuring that this region of the tamper indicating device 20 snaps whenever the housing 10 is tampered with.
Turning now to Figures 2 and 4, the cover 16 defines an aperture 34 for slidingly receiving the tamper indicating device 20. In addition, an apertured
‘ . guide 36 is fitted to the inside of the cover 16, the guide 36 defining an aperture 38 that is in line with the opening 34 in the cover 16 through which the tamper indicating device 20 is arranged to slide. The guide 36 is recessed so as to snugly accommodate the head portion 24 of the tamper indicating device 20. The apertured guide 36 further comprises a plurality of slots 40, 42 and 44. Slots 40 and 42 correspond to, and are arranged to receive, ears 26 and 28, while slot 44 corresponds to, and is arranged to receive, key formation 30.
Significantly, the orientation of ears 26 and 28 and key formation 30 relative to each other do not match the orientation of slots 40, 42 and 44 relative to each other. Thus, and referring now to Figure 7, which shows the tamper indicating device 20 in its fully inserted, locked position, to slide the tamper indicating device 20 through the guide 36, it is necessary to align the key formation 30 with the slot 44. The relatively small size of the ears 26, 28 allow them to be pushed through the apertured guide 36, thereby ensuring that the tamper indicating device 20 is secured to the guide 36, and thus to the cover 16, in a snap fit locking arrangement, as shown in Figure 7. The reason why the orientation of ears 26 and 28 and key formation 30 relative to each other do not match the orientation of slots 40, 42 and 44 relative to each other will be explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 10 and 11.
Turning now to Figures 2 and 3, the base includes a receiving lug 46 for receiving the shaft portion 22 of the tamper indicating device 20, with the lug 46 accordingly defining a slot 48 for receiving the key formation 30 of the tamper indicating device 20. This is clearly shown in Figure 6, which also shows a reinforcing rib 50 for providing support for the receiving lug 46.
As can be seen in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, the head portion 24 of the tamper indicating device 20 comprises a membrane 52 that defines an aperture 54 that extends through the diameter of the head portion 24. A witness line 56 is kg 7. TN A AS A 37 defined on the head portion 24 that is in alignment with the aperture 54, the significance of which will be described in more detail further below.
In order to remove the cover 16 from the base 12 with the tamper indicating device 20 in position, as illustrated in Figure 1, the cover 16 needs to be slid in the direction of arrow A. This will cause the tamper evident device 20 to snap along the circumferential line of weakness 32. Alternatively, the snapping of the tamper evident device 20 can be caused by a person aligning a screwdriver along the witness line 56, and then pushing the screwdriver against the head portion 24 until the membrane 52 breaks. This will then allow the person to use the screwdriver to rotate the head portion 24, thereby causing the tamper evident device 20 to snap along the circumferential line of weakness 32.
As a result of the snapping of the tamper evident device 20, and as far as the shaft portion 22 is concerned, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the shaft portion 22 of the tamper indicating device 20 can be removed relatively easily be simply pushing the key formation 30 away from the receiving lug 46.
As a further result of the snapping of the tamper evident device 20 along the circumferential line of weakness 32, and as far as the head portion 24 is concerned, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the head portion 24 of the tamper indicating device 20 can be removed by first rotating the head portion 24 so that the ears 26 and 28 align with the slots 40 and 42, prior to the head portion being pushed out of the apertured guide 36. This is the reason why the orientation of the ears 26 and 28 and the key formation 30 relative to each other do not match the orientation of the slots 40, 42 and 44 relative to each other, thereby preventing the head from falling away from the housing 10 after the tamper indicating device 20 has snapped.
[]
FEE Y
The fact that, after snapping, the separated shaft and head portions of the tamper indicating device 20 can be relatively easily removed from the receiving lug 46 and the apertured guide 36, respectively, means that the housing 10 itself can be reused by simply providing a new tamper indicating device 20.
Claims (4)
1. A housing with tamper indicating means, the housing comprising: a base including an interlocking formation and a receiving lug, the receiving lug having a primary slot defined therein; a cover that is slidably engageable with the base, the cover including an interlocking formation adapted to interlock with the interlocking formation on the base so that when the cover is slid onto the base the interlocking formations engage with one another to keep the cover connected to the base, the cover further including an apertured guide defining an intermediate primary slot that is arranged to be aligned with the primary slot of the receiving lug on the base; and a tamper indicating device comprising a head portion and a shaft portion that are arranged to snap in the event of there being tampering with the housing, the shaft portion comprising a key formation that is arranged to slide through the intermediate primary slot of the apertured guide and the primary slot of the receiving lug, with the head portion comprising at least one locking formation that is arranged to lock the tamper indicating device to the apertured guide in a snap fit.
2. A housing according to claim 1, wherein the apertured guide further defines at least one secondary intermediate slot for slidingly accommodating the at least one locking formation of the tamper indicating device, so that after the head and the shaft have snapped, the head of the tamper indicating device can be removed from the apertured guide after rotating the head until the at least one secondary intermediate slot is in alignment with the at least one locking formation on the head portion of the tamper indicating device.
3. A housing according to either one of the preceding claims, wherein a circumferential line of weakness is defined between the shaft and head portions of the tamper indicating device, for facilitating the snapping of the head portion from the shaft portion.
4. A housing according to either one of the preceding claims, wherein the head portion of the tamper indicating device comprises a membrane that defines an elongate aperture.
S. A housing according to claim 4, wherein a witness line is defined on the head portion, the witness line being in alignment with the elongate aperture. DATED THIS 24™ DAY OF February 2005 C Af - fens Loe OOR & FISHER APPLICANTS PATENT ATTORNEYS
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA200501637A ZA200501637B (en) | 2005-02-24 | 2005-02-24 | A housing with tamper indicating means |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA200501637A ZA200501637B (en) | 2005-02-24 | 2005-02-24 | A housing with tamper indicating means |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| ZA200501637B true ZA200501637B (en) | 2007-01-31 |
Family
ID=40521772
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA200501637A ZA200501637B (en) | 2005-02-24 | 2005-02-24 | A housing with tamper indicating means |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| ZA (1) | ZA200501637B (en) |
-
2005
- 2005-02-24 ZA ZA200501637A patent/ZA200501637B/en unknown
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| EP2737581B1 (en) | Blockout device for usb port | |
| US7806706B2 (en) | Plug locking assembly and system | |
| US20100043508A1 (en) | Pin locking device | |
| AU2009249074B2 (en) | Safety lockout hasp | |
| US20110148127A1 (en) | Security seal | |
| US7487879B2 (en) | Fuel filler cap | |
| US6439010B1 (en) | Ring-type meter lock | |
| US20150135491A1 (en) | Interchangeable and detachable flange for connector | |
| US20110210567A1 (en) | Security seal | |
| US4458510A (en) | Locking device for a winged gas stop | |
| US20080087061A1 (en) | Retainer For A Door Lock | |
| US6823703B2 (en) | Removable plug cylinder lock | |
| US10823761B2 (en) | Securing apparatus and method | |
| ZA200501637B (en) | A housing with tamper indicating means | |
| GB2187897A (en) | Enclosing electrical plug to prevent its use | |
| EP3276111B1 (en) | Lock with a slide for covering lock core | |
| EP2500735A1 (en) | Secure seal for utility meter | |
| US20050235708A1 (en) | Lock apparatus | |
| JP4383244B2 (en) | Rotating connector | |
| US3241874A (en) | Plate with tab for retaining a unit lock in position on a door | |
| US7371086B2 (en) | Anti-unplugging unit and transmission cord | |
| US6735825B1 (en) | Secured pen and holder | |
| US10421180B2 (en) | Security system for fasteners | |
| CN101183773B (en) | Safety device for embedding installed motor mechanism | |
| US20090267363A1 (en) | Door handle mounting system |