Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TAMPER EVIDENT SECURITY SEAL
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application
Ser. No.
12/838,525, filed Jul. 19, 2010, and U.S. provisional application Ser. No.
61/226,810, filed
Jul. 20, 2009, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to locking devices or security seals for
locking or
sealing items, such as cargo containers or doors or the like, and, more
particularly, to a
security seal with a flexible cable that is secured to a seal body to secure
the security seal
to an item.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is known in the art to provide a security seal or locking device for
locking or
sealing an item, such as cargo containers or doors or the like. The locking
devices often
include a flexible cable or bolt or the like extending from one end of a
metallic or plastic
locking body, where the cable or bolt or the like may be routed through an
opening of the
cargo container or door and received into another end of the locking body to
substantially
seal or secure the locking device to the cargo container or door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[00041 The present invention provides a security seal or locking device, such
as a cable
security seal or locking device (or a bolt type security seal or other
metallic or plastic
locking devices or seals or lock bodies) that has a locking body (such as a
metallic locking
body), which receives a locking element or cable therein to secure the seal to
a container
or door. The security seal may have a collapsible wall or crush zone so that
it is readily
evident or discernible if the security seal has been tampered with. The
security seal may
have a disk or ball element that moves along an arcuate or curved tapered
channel to
clamp against the locking element or cable received therein.
[00051 According to an aspect of the present invention, a locking or sealing
device
includes a locking element (such as a flexible metallic woven cable or the
like or such as
any other flexible or semi-rigid locking element or rod or the like, and such
as a metallic
or plastic locking element) and a locking body. The locking body is configured
to receive
an end of the locking element therein to lock or seal or secure the locking
device at an
object. The locking body has a collapsible or deformable wall that collapses
or deforms
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responsive to a person applying pressure to the walls of the locking body, and
thus
provides a tamper evident feature.
100061 The locking body may receive a locking insert therein, and the
collapsible or
deformable wall may be spaced from the locking insert so that the wall may
deform
towards the locking insert when pressure is applied thereto. The locking
insert may
include a disk or ball that rolls or moves along a tapered or inclined channel
to clamp
against the cable or locking element to limit or substantially preclude
retraction of the
locking element when the security seal is secured to a container or door. The
tapered or
inclined channel may include a curved or arcuate ramp or surface along which
the ball or
disk may roll or move to provide enhanced clamping at the locking element.
[00071 According to another aspect of the present invention, a locking or
sealing device
includes a locking element (such as a flexible metallic woven cable or the
like or such as
any other flexible or semi-rigid locking element or rod or the like, and such
as a metallic
or plastic locking element) and a locking body. The locking body is configured
to receive
an end of the locking element therein to lock or seal or secure the locking
device at an
object. The locking insert includes a disk or ball that rolls or moves along a
tapered or
inclined channel to clamp against the cable or locking element to limit or
substantially
preclude retraction of the locking element when the security seal is secured
to a container
or door. The tapered or inclined channel include a curved or arcuate ramp or
surface along
which the ball or disk may roll or move to provide enhanced clamping at the
locking
element.
[00081 The locking element may comprise a flexible cable, with one end of the
flexible
cable being fixedly connected to a fixed portion of the locking body and
extending
therefrom, and the other end of the flexible cable being received in a locking
portion of the
locking body to lock or seal the locking device at the object. The locking
body may
comprise a metallic material (and may be coated with a polymeric or plastic or
polyester
coating or powder coat) or may comprise a polymeric or plastic material.
10009] The disk element may comprise a cylindrical disk having a plurality of
knurls or
teeth established therealong and around a circumference of the disk element.
The disk
element may have a circumferential groove established in the knurled outer
surface and
circumferentially around the disk element, or the disk element may have two or
more
spaced apart circumferential grooves established in the knurled outer surface
and
circumferentially around the disk element.
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[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides a locking device or security
seal (such as
a cable locking or sealing device) that provides a tamper evident feature in
that if a person
attempts to retract the cable or locking element from the locking body by
clamping against
or squeezing the locking body, the wall or walls of the locking body may
readily deform
or partially collapse so that a person later observing the security seal can
readily discern
that the security seal had been tampered with. The present invention also
provides a
curved or arcuate surface or ramp along which a disk or ball may roll to clamp
the cable or
locking element within the locking insert of the locking body. The curved or
arcuate
surface provides a sharper or greater biting angle for the ball or disk to
enhance biting or
clamping against the cable or locking element if the cable is pulled at in an
attempt to
retract the cable from the locking body. The initial retraction of the cable
when initially
pulled thus may be limited by the sharper bite angle whereby a greater amount
of
clamping force may be achieved at the cable in a reduced amount of
longitudinal travel
(along the locking body and in the direction of the cable retraction) of the
disk or ball.
[0011] These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the
present invention
will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction
with the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable security seal in accordance
with the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the cable security seal of FIG.
1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view of the security seal of FIG. 1, showing
the cable
(shown as a broken cable to indicate that the cable may be of various lengths)
and security
seal body, with the locking insert removed from the seal body;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the other side of the security seal of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the security seal taken along the line A-
A in FIG. 4;
[0017] FIG. 4B is a sectional view of the security seal taken along the line B-
B in FIG. 4;
[0018] FIG. 4C is a sectional view of the security seal taken along the line C-
C in FIG. 4;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the security seal body, with a portion cut-
away to show
additional details;
[0020] FIG. 6 is an end elevation of the security seal;
[0021] FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of the area A in FIG. 6;
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[0022] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the security seal, showing the gap
between the locking
insert and the collapsible wall portion of the locking body;
[0023] FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of the area A in FIG. 7;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the locking insert of the security seal
of the present
invention;
[0025] FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the locking insert of FIG. 8;
[0026] FIG. 10 is an opposite side elevation of the locking insert of FIG. 8;
[0027] FIG. IOA is a sectional view of the locking insert taken along the line
A-A in FIG.
10;
[0028] FIG. 1 OB is a sectional view of the locking insert taken along the
line B-B in FIG.
10;
[0029] FIG. 11 is an end elevation of the locking insert of FIG. 8;
[0030] FIG. I IA is a sectional view of the locking insert taken along the
line A-A in FIG.
11;
[0031] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a locking disk having a pair of spaced
apart
circumferential grooves in accordance with the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 12A is a side elevation of the locking disk of FIG. 12;
[0033] FIG. 12B is an end elevation of the locking disk of FIG. 12; and
[0034] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a locking disk having three spaced
apart
circumferential grooves in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted
therein, a
locking device or security seal 10 includes a metallic or elastomeric or
plastic locking
body 12, a locking element, such as, for example, a flexible locking element
or cable 14,
and a locking insert 16 that is received in locking body 12 and functions to
receive and
secure an end of cable 14 therein when the security seal is secured to an item
(FIGS. 1-3).
Security seal 10 may be substantially similar in appearance to the locking
device shown in
U.S. Design pat. application, Ser. No. 29/340,462, filed Jul. 20, 2009 by
Stevenson et al.
for TAMPER EVIDENT SECURITY SEAL, now U.S. Design Pat. No. D609,076, which
is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Optionally, the
security seal may
utilize aspects of the locking devices or security seals described in U.S.
Pat. Nos.
6,578,886; 6,457,754; 5,611,583; and 5,352,003, and/or U.S. patent application
Ser. No.
10/567,880, filed Feb. 9, 2006, published on Nov. 30, 2006 as U.S. Pat.
Publication No.
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US 2006-0266087, which all are hereby incorporated herein by reference in
their
entireties.
[00361 Cable 14 is fixedly secured at one end 14a at a fixed portion 18 of
locking body 12
and extends therefrom. The cable 14 may be routed through a hasp or opening of
an
object (not shown), such as a cargo container or door latch or the like, and
the opposite or
locking end 14b of the cable 14 may be inserted into receiving or locking
insert or portion
16 of a locking portion 20 of locking body 12 to lock or seal the locking or
sealing device
to the object. The locking insert 16 includes a ball or disk element 22 or
other locking
member positioned within a tapered or ramped or inclined channel 24, whereby
the disk
element moves along the ramped channel of the locking insert to allow for
insertion of the
locking end of the cable 14 in one direction and to clamp onto the cable to
limit or
substantially preclude retraction of the cable (such as by pulling at the
cable in the
opposite direction) after the cable is inserted into the locking insert 16 and
locking body
12, and the disk element 22 may be biased toward the narrow end of the channel
via a
biasing element 26, such as a spring or the like. The ramped channel of
locking insert 16
may comprise a curved or arcuate ramped or inclined surface along which the
disk may
roll or move to enhance the clamping of the disk against the inserted cable,
as discussed
below. The locking body 12 may function to collapse or crush at predetermined
areas to
limit or substantially preclude removal of the cable from the locking insert
and to indicate
that the security seal has been tampered with, as also discussed below.
[00371 Flexible locking element or cable 14 may comprise any cable or flexible
element,
such as a multi-strand cable that is woven from multiple metallic strands. For
example,
the cable 14 may comprise a multi-strand cable having multiple strands of wire
woven or
wound together, and then multiple woven strands may be further woven together
to form
the woven cable. The cable may comprise a pre-formed or non-preformed type of
cable
without affecting the scope of the present invention. The fixed end 14a of
cable 14 is
received in a passageway 27 established at least partially through fixed
portion 18 of
locking body 12 and is fixedly retained therein (such as via staking or
welding or crimping
or the like, such as at stakes 27a shown in FIGS. 4 and 4C) and extends
therefrom.
Although shown and described as a flexible cable, it is envisioned that
aspects of security
seal 10 may be suitable for use in a locking device or security seal having a
substantially
rigid locking element, such as a substantially rigid locking rod or bolt or
the like or other
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rigid or flexible locking elements made of a metallic or elastomeric material
or the like,
while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, locking body 12 includes a generally
planar rear or
back surface 12a and a tiered or stepped front surface 12b. Optionally, fixed
portion 18 of
locking body 12 may comprise a narrowed side or edge region 18a, and the rear
surface
12a of locking body 12 may include a roughened surface portion 12c, which may
be
roughened or uneven and may have a plurality of ridges and grooves formed
therealong
(as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4A, 4B and 5-7), established along a portion of
rear surface 12a
at narrowed side region 18a. The rear surface 12a of locking body 12 thus
includes
roughened surface portion 12c and a generally smooth surface portion 12d. The
roughened surface 12c provides a surface upon which the indicia may be
printed, whereby
the printed indicia will be difficult to alter or remove due to the uneven
surface, thereby
providing enhanced tamper evident means to the security seal. In the
illustrated
embodiment, locking body 12 comprises a metallic material, such as aluminum or
steel or
the like, but may comprise any suitable material, such as plastic or polymeric
materials,
while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0039] Locking portion 20 of locking body 12 receives locking insert or
retaining element
16 for receiving locking end 14b of cable 14 therein and substantially
retaining locking
end 14b therein so that removal of cable 14 and locking end 14b from locking
body 12 is
limited or substantially precluded. Locking portion 20 of locking body 12
includes a
hollow interior (such as shown in FIG. 4C with locking insert 16 removed from
locking
body 12) that is open at one end of the locking body for receiving locking
insert 16
therein, wherein locking insert 16 may be secured within the hollow interior
of locking
body 12, such as via any suitable retaining means, such as heat staking,
welding, press
fitting and/or the like. Cable 14 extends from fixed end 14a of cable 14 that
is fixed at
locking body 12 and the free end or locking end 14b of cable 14 is insertable
into an
opening or aperture or passageway 29 and into locking insert 16 to lock or
secure the
security seal at an object, as discussed below.
[0040] As can be seen in FIG. 4C, tiered portion or surface 12b of locking
body 12
provides for a wider principal receiving portion 28a at the hollow interior of
locking
portion 20 of locking body 12 that is generally of uniform width (the vertical
dimension in
FIG. 4C) and a narrowed end portion 28b. The hollow interior of locking
portion 20 of
locking body 12 is formed to receive locking insert 16 therein, while
providing a gap
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between locking insert 16 and an outer wall portion 12e at wider receiving
portion 28a of
tiered surface or portion 12b of locking body 12, thereby providing a
collapsible portion or
crush zone at the locking body, as discussed below.
[0041] As best shown in FIGS. 8, l OB and 11, locking insert 16 is formed with
a wider
end portion 16a and a narrowed end portion 16b for fitting in the receiving
portion 28a and
narrowed end portion 28b, and the locking insert 16 includes an intermediate
width
portion 16c that is narrower than receiving portion 28a of locking body 12,
whereby a gap
30 (FIGS. 7 and 7A) is formed or established between the collapsible wall
portion 12e of
locking body 12 and intermediate portion 16c of locking insert 16 to provide a
crush zone
or collapsible wall portion 12e at locking body 12, as discussed below.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, tapered channel 24 of locking insert 16 receives
disk element
22 and spring 26 therein. Disk element 22 may comprise any suitable rollable
or movable
element, and may include a plurality of knurls or ridges or teeth to enhance
the biting of
the disk element 22 into the cable 14, and may comprise a generally
cylindrical-shaped
disk element or a generally spherical-shaped ball element or the like, while
remaining
within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The disk element 22 may
include a
circumferential groove established in a knurled outer surface and
circumferentially around
the disk element and optionally may include two or more circumferential
grooves
established in a knurled outer surface and circumferentially around the disk
element, such
as discussed below with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The tapered channel 24
includes a
cable receiving portion 24a, an inclined or arcuate guide surface 24b and a
spring
receiving portion 24c. Biasing element or spring 26 is disposed at or in the
tapered
channel 24 and is received at spring receiving portion 24c and extends
therefrom and
engages disk element 22 to urge the disk element 22 toward a receiving or
narrowed end
of tapered channel 24 and toward engagement with the ramped or arcuate guide
surface
24b and the cable 14 that is received in cable receiving portion 24a.
[0043] Cable receiving portion or channel 24a is disposed at a cable receiving
passageway
32 at the narrowed end of the tapered channel 24. Cable receiving passageway
32 is
generally aligned with aperture or passageway 29 of locking body 12 when
locking insert
16 is inserted into or received in locking body 12 so that locking end 14b of
cable 14 may
be inserted through aperture or passageway 29 and into cable receiving
passageway 24d
and into cable receiving portion 32 of locking insert 16. As can be seen in
FIG. 3, cable
receiving passageway 32 and cable receiving portion 24a may extend generally
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longitudinally along locking insert 16 and locking body 12 so that cable 14
may be
inserted therein in a generally longitudinal direction along the locking body.
Cable
receiving passageway 32 extends the entire length of locking insert 16 so that
the free end
or locking end 14b of cable 14 may be inserted a desired or appropriate
amount, and may
extend out from locking insert and locking body when inserted therethrough.
[0044] Disk element 22 is movable along tapered channel 24 and engages cable
14 when
cable 14 is received in passageway 32 and cable receiving portion 24a. Disk 22
engages
and rolls along cable receiving portion 24a and along the ramped surface or
inclined
surface 24b of tapered channel 24. As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 9, 10 and 11 A,
ramped
surface 24b comprises an arcuate or curved surface that curves toward cable
receiving
portion 24a and cable 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the ramped surface
24b curves
toward the cable receiving portion 24a to provide a progressively increasing
attack angle
and clamping force of disk 22 against cable 14 if a person attempts to retract
cable 14 from
locking body 12, as discussed below.
[0045] Disk element 22 may comprise any suitable locking element, such as a
cylindrical-
shaped disk or a spherical-shaped ball or the like. For example, disk element
22 may
comprise a cylindrical-shaped disk having a roughened or toothed or knurled
outer
circumferential surface, with a circumferential groove established in the
knurled outer
surface and circumferentially around the disk element. The circumferential
groove may be
established along a center region of the disk element or may be offset from
the center
region toward one of the ends of the disk.
[0046] Because the cable 14 may comprise wound cable strands that typically
form a helix
pattern (which may be similar to the threads on a screw or other threaded
fastener), a
conventional or known disk element (having a groove at the centerline of the
disk
element) may not sufficiently resist retraction of the cable when a rotational
force is
applied to unscrew the cable from the locking device or rock the cable back
and forth
relative to the locking device to "walk" the cable out of the locking device
without leaving
evidence of tampering with the security seal. In a conventional cable locking
seal using a
conventional disk element, it is known that if the cable is twisted clockwise
and
counterclockwise the cable may be removed from the locking seal without
leaving
evidence of tampering. In such conventional cable locking seals, a knurled
disk typically
has a single groove that is centrally located around the disk element.
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[00471 Optionally, and desirably, the disk element of locking device 10 may be
formed
with its circumferential groove offset or established off-center or toward one
end or the
other of the disk element. The offset groove may be located at or toward one
end of the
disk element and may assist in preventing the cable from being turned out or
unscrewed
out, because the rotation of the cable against the disk element with the
offset groove (when
the cable is rotated in a direction towards the offset groove) tends to urge
or push the cable
into the offset groove, thereby limiting or substantially precluding
retraction of the cable
from the locking device. When the cable is rotated in the opposite direction
(or if the
offset groove is located on the opposite side of the disk element), the cable
may not be
urged into the groove and the disk element may not prevent the cable from
being retracted
from the locking device, because in such an application, the rotation of the
cable may push
the cable out from the groove.
[00481 Optionally, and desirably, the disk element may include a pair of
spaced apart
offset circumferential grooves established on opposite sides of the centerline
of the disk
element (the centerline of the disk element being generally centered between
the two
opposite ends of the disk element with a plane at the centerline comprising a
plane that is
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the disk element) so as to limit
retraction of the
cable from the locking device regardless of the direction of rotation of the
cable relative to
the disk element. For example, and with reference to FIGS. 12, 12A and 12B, a
disk
element 22' includes an outer cylindrical-shaped knurled surface 22a' (having
a plurality of
ridges or teeth established around the surface) and a pair of spaced apart
offset or off-
center circumferential grooves 22b' established in the knurled surface 22a'
and around the
circumference of the disk element 22'. The offset groove (or holding channel)
or grooves
22b' is/are able to separate or capture one or more strands of the cable and
hold on to the
cable (with the strands being urged into a respective groove during rotation
of the cable in
the direction of the respective groove), thereby limiting or preventing
further rotation of
the cable. Because the grooves are off of the center line of the cable and
disk element,
during rotation of the cable relative to the disk element, the twisting motion
of the cable
forces the strand or strands of the cable deeper into the respective groove or
holding
channel. In situations where a person attempts to rock the cable back and
forth by
selectively twisting the cable in opposite directions, the grooves limit or
substantially
preclude rotation of the cable in each direction and therefore limit or
substantially preclude
a person from rocking the cable and walking the cable out of the locking
device. If the
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cable is further inserted into the locking device, the disk element may move
along the
ramped surface away from the cable and the holding channel or groove may then
release
the cable strand and allow the cable to be inserted further into the locking
device.
[0049] Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 13, a disk element 22" may
include an outer
knurled surface 22a" and a pair of spaced apart offset or off-center
circumferential grooves
22b" and a centrally located circumferential groove 22c" established in the
knurled surface
22a" and around the circumference of the disk element 22". The central groove
22c" may
receive the cable and limit retraction of the cable via pulling at the cable,
while the
laterally offset groves 22b" limit or substantially preclude rotation of the
cable relative to
the locking device and disk element to limit rotation or rocking of the cable
back and forth
to limit or substantially preclude unscrewing of the cable or walking the
cable out of the
locking device.
[0050] Optionally, and desirably, the disk element may be made of a hard or
tough
material that is harder than the material of the cable itself. Otherwise, the
cable (if harder
or stronger than the disk material) may act like a file and wear out the
surface or chip and
crack the corners of the disk element. Thus, it is desirable that the disk
element comprise
a material that is harder and stronger than the cable.
[0051] Thus, the offset or off-center one, two or three (or more) groove
configurations of
the disk element of the present invention provide enhanced gripping of a cable
by the disk
element and locking device and may provide enhanced assembly orientations.
With a
symmetrical disk element (such as the two or three groove configurations shown
in FIGS.
12 and 13), the assembly process is simplified because the disk may be
inserted into and
disposed in the locking body in either direction.
[0052] When security seal 10 is assembled, locking insert 16 is disposed
within the hollow
cavity of locking body 12, and may be secured therein, such as via staking or
crimping,
such as via staking or crimping the locking body 12 at a crimping portion 12f
that is
generally at a receiving portion or aperture 16d at wider portion 16a of
locking insert 16.
When so disposed, narrowed end 16b of locking insert 16 is received at
narrowed end
portion 28b of the hollowed interior of the locking body. The wider portion
16a and
narrowed end portion 16b of locking insert 16 are thus received in and engaged
with the
respective walls of locking body 12 at the respective end portions of the
locking body.
The intermediate width portion 16c of locking insert 16 extends between wider
end
portion 16a and narrowed end portion l6b and is disposed at wider receiving
portion 28a
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of the hollow interior of locking body 12. Thus, a gap 30 is established
between the side
wall of locking insert 16 and the side wall 12e of locking body 12.
[0053] During use, a person may insert the free end or locking end 14b of the
cable 14
through an object (such as through an opening or hasp or the like of an
object, such as a
cargo container or door or the like) and into the cable receiving passageway
29 of locking
body 12 and into cable receiving passageway 32 and cable receiving channel
portion 24a
of locking insert 16. When so inserted, the cable may push the disk element 22
against the
spring 26 to allow for insertion of the cable into the locking body the
desired or
appropriate amount, and the cable is retained in the locking body via the
locking insert,
such that the security seal is thus substantially locked or sealed to the
object.
[0054] After the cable is inserted the desired or appropriate amount, any
retraction of the
cable (such as by pulling the cable in a direction opposite the insertion
direction), causes
the disk element 22 to roll along the tapered channel 24 and along the arcuate
surface 24b
in the direction of the attempted movement of the cable (in other words,
toward the
narrowed end of the tapered channel). As the disk element 22 moves along the
arcuate
surface 24b, the disk element moves toward and bites into or clamps against
the cable 14
that is disposed at the cable receiving channel 24a. The arcuate surface 24b
provides
enhanced clamping of the disk element 22 into the cable 14 by providing a
progressively
increasing or sharper bite angle, whereby the disk element 22 bites into the
cable and
limits or substantially precludes retraction of the cable. The arcuate surface
provides
enhanced clamping of the cable and enhanced initial engagement and clamping of
the
cable, with only a limited or substantially shortened or reduced amount of
initial cable
retraction as compared to conventional security seals.
[0055] If a person attempts to tamper with security seal 10 when it is secured
to an object,
such as by clamping or squeezing the security seal to limit proper functioning
and
clamping of the cable by the locking insert 16, the side wall 12e of locking
body 12 (that is
disposed along gap 30) will collapse or deform, thereby providing a readily
viewable and
discernible visible indication that the security seal has been tampered with.
In the
illustrated embodiment, the tapered channel 24 of locking insert 16 (along
with the disk
element 22 and spring 26) is disposed along and within the wider receiving
portion 28a of
locking body 12 and with the gap 30 established along the entirety of or
substantially the
entirety of the tapered channel 24, in order to limit or substantially
preclude a person from
clamping or squeezing a portion of the tapered channel and/or disk element at
a location
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where the side wall 12e may not deform in response to such clamping or
squeezing of the
locking body. Thus, any sufficiently strong compression or squeezing or
clamping of the
locking body at any location along the tapered channel portion of the locking
body will
result in at least partial deformation of the side wall of the locking body.
[00561 Therefore, the present invention provides a locking device or security
seal that
provides a tamper evident feature in that if a person attempts to retract the
cable or locking
element from the locking body by clamping against or squeezing the locking
body (which
may adversely affect the locking insert from working properly by limiting
movement of
the disk or ball of the locking insert), the wall or walls of the locking body
may readily
deform or partially collapse so that a person later observing the security
seal can readily
discern that the security seal had been tampered with. The present invention
also provides
a curved or arcuate surface or ramp along which a disk or ball may roll to
clamp the cable
or locking element within the locking insert of the locking body. The curved
or arcuate
surface provides a sharper or greater biting angle for the ball or disk to
enhance biting or
clamping against the cable or locking element if the cable is pulled at in an
attempt to
retract the cable from the locking body. The initial retraction of the cable
when initially
pulled thus may be limited by the sharper bite angle whereby a greater amount
of
clamping force may be achieved at the cable in a reduced amount of
longitudinal travel
(along the locking body and in the direction of the cable retraction) of the
disk or ball.
The disk element may further enhance the functionality of the locking device
by providing
one or more off-center circumferential grooves to limit or substantially
preclude rotation
of the cable relative to the disk element and locking device to further limit
or substantially
preclude retraction of the cable from the locking device.
100571 Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may
be
carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention,
which is
intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted
according to
the principles of patent law.
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