Abstract:
A hinge assembly incorporates an anti-tamper member that is selectively positionable to protect fasteners holding the hinge assembly to a mounting surface such as an access door. The hinge assembly may be incorporated into a bar lock assembly to provide additional tamper resistance for a shipping container, for example, to limit or prevent unauthorized access to the container.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/046,997, filed Apr. 22, 2008, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to hinges and, more particularly, to hinges used on container doors and the like. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Access doors for containers, such as shipping containers, semitrailers, and the like, are typically hinged at one side and secured via a bar lock. The bar lock is typically pivotally mounted opposite the door hinges and is positionable between an open or unlocked position, and a closed or locked position. In the locked position, the bar lock is typically held in position by a shackle, a seal, a padlock, or the like. However, the hinges to which the bar lock is pivotally mounted may have fasteners, such as screws or bolts, that are readily accessible and/or removable, such that the bar lock may be defeated by removing the hinges rather than tampering with the shackle, seal, or padlock. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides an anti-tamper member or plate that is fixedly attached to a hinge, such as the hinge of a bar lock system, in order to prevent access to the fasteners of the hinge when the bar lock is in a closed or locked position. The anti-tamper member substantially covers the fasteners of the hinge in order to discourage or prevent access to the hinge fasteners, thus improving the security of the bar lock. 
         [0005]    According to one form of the present invention, the tamper resistant hinge includes a hinge plate, at least one fastener, and an anti-tamper member. The fasteners couple the hinge plate to a mounting surface, such as a door or a wall. The anti-tamper member substantially covers and protects the fasteners in order to inhibit access to the fasteners, thereby limiting or substantially preventing removal of the fasteners and the hinge. 
         [0006]    According to another form of the present invention, a tamper resistant hinge, such as for a bar lock assembly on a shipping container or trailer, includes a hinge plate, at least one fastener, a hinge pin, a pivot arm, and an anti-tamper member. The hinge plate defines or forms a passageway for receiving the hinge pin, to which the pivot arm is pivotally coupled. The fasteners, which may be screws, bolts, rivets, or the like, couple the hinge plate to a mounting surface such as a door, a panel, or a wall. The pivot arm defines a passageway for receiving the hinge pin and is pivotally coupled to the hinge plate via the hinge pin so that the pivot arm can pivot between an open position and a closed position. The anti-tamper member is fixed to the pivot arm so that the anti-tamper member substantially covers the fasteners when the pivot arm is in the closed position. The anti-tamper plate exposes the fasteners when the pivot arm is moved to the open position. 
         [0007]    In one aspect, the anti-tamper member is a substantially rectangular plate, which may have rounded corners or ends. Optionally, the anti-tamper member may have opposite end portions located at opposite ends of a planar main body portion, the opposite end portions being angled with respect to the main body portion. The angled end portions closely cover the fasteners when the pivot arm is moved to the closed position to prevent prying of the anti-tamper member and to further reduce access to the fasteners. 
         [0008]    Therefore, the present invention provides a device that limits or prevents access to the fasteners of a hinge in order to prevent or resist tampering with the fasteners and removal of the hinge. Thus, a locked door or a locked bar lock assembly may be provided with additional security by protecting the hinges from tampering or removal. 
         [0009]    These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following description in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation of a bar lock system including a pair of tamper resistant hinges in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation of an anti-tamper member; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an end sectional view of a hinge assembly, taken along the section designated III in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of a hinge assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of the hinge assembly of  FIG. 4 , in an open position; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the hinge assembly of  FIG. 4 , in a closed position. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a tamper resistant system  10  includes a bar lock assembly  11  and a pair of tamper resistant hinge assemblies  12  for securing an access door, such as a trailer or container door or the like. As will be more fully described below, each hinge assembly  12  substantially limits or prevents access to fasteners that hold bar lock assembly  11  to the access door or other mounting surface. 
         [0017]    Hinge assembly  12  includes a hinge plate  14 , a pivot member  16 , and an anti-tamper member  18  (FIGS.  1  and  3 - 6 ). Hinge assemblies  12  are coupled together by a lock bar  20  that spans between hinge assemblies  12 , which are connected to a mounting surface such as a door  22 . Pivot member  16  is pivotally connected to hinge assembly  12  so that lock bar  20  may be moved or pivoted relative to hinge plate  14  and the mounting surface  22 . 
         [0018]    Hinge plate  14  includes a generally planar portion  14   a  that is positioned at or near door  22  ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ). Planar portion  14   a  includes a pair of holes or passageways  24  ( FIG. 5 ) for receiving fasteners  26  therethrough ( FIG. 3 ). A pair of tangs  14   b  project from planar portion  14   a  of hinge plate  14  and are curved to form substantially circular passageways for receiving a hinge pin  28 . Hinge plate  14  is mounted to mounting surface  22  via fasteners  26 . Fasteners  26  may be threaded screws, bolts, rivets, or the like, and may be fastened to mounting surface  22  with a receiving member  34 , such as a threaded nut. 
         [0019]    Pivot member  16  includes a curved lock bar engaging portion  16   a , a substantially round or circular hinge pin engaging portion  16   b , and a substantially flat planar portion  16   c  located between and connecting the bar engaging portion  16   a  and the hinge pin engaging portion  16   b . Bar engaging portion  16   a  has a radius of curvature substantially conforming to that of lock bar  20 , and may be fixed to the lock bar  20 , such as by welding or with fasteners. Hinge pin engaging portion  16   b  is positioned between hinge plate tangs  14   b  so that the passageway defined by hinge pin engaging portion  16   b  is aligned and substantially coaxial with the passageways defined by tangs  14   b . Optionally, lock bar  20  may be rotatably mounted to pivot member  16 , as may be desirable in certain applications, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0020]    Hinge pin  28  is installed in passageways of hinge plate tangs  14   b  and hinge pin engaging portion  16   b  of pivot member  16  so that pivot member  16  is pivotally mounted or coupled to hinge plate  14 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , hinge plate tangs  14   b  may be crimped at their outer portions to preclude or substantially prevent the unauthorized removal of hinge pin  28 . Bushings  30  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) may be positioned on either side of hinge pin engaging portion  16   b  and around hinge pin  28  to prevent undue wear, binding, noise, and unauthorized access to hinge pin  28  through gaps between hinge pin engaging portion  16   b  and hinge plate tangs  14   b . When pivot member  16  is at a closed position ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  6 ), planar portion  16   c  is adjacent and substantially parallel to hinge plate planar portion  14   a . When pivot member  16  is moved to an open position ( FIG. 5 ), bar engaging portion  16   a  and planar portion  16   c  extend outwardly away from hinge plate tangs  14   b  and generally away from planar portion  14   a  of hinge plate  14 . 
         [0021]    Anti-tamper member  18  is coupled to planar portion  16   c  of pivot member  16  and pivots with pivot member  16  relative to hinge plate  14 . Anti-tamper member  18  has a generally planar main body portion  18   a  and opposite end portions  18   b ,  18   c  extending outwardly from main body portion  18   a  ( FIG. 2 ). Anti-tamper member  18  is coupled to pivot member  16  at main body portion  18   a , which may be welded or fastened to planar portion  16   c  of pivot member  16 . End portions  18   b ,  18   c  of anti-tamper member  18  thus extend outwardly beyond planar portion  16   c  of pivot member  16  and substantially cover and guard fasteners  26  and portions of hinge plate planar portion  14   a  when pivot member  16  is in the closed position ( FIGS. 4 and 6 ). When pivot member  16  is in the open position ( FIG. 5 ), anti-tamper member  18  is positioned away from hinge plate  14 , thus permitting access to hinge plate  14  and fasteners  26 . 
         [0022]    Optionally, anti-tamper member end portions  18   b ,  18   c  are angled relative to main body portion  18   a  to reduce the size of any gap that may exist between anti-tamper member  18  and hinge plate planar portion  14   a  when pivot member  16  is in the closed position ( FIG. 4 ). For example, anti-tamper member end portions  18   b ,  18   c  may be angled at about fifteen degrees in order to reduce access to fasteners  26 . Thus, anti-tamper member  18  limits or substantially precludes the use of a pry bar or other tool to access fasteners  26  when pivot member  16  is in the closed position. Anti-tamper member  18  is generally rectangular in shape, and may have rounded corners and/or rounded ends to improve the aesthetics and safety of hinge assembly  12 . Optionally, anti-tamper member  18  may be incorporated into pivot member  16  or unitarily formed therewith, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the pivot member may be stamped or formed from sheet metal with wings or projections similar to end portions  18   b ,  18   c  of anti-tamper member  18 , with the main body portion  18   a  replaced by the pivot member itself. 
         [0023]    Pivot member  16  is selectively held in the closed position by lock bar  20 , which includes a locking portion  32  that is engaged by a seal (such as a strap-type seal), a latch, a shackle, a lock (such as a padlock), or the like. Pivot member  16  is thus positionable relative to hinge plate  14  by grasping lock bar  20  and pushing or pulling the lock bar to reposition pivot member  16 . When pivot member  16  and lock bar  20  are in their closed position, lock bar  20  may be locked or latched at locking portion  32 , thereby preventing further movement of lock bar  20  and pivot member  16  and positioning anti-tamper member  18  to prevent access to fasteners  26 . Optionally, end caps  36  may be provided at lock bar  20  to limit or prevent entry of water and debris into lock bar  20 , which may be a hollow tubular member, for example. 
         [0024]    Hinge assembly  12  is made from any suitably strong, tamper-resistant material, such as high strength steel, stainless steel, high strength aluminum alloy, or the like. Preferably, anti-tamper member  18  is made of sufficiently strong material, such as high strength steel, in order to resist flexing or grinding. 
         [0025]    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 including the doctrine of equivalents.