Tamper resistant hinge

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.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to hinges and, more particularly, to hinges used on container doors and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a tamper resistant system10includes a bar lock assembly11and a pair of tamper resistant hinge assemblies12for securing an access door, such as a trailer or container door or the like. As will be more fully described below, each hinge assembly12substantially limits or prevents access to fasteners that hold bar lock assembly11to the access door or other mounting surface.

Hinge assembly12includes a hinge plate14, a pivot member16, and an anti-tamper member18(FIGS.1and3-6). Hinge assemblies12are coupled together by a lock bar20that spans between hinge assemblies12, which are connected to a mounting surface such as a door22. Pivot member16is pivotally connected to hinge assembly12so that lock bar20may be moved or pivoted relative to hinge plate14and the mounting surface22.

Hinge plate14includes a generally planar portion14athat is positioned at or near door22(FIGS. 1 and 3). Planar portion14aincludes a pair of holes or passageways24(FIG. 5) for receiving fasteners26therethrough (FIG. 3). A pair of tangs14bproject from planar portion14aof hinge plate14and are curved to form substantially circular passageways for receiving a hinge pin28. Hinge plate14is mounted to mounting surface22via fasteners26. Fasteners26may be threaded screws, bolts, rivets, or the like, and may be fastened to mounting surface22with a receiving member34, such as a threaded nut.

Pivot member16includes a curved lock bar engaging portion16a, a substantially round or circular hinge pin engaging portion16b, and a substantially flat planar portion16clocated between and connecting the bar engaging portion16aand the hinge pin engaging portion16b. Bar engaging portion16ahas a radius of curvature substantially conforming to that of lock bar20, and may be fixed to the lock bar20, such as by welding or with fasteners. Hinge pin engaging portion16bis positioned between hinge plate tangs14bso that the passageway defined by hinge pin engaging portion16bis aligned and substantially coaxial with the passageways defined by tangs14b. Optionally, lock bar20may be rotatably mounted to pivot member16, as may be desirable in certain applications, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Hinge pin28is installed in passageways of hinge plate tangs14band hinge pin engaging portion16bof pivot member16so that pivot member16is pivotally mounted or coupled to hinge plate14. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, hinge plate tangs14bmay be crimped at their outer portions to preclude or substantially prevent the unauthorized removal of hinge pin28. Bushings30(FIGS. 5 and 6) may be positioned on either side of hinge pin engaging portion16band around hinge pin28to prevent undue wear, binding, noise, and unauthorized access to hinge pin28through gaps between hinge pin engaging portion16band hinge plate tangs14b. When pivot member16is at a closed position (FIGS. 3,4, and6), planar portion16cis adjacent and substantially parallel to hinge plate planar portion14a. When pivot member16is moved to an open position (FIG. 5), bar engaging portion16aand planar portion16cextend outwardly away from hinge plate tangs14band generally away from planar portion14aof hinge plate14.

Anti-tamper member18is coupled to planar portion16cof pivot member16and pivots with pivot member16relative to hinge plate14. Anti-tamper member18has a generally planar main body portion18aand opposite end portions18b,18cextending outwardly from main body portion18a(FIG. 2). Anti-tamper member18is coupled to pivot member16at main body portion18a, which may be welded or fastened to planar portion16cof pivot member16. End portions18b,18cof anti-tamper member18thus extend outwardly beyond planar portion16cof pivot member16and substantially cover and guard fasteners26and portions of hinge plate planar portion14awhen pivot member16is in the closed position (FIGS. 4 and 6). When pivot member16is in the open position (FIG. 5), anti-tamper member18is positioned away from hinge plate14, thus permitting access to hinge plate14and fasteners26.

Optionally, anti-tamper member end portions18b,18care angled relative to main body portion18ato reduce the size of any gap that may exist between anti-tamper member18and hinge plate planar portion14awhen pivot member16is in the closed position (FIG. 4). For example, anti-tamper member end portions18b,18cmay be angled at about fifteen degrees in order to reduce access to fasteners26. Thus, anti-tamper member18limits or substantially precludes the use of a pry bar or other tool to access fasteners26when pivot member16is in the closed position. Anti-tamper member18is generally rectangular in shape, and may have rounded corners and/or rounded ends to improve the aesthetics and safety of hinge assembly12. Optionally, anti-tamper member18may be incorporated into pivot member16or 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 portions18b,18cof anti-tamper member18, with the main body portion18areplaced by the pivot member itself.

Pivot member16is selectively held in the closed position by lock bar20, which includes a locking portion32that 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 member16is thus positionable relative to hinge plate14by grasping lock bar20and pushing or pulling the lock bar to reposition pivot member16. When pivot member16and lock bar20are in their closed position, lock bar20may be locked or latched at locking portion32, thereby preventing further movement of lock bar20and pivot member16and positioning anti-tamper member18to prevent access to fasteners26. Optionally, end caps36may be provided at lock bar20to limit or prevent entry of water and debris into lock bar20, which may be a hollow tubular member, for example.

Hinge assembly12is 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 member18is made of sufficiently strong material, such as high strength steel, in order to resist flexing or grinding.