PLASTIC SEAL

Abstract: A plastic seal characterised by comprising: a body (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) to which is connected at least a cord (5), provided at at least one end with a hook (7, 107, 207, 307, 407, 507); an aperture (4, 104, 204, 404) provided in said body for the insertion of said hook; a seat (2) for housing said hook inserted into said aperture; means for the irreversible retention of said hook to said body, and a pair of closure plates (10, 110, 410) applied to said body.

Description: Plastic Seal This invention relates to a plastic seal. Plastic seals are widely known in practically all sectors of commercial activity, and comprises a body generally designed to receive distinctive marks or signs of the producer or seller, or other identification data for the product to be marked, such as an article number, a size, a colour code etc Said seals also comprise one or two cords fixed securely at one end to said body and provided at their other end with a hook for non-removable insertion into a corresponding cavity provided in said body, after the cord has been passed through an aperture (eyelet, chain link, hole etc) provided in the article to be marked- Such seals have in the past been constructed and are still constructed with a very large variety of shapes, dimensions and body-chord fixing systems- They are generally formed by injecting plastics material into moulds comprising several impressions corresponding to the complete shape of the seal body or to the shape of each of the half-bodies of which each body is formed. It is apparent that the number of different impressions available must equal the number of different types of seal body to be formed combined with the number of different designs or writing to appear on each body, which means that a seal manufacturer must carry σonsiderable and expensive equipment which in certain case may be under-used, resulting in a high unit seal cost- In addition, the operations required for fixing the cor to the body of current seals are difficult to mechanize, thu further increasing the final cost of the article, a cos which for obvious reasons must be as low as possible. In thi respect, taking account of the lenghty time needed to set u the injection press and the consequent overall cost of thi operation, the production cost of each seal can only be kep low by producing large quantities, thus obliging users t carry large and uneconomical stocks. A further drawback consists in that generally suc seals, after they have been formed, are grouped in bunches o in confusion and this causes an entanglement of the cords o a linking of hooks, with consequent loss of time for th required separation- An object of the invention is to provide a seal which i of simple and economical production- A further object of the invention is to provide a sea which can be produced with completely automated equipment- A further object of the invention is to provide a sea which does not have to be carried in large stock by the user A further object of the invention is to provide a sea having a very pleasing outer appearance and which enabl this outer appearance to be varied according to t requirements of the user- These and further objects which will be apparent fro the following description are attained according to th invention by a plastic seal characterised by comprising: - a body to which is connected at least a cord, provided a at least one end with a hook, - an aperture provided in said body for the insertion of sai hook, - a seat for housing said hook inserted into said aperture, - means for the irreversible retention of said hook to sai body, and - a pair of closure plates applied to said body. Some preferred embodiments of the present invention ar further described. hereinafter with reference to th accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a firs embodiment of a seal according to the invention wit two cords provided with a hook; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment thereo without the upper plate; Figure 3 shows a third embodiment thereof in the same view a figure 2; Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment thereof in the same view as figure 2; Figure 5 shows a fifth embodiment thereof in the same view as figure 1 , Figure 6 shows it along the transversal section of figure 5; and Figure 7 shows the hook in a different embodiment. As can be seen from the figures the seal of the invention, in the embodiment shown in figure 1, comprises a perimetral frame 1 of rectangular shape constructed of thermoplastic material such as polystyrene and comprising two inner cavities 2. The two smaller sides 3 of the frame 1 each comprise a through aperture 4, which connects the outside to the corresponding cavity 2. In the plastics material forming the frame 1 there is embedded a cord 5 which passes through the two sm ller side 3 thereof in proximity to the through apertures 4, and als passes through the baffle 6 which divides the internal spac of the frame 1 into two cavities 2- To the ends of the cord there are applied two hooks 7 provided with elastic retentio tongues 8 for irreversible insertion into the throug apertures 4. The perimetral edge of the frame 1 comprises a step whiσh defines on both faces a seat for a rectangular plate carrying printed on its outer surface a mark or writi identifying the type or characteristics of the article which the seal is to be applied- The plates 10, whi preferably have a thickness equal to the height of the st 9, can be constructed of plastics material or aluminium cardboard, and can be decorated either by printing or by silk-screen process or by any other traditional method- The plates 10 can be fixed to the frame 1 by adhesive by ultrasonic welding, by an insertion fit, or by engagi appendices 11 provided on the plates 10 with correspondi seats 12 provided in the frame 1. The fixing system obviousl depends on the constituent material of the plate; for exampl in the case of metal plates it is preferable for this fixi to be by either adhesive or by a simple insertion fit if t dimension of the seat for the plate are such as to recei the plate as an exact fit, or rather by slight forcing. I t case of cardboard plates the fixing must be done adhesive- In the case of plastics plates the fixing can done either by adhesives, by ultrasonic welding or by insertion fit- In such cases the fixing efficiency can improved by the presence of the appendices 11 and the complementary seats 12 and/or by virtue of a particular shaping of the edge of the plates 10 and the edge of the step 9, which instead of being perfectly perpendicular to the surface of the plate 10 are slightly inclined to forms a sort of dovetail joint, which it is possible to make if instead of being constructed of polystyrene the frame 1 is constructed of a material having a certain elasticity, for example a polypropylene- To construct the seal according to the invention, a cord 5 is arranged in a mould comprising the frame impression and the impressions of two adjacent hooks facing each other with their end so that it lies across said impressions- The moul is then closed and plastics material injected into the close cavity formed in this manner- The mould construction is such that when closed, o those two sides of the impression corresponding to the tw smaller sides of the frame 1 to be formed there are two meta pins which when the mould is closed pass through th impression, and there are also two pairs of punches whic form the internal cavities 2 and which during the injectio stage keep the traversing cord 5 pressed down- On terminatio of the injection stage the mould is opened and the cord 5 with the frame 1 and the hooks 7, is made to advance alo the mould for a distance substantially corresponding to t length of the cord in condition of assembled seal, and wound on a reel - The mould is then closed for a new injection stage a this operation goes on until a reel is obtained complete wound by a continuous cord to which are bound, at consta intervals, frames and facing hookε- The plates 10 are formed separately and can then subjected to traditional decoration processes so that wh thus finished they can be applied to the frame 1 and securely fixed to it by one of the aforesaid methods- This application of the plates 10 to the frame 1, whi can be either manual or automatic, is preferably done by t producer, but can also be done by the user, who need th only provide himself with a reel with the frames bound to t continuous cord, a certain quantity of identical frames 1 a various different types of plates 10, with which he c personalize said frames according to requirements. To apply the seal to the product to be marked, first the continuous cord is cut near the facing ends of t adjacent hooks, then the hooks are inserted through apertur of the product and lastly the hooks are inserted into t apertures of the body to be firmly secured to it. In a different embodiment, shown in figure 2, the aperture 104 in the smaller sides 103 of the frame 101 for use by the hooks 107 extend as far as one or both edges of said sides 103, so as to dispense with the use of pins in forming the mould and make the mould construction much simpler. If the apertures 104 extend as far as only edge, hooks 107 can be used having an elastic tongue 108 provided on a face, but in this case the hook 107 would have to be inserted into the corresponding aperture 104 in a particular direction, whereas to avoid this requirement hooks 107 must be used with their elastic tongue 108 provided laterally. If however the apertures 104 extend as far as both the edges o the smaller sides 103 of the frame 1, which are thu completely interrupted in their central region, th structural continuity of the frame 101 is ensured by th baffle 106 and by the plates 110, once these have bee applied. In this case only hooks 107 with a lateral elasti tongue 108 can be used. in the embodiment shown in figure 3, the elastic tongu has been transferred from the hook 207 to the frame- For thi purpose the frame 201 , which obviously cannot be forme integrally with the lower plate, comprises at each apertur 204 to be engaged by the hook 207 an appendix 208 whi allows the elastic engagement of a notch provided in t hook. In this manner the hook 207 can be made witho projecting parts, which can sometimes become entangled articles of clothing and damage them. Again in this case the apertures 204 in the small sides 203 of the frame 201 can be of closed, semi-open open type, so considerably simplifying the mould constructi by eliminating the pins. In this embodiment the inserti position of the hook 207 is reversible irrespective of t type of aperture provided. In the embodiment shown in figure 4 the frame 301 provided with two elastic tongues 308 which provide a mo effective engagement with the notches of the notches in t hook 307. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the seal compris a cylindric-shaped half-shell 401 having the pheripheral ed provided with two apertures 404- In this embodiment the bo between the plates 410 and half-shell 401 is obtained throu engag ent of pins 411 with corresponding seats 412, plac along an axis substantially orthogonal to the axis of t apertures 404, and provided in the half-shell 401 near t step 409. The inner surface of the plate 410 is provided with two little protrusions 430 placed on a diametral plane perpendicular to the diametral plane passing through pins 411. Each hook 407 consist of a parallelepipediσ portion 431 connected, through a thin portion 432, to a point 433. When each hook 407 is inserted in the apertures 404, it interferes with the corresponding protrusion 430 and cause the elastic yielding outside of the plate 410 which in that zone is not bound to the half-shell 401, and which, after the passage of the hook, comes back to its initial condition thus irreversibly blocking it- Independently of the particular embodiment the seal according to the invention has numerous advantages ove traditional seals, in that: - from an aesthetic viewpoint it is of considerably mor pleasant appearance because of the very large variety o possible colour combinations, - it can be constructed within completely automate production cycles and thus with high production rates an low production costs, - it enables both production and stock management to b simplified in that it provides for the construction of standard frame, to be personalized by applying particul types of selected plates, - it enables the user to vary the aesthetic effect of t seal by holding a suitable stock of components; - it doesn't damage, in the case of plastics hooks, t product to which is applied. In Figure 6 a hook 507 is shown having the midd portion provided with a slotted hole 508 in which the end the core 5 is embedded. Due to the presence of the hole and to the conseque transverse yielding of the hook, this can be inserted throu the apertures 4 into the inner seat 2 of the seal and aft it has been passed through it to extend- This embodiment of the hook is particularly advantageo when applied to seals made of stiff plastics-

Claims: C L A I M S 1- A plastic seal characterised by comprising: - a body (1,101,201,301,401) to which is connected at least a cord (5), provided at at least one end with a hook (7,107,207,307,407,507) - an aperture (4,104,204,404) provided in said body for the insertion of said hook, - a seat (2) for housing said hook inserted into said aperture, - means for the irreversible retention of said hook to said bod , and - a pair of closure plates (10,110,410) applied to said body- 2- A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each closure plate (10) is fixed to the body (1,101,201,301) with adhesive- 3- A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each closure plate (10) is fixed to the body (1,101,201,301) by ultrasonic welding. 4. A seal as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the perimetral edge of the frame comprises a step (9,409) defining a seat for each plate (10,110,410). 5. A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that at least a closure plate (10,410) is provided with appendices (11,411) to engage in corresponding seats (12,412) in th body (1,101,201,301,401). 6- A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that on of the two plates is formed integrally with the body (401). 7. A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that th seat (4,104,204) consists of a slotted hole provided in th smaller side (3,103,203) of the body (1,101,201,301). 8- A seal as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that th seat extends to reach an edge of the smaller side of th body. 9- A seal as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that th seat (104) extends to reach both edges of the smaller sid (103) of the body (101), which is stiffened by a baffl (106) . 10. A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that th cord (5) is embedded in the plastics material forming th body and passes across it from one side to the opposite side 11. A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that th hook (7) is provided with a frontal tongue (8). 12- A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that th hook (107) is provided with a lateral tongue (108). 13. A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that th hook (107,207,307,407) is constructed of plastics materia within which the end of the cord (5) is embedded. 14- A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the hook is of metal construction. 15. A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the hook (207) comprises at least one notch cooperating with a tongue (208) provided in the interior of the body (201). 16- A seal as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the hook comprises at least two notches cooperating with corresponding appendices (308,430) provided in the interior of the body (301,401). 17- A seal as claimed in claim 17 characterised in that the appendices (430) are applied to the inner surface of the plate (410). 18- A seal as claimed in claims 1,5 and 17 characterised in that the appendices (430) are placed on a diametral plane perpendicular to the diametral plane passing through the seats (412). 19. A seal as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the hook (507) comprises a parallelepipediσ portion provided with a point and with a longitudinal slotted hole (508). 20. A seal as claimed in claim 19 characterised in that the end of the cord is embedded at the inside of the hole (508). 21. A seal as claimed in claim 20 characterised in that the parallelepipediσ portion is thickened near the zone of the point -

Inventors: MAINETTI MARIO, MAINETTI, MARIO
Applicants: MAINETTI SPA, MAINETTI S.P.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: G09F3