SECURITY SEAL FOR SEALING A LABEL HOLDER USED FOR CLOSING AND SEALING BAGS AND THE LIKE

Abstract: A security seal suitable for sealing a label holder comprising a locking part (25), a capsule part (27) for receiving through an entrance (31) a head (29) of the locking part in locking relation, a flexible connection (26) between the locking part (25) and the capsule part (27), and a blade (28) integral with one of the locking or capsule parts (25, 27), the locking part (25) having a base (36) connected to the head (29) by weakening means (37). The base (36) comprises a first portion (39) of larger cross section, remote from the weakening means (37) and a second portion (38) of smaller cross section, between the first part (39) and the weakening means (37). The blade (28) has a free end configured to make its deflection difficult during use of the seal for sealing a label holder. According to the invention the free end of said blade (28) is provided with an elastic locking device (42) which allows said free end to be introduced through an aperture (19) of substantially equal transverse cross section as that of said blade (28), due to the elastic deformation of said elastic locking device (42), but does not allow it to be withdrawn from said aperture (19) in the direction of said part integral with said blade (28).

Description: Title: "Security seal for sealing a label holder used for closing and sealing bags and the like" Technical field The present invention relates to an improved security seal for use in sealing a label holder of the type described and illustrated in United States Patent US 5,118,148. Background art United States Patents US 4,106,801 and US 4,175,782 relate to label holders and security seals in which a cord from the interior of the label holder is tightened about the neck of a bag with its free end returned and held within the label holder. Both ends of the cord and the destination label of the bag itself are closed within the label holder which is then sealed to prevent unauthorised access to the ends of the cord. In United States Patent US 5,118,148 improvements to both the label holder and the security seal are proposed, to ensure that the label holder will remain satisfactorily closed and sealed along the entire width of the closed end and not only at one localised point. The subject matter of this patent, which is included herein by way of reference, relates to a label holder comprising two generally planar, superimposed portions held together at one end by a security seal. One of the portions is formed with first and second protuberances protruding towards the other portion which is provided with apertures to allow the protuberances to pass therethrough. The protuberances are separated from each other a distance of the same order as the width of the end of the label holder. One of the protuberances defines a first aperture which receives a locking part of a security seal, a capsule part of the seal receiving a head part of the locking part from the other side of the first aperture. The other protuberance defines a second aperture which receives the end of a blade which is integral with one of the parts of the seal. The blade of the seal has a free end in the shape of a hook, which, when the label holder is closed and sealed, engages in the aperture in the second protuberance, thereby keeping the two portions of the label holder together not only in the region of the locking part of the seal, but also at the other end where the hook is formed. Even though the configuration of the seal and label holder described in United States Patent US 5,118,148 have been well received on the market, it is still sometimes possible to disengage the hook shaped end of the blade of the seal from the second protuberance, and thereby lift one side of the label holder to gain limited access to the cord inside. This enables an experienced violator to open the bag and subsequently reseal it without breaking the seal. Object of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved security seal designed to overcome the aforementioned problem encountered in the prior art. Surrrmary of the invention A security seal of a type comprising a locking part, a capsule part, for receiving through an entrance a head of the locking part in locking relation, a flexible connection between the locking part and the capsule part, and a blade integral with one of the locking or capsule parts, the locking part having a base connected to the head by weakening means, the base comprising a first portion of larger cross section, remote from the weakening means and a second portion of smaller cross section, between the first portion and the weakening means, the blade having a free end configured to make its deflection difficult during use of the seal for sealing a label holder. According to the present invention the free end of the blade is provided with an elastic locking device which allows the free end to be introduced through an aperture of substantially equal transverse cross section as that of the blade, due to the elastic deformation of the elastic locking device, but does not allow it to be withdrawn from the aperture in the direction of the part integral with the blade. Preferably the elastic locking device comprises a tab, with an end closest to the part integral with the blade, salient therefrom, the tab being elastically deformable such that it is capable of yielding towards the blade. The tab can be formed integral with a planar surface of the blade, which is provided with an opening of substantially the same dimensions as the tab, such that the tab is capable of being received therein when elastically deformed against the blade. Effectively what this means is that the free end of the blade also presents a security lock. In other words the single seal not only aims at having the effect of two seals physically separated by a distance corresponding to the length of the blade, such as is the case in the previously mentioned patent, but also effectively provides two sealing mechanisms, the second (that of the elastic locking device) being extremely simple and therefore not adding to production costs. Brief description of the drawings The present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a label holder similar to that illustrated in United States Patent US 5,118,148; Figure 2 shows a perspective, partial cut-away view of a security seal according to a first, preferred, embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows the label holder of figure 1, closed and sealed with the security seal of figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the security seal according to the present invention- Detailed description of the invention Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a label holder 1 comprising substantially rectangular first and second portions 2 and 3 having the same shape when viewed from above, connected together along first end edges 5 and 5' by means of a hinge 6. Both portions 2 and 3 as well as hinge 6 are formed from a single piece of plastic material, preferably polypropylene. Portions 2 and 3 also have second end edges 7 and 7' , opposite first edges 5 and 5' , third and fourth opposite lateral edges 8, 8' and 9, 9', inner surfaces 10 and 10' and outer surfaces 11 and 11' . Edges 7', 8' and 9' of portion 3 of label holder 1 are downwardly flanged so as to receive portion 2 in co-operating relation when label holder 1 is folded around hinge 6 into its closed position. Portion 2 is also provided with an elongated cavity 12 for receiving a lever 13 to which one end of a length of cord can be fixed, while the other end of the cord is provided with a fixing means 14 which is held in a cylindrical cavity 15 in portion 2. Aspects of the label holder, relative to the lever and the cord, will not be described here in great detail being well known in the art, and not being related to the inventive concept of the present invention. Portion 2 of the label holder is provided with first and second protuberances 16 and 17 defining first and second apertures 18 and 19. Protuberances 16 and 17 are positioned adjacent to second end edge 7, at the corners made by the intersection of third and fourth lateral edges 8 and 9, their axes being parallel to edge 7. Protuberance 16 and corresponding aperture 18 have dimensions, normal to the internal surface 10 of part 2, larger than those of protuberance 17 and corresponding aperture 19. Portion 3 of label holder 1 is provided with third and fourth rectangular apertures 20 and 21 corresponding with protuberances 16 and 17 in portion 2 so that, on folding portion 3 over portion 2, the protuberances pass through apertures 20 and 21 to project above external surface 11' of portion 3. Outer surface 11' of portion 3 is provided with a lateral stop 22 positioned between apertures 20 and 21 and is further provided with a pair of opposed lateral stops 23 also between the apertures but closer to aperture 20. Such a configuration can be seen clearly in figure 1. Figure 2 shows a security seal 24 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Seal 24 comprises a locking part 25 connected by a flexible connection 26 to a capsule part 27 behind which a blade 28 projects. Locking part 25 has an arrow shaped head 29 comprising a solid base 30, adapted for filling an entrance 31 of capsule part 27, a central portion 32 designed to penetrate the interior of capsule part 27, projecting from the centre of base 30, and two flexible arms or barbs 33 which extend outwardly and backwardly towards the base from the free end of central portion 32. There are two lateral shoulders within capsule part 27, one on each side of the opening of entrance 31, adapted to serve as stops for the free ends of arms 33. When head 29 is introduced into capsule part 27, flexible arms 33 are deformed elastically as they pass through entrance 31 and then return to their original configuration within capsule part 27 with their free ends caught behind the lateral shoulders and with base 30 filling entrance 31. With a view to increase the degree of security of the seal, so as to make it impossible to withdraw head 29 from the interior of capsule part 27, central portion 32 is formed with central longitudinal grooves 34, one on each face thereof, for receiving two corresponding ribs 35, formed within capsule part 27. These fitments positively prevent any attempt at violation of the seal by slightly tilting head 29, thereby facilitating access to the ends of arms 33 in an attempt to free them from the shoulders within capsule part 29. Locking part 25 is further provided with a base 36 connected to base 30 of head 29 by means of two weakening bridges 37. Base 36 comprises a parallelepiped shaped portion 38, having dimensions substantially equal to those of that part of first aperture 18 that projects beyond surface 11' of portion 3 of the label holder in its closed position. Base 36 further comprises a second portion 39 having dimensions greater than said part of first aperture 18, so as to abut first protuberance 16 in the sealed configuration. One side of portion 39 is integral with flexible connection 26 which connects locking part 25 to capsule part 27, while its other side is formed with a lateral batten 40 for use in the authorised opening of the label holder. Blade 28, which extends from the end of capsule part 27 opposite to that of entrance 31, has a free end adjacent to which an opening 41 is provided and a tab 42 having an end, facing capsule portion 27, salient from opening 41. Tab 42, being moulded from the same plastic material as the rest of the seal, exhibits a degree of elasticity so that it can be bent downwards in order to enter opening 41, but has sufficient elastic memory to ensure that once free it will return to its salient configuration. It is this simple characteristic that makes seal 24 suitable for increasing the security of the label holder in its closed and sealed configuration, as will be demonstrated later. Figure 3 shows the label holder of figure 1 closed and sealed by security seal 24. It should be noted that the free end of blade 28 of the seal is first introduced through aperture 19 defined by second protuberance 17 until tab 42 passes completely to the other side. The length of blade 28, or at least the extension of the blade between tab 42 and capsule portion 27, is such that when tab 42 passes in its entirety through aperture 19, capsule portion 29 lies in close proximity to first protuberance 16. In this way the whole blade must be moved slightly to the left (in figure 3) so that locking part 25 can be introduced through aperture 18 in first protuberance 16 with its head entering capsule part 27 to close the seal. When this happens, and as shown in figure 3, tab 42 - already returned to its salient configuration - does not pass back through aperture 18, becoming hooked over protuberance 17. It should also be noted that, with the label holder in its closed configuration, the transverse opening presented by that part of second aperture 18 projecting above outer surface 11' is substantially the same as the thickness of blade 28. In this way, if tab 42 is bent backwards (downwards in figure 3) , thereby effectively doubling the thickness of the blade, it will not be possible to withdraw it through aperture 18. Also, any slight force exerted to push the free end of the blade away from protuberance 17 (downwards in figure 3) , so as to be able to push tab 42 into opening 41 and thus remove the free end of blade 28 from aperture 18, will result in breakage of the weakening protuberances 37 in this way preventing concealed violation of the seal. It should, however, be understood that tab 42 is nothing more than a very simple second locking system or seal, which depends for its efficacy on the first system of capsule 27 and lock 25 to ensure that tab 42 remains in its salient configuration, held with its free end over protuberance 17, so that tab 42 can only be disengaged therefrom if the blade as a whole is moved downwards, such a movement would, however, break weakening bridges 37. It should be further understood that the seal illustrated in figure 3 represents only one embodiment of the present invention. Many alternatives based on the same concept will be obvious to those versed in the art. As an example figure 4 shows a second embodiment in which tab 42 is replaced by two small lateral arms 42a defining an arrow shape. The width of blade 28 in the region of arms 42a may be slightly reduced, as illustrated, so that on closing the seal in the label holder the blade only just passes through aperture 18. This and other modifications will be self evident to those versed in the art, and as such the scope of the present invention should be limited only by the terms and interpretation of the following claims.

Claims: C AIMS 1. Security seal suitable for sealing a label holder used for the closure and sealing of bags and the like comprising a locking part (25), a capsule part (27) for receiving through an entrance (31) a head (29) of the locking part in locking relation, a flexible connection (26) between the locking part (25) and the capsule part (27), and a blade (28) integral with one of the locking or capsule parts (25,27), the locking part (25) having a base (36) connected to the head (29) by weakening means (37), the base (36) comprising a first portion (39) of larger cross section, remote from the weakening means (37), and a second portion (38) of smaller cross section, between the first portion (39) and the weakening means (37), the blade (28) having a free end configured to make its deflection difficult during use of the seal for sealing a label holder, characterised in that said free end of said blade (28) is provided with an elastic locking device (42) which allows said free end to be introduced through an aperture (19), of substantially equal transverse cross section as that of said blade (28), due to the elastic deformation of said elastic locking device (42), but does not allow it to be withdrawn from said aperture (19) in the direction of said part integral with said blade (28) . 2. Security seal according to claim 1, characterised in that said elastic locking device comprises a tab (42) with an end, closest to said part integral with said blade, salient from said blade, said tab (42) being elastically deformable such that it is capable of yielding towards said blade (28) . 3. Security seal according to claim 2, characterised in that said tab (42) is integral with a planar surface of said blade (28) which is provided with an opening (41) of substantially the same dimensions as said tab (42) such that said tab (42) is capable of being received therein when elastically deformed against said blade (28) . 4. Security seal according to claim 2, characterised in that there are two said tabs (42a), one on each side of said blade (28) . 5. Label holder for the closure and sealing of bags and the like, comprising two substantially planar superimposed portions which are held together at an end of the label holder by a security seal, one of said portions being formed with first and second protuberances (16,17) projecting towards the other portion and separated from each other a distance of the same order as the width of said end, one of said protuberances defining a first aperture (18) which is adapted to receive a locking part (25) of a security seal, a capsule part (27) of the seal receiving a head (29) of the locking part (25) from the other side of the first aperture (18), and the other protuberance (17) defining a second aperture (19) adapted to receive the end of a blade (28) integral with one of said parts (25;27), characterised in that the label holder is closed and sealed by means of a security seal (24) according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, and the length of said blade (28) of said security seal is such that once said elastic locking device (42) has passed through said second aperture (19), before locking the seal, it engages with the external side of said second protuberance (17) and is prevented from being withdrawn, the length of the blade (28) of the seal being such that, in the closed and sealed configuration of the label holder, it is impossible to move the blade through the second aperture (19) away from the first protuberance (17) by a distance sufficient to disengage said elastic locking device (42) .

Inventors: DE LIMA CASTRO NETTO EDUARDO, DE LIMA CASTRO NETTO, EDUARDO
Applicants: ELC PROD SEGURANCA IND, LIMA CASTRO NETTO E DE, DE LIMA CASTRO NETTO, EDUARDO, ELC PRODUTOS DE SEGURANCA INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO LTD
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G09F3
IPC codes: B65D55, B65D63, G09F3