Abstract:
A bolt-type seal lock for use with shipping containers includes a bolt and a separate locking body. The locking body holds a locking mechanism that engages with an end of the bolt when it is inserted into the locking body. The locking body houses a flash memory or equivalent electronic storage device that stores shipping or transportation data relating to the contents of the shipping container. The seal also has a locking mechanism that can be released by a special tool through a lateral access opening. The lateral opening is covered by an identification tab that serves as an identification mechanism for indicating seal tampering and as a barrier to access to the locking mechanism. The identification tab is replaceable which makes the seal recyclable and reusable by shipping companies having a need for large numbers of bolt-type seal locks.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a U.S. continuation patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to, U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 11/193,300, filed Jun. 29, 2005, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,334, which patent application and patent are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention disclosed here relates to seal locks for shipping containers. More particularly, it relates to a bolt-type seal lock that has both rewritable data storage capability and an improved tamper-proof feature that makes the seal lock easy to recycle. Bolt-type container seals, or seal locks, have been used for many years to seal and lock cargo shipping containers. These seals were originally designed as a next-generation seal that followed earlier, and simpler, band-type seals. Seals indicate to the receiver of the container whether someone made unauthorized access to the container&#39;s contents. Bolt-type seals provide a higher level of security than a band seal because they are harder to break. 
         [0003]    The construction of a typical bolt-type seal is very simple in that it primarily consists of a hardened steel bolt that is passed through latching or locking structure on a container door and then inserted into a locking member. The door locking structure is often nothing more than existing holes or slots in a shipping container door. The locking member part of the seal permanently engages with the bolt&#39;s end and therefore prevents retraction or removal of the bolt. The container is opened by using a bolt-cutter that destroys the bolt and, consequently, makes both the bolt and locking member unusable. For reference purposes, an example of this type of seal lock is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,671. 
         [0004]    On the outside, one or more embodiments of the invention look similar to the type of seal lock described above; however, one or more embodiments of the invention are intended to both save cost and improve the way shipping records are transported with containers. 
         [0005]    First, it needs to be appreciated that large numbers of shipping containers are used on a world-wide basis. Major shippers like United Parcel Service (U.P.S.) currently purchase large quantities of bolt-type seals on an annual basis. While there may be some reusable bolt-type seals in use today, these seals are typically one-use only, as per the above description. The bolt is destroyed when it is cut and the locking mechanism is simply thrown away. For some shippers the annual cost attributable to seal lock purchases is significant because of the large numbers of containers that use seals of this kind. Therefore, the successful development of a bolt-type seal design that is reusable, or recyclable, presents an opportunity for significant cost savings. 
         [0006]    Second, there is always supporting documentation that accompanies a container when it is shipped. This documentation generally includes manifest documents, shipping documents, and other kinds of documents relating to supply chain or tracking information. Anything that provides large shippers with a more efficient way of accessing or transmitting information of this kind is advantageous. 
         [0007]    One or more embodiments of the invention disclosed here are designed to address one or more of the issues described above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention relates to bolt-type seal locks. Embodiments of the invention each includes a separate bolt and locking member (or locking body). The locking body has an opening for receiving an end of the bolt when it is inserted axially into the locking body. Received within the locking body is a locking mechanism for engaging with the bolt&#39;s end and holding it in place within the locking body. 
         [0009]    One improvement provided by one or more embodiments of the invention is that the locking body includes, or houses, a rewritable electronic storage device. This device enables the storing of shipping data (i.e., information about a shipping container&#39;s contents, destination, etc.) that is carried with the seal lock. In situations involving use of the seal lock with a typical shipping container, the contents of the shipping container are inventoried as it is filled at the place of shipment. At that time, inventory data or related shipping information can be downloaded into the seal lock via a hand-held computing device. The data then travels with the seal lock and container to the destination point and is immediately available in electronic format when the container is emptied. The electronic storage device may be in the form of a flash memory that is housed within the locking body and accessed via a conventional universal serial bus (USB) port. 
         [0010]    Another improvement provided by one or more embodiments of the invention relates to the function that seal locks normally provide, i.e., tamper indication and/or and security. In this instance, such embodiments of the invention provide this function in much the same way as conventional seal locks, but couples additional design features that make the seal lock reusable after the bolt is destroyed. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments of the invention, the locking body housing is designed to provide a lateral access point to the locking mechanism inside the housing—the latter mechanism providing the locking structure that engages with the end of the bolt. However, this access point, or lateral access opening, is covered by a metal identification (ID) tag that closes the access opening and impedes access to the locking mechanism. Removal or destruction of the metal tag enables access via an appropriate tool for releasing the end of the bolt after it is cut at the shipping container&#39;s destination point. 
         [0012]    As mentioned above, the metal tag is an ID tag and bears an ID code that matches an ID code affixed to the shank of the bolt. Having matching ID codes on both the bolt and locking body is conventional in seal locks because the matching numbers further indicate that no tampering has occurred. ID codes also can be tracked as part of the shipping process. 
         [0013]    When the seal lock arrives with the container at the destination point, the shipping or receiving person can easily see tampering, or lack of tampering, by inspection of the bolt, the ID codes printed on the bolt and the metal ID tag, or by the condition of the ID tag. In typical situations, the data stored in the locking body, via the electronic storage device described above, will be downloaded and the bolt cut via a conventional bolt cutter. When the bolt is cut, the end of the bolt remains engaged within the locking body. However, at that point the receiver returns the device to a facility for recycling. 
         [0014]    Recycling is accomplished by removal of the ID tag or by drilling an opening through it to access the locking mechanism inside the locking body. A key or tool can then be inserted into the locking body via the exposed lateral access opening described above for manipulating the locking mechanism so that it releases the end of the cut-off bolt, thus allowing it to drop from the locking body. The ID tag is then replaced by a new one, thereby closing access to the locking mechanism once again. The new ID tag&#39;s code matches the code on a replacement bolt that is delivered to the shipper with the recycled locking body. The contents of the electronic data storage are erased for reuse. 
         [0015]    When the locking device is returned to a shipper along with the replacement bolt, the shipper receives a used locking body having a replacement ID code on the metal tag. While the shipper or recycler pays for the replacement cost of bolts and ID tags, the recurring cost relating to replacement of the locking member portion of the seal is otherwise significantly reduced. The reader should bear in mind that, on conventional seal locks, unique ID codes are permanently affixed to both the bolt and locking body. This has made recycling difficult in the past, or impossible, because the locking body cannot be reused due to the fact that it bears a unique serial number that is permanent or not erasable from the body&#39;s outer surface. The metal ID tag described above provides a way to both unlock the mechanism, without destroying the housing that holds it, and to rewrite ID codes on the locking body so that they match the ID code on replacement bolts. The only significant part that is destroyed during the recycling process is the ID tag and, of course, the bolt itself. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    In the drawings, like reference numerals and letters refer to like parts throughout the various views, and wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a bolt-type seal lock constructed in accordance with one or more preferred embodiments of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the seal lock shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is cross-sectional view of the seal lock shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along the axis of symmetry; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the seal lock shown in  FIG. 1  with half of the locking body&#39;s cover removed; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a pictorial view of a lateral side of the locking body, with an ID tag exploded from the locking body, to provide a view of the locking mechanism within the body; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial view of a retention spring; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is an exploded pictorial view of the locking body housing with contents removed; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is an end view of the locking body and shows a USB access port. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Referring now to the drawings, and first to  FIG. 1 , shown generally at  10  is a seal lock constructed in accordance with the present best mode for carrying out one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. Like conventional seal locks, the lock  10  has a bolt  12  and a locking body  14 . The bolt  12  is typical in construction. That is to say, it is a hardened bolt of the type already in use with similar seal locks. The locking body  14  has a housing made of two halves  16 ,  18  (see  FIG. 2 ) that are permanently joined together. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  illustrates the various components received or held within the locking body  14 , including a locking mechanism, indicated generally at  20 , and a rewritable data storage device, indicated generally at  21 . 
         [0027]    The components of the locking mechanism  20  include a cylinder or locking column  22  that holds a retaining spring or clip  24 . The spring  24  is held in place inside the cylinder  22  by a plug  26  that is press-fit into an open end  28  of the cylinder. The arrangement of these parts is further illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0028]    When the bolt  12  is inserted into the locking body  14 , via an axial access opening indicated at  30 , an annular or radial groove  32  in the bolt&#39;s end pushes through and spreads apart the spring  24 . More specifically, and referring now to  FIG. 6 , when the bolt&#39;s tapered end  33  passes through the narrowed gap  36  defined by the spring  24 , the spring rides up and over the bolt&#39;s end until it engages with groove  32 , thereby locking the bolt into place. The end of the bolt  33  cannot be removed unless the spring  24  is spread apart by insertion of a tool into the spring at or about the point indicated at  38  in  FIG. 6 . The tool will cause spring gap  36  to widen sufficient to allow the bolt&#39;s end  33  to be removed. This mechanical operation is further described below. 
         [0029]    Lateral access to the spring  24  is provided via an access opening  40  in the side of the cylinder  22 , which is best seen in the exploded view of  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 5 , the locking body  14  has a lateral side opening (best illustrated at  42  in  FIG. 7 ) that exposes the locking mechanism&#39;s cylinder  22  and the spring access opening  40 . The cylinder  22  is held snugly in place within the locking body  14  by curved walls  44  that are molded in each half  16 ,  18  of the body when it is manufactured. The cylinder  22  is either keyed or appropriately bonded in place so that its spring access opening  40  will be exposed to view through the locking body&#39;s lateral side opening  42 . This arrangement is best shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0030]    The access opening  40  is covered or closed by a metallic ID tag, generally illustrated at  46 . The ID tag  46  has one portion  48  that is shaped to cover or close opening or access point  42  in the locking body housing, and another portion, or ring portion  50 , which surrounds the locking body&#39;s axial access opening  30  described above. 
         [0031]    The metal ID tag  46  is semi-permanently slid into position after the locking body  14  is initially assembled and, of course, every time the locking body is recycled in the manner described here. Referring again to  FIG. 7 , the locking body housing  16 ,  18  has grooves on opposite sides  52  of the body&#39;s lateral access opening  42 . These grooves allow the ID tag  46  to be slid into or out of place as indicated by arrow  60  in  FIG. 5 . The outer diameter of the ID tag&#39;s ring portion  50  is slightly less than the outer diameter of the annular recess in the locking body  14 , which is indicated at  54  in  FIG. 7 . This allows the ring portion  50  of the ID tag to fit within the recess so that it rests directly against annular surface  62  that surrounds the bolt opening  30 . 
         [0032]    Before the bolt  12  is inserted into the locking body  14 , the ID tag  46  (with an ID code  56  that matches an identical ID code  58  on the bolt  12 ) is slid into place on the locking body, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The bolt  12  is then inserted into the locking body  14  as shown in  FIG. 3  and the other figures. The bolt  12  has an annular shoulder  64  that rests against the outer surface  66  on the ID tag&#39;s ring portion  50  when the bolt is inserted (See  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Thus, when the bolt  12  engages with the locking mechanism  20  inside the locking body the bolt holds the ID tag in place. The ID tag cannot be removed unless it is tampered with, or destroyed in some way, or the bolt is removed. 
         [0033]    The ID code  56  is permanently printed on portion  48  of the ID tag  46 . The ID code  58  on the bolt  12  is also permanently printed on it. This type of arrangement is typical in bolt-type seal locks. However, as mentioned above, in the typical seal lock there is no way to make the locking body part of the seal reusable, in part, because the code that is permanently printed on it cannot be easily reprinted to match the number of a new bolt after the previous one was destroyed. Of course, this feature alone was not the only one that makes recycling difficult. More fundamentally, the locking mechanism in typical seal locks could not be accessed without destroying the body of the locking member. The ID tag  46  solves both problems in that it provides a way to access the locking mechanism  21  (although the tag is destroyed in the process) and reprint ID codes on the locking body portion of the seal lock. 
         [0034]    In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, once the bolt  12  is cut in the usual way after installation on a container, the locking body can be returned to the manufacturer or another designated recycler. The bolt  12  will be cut at a location aft of the bolt shoulder  64  that retains the ID tag  46  in place. As mentioned above, the ID tag is destroyed during the process of using a tool to access the retainer spring  24  inside locking mechanism cylinder  22  via the access opening  40  in the cylinder (once again, refer to  FIG. 5 ). Once the spring  24  is spread apart by inserting the tool at  38  on the spring, the cut-offend of the bolt  12  can be pulled or will drop free from the locking body  14 . At that point, the destroyed or used ID tag  46  can be easily slid from the locking body and replaced with a new one having a different ID code. The locking body  14  is then returned to a shipper with new ID tag installed and a separate bolt having an ID code that matches the one on the newly installed ID tag. 
         [0035]    In addition to the mechanical components described above, the locking body  14  is sized to accommodate the rewritable data storage device  21  described above. The data storage device  21  is preferably a flash-memory type device that is similar to flash-memory devices sold to consumers for temporarily storing computer files. These devices are off the shelf components that are available from a number of sources. As illustrated in the drawings, the device is a rectangular electronics board  67  that carries the necessary data storage components. Each half  16 ,  18  of the locking body&#39;s housing  14  has surfaces  68 ,  70  between which the board  66  is sandwiched when the housing is assembled. 
         [0036]    Attached to the board  66  is a conventional universal serial bus (USB) port  72  that is sandwiched between similar surfaces  72 ,  74  in the housing (see  FIG. 7 ). The end  76  of the USB port  72  protrudes through a rectangular opening  78  that is defined by surfaces  80 ,  82  when housing halves  16 ,  18  are assembled together (see  FIG. 8 ). The rectangular opening  78  is recessed slightly relative to the end of the locking body&#39;s outer surface, the location of which is indicated at  84  in  FIG. 4 . The end  76  of the USB port  72  is substantially flush with that outer surface  84 . It may be covered with a rubber plug (not shown in the drawings) to keep the port clean and dry. 
         [0037]    The data storage device  21  is powered via the other computing device (hand-held or otherwise for the purpose of downloading data stored in the lock seal  10 ) that is connected to it via cable to the USB port  72 . No battery is needed. As mentioned above, the data storage device  21  is rewritable. Therefore, when the locking body  14  is returned for recycling, the device&#39;s memory may be erased so that new data may be written onto it by the shipper when the device  10  is returned to the shipper. 
         [0038]    As indicated above, an advantage to the above design is that shipping or transportation data may be carried in the seal itself and not as a separate attachment to the shipping container. It is believed that this arrangement will provide related advantages to those shippers who rely on electronic tracking of shipped goods and it may eventually prove that the design described here has related applications that benefit others in the supply chain. Once again, another important advantage to the design disclosed here is that it provides a way to make seals reusable and thus can provide significant cost savings. 
         [0039]    The foregoing description sets forth one or more preferred embodiments of the invention and is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the patent right. It is conceivable that, as technology changes, certain components described above may be improved upon, or evolve, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and its advantages as described above. The scope of patent protection is not to be limited by the specifics of the foregoing description. Instead, the scope of the right is to be limited in accordance with the applicable doctrines relating to patent interpretation.