GB2306918A

GB2306918A - A seal comprising a wire with hooks which lock together in a plastic housing

Info

Publication number: GB2306918A
Application number: GB9523048A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ke-Hsiao Wu
Original assignee: WU KE HSIAO
Current assignee: WU KE HSIAO
Priority date: 1995-11-10
Filing date: 1995-11-10
Publication date: 1997-05-14
Also published as: GB9523048D0

Abstract

A seal comprises a wire 2 having two ends, one end being bent into a U-shaped hook 6, and the other into a V-shaped hook 7. A closed plastic housing 3 is formed with two apertures each for receiving one end of the wire and inside the housing there are two guides 9,10 to lead the hooks to lock together.

Description

TITLE: A SEAL THIS INVENTION relates to a seal which is for use in sealing, for example, postal bags, air cargo containers and electricity meters. The seal is hereinafter referred to as a button or a buttoning structure. Using the apparatus for buttoning does not need additional tools. A wire of the seal only needs to be passed through an article to be sealed and locked in the button.

Referring to the previous buttoning devices which are used in the postal bags or other places, lead buttoning is generally used. The process of lead buttoning is to use metal line to thrust into the hole of the postal bag and then into a lead ball. It needs special pincers to do the pinching. Therefore, it is not very convenient. It also needs experience to pinch the lead ball. Otherwise, the metal line is easily pinched out or broken down. In short, it is not very convenient to use the lead ball and the pincers. Another method of buttoning device is to use locks. It needs the key to open the lock. Therefore, it is not very convenient for postal bags and the air cargo containers. It is not even very safe and not very convenient to use the lock method because some workers may use the same keys to open the locks. It is also very expensive and not practical to use the lock method.

Another buttoning method to button the electricity meters is to use a U-shape stainless line with two hooks to lock in a plastic button. But the two hooks only hook at the inner rim of the button that is affected.

The main object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of a simple buttoning structure to solve the shortcomings of the buttoning devices mentioned above.

Embodiments of the present invention have the following characteristics: one end of the spring line is fixed in the button.

The other end only needs to thrust through the desired object and to lock in the button. The reliability of the buttoning structure is increasing; the main body of the button and the cover of the button can not be separated by fusion techniques except by violence; and the identification means can recognise the evidence whoever opens the simple buttoning structure by force or violence and closes it again.

One aspect of the present invention provides a seal comprising a length of wire having two ends, each end being formed with locking means; and a closed housing formed with two apertures each for receiving one end of the wire and the associated locking means, whereby, in use, the locking means on the ends of the wire engage and lock within the housing.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for a simple buttoning structure comprises a spring line and a button; the ends of the spring line beds into two hooks in order to lock with each other in the button. An identification means installs on the cover of the button. To thrust through the desired objects with the spring line and to lock in the button complete the process of buttoning.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a three-dimensional view of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is an analytical structure view of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a flow chart of the buttoning process of the present invention; FIGURES 4 and 5 are the view of preferred embodiments of the buttoning structure; FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are other views of preferred embodiments of the present invention; FIGURE 9 is an analytical structure view of Figure lA-A; and FIGURE 10 is another view of preferred embodiment of buttoning structure.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the buttoning structure (1) of the present invention comprises a wire or spring line (2) and a housing or button (3); the spring line (2) is a suitable length of stainless spring line to bend into a shape of open rectangle; two adjacent sides (4) of said open rectangle are perpendicular and are inserted into the main body (5) of the button (3). The ends of the spring line respectively bend into a U-shape passive hook (6) and a V-shape active hook (7). The passive hook and the active hook insert into the main body (5) of the button (3) to lock together. As Figure 1 and 2 show, the button (3) comprises the plastic main body (5) and a cover (8).

The main body (5) has an open round body like a corn.

Inside the main body is a right lead chute (9) that is perpendicular to a slant lead chute (10). The chutes provide a guide or channel for the ends of the wire. At the end of the slant lead chute is a lock closet (11) that has a fastening chute (12) to lead the passive hook (6) and the active hook (7) into the lock closet to lock together.

The cover (8) is a plastic round cover to cover the main body (5). The cover can be made of transparent or nontransparent materials. Inside or outside of the cover is an identification means (13). If the cover is transparent, the identification means (13) is inside of the cover; if the cover is non-transparent, the identification means (13) is outside of the cover. The identification means (13) is used to identify whether or not it is the original buttoning structure (1). The identification means (13) can be English characters and numbers mixed together or drawings and numbers mixed together. The most important of all is that the identification means (13) can identify itself and can not be the same between one and the other.

The cover (8) unites to the main body (5) (as Figure 9 shows). Unless it is destroyed by violence, the cover cannot be taken apart. As Figures 1 and 3 show, the passive hook (6) puts in the right lead chute (9) of the main body (5) of the button (3). The active hook (7) sets outside of the main body (5) ready to use. In order to use the present invention properly,. hold the active hook (7) first and thrust through any hole that is to be tied together; then, hold the active hook (7) and thrust through the slant lead chute (10) of the main body (5) (as Figure 3A shows). Hold the passive hook (6) and thrust it through the fixing chute (12) in position; then push the active hook (7) through the passive hook (6) (as Figures 3B and 3C show).After loosing the active hook (7) and the passive hook (6), the active and the passive hooks will lock together by the force of the spring itself (as Figures 3D and 3E show). The shapes of the button (3) can be round shape or other shapes such as rectangular shape, oval shape or multi-angle shape, etc. (as Figures 6, 7 and 9 show).

The passive hook (6) can be U-shape or other shapes such as rectangular shape or round shape (as Figures 4 and 5 show).

The main body (5) of button (3) and the cover (8) cannot be separated, but it can be an unbreakable lock (as Figure 10 shows). The identification means (13) of the cover (8) can install at the back rims or at the side rims of the main body (5) of the button (3). The usage of the present invention only needs the stainless spring line (2) to thrust through the hole or round circle of the desired object. Holding the active hook (7) to thrust through the button (3), connecting and locking with the passive hook (6) together, the locking process completes. But recording and identifying the identification means of the button are necessary to check whether or not it has been changed by other people. The lock is opened by cutting off the spring line.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A seal comprising: a length of wire having two ends, each end being formed with locking means; and a closed housing formed with two apertures each for receiving one end of the wire and the associated locking means, whereby, in use, the locking means on the ends of the wire engage and lock within the housing.

2. A seal according to Claim 1, wherein the locking means on one end of the wire comprises a hook.

3. A seal according to Claim 2, wherein the locking means on the other end of the wire comprises a hook.

4. A seal according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing is formed with guide means to guide an end of the wire through one of the apertures and into the housing.

5. A seal according to Claim 4, wherein a further guide means is provided to guide the other end of the wire through the other aperture and into the housing to bring the ends of the wire into locking engagement.

6. A seal according to Claim 4 or 5, wherein the or each guide means comprises a channel or chute in the housing extending from the respective aperture.

7. A sealing according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing comprises a main body and a cover which, when connected to the main body, is inseparable therefrom.

8. A seal according to any preceding claim, wherein one end of the wire is fixed in the housing.

9. A seal comprising: a wire bent to an appropriate shape such as an open circle; an active hook and a passive hook extending from respective ends of the wire; a housing comprising a main body and an inseparable cover; a lead chute and a slant lead chute perpendicular to each other inside the main body; and a lock closet at the end of one chute in the main body, where the active hook and passive hook lock together.

10. A seal according to Claim 9, wherein the passive hook is U-shape while the active hook is V-shape.

11. A seal according to Claim 9, wherein the passive hook of the locking device is rectangular in shape or round in shape.

12. A seal according to any one of Claims 9 to 11, wherein the main body of the housing is round in shape.

13. A seal according to any one of Claims 9 to 11, wherein the housing is rectangular in shape, oval in shape, or any multiple shape.

14. A seal according to any one of Claims 9 to 13, wherein the main body and the cover can not be separated or are unbreakable locks.

15. A seal according to any one of Claims 9 to 14, wherein the cover is transparent.

16. A seal according to any one of Claims 9 to 14, wherein the cover is opaque.

17. A seal according to any one of Claims 9 to 16, wherein identification means are provided on the cover.

18. A seal according to Claim 17, wherein the identification means is a mixture of numbers and English characters.

19. A seal according to Claim 17, wherein the identification means is a mixture of pictures and numbers.

20. A seal according to any one of Claims 17 to 19, wherein the identification means is provided on a rear surface or on a side of the main body.

21. A seal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.