The present invention relates to locking devices or security seals for locking or sealing items, such as cargo containers or doors or the like, and, more particularly, to a security seal with identification thereon and a method of labeling and tracking a security seal.
It is known in the art to provide a security seal or locking device for locking or sealing an item, such as cargo containers or doors or the like. The locking devices often include a flexible cable or bolt or the like extending from one end of a metallic or plastic locking body, where the cable or bolt or the like may be routed through an opening of the cargo container or door and received into another end of the locking body to substantially seal or secure the locking device to the cargo container or door. The locking devices are typically labeled during manufacturing of the locking devices, such as by etching or printing identification numbers or indicia on each locking device. When the locking devices are secured to the container or door, the numbers or indicia are written down on shipping or tracking documentation or paperwork to track the locking devices and containers, such that a person can later check the identification number or indicia to make sure that the same locking device is still on the container or door. The recordation of the identification numbers often takes place at a shipping yard or dock and may take place in adverse weather conditions. Sometimes, the numbers or indicia (which may be several numbers or characters) may be erroneously recorded on the shipping or tracking documentation, resulting in delays at the shipping or receiving facility, confusion and additional work and paperwork to determine the error and correct the error.
It has been proposed to record the identification of the locking devices via scanning a barcode on the security seal. While such an approach may reduce the errors in recordation of the identification, the barcode scanning and recording equipment is costly and some facilities do not have barcode capability and some environments are not suitable to the use of barcode scanning and recording equipment.
The present invention provides a security seal or locking device, such as a cable security seal or locking device (or a bolt type security seal or other metallic or plastic locking devices or seals or lock bodies) that has a metallic locking body, which receives a cable therein to secure the seal to a container or door. An adhesive label is applied to the locking body, and an identification number or indicia is established through the label and into the surface of the locking body via the same or common process, such as via a laser cutting or establishing process. The label may then be readily removed from the security seal after the seal is secured to a container or door, and may be readily applied or adhered to the shipping or tracking documentation or paperwork or form. Thus, errors in recording the identification numbers or indicia are limited or substantially precluded.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a locking or sealing device includes a locking element (such as a flexible metallic woven cable or the like or such as any other flexible or rigid locking element or rod or the like, and such as a metallic or plastic locking element) and a locking body. The locking body is configured to receive an end of the locking element therein to lock or seal or secure the locking device at an object. A label is adhesively applied to the locking body, and identification numbers or indicia are established through the label and into the surface of the locking body via a laser etching or burning process. The label may be readily removed from the locking body and adhesively applied to shipping or tracking documentation to track or identify the security seal with respect to the object or container or door to which it is secured.
The locking element may comprise a flexible cable, with one end of the flexible cable being fixedly connected to a fixed portion of the locking body and extending therefrom, and the other end of the flexible cable being received in a locking portion of the locking body to lock or seal the locking device at the object. Alternately, the locking element may comprise a rod or bolt or other rigid or flexible locking element, and may comprise a metallic or elastomeric or plastic material. The locking body may comprise a metallic material (and may be coated with a polymeric or plastic or polyester coating or powder coat) or may comprise a polymeric or plastic material.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of identifying and tracking a security seal includes providing a locking element and providing a locking body for at least partially receiving an end of the locking element. A label is adhesively applied to a surface of the locking body, and identification numbers or indicia are established through the label and into the surface of the locking body via a laser etching or burning process. The security seal is secured to an object and the label is removed from the locking body and adhesively applied to shipping or tracking documentation or paper or forms to track or identify the security seal with respect to the object or container or door to which it is secured.
Therefore, the present invention provides a locking device or security seal (such as a cable locking or sealing device) that has a identifying and tracking feature that facilitates accurate and substantially error-proof recording of identification numbers or indicia of the security seal on the corresponding tracking or shipping documentation. Because the label and locking body are marked or etched together at the manufacturing facility of the security seal, the security seal and label of the present invention may be implemented at any shipping or receiving facility, without requiring any special equipment at the facility. The present invention thus provides a low cost and effective label and process to reduce or substantially preclude erroneous recordation of identification numbers or indicia of security seals after the security seals are applied to objects.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a locking device or security seal 10 includes a metallic or elastomeric or plastic locking body 12, a locking element, such as, for example, a flexible locking element or cable 14, and a peel off label 16 that is adhesively applied to a surface 12a of locking body 12 (
Security seal 10 may be substantially similar to the locking device shown in U.S. Design Pat. application, Ser. No. 29/228,921, filed Apr. 29, 2005 by Beard et al. for CABLE LOCKING DEVICE (Attorney Docket BRA01 P-130), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Cable 14 is fixedly secured at one end 14a at a fixed portion 18 of locking body 12 and extends therefrom. The cable 14 may be routed through a hasp or opening of an object (not shown), such as a cargo container or door latch or the like, and the opposite or locking end 14b of the cable 14 may be inserted into a receiving or locking portion 20 of locking body 12 to lock or seal the locking or sealing device 10 to the object. The label 16 is adhesively applied to surface 12a and identification numbers or characters or indicia are formed through the label and into the surface 12a of locking body 12 via a laser etching or burning process, as discussed below. Label 16 may be readily removed from locking body and applied to tracking or shipping documentation to accurately copy or record the identification numbers or characters or indicia of the security seal onto the appropriate documentation, as also discussed below.
Flexible locking element or cable 14 may comprise any cable or flexible element, such as a multi-strand cable that is woven from multiple metallic strands. For example, the cable 14 may comprise a multi-strand cable having multiple strands of wire woven or wound together, and then multiple woven strands may be further woven together to form the woven cable. The cable may comprise a pre-formed or non-preformed type of cable without affecting the scope of the present invention. The fixed end 14a of cable 14 is fixedly retained (such as via staking or welding or crimping or the like) at the fixed portion 18 of locking body 12 and extends therefrom. Although shown and described as a flexible cable, it is envisioned that the locking device may include a substantially rigid locking element, such as a substantially rigid locking rod or bolt or the like, without affecting the scope of the present invention. Alternately, other locking elements, such as rigid or flexible locking elements made of a metallic or elastomeric material, may be implemented with a plastic or metallic locking body, without affecting the scope of the present invention.
Locking body 12 includes a locking member or retaining element (not shown) within locking portion 20 of locking body 12 for receiving locking end 14b of cable 14 therein and substantially retaining locking end 14b therein so that removal of cable 14 and locking end 14b from locking body 12 is substantially precluded. The locking member may comprise a ball or disc or other locking member positioned within a tapered channel 22 within locking body 12, and may be biased toward the narrow end of the channel via a biasing element or spring or the like (also not shown), such as is known in the security seal art. Examples of suitable locking members or retaining elements are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,578,886; 6,457,754; 5,611,583; and 5,352,003, U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 11/053,503, filed Feb. 8, 2005 by Beard et al. for NON-FERROUS CABLE LOCKING DEVICE (Attorney Docket BRA01 P-128), U.S. provisional applications, Ser. No. 60/664,069, filed Mar. 22, 2005 by Littrell et al. for CABLE LOCKING DEVICE WITH BREAKAWAY COVER (Attorney Docket BRA01 P-129), and PCT Application No. PCT/US2004/037838, filed Nov. 12, 2004 (Attorney Docket BRA01 FP-125(PCT)), which all are hereby incorporated herein by reference. However, other metallic or polymeric locking elements or members may be implemented with the locking body, without affecting the scope of the present invention.
In the illustrated embodiment, locking body 12 comprises a metallic material, such as aluminum or steel or the like, and includes a coated exterior surface 12a comprising a coating material or layer 24, such as a powder coat layer 24, such as a layer of a non-metallic powder coat material, such as a polymeric or plastic powder coat material, such as a polyester powder coat material or the like, is established at the surface 12a of locking body 12. Although shown as being a substantially thick powder coat layer in
The label 16 is preferably adhesively applied or attached to surface 12a of locking body 12 to retain the label at the locking body. The label may include an adhesive layer, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive or other adhesive material. Label 16 may comprise a flexible substrate comprising a durable, polymeric material, such as a polyester or polyethylene material or the like, such as TYVEK® (commercially available from DuPont) or other suitable material. Optionally, the label 16 may be colored such that, when applied to a white or substantially white shipping form, the indicia formed through the label are visible as white indicia on the white form and are outlined by the colored material of the label so that the indicia are readily discernible and readable.
After label 16 is applied to surface 12a, a laser is used to cut or etch or burn through the label 16 and through or partially through the powder coat 24 of locking body 12 to establish the desired or appropriate identification numbers or characters or indicia 26, 28 at the label and locking body, respectively. Preferably, the laser is selected to burn through the materials of the label and the powder coat or surface layer 24 of the locking body, without substantially burning the metallic locking body. For example, a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser is desirably used to mark through the applied adhesive-backed polyester label 16 and the polyester powder coat 24 on the metal locking body 12. The CO2 laser removes, or “evaporates” plastic or polymeric materials that the laser beam is exposed to, and thus removes or evaporates the label and the powder coat in the areas that the laser is directed to, without burning or etching into the metallic locking body. Optionally, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) laser or other suitable laser may work in the same way as a CO2 laser by burning through the label and into the plastic substrate or layer at the locking body, thereby leaving a mark of a contrasting color in the plastic substrate or layer that is readily discernible after the etched label is removed (such as due to a contrast between the exposed metallic locking body and the plastic coating or substrate or due to a discoloration of the plastic coating or substrate during the laser etching or burning process).
Using a marking CO2 or YAG laser (or other suitable laser) that is programmed to print or burn or evaporate or otherwise form or establish characters or graphics on the powder coat surface of the metallic locking body with the applied self-adhesive backed polyester label results in the indicia or pattern being etched through the label and also being etched through the powder coat surface of the metallic locking body (or at least partially etched or burned into or through a plastic substrate of a locking body or of a plastic locking body, as discussed below). The width of the etched material will be approximately the width of the laser beam. Optionally, the width of the etched characters or indicia can be widened by bringing the laser slightly out of focus, which results in a larger laser “dot” size.
The etched label, when removed from the powder coated locking body or plastic substrate, has the appearance of a “stencil”. Desirably, a special font with special “gaps” or “breaks” in the printed characters (such that the characters provide connection from the surrounding label material to any center portion of the character (such as to the interior portions of an “8” or the like and such as shown in
The label 16 may be applied to a substantially flat or planar surface 12a of locking body 12 (as shown in
After the label is applied to the locking body and the characters or indicia are formed or established through the label and the powder coat or plastic substrate or surface of the locking body, the security seal may be shipped or provided to a user at a shipping facility or the like. During use, the cable of the security seal (with the label applied to the locking body and the indicia established thereon) may be routed through an opening or hasp or the like of an object, such as a cargo container or door or the like, and the locking end of the cable may be inserted into the passageway of the locking or receiving portion of the locking body. When the cable is so inserted, the cable is retained in the locking body via the locking member or retaining element, such that the security seal is thus substantially locked or sealed to the object. Just prior to or when or after the security seal is attached or secured to the object, the label may be readily peeled from or removed from the locking body surface and adhesively applied to the shipping paperwork or documentation to provide an accurate recordation of the identification markings or characters or numbers or indicia of the security seal at the respective object. The locking device may be applied to a container or object and the label may be peeled from the locking device and applied to the shipping documentation at a shipping dock or other location of origin of the container. The shipping document (with the label thereon) may later (such as at the shipping destination of the object or cargo container) be readily compared to the locking device (with the indicia or markings established on the surface of the locking body) to confirm that the locking device was not removed or replaced or tampered with during shipping of the object.
Although shown and described as a security seal having a metallic locking body with an elastomeric or plastic over coat, the security seal may include a locking body that comprises an elastomeric material or other suitable material, without affecting the scope of the present invention. For example, the locking body may comprise a molded plastic locking body, and may be substantially uniformly molded or may be molded of different materials, as discussed below. The label may be adhered to the surface of the plastic locking body, whereby the laser functions to burn through the label (as described above) and partially into the plastic locking body. The laser may be selected and powered to provide the desired degree of burning into the plastic body to form the indicia at the surface of the plastic locking body and not substantially into the plastic locking body. Optionally, the locking body may include an additive that limits or partially or substantially blocks transmission of the laser beam, so that the laser beam does not penetrate substantially into the plastic locking body, but rather heats and burns or melts the outer surface of the locking body in the desired pattern. The power or intensity of the laser beam may also be selected to set or establish the depth that the laser beam penetrates the locking body so as to heat or melt or burn the label and heat or burn or melt or boil only an outer surface of the plastic locking body.
Optionally, the locking body may be formed of a plastic or polymeric material and may have a plastic overcoated or overmolded layer over the body portion (such as in a similar manner as described above with respect to the metallic locking body and powder coat). The overcoat or overmold layer may comprise a different color or contrast color or appearance than the body portion, so that the indicia formed in the overcoat/overmold layer are readily discernible due to the contrast between the inner body color viewable at the formed indicia and the outer body color surrounding the indicia. The locking body thus may comprise or include a plastic or metallic substrate, and may comprise a flexible or rigid plastic or metallic substrate. The locking body may have a laser etched pattern or indicia on the plastic substrate, in which the laser leaves a mark or pattern in the plastic substrate that is readily discernible at the substrate surface after the laser etched label has been removed from the locking body.
Referring now to
The peeled off label is then applied or adhered to a tracking document (such as a shipping form or the like) at 135 to record the identification numbers or indicia of the security seal on the tracking document. The recorded identification numbers or indicia formed through the label on the tracking document may later be checked against the identification numbers or indicia formed on or into or partially through the locking body to ensure that the security seal was not removed and replaced during shipping and/or storage of the object. Because the identification numbers or indicia on the label and the locking body are formed during the same laser etching process, the numbers or characters or indicia are identical, such that accurate recordation of the numbers or indicia on the tracking documents is substantially guaranteed.
Although shown in a particular sequence in
Therefore, the present invention provides a locking device or security seal that has a label adhesively applied to a locking body, whereby the identification indicia of the security seal is laser established through the label and through a powder coat layer on the locking body (or into a plastic locking body or into or through a plastic substrate or layer of a plastic or metallic locking body or the like) of the security seal during a single laser etching process. The laser beam is selected and the materials of the label and powder coat are selected so that the laser beam readily cuts or burns or evaporates the materials of the label and the powder coat (or other coating or material or body surface at which the label is adhered) without (or with minimal or reduced) cutting or burning or evaporating the metallic locking body or burning substantially into a plastic locking body or substrate. The label (with the indicia formed therethrough) is readily removed from the locking body and applied to a tracking document, whereby the identical tracking or identifying information (such as numbers, characters, indicia or the like) is on both the tracking document and on the security seal.
Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law.
The present application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 60/682,514, filed May 19, 2005 by Kromkowski et al. for SECURITY SEAL WITH PEEL OFF LABEL, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60682514 | May 2005 | US |