Device for targeted severing of a lead seal protecting a container

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for targeted severing of a lead seal, which protects the connection between a closure and a container or between components of a container, and a system consisting of a closure, a container, a lead seal and a severing device. The severing device enables opening of a closure protected with a lead seal without additional manual operations and homogenizes the severing process of the lead seal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for targeted cutting of a lead seal, the connection between the lead seal protective cap and a container or the connection between components of the container; and a system comprising a cap, a container, a lead seal and a cutting device. Background Technology

[0002] Transport containers are typically sealed during shipment to indicate to the recipient whether they have been opened without authorization. This seal can be installed, for example, at the connection between the lid and the container, or at the connection between components of the container. Depending on the seal's construction, it can be broken by disassembling the connection or through additional manual procedures, such as manual cutting or severing.

[0003] In industrial applications, additional work steps, especially manual steps, are disadvantageous because they are time-consuming and costly. Breaking a seal by lifting the lid often results in uneven damage, as multiple seals are typically mounted on the lid. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The objective of this invention is to reduce the number of steps required to open the connection between a sealed cap and a container, or between components constituting the container, or to better control the breach of the seal.

[0005] The objective of this invention is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1 and a system having the features of claim 9. At least one cutting device for targeted cutting of the lead seal is arranged at the lid and / or container, preferably at the lid. This cutting device enables the cutting of at least a portion of the lead seal as the locking mechanism moves relative to the lid and / or container. The arrangement of the cutting device according to the invention, combined with the defined movement of the locking mechanism, ensures that the lead seal is cut when the locking mechanism is manipulated. Thus, additional manual cutting processes, such as those using scissors, are redundant. Furthermore, the cutting device ensures that the cutting process of the lead seal can be reproducibly performed and maintained even when there are multiple locking mechanisms at the lid or in multiple consecutive cutting processes.

[0006] Other preferred embodiments of the device are set forth in dependent claims 2 to 9. Preferred embodiments of the system are described in dependent claims 10 to 12. According to claim 2, preferably, at least a portion of the seal can be guided at least partially through the cutting device by movement of the locking mechanism. Thus, the seal, or a portion thereof, can be cut and / or trimmed. This arrangement of the cutting device reduces the force required to break the seal.

[0007] According to claim 3, the cutting device ideally consists of a plate fixedly connected to the lid or container. According to the invention, the plate can be fixed at one or more surfaces, particularly at the combination of a reinforcing rib and a lid / container surface. The fixed plate allows for easy breaking of the seal, and the plate is easy and advantageous in manufacturing or connecting to the lid or container. Depending on the type, shape, and / or material of the seal, the plate can also be made of the same material as the lid or container and / or integrally designed therewith. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for non-metallic seals.

[0008] According to claim 4, the plate preferably has at least one edge for cutting, more preferably for shearing the lead seal. The shearing or cutting of the lead seal can be facilitated by the corresponding construction of at least one edge of the plate, for example, in the form of a knife, in the form of intersecting plate surfaces at an angle of less than 45° relative to each other, and / or in the form of special grinding of the edges between the plate surfaces.

[0009] According to claim 5, preferably, the plate is oriented relative to the locking mechanism such that only one edge of the plate is suitable for cutting the lead seal. This simplifies the manufacture of a suitable plate, particularly the edge used in the plate, and reduces piecework costs.

[0010] According to claim 6, it is particularly preferred that more than one plate, each belonging to a single locking mechanism, is arranged at the lid or container. This ensures reliable breaching of the seal even in the event of plate wear. Furthermore, the plates can be arranged relative to each other such that if one plate deforms, the other plates resist that deformation.

[0011] The portion of the lead seal that is guided through the through-hole in the pin engages with the edge of the first plate as the pin moves until the lead seal is broken. This causes the pin to bend towards the plate or its edge. However, the pin is guided and held in a further region of movement by the arrangement of the second and third plates, and at least the bending caused by this is limited. This improves the durability of the pin in the event of movement and breakage of the lead seal.

[0012] According to claim 7, preferably, the locking mechanism has a pin, and the pin has a through-hole, preferably a drilled hole. Here, the lead seal is preferably at least partially composed of a line, or has a rod shape. In the sense of the invention, "rod shape" refers to a rod-shaped construction at least in a destructible portion. Ideally, a portion of the line or rod-shaped lead seal is guided, in the sealed state, through the through-hole in the pin and the corresponding through-hole in the cap or container, preferably through the through-hole in the reinforcing rib of the cap or container. The through-hole in the cap or container has a distance d relative to the through-hole in the pin. d is the distance between the two faces of the through-hole in the pin and the through-hole in the cap facing each other. This arrangement according to the invention allows for easy protection by the lead seal and reliable destruction of the lead seal when the locking mechanism is operated in conjunction with the cutting device. Preferably, d is minimized in the closed state of the locking mechanism.

[0013] According to claim 8, the plate preferably has a height H, where H ≥ d. H is the height of the plate measured from the cover surface, in which the through-hole is used for sealing. Thus, the surface of the pin presses against the cutting device. If the seal is arranged in the through-hole of the pin, the seal is reliably guided through the cutting device and can therefore be broken, sheared, and / or cut. This reduces the possibility of the cutting device being skipped. Here, H is chosen such that no permanent plastic deformation of the pin and / or plate occurs during the movement of the locking mechanism with and without the seal cutting process. The combination of pin, plate, and seal is ideally coordinated such that wear between the plate and pin is minimal, preferably nonexistent, during the movement of the locking mechanism.

[0014] According to claim 9, ideally, at least one guide portion is provided for the pin to reduce and / or prevent bounce and guide the pin during movement. This guidance of the pin during movement improves the reproducibility of the cutting process at the plate.

[0015] Furthermore, the objective of the present invention is achieved by a system having the features of claim 10. The system comprises the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and at least one lead seal.

[0016] According to claim 11, preferably at least one lead seal is constructed as a line or rod-shaped element.

[0017] According to claim 12, it is preferred to guide at least one seal along the cutting device, and here, either the cap and the container are bridged, or two adjacent parts of the container are bridged. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The instruction manual includes the following two attached figures:

[0019] Figure 1Showing a cover with a locking mechanism but without a lead seal.

[0020] Figure 2 The image shows a cover with a locking mechanism and a lead seal.

[0021] Figure 3 A top view of a cover with a locking mechanism is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings mentioned in the embodiments and examples. In all the drawings, the same technical elements are given the same reference numerals.

[0023] Figure 1 A partial view of a lid 1 or container component having a locking mechanism 11 is shown. The locking mechanism 11 is, for example, suitable for connecting the lid 1 to the container or connecting two components of the container. This connection can only be disassembled by moving the locking mechanism 11. The lid 1 or container component has a plurality of reinforcing ribs 14, which reinforce the lid 1 or container and form a receiving portion for the locking mechanism 11. A pin 111 with a circular through-hole 112 is installed at the locking mechanism 11. Opening the locking mechanism 11 also moves the pin 111 relative to a cutting device.

[0024] The pin 111 itself is guided through the through-hole 142 in the reinforcing rib during movement. The lead seal 13, designed as a line, can be guided through the through-hole 112 in the pin 111 and the through-hole 141 in the reinforcing rib 14. The linear lead seal 13 is secured during cutting by an additional recess 143 in the reinforcing rib 14.

[0025] The cutting device is constructed of three plates 12 arranged in sequence. Here, the plates 12 are positioned at the reinforcing ribs 14 of the cover 1 or container and are integrally designed with the reinforcing ribs 14. The first plate 12 is rotatably arranged relative to the reinforcing ribs 14 such that preferably, the edge 121 of the first plate 12 is used to cut the lead seal 13. The other two plates 12 are mounted at right angles relative to the reinforcing ribs 14. Through the elastic deformation of the second or third plate 12, particularly the torsion relative to the direction of movement of the pin 111, the edge 121 toward the pin 111 can preferably be used as a cutting edge as the pin 111 moves along the plate 12.

[0026] exist Figure 2 The image shows a lead seal 12 with a linear shape in the protected state where the locking mechanism 11 is closed. Figure 1A partial view. When the locking mechanism 11 is opened, the pin 111 is moved, and the portion of the lead seal 13 that is guided through the through-hole 112 of the pin 111 is also moved. The movement of the pin 111 causes the edge 121 of the first plate 12 to slide along the surface of the pin 111 and cut the linear lead seal 13.

[0027] Figure 3 A top view is shown of the area facing the lid 1 for container 2, which has a cutting device consisting of three plates 12 and pins 111. The plates 12 are mounted at reinforcing ribs 14 of the lid 1, wherein the edges 121 of the first plate 12 for cutting the lead seal 13 have a distance H relative to the reinforcing rib 14. The distance H is greater than the distance d, which is the distance between two through-faces 112, 141 of the reinforcing rib 14 and the pin 111 facing each other.

[0028] List of reference numerals

[0029] 1. Cover

[0030] 11 Locking Mechanism

[0031] 111 sales

[0032] 112 Through section for lead seal

[0033] 12 boards

[0034] 121 Edge

[0035] 13 Lead seal

[0036] 14 Reinforcing ribs

[0037] 141 Through section for lead seal

[0038] 142 Through section for guiding pins

[0039] 143 Depression

[0040] 2 containers

[0041] 3. Direction of movement of the locking mechanism

[0042] d Drilling spacing

[0043] H-plate height

Claims

1. A device for targeted cutting of a lead seal (3), wherein the connection between the lead seal protective cap (1) and the container (2) or the connection between components of the container, wherein, The lid (1), the container (2), and / or the components of the container have at least one movable locking mechanism (11) for detachably connecting the lid (1) to the container (2) or detachably connecting the components of the container to each other, and the seal (3) is installed such that when the locking mechanism (11) moves relative to the lid (1) or the container (2) itself, the seal (3) is cut off. Its features are, - At least one cutting device is arranged at the cover (1) and / or the container (2) to selectively cut the lead seal (3), and -The cutting device enables at least a portion of the lead seal (3) to be cut off when the locking mechanism (11) moves relative to the cover (1) and / or the container (2). The cutting device consists of a plate (12), which is fixedly connected to the cover (1) or the container (2). The plate (12) has at least one edge (121) for cutting the lead seal (3).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, Its features are, By moving the locking mechanism (11), at least a portion of the lead seal (3) can be guided at least partially through the cutting device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, Its features are, The plate (12) is oriented relative to the locking mechanism (11) such that only one edge (121) of the plate (12) is suitable for cutting the lead seal (3).

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Its features are, More than one plate (121) belonging to a single locking mechanism (11) is arranged at the cover (1) or the container (2).

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 3, Its features are, - The locking mechanism (11) has a pin (111); and - The pin (111) has a through portion; and - The lead seal (3) is at least partially composed of wire or has a rod shape; - In the protected state of the lead seal (3), a portion of the wire or a portion of the rod-shaped lead seal (3) is guided through the through-hole (112) in the pin (111) and the corresponding through-hole in the cap (1) or the container (2); and - The through portion (141) in the cover (1) or the through portion (112) in the pin (111) has a distance d between them.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, Its features are, The plate (12) has a height H, where H ≥ d.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, Its features are, There is at least one guide for the pin (111) to reduce and / or prevent bounce and to guide the pin (111) during movement.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, Its features are, The plate (12) has at least one edge (121) for cutting the lead seal (3).

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, Its features are, The pin (111) has a drilled hole.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, Its features are, In the protected state of the lead seal (3), a portion of the wire or a portion of the rod-shaped lead seal (3) is guided through the through-hole (141) in the reinforcing rib (14) of the cover (1).

11. A system comprising the device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and at least one lead seal (3).

12. The system according to claim 11, Its features are, The at least one lead seal (3) is a linear or rod-shaped element.

13. The system according to claim 11 or 12, Its features are, - The at least one lead seal (3) is guided along the cutting device; and - Either bridge the lid (1) and the container (2), or bridge two adjacent parts of the container (2).

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