Safety cap

Abstract

Safety Cap The invention relates to a safety cap (1), comprising a cap body (10), a cap (20), and a locking screw (30). The cap body (10) has a thread about a central axis (X) to cooperate with a complementary thread, and a tapped hole (14) eccentric with respect to the central axis (X). The cap (20) is mounted on the cap body (10) and has a through hole (24) eccentric with respect to the central axis (X) so that it can be aligned with the tapped hole (14) of the cap body (10) by rotation, about the central axis (X), of the cap (20) relative to the cap body (10).The locking screw (30) is able to be partially screwed and unscrewed in the threaded hole (14) of the cap body (10) between a protruding position in which an external end (31) of the locking screw (30) penetrates the through hole (24) of the cap (20) to secure the cap (20) to the cap body (10), and a recessed position in which the locking screw (30) does not reach the through hole (24) of the cap (20), the cap (20) then being free to rotate about the central axis (X) relative to the cap body (10). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 2.

Description

Title of the invention: Safety cap Technical field

[0001] The present description relates to the technical field of safety caps, intended to prevent accidental or malicious opening, and in particular but not exclusively malicious access to electrical or optical connectors intended for data transmission. Prior art

[0002] Safety caps of various types have been proposed for a wide range of applications, including the packaging of medicines or toxic products, but also the safety of circuits such as gas circuits or data transmission circuits.

[0003] Some safety caps, such as those disclosed in US patents 4,775,061 and FR 2,763,316, and in patent application publication US 2021 / 0247013 A1, comprise a cap body with a thread around a central axis to cooperate with a complementary thread, and a cap mounted on the cap body, mounted freely rotatable around the central axis. In these safety caps, since the cap conceals the cap body and does not allow an unscrewing movement to be transmitted to the cap body, the cap can only be opened by a special tool accessing a complementary impression on the cap body through a central through-hole in the cap.However, the security offered by these safety caps, particularly against malicious access, remains limited, since the central through hole in the cap makes it easy to observe the imprint on the cap body, and it is then sufficient to obtain a tool adapted to this imprint to open the cap.

[0004] In other similar safety caps, a specific manipulation can make the cap integral with the cap body in rotation around the central axis, to allow the cap to be unscrewed by turning the cap. Thus, in the safety cap disclosed in patent EP 0 528 561 B1, an axial displacement of the cap relative to the cap body makes it possible to make them integral in rotation around the central axis. However, the security offered by this cap also remains limited. In the safety cap disclosed in international patent application publication WO 89 / 07076, a key lock makes it possible to secure the cap in rotation to the cap body. This solution, however, has the disadvantage of relative mechanical complexity, while still presenting a certain vulnerability to malicious access, since the lock remains directly accessible from the outside. Fi Finally, in the series of safety caps marketed by Polamco Ltd. under the reference PRC433TL, a point screw received in a threaded hole passing through the cap and eccentric with respect to the central axis can be tightened until pressure is exerted on a surface of the cap body, so as to secure the cap by friction with the cap body. However, this solution has the disadvantage that the imprint of the point screw also always remains directly accessible from the outside, which limits the protection against malicious access. Statement of the invention

[0005] The present description seeks to disclose a security cap providing better protection against malicious access, while remaining mechanically simple.

[0006] For this, according to a first aspect, this safety cap may comprise a cap body, a cap and a locking screw. The cap body may have a thread around a central axis to cooperate with a complementary thread, and a threaded orifice eccentric with respect to the central axis. The cap may be mounted on the cap body and have a through orifice eccentric with respect to the central axis so as to be able to be aligned with the threaded orifice of the cap body by rotation, around the central axis, of the cap with respect to the cap body.The locking screw may be capable of being partially screwed and unscrewed, in the threaded hole of the plug body, between a projecting position in which an external end of the locking screw penetrates into the through hole of the cap to secure the cap to the plug body, and a depressed position in which the locking screw does not reach the through hole of the cap, the cap then being free to rotate, around the central axis, relative to the plug body.

[0007] If, in the depressed position of the locking screw, the cap is free to rotate relative to the plug body, its through-hole may cease to be aligned with the locking screw, which will therefore no longer be directly accessible from the outside. A person seeking to access the locking screw to partially unscrew it, and thus secure the cap to the plug body rotating around the central axis, will then first have to turn the cap until its through-hole is realigned with the locking screw, before even being able to access it. This operation, requiring additional time and knowledge, and therefore difficult to carry out in a concealed manner, represents an additional obstacle to malicious access.

[0008] In order to prevent the locking screw from passing entirely through the through hole of the cap, an outer diameter of the locking screw, in particular an outside thread diameter of the locking screw may be larger than an inside diameter of the through hole of the cap. Thus, the locking screw will not be able to be extracted from the safety cap and will remain captive there, thus preventing its loss as well as the possible damage that a stray locking screw could cause in certain applications, notably aeronautical or military.

[0009] The locking screw may further have a non-standard imprint, thus requiring a special tool for its screwing and unscrewing, which will represent yet another obstacle to malicious access, especially since, as the screw is not directly accessible or even visible before its alignment with the through hole of the cap, a person seeking to open the cap surreptitiously will normally not be able to know the shape of this imprint or the tool adapted to it before having first aligned the through hole with the screw.

[0010] The threaded orifice of the plug body, the locking screw and the through hole of the cap may in particular be substantially parallel to the central axis. Thus, the through hole of the cap may open onto a front face of the cap, facilitating the actuation of the locking screw by an authorized person equipped with the appropriate tool once it is aligned with the through hole. However, it is alternatively conceivable that the threaded orifice of the plug body, the locking screw and the through hole of the cap are inclined, or even perpendicular to the central axis, and that the through hole then opens onto a lateral surface of the cap.

[0011] The thread of the cap body around the central axis may be a thread, i.e. an internal thread. Thus, the cap body may be screwed onto a base with a complementary external thread, covering it. However, it is also conceivable that the thread of the cap body is external, so that the cap body can be screwed into a base with a complementary thread. In this case, the threaded wall of the base could be received between the cap body and the cap, such that the cap also covers the base.

[0012] The cap may further comprise an attachment point aligned with the central axis, for example to attach it to the base through a chain or strap to prevent loss of the cap after opening.

[0013] A second aspect relates to an assembly which may comprise the safety cap according to the first aspect mentioned above, and a base with the thread complementary to the thread around the central axis of the cap body. This assembly may in particular further comprise at least one electrical or optical connector inside the base. Thus, the safety cap may be used to prevent malicious access to this connector, in particular for computer hacking.

[0014] A third aspect relates to a method of opening the following safety cap the first aspect mentioned above, this method being able to comprise steps of rotating the cap, around the central axis of the cap body, until the through hole of the cap is aligned with the threaded hole of the cap body and the locking screw, partially unscrewing the locking screw from the depressed position to the protruding position to secure the cap to the cap body, and unscrewing the safety cap by rotating the cap securely with the cap body.

[0015] A fourth aspect relates to a method for securing the safety cap according to the first aforementioned aspect, comprising a step of screwing the locking screw from the protruding position to the depressed position to detach the cap from the cap body by rotation about the central axis, as well as possibly also rotating the cap, about the central axis of the cap body, to misalign the through-hole of the cap with respect to the threaded hole of the cap body and the locking screw. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The invention will be better understood and its advantages will appear better, on reading the detailed description which follows, of embodiments represented by way of non-limiting examples. The description refers to the appended drawings which are schematic and aim above all to illustrate the principles of the disclosure.

[0017] In these drawings, from one figure to another, identical or equivalent elements (or parts of elements) are identified by the same reference signs. In these attached drawings

[0018] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a perspective view of a safety cap along a first embodiment.

[0019] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is an axial section of the safety cap of [Fig.l] in plane ILII, on a base with a data transmission connector.

[0020] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a detail view of the locking screw in the protruding position.

[0021] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a schematic axial section of a safety cap according to a second embodiment, with an external thread, screwed into a base.

[0022] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a schematic axial section of a safety cap according to a third embodiment, with a radially oriented locking screw. Description of the embodiments

[0023] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a safety cap 1 according to a first embodiment may comprise a cap body 10, a cap 20 and a locking screw 30. The cap body 10 may be intended to be screwed onto a base 2 in order to prevent access thereto. This base 2 may for example receive an electrical connector 3, such as for example an RJ45 or USB connector, and / or an optical connector, suitable for data transmission. Thus, the safety cap 1 can help secure this connector against a malicious connection intended, for example, to extract confidential data without authorization, or to introduce distorted data or malware.

[0024] To allow the screwing of the plug body 10 onto the base, the plug body 10 may comprise a cavity 11 open towards a rear face of the plug body 10, with a threaded internal surface 12, that is to say having an internal thread around a central axis X of the plug body 10, to cooperate with a complementary external thread 21 on the base 2. A flexible disc 13, for example made of polysiloxane, intended to form a hermetic seal against the base 2, may be arranged at the bottom of the cavity 11. The plug body 10 may further comprise a threaded orifice 14 eccentric with respect to the central axis X. As illustrated in [Fig. 2], this threaded orifice 14 may be parallel to the central axis X and open onto a front face of the plug body 10, opposite its rear face in the direction of the central axis X.

[0025] The cap 20 may be rotatably mounted about the central axis X on the plug body 10, but with zero or restricted axial displacement in the direction of the central axis X, so as to prevent its separation from the plug body 10. The plug body 10 and the cap 20 may, for example, be axially coupled by a spring washer 40 received in complementary annular grooves 15, 25 in, respectively, an external surface of the plug body 10 and an internal surface of the cap 20. The cap 20 may cover the plug body 10 except on its rear face, in order to prevent access to the plug body 10 once the latter is screwed onto the base 2. The cap 20 may in particular comprise an attachment point 21 for a link (not shown), such as a chain or strap, intended to keep the safety plug 1 attached to the base 2 even when it is open, and thus prevent its accidental loss.This attachment point 21 may for example take the form of a pin retained rotatably in a through-hole of the cap 20. The outer surface of the cap 20 may have a non-slip treatment 23, such as for example a straight or crossed knurling, to facilitate its gripping, in particular to turn the cap 20 around the central axis X. The cap 20 may further have a through-hole 24, eccentric with respect to the central axis X and arranged so as to be able to be aligned with the threaded hole 14 of the plug body 10 by rotation of the cap 20, with respect to the plug body 10, around the central axis X. Thus, in the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the through-hole 24 may also be parallel to the central axis X and arranged at the same radial distance r from the central axis X as the threaded hole 14 of the plug body 10.

[0026] The locking screw 30 may have a thread complementary to that of the tapped orifice 14 of the plug body 10 so that it can be screwed into the threaded hole 14. An outer end 31 of the locking screw 30 may have an outer diameter Dt smaller than the inner diameter do of the through hole 24 of the cap 20, so that this outer end 31 of the locking screw 30 can be inserted with limited play into the through hole 24 of the cap 20, while the locking screw 30 may have a total length L and a threaded length Lf, such that the locking screw 30 can be screwed and partially unscrewed, in the threaded hole 14, between a projecting position, illustrated in [Fig. 3], in which the outer end 31 of the locking screw 30 penetrates into the through hole 24 of the cap 20 to secure the cap 20 to the plug body 10 in rotation about the central axis X, and a pushed-in position, illustrated in [Fig.2] in which the locking screw 30 does not reach the through-hole 24 of the cap 20, the cap 20 then being detached in rotation, around the central axis X, relative to the plug body 10. On the other hand, the thread of the locking screw 30 may have an outside diameter Df greater than the inside diameter do of the through-hole 24 of the cap 20, so that the locking screw 30 cannot entirely pass through the through-hole 24 of the cap 20, and therefore remains captive in the safety plug. The threaded length Lf of the locking screw 30 may moreover be greater than the distance S separating the through-hole 24 from the tapped hole 14 in the direction of the thread axis of the locking screw 30.

[0027] In order to allow at least partial screwing and unscrewing of the locking screw 30, the latter may have, on its external end 31, an imprint 32 capable of being engaged by a tool adapted to rotate the locking screw 30 around its central thread axis. This imprint 32 may in particular be a non-standard imprint, so that the locking screw 30 cannot be actuated with tools commonly available on the market.

[0028] The plug body 10, the cap 20, and the locking screw 30 may be made of a metallic material, for example aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy, bronze, or stainless steel. However, non-metallic materials, and in particular organic polymers, may also be considered. If aluminum or an aluminum alloy is used, it could receive a surface treatment, for example based on zinc-nickel, cadmium, nickel, or tin-zinc. If stainless steel is used, it could, for example, be raw, passivated, or nickel-plated.

[0029] To close the safety cap 1, the locking screw 30 may initially be in the protruding position, thus securing the cap 20 and the cap body 10, as illustrated in [Fig. 3]. The cap body 10 can then be screwed onto the base 2 by rotating the cap 20 around the central axis X. After screwing the cap body 10, with the cap 20, onto the base 2, until the ring flexible 13 against the base 2, the safety cap 1 can be secured by screwing the locking screw 30 to its depressed position, as illustrated in [Fig.2], so as to disengage the cap 20 from the cap body 10 in rotation about the central axis X. In this depressed position of the locking screw 30, the rotation of the cap 20 about the central axis X will not only not serve to unscrew the cap body 10 from the base 2, but will also move the through hole 24 of the cap 20 out of alignment with the threaded hole 14 and the locking screw 30, thus hiding the latter.

[0030] To open the safety cap 1 secured in this way, the cap 20 can first be rotated about the central axis X of the cap body 10, until the through-hole 24 of the cap 20 is aligned with the threaded hole 14 of the cap body 10 and the locking screw 30. The locking screw 30, the imprint 32 of which has thus been made accessible through the through-hole 24, can then be partially unscrewed, with a suitable tool, from the pushed-in position to the projecting position to secure the cap 20 to the cap body 10. The safety cap 1 can then be unscrewed, by rotating the cap 20 securely with the cap body 10, to open it and thus make the base 2 accessible.

[0031] Although in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 the thread of the cap body 10 around the central axis X is a tapping, that is to say an internal thread, it is alternatively conceivable that this thread is an external thread, as in the alternative embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 4]. In a safety cap 1 according to this second embodiment, the cap body 10 may comprise an external surface 12' threaded around the central axis X, so as to allow the screwing of the cap body 10 into a base 2 with a complementary tapping. The cap 20 may be formed so as to cover the cap body 10 and the base 2. The remaining elements of the safety cap 1 of [Fig. 4] are identical or similar to those of the safety cap 1 of Figures 1 to 3 and consequently receive the same reference signs.

[0032] Although in the preceding embodiments the threaded orifice 14 of the plug body 10, the through orifice 24 of the cap 20, and the locking screw 30 are parallel to the central axis X, it is alternatively conceivable that they are inclined relative to the central axis X, or even perpendicular to it as illustrated in [Fig.5]. Thus, in this third embodiment, the threaded orifice 14 of the plug body 10, the through orifice 24 of the cap 20, and the locking screw can be oriented radially relative to the central axis X, the threaded orifice 14 and the through orifice 24 then opening onto respective lateral surfaces of the plug body 10 and the cap 20. The remaining elements of the safety plug 1 of [Fig. 5] are identical or similar to those of the safety plug 1 of [Fig. 1] to 3 and consequently receive the same reference signs.

[0033] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made to these examples without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Furthermore, individual features of the various embodiments discussed may be combined in additional embodiments. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

Claims

Claims

1. Safety cap (1), comprising: a cap body (10), with a thread around a central axis (X) for cooperating with a complementary thread, and having a threaded hole (14) eccentric with respect to the central axis (X), a cap (20) mounted on the cap body (10) and having a through hole (24) eccentric with respect to the central axis (X) so as to be able to be aligned with the threaded hole (14) of the cap body (10) by rotation, around the central axis (X), of the cap (20) relative to the cap body (10), and a locking screw (30), capable of being screwed and partially unscrewed, in the threaded hole (14) of the cap body (10), between a projecting position in which an external end (31) of the locking screw (30) penetrates into the through hole (24) of the cap (20) to secure the cap (20) to the stopper body (10),and a depressed position in which the locking screw (30) does not reach the through hole (24) of the cap (20), the cap (20) then being free to rotate, around the central axis (X), relative to the cap body (10).,

2. A safety cap (1) according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the locking screw (30) is greater than an inner diameter (do) of the through hole (24) of the cap (20).

3. Safety cap (1) according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the locking screw (30) greater than the inner diameter (do) of the through hole (24) of the cap (20) is an outer diameter (Df) of the thread of the locking screw (30).

4. A safety cap (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the locking screw (30) has a non-standard footprint (32).

5. Safety cap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the threaded hole (14) of the cap body, the locking screw (30) and the through hole (24) of the cap (20) are substantially parallel to the central axis (X).

6. Safety cap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the thread of the cap body (10) around the central axis (X) is a tapping.

7. Safety cap (1) according to any one of the claims previous, wherein the cap (20) further comprises an attachment point (21) aligned with the central axis (X).

8. Assembly comprising the safety cap (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, and a base (2) with the thread complementary to the thread of the cap body (10) around the central axis (X).

9. An assembly according to claim 8, further comprising at least one electrical or optical connector (3) inside the base (2).

10. A method of opening the safety cap (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the following steps: rotating the cap (20) around the central axis (X) of the cap body (10), until the through-hole (24) of the cap (20) is aligned with the threaded hole (14) of the cap body (10) and the locking screw (30), partially unscrewing the locking screw (30) from the depressed position to the protruding position to secure the cap (20) to the cap body (10), and unscrewing the safety cap (1) by rotating the cap (20) securely with the cap body (10).

11. A method of securing the safety cap (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a step of screwing the locking screw (30) from the protruding position to the depressed position to detach the cap (20) from the cap body (10).

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