Wire lock

Abstract

A wire lock (10) is provided for the securing and locking of objects. The wire lock (10) comprises a lock body (12) having a wire-receiving bore (22) and an internal cavity (28) in communication with the wire-receiving bore (22); a movable member (30) located within the internal cavity (28); and a deflectable element (34) having an engagement portion (38). In a locked configuration of the wire lock (10), the movable member (30) is retained in a locking region (42) by the deflectable element (34) so as to apply a locking force on the said wire (14) against retraction of the wire (14) from a direction from which the wire (14) was introduced to the wire-receiving bore (22). In a tampered configuration, the engagement portion (38) of the deflectable element (34) is biased towards the wire-receiving bore (22) to inhibit re-insertion of the said wire (14).

Description

[0001] Wire Lock

[0002] The present invention relates to a wire lock particularly but not exclusively for securing and locking objects, for example securing container doors, cargo baskets, and locking out critical valves. The invention further relates to a method for securing an object so as to provide evidence of tampering.

[0003] A wire lock, sometimes known as a blair lock or car seal, is a type of sacrificial lock having high strength cable and locking mechanisms. However, unlike conventional locks such as padlocks, which can be disengaged without any evidence of such an action taking place, wire locks do not have a means of being disengaged without having to damage one or more components. This means that they are highly suited for use in anti-tamper contexts.

[0004] The components of wire locks are serialised, and therefore, if a wire lock is damaged and a component is replaced the presence of the new component can be identified by looking at the serial number present on the wire lock. Additionally, wire locks utilise wires that splay upon being cut, with this preventing re-insertion of the said wire into the wire lock. Consequently, wire locks provide a good means of indicating whether a locked object has been tampered with.

[0005] Wire locks are widely utilised as a tamper-evident means for securing objects, for example in comparison to padlocks, which are designed to be re-usable and are typically much more durable than wire locks as they are not designed to be sacrificial. Furthermore, padlocks do not indicate when tampering may have occurred.

[0006] A limitation of current wire locks is that they necessitate a wire that splays upon being cut, with this restricting the type of wires that can be used with the locks. A splaying wire is typically formed as a composite of many wire strands twisted together to form a wire core, with a sheath containing the wire strands as a single wire unit. When cut, the wire strands untwist from one another, significantly increasing the effective radius of the wire to prevent reinsertion into a standard aperture.

[0007] Requiring the use of a splaying wire restricts the number of suppliers that can be used to provide the wire of the wire lock. Furthermore, the splaying of the wire creates a potential hazard that could injure someone working with the wire. A user removing a wire lock will likely need to wear protective equipment, which is undesirable for rapid work.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wire lock that overcomes these disadvantages. According to the present invention there is provided a wire lock comprising: a lock body having a wire-receiving bore through which a wire to be locked can be inserted and an internal cavity in communication with the wire-receiving bore; a movable member located within the internal cavity; and a deflectable element having an engagement portion; wherein, in a locked configuration of the wire lock in which a said wire has been inserted into the wire-receiving bore, the movable member is retained in a locking region by the deflectable element so as to apply a locking force on the said wire against retraction of the wire from a direction from which the wire was introduced to the wire-receiving bore; wherein, in a tampered configuration of the wire lock in which a cut portion of the said wire is removed from the wire-receiving bore, the engagement portion of the deflectable element is biased towards the wire-receiving bore to inhibit re-insertion of the said wire through the wire-receiving bore.

[0009] The main advantage of the wire lock set out in this application compared to currently available wire locks is that it enables the use of a wider variety of wire types, with the mechanism within the internal cavity facilitating this. Current tamper-evident wire locks are restricted to wires that splay upon cutting, such that the wire in question cannot be re-engaged with the wire lock, and consequently requiring the said wire to be replaced. However, as the wires are serialised, there remains evidence of tampering on replacement of the said wire. The problem with requiring the use of splaying wires, however, is that this limits the number of suppliers that can be used to provide the wire for the wire lock, in addition to being hazardous for someone working with the wire lock. As the wire lock of the current application can utilise non-splaying wires, this not only increases the safety of someone working with the wire lock, but it also provides the option of using a wider variety of manufacturers from various geographical regions, with this having the added potential benefit of reducing the overall carbon footprint generated by the production of the wire lock. The mechanism of the wire lock also allows for further tightening of the lock, whilst still preventing retraction of the wire.

[0010] Preferably, the internal cavity may taper towards a proximate said end of the wire-receiving bore to permit wedging engagement of the movable member therein against a said wire.

[0011] This tapered region is located within the locking region and is used to provide the locking force of the wire lock. On attempted retraction of the wire, the movable member is engaged between the wire and a slanted surface of the internal cavity, preventing removal of the wire. The use of taper to provide the locking force is advantageous as it is a relatively simple concept, and is therefore more reliable compared to other more complex locking mechanisms and easier to manufacture.

[0012] Optionally, the movable member may be formed as a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical roller. Having the movable member be cylindrical is beneficial as it facilitates the easy movement of the movable member within the internal cavity of the wire lock, enabling consistent and smooth transitioning between the various configurations of the wire lock, increasing its reliability.

[0013] More preferably there may be, in the locked configuration, a distance between a wall of the internal cavity and the deflectable element that is less than a dimension of the movable member for retaining the movable member in the locking region.

[0014] This distance being less than a dimension of the movable member ensures that the movable member does not inadvertently leave the locking region in a non-tampered scenario, such as in the locked configuration, which would result in the wire lock being unusable.

[0015] Ideally there may be, in the tampered configuration, a distance between a wall of the internal cavity and the deflectable element that is such that the movable member is freely movable within the internal cavity.

[0016] In the tampered configuration, due to the bias of the engagement portion of the deflectable element towards the wire-receiving bore, the engagement portion is at least in part located within the wire-receiving bore. This creates a distance between a wall of the internal cavity and the deflectable element that enables the movement of the movable member freely within the internal cavity. As the movable member is not retained within the locking region, the wire lock cannot return to the locked configuration.

[0017] Ideally the engagement portion of the deflectable element may be configured to engage with a cut end of the said wire.

[0018] The engagement between the engagement portion of the deflectable element and the cut end of the said wire is what inhibits the passage of the said wire through the wire-receiving bore in the tampered configuration.

[0019] Preferably, the engagement portion of the deflectable element may comprise a bent-wire engager which extends at least in part across a width of the internal cavity perpendicular to an axis of the wire-receiving bore.

[0020] The bent-wire engager is the ideal shape for engaging with the cut end of the said wire upon re-insertion into the wire-receiving bore in the tampered configuration. This prevents the said wire from passing through the wire-receiving bore in its entirety, and thus results in the locked configuration being unattainable from the tampered configuration.

[0021] More preferably, the deflectable element may comprise an anchor portion engageable with the lock body. The engagement of the anchor portion provides the biasing means of the engagement portion of the deflectable element towards the wire-receiving bore such that, in the tampered configuration, the engagement portion is at least in part within the wire-receiving bore. This provides the distance between the deflectable element and the wall of the internal cavity that allows the movable member to freely move within the internal cavity.

[0022] Optionally, in an initial configuration, the anchor portion may be disengaged from the lock body, and in the locked configuration, the anchor portion may be urged into engagement with the lock body.

[0023] The disengagement of the anchor portion in the initial configuration means that an inserted wire will not cause the movable member to leave the locking region, as there is no bias of the engagement portion of the deflectable element towards the wire-receiving bore that would cause the distance between the deflectable element and the wall of the internal cavity to be sufficient enough for the movable member to pass through. However, the engagement of the anchor portion with the locked body then initiates the bias of the deflectable element, such that on removal of a wire from the wire-receiving bore, any subsequent insertion of a wire into the wire-receiving bore will result in the movable member not being retained within the locking region.

[0024] Preferably, the anchor portion may be engaged with the lock body by application of a force on the anchor portion from the said wire.

[0025] As the anchor portion is not engaged in the initial configuration, and is instead located at least in part within the wire-receiving bore, this means that inserting a wire results in contact with the anchor portion that urges it towards engagement with the lock body. The force provided by the wire is required in order for the anchor portion to engage with the lock body.

[0026] More preferably, the deflectable element may comprise an arm portion, the engagement portion being connected to the arm portion.

[0027] The arm portion of the deflectable element connects the engagement portion to the rest of the deflectable element structure, and is configured such that the engagement portion interacts with an inserted wire in the desired manner.

[0028] Optionally, the engagement portion may be positioned at an acute angle relative to the arm portion.

[0029] The acute angle between the engagement portion and the arm portion is necessary for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, it is necessary in order to direct the movable member to a position on an outside surface of an inserted wire in the locking region, when transitioning from the initial configuration to the locked configuration. Furthermore, in the locked configuration, the acute angle is such that it maximises the force applied to the movable member in the locking region. This is so that the locking force provided by the wedging engagement of the movable member is sufficient enough to prevent retraction of an inserted wire.

[0030] Ideally, the acute angle may be between 20° and 80°.

[0031] This angle is the most advantageous for producing the desired effects of the deflectable element.

[0032] Preferably, the deflectable element may be formed as a spring.

[0033] A spring is the desired means for providing the bias of the engagement portion of the deflectable element, as the prevalence of springs allows for the consideration of a wide variety of suppliers for the deflectable element.

[0034] More preferably, the deflectable element may be formed as a torsion spring.

[0035] A torsion spring allows for elastic potential energy to build up within the spring structure when the anchor portion of the deflectable element is engaged with the lock body in the locked configuration. This is desirable as it provides the bias of the engagement portion towards the wire-receiving bore in the locked and tampered configurations.

[0036] Optionally, the deflectable element may comprise a spring coil, the spring coil being freely rotatable about a position within the internal cavity.

[0037] The spring coil is the portion of the deflectable element that stores the elastic potential energy that is built up within the spring. The spring coil being able to freely rotate within the internal cavity enables the deflectable element to deflect easily out of the path of an inserted wire in the initial configuration of the wire lock. This increases the ease of use of the wire lock.

[0038] Optionally, the deflectable element may comprise a flexible hinge portion engaged with the lock body within the internal cavity.

[0039] Having the deflectable element comprise a flexible hinge portion enables the connection of the deflectable element to the lock body whilst simultaneously facilitating the biasing of the deflectable element.

[0040] Optionally, the engagement portion of the deflectable element may comprise a curved deflector for preventing the re-insertion of the said wire in the tampered configuration, the curved deflector deflecting the cut end of the re-inserted wire into the internal cavity. The use of a curved deflector inhibits the passage of the said wire through the wire-receiving bore by simply deflecting it out of the wire-receiving bore.

[0041] The movable member may have a contact surface having a sufficient coefficient of friction to be frictionally engaged with a said wire upon insertion of the said wire into the wire-receiving bore.

[0042] The movable member having a contact surface with a sufficiently large coefficient of friction is desirable, as in order for the movable member to become wedgingly engaged and produce a locked configuration of the wire lock, the movable member must move with the wire towards the tapered region of the internal cavity.

[0043] Optionally, the movable member may comprise at least one guiding element complementarily formed to the deflectable element for enabling transfer of biasing force to the movable member from the deflectable element.

[0044] The biasing force provided by the deflectable element urges the movable member towards the slanted surface of the internal cavity upon attempted retraction of an inserted wire, with this biasing force imparted onto the movable member by communication between the deflectable element and the at least one guiding element of the movable member. This ultimately results in the wedging engagement of the movable member within the internal cavity. The at least one guiding element also interacts with the arm portion of the deflectable element in the tampered configuration, with this interaction preventing the movable member from falling into the wire-receiving bore.

[0045] Preferably, the wire lock may further comprise a wire engaged with the lock body in the initial configuration, a free end of the wire being suitable for use as the said wire to be locked, the wire forming a looped portion in the locked condition.

[0046] Having a wire engaged with the wire lock in the initial configuration is preferred as it means it is not necessary to separately purchase or obtain a wire for use with the wire lock, thereby increasing the ease of use.

[0047] More preferably, the free end of the wire may be tapered for enabling the smooth passage of the said wire through the wire-receiving bore before tampering has occurred.

[0048] The tapering of the free end of the wire prevents the wire from getting caught on the engagement portion of the deflectable element before any tampering has occurred, therefore ensuring it can pass through the wire-receiving bore in non-tampered configurations.

[0049] Optionally, the said wire may be a splaying wire. Optionally, the said wire may be a non-splaying wire.

[0050] A benefit of the wire lock being functional with either a splaying or non-splaying wire is that it means a greater range of wires can be used with the wire lock, unlike current tamper-evident wire locks that are restricted to only using splaying wires.

[0051] According to a second aspect of the invention there may be provided a method of securing an object so as to provide evidence of tampering, the method comprising the steps of: a] providing a wire lock in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; b] inserting a wire to be locked into the wire-receiving bore to thereby deflect the deflectable element and anchor it to the lock body; and c] pulling the wire through the wire-receiving bore to form a desired locking loop size with the wire, the movable member being retained in the locking region and applying a locking force on the wire to resist a retraction of the wire from the direction from which the wire was introduced into the wire-receiving bore, wherein if a cut portion of the said wire is removed from the wire-receiving bore by tampering, the engagement portion of the deflectable element is biased towards the wire-receiving bore to inhibit re-insertion of the said wire through the wire-receiving bore.

[0052] This method facilitates the creation of a loop to secure an object with the wire lock of the current application, said wire lock avoiding the necessity of use of a splaying wire by virtue of the mechanism provided within its internal cavity.

[0053] The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0054] Figure 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a wire lock in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

[0055] Figure 2 shows a side view of the wire lock of Figure 1 in which the wire has been threaded through the wire-receiving bore, the position of the wire in the wire-receiving bore shown by the dashed lines;

[0056] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the wire lock of Figure 1 omitting the wire within the wire lock for clarity;

[0057] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire lock of Figure 1 , the wire lock being in an initial configuration with no wire inserted into the wire-receiving bore;

[0058] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire lock of Figure 1 , the wire lock being in a locked configuration with a wire passing through the wire-receiving bore; Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire lock of Figure 1 wherein an inserted wire has been removed by cutting;

[0059] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire lock of Figure 6, the wire lock in the tampered configuration with an attempted re-insertion of a wire depicted; and

[0060] Figure 8 shows a cross-section of the internal cavity of the wire lock of Figure 6 from a front perspective, wherein the movable member is outlined in dashed lines, the movable member being located within the internal cavity.

[0061] Referring to Figure 1 there is indicated a wire lock, referenced globally at 10, and which is suitable for the securing and locking of objects in place.

[0062] The wire lock 10 comprises a lock body 12 engaged with a wire 14. The wire lock 10 may be manufactured or assembled with the wire 14 fixed within the lock body 12, or the wire 14 may be subsequently inserted into an embedded-wire cavity 16, shown in Figure 3, of the lock body 12. The embedded-wire cavity 16 has a singular aperture 18 from which the wire 14 extends from the lock body 12.

[0063] The wire 14 of the depicted embodiment has a helical structure comprising several individual strands of material. The free end 19 of the wire 14 is tapered, such that the width of the free end 19 is smaller than the width of the rest of the wire 14.

[0064] Figure 2 indicates an example of the wire lock 10 in operation. The wire 14 has been returned through the lock body 12 to form a looped portion 20 which can be used to secure an object. This looped portion 20 may be tightened by pulling the wire 14 further through the lock body 12; however, the wire 14 may not be retracted from the wire-receiving bore 22 without the looped portion 20 being cut, due to the internal mechanism.

[0065] A wire-receiving bore 22 is shown in dashed lines in Figure 2, the wire-receiving bore 22 passing through the lock body 12 and having a first end 24 through which a wire 14 may be inserted and a second end 26 through which the inserted wire 14 may exit the wire-receiving bore 22. The first end 24 of the wire-receiving bore 22 is located on the same side of the lock body 12 as the aperture 18 of the embedded-wire cavity 16.

[0066] The lock body 12 is shown in Figure 3 with the wire 14 omitted for clarity, so that the aperture 18 of the embedded-wire cavity 16 and the first end 24 of the wire-receiving bore 22 are shown.

[0067] The lock body 12 of the wire lock 10 in the depicted embodiment is cuboidal. The embedded- wire cavity 16 and wire-receiving bore 22 both have circular cross-sections in the depicted embodiment, as this is the most commonly used wire 14 cross-sectional shape; however, other cross-sectional shapes could be utilised to accommodate different wire 14 shapes such as square, rectangular, triangular and elliptical cross-sections.

[0068] The wire lock 10 is suitable for use with a wire 14 that splays, or a wire 14 that does not splay. Such wires 14 will be referred to respectively as splaying wires 14 and non-splaying wires 14. It is preferred that non-splaying wires 14 are used.

[0069] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire lock 10 indicating the internal elements of the wire lock 10 in an initial configuration. Adjoining the wire-receiving bore 22 there is an internal cavity 28 of the lock body 12 within which is located a movable member 30 which acts as the locking member for the wire 14.

[0070] The internal cavity 28 here has an irregular shape, that is, non-rectilinear, with a main geometric feature being a slanted surface 32 which is at an angle to a longitudinal axis AL of the wire-receiving bore 22. The slanted surface 32 causes a tapering of the internal cavity 28 such that a cavity height DCH decreases with proximity to the first end 24.

[0071] A cavity height DCH as herein defined is the distance from the slanted surface 32 to an inserted wire 14 therein. The tapering of the internal cavity 28 is such that a minimum cavity height DCH is less than a dimension DMM of the movable member 30, wherein in the depicted embodiment this dimension DMM is the diameter of the movable member 30.

[0072] The internal volume of the lock body 12 can be separated into two segments, those being the wire-receiving bore 22 and the internal cavity 28. The wire-receiving bore 22 is defined as the volume through which an inserted wire 14 passes, and therefore can be considered as a cylinder with the two parallel faces being the first end 24 and the second end 26. The internal cavity 28 represents the remainder of the internal volume of the lock body 12.

[0073] The internal cavity 28 contains the mechanism that provides the locking functionality of the wire lock 10, with this comprising a deflectable element 34 and the movable member 30. In the depicted embodiment, the deflectable element 34 is a spring, and the movable member 30 is a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical roller.

[0074] In the depicted embodiment the movable member 30 additionally has two guiding elements 36, one on each side of the movable member 30. These guiding elements 36 enable the transfer of biasing force from the deflectable element 34 to the movable member 30, by contact of an engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34 with these guiding elements 36. Additionally, these guiding elements 36 are in communication with the deflectable element 34 in a tampered configuration of the wire lock 10, preventing the movable member 30 from entering the wire-receiving bore 22. The movable member 30 being a cylindrical roller is preferable as it allows for smooth movement of the movable member 30 between the different configurations of the wire lock 10. It will be apparent, however, that since the purpose of the movable member 30 is to provide an interference engagement with the wire 14 and the slanted surface 32, that any suitable shape which can form such an interference fit may be provided, regardless of whether it rolls within the internal cavity 28.

[0075] The deflectable element 34 here comprises a spring coil 44, an arm portion 46 extending from one side of the spring coil 44, having the engagement portion 38 engageable with the movable member 30 on one end thereof, and an anchor portion 48 extending from the other side of the spring coil 44.

[0076] The use of a spring as the deflectable element 34 is preferable as it enables elastic potential energy to be stored within the spring coil 44 of the deflectable element 34, with this energy utilised to create a bias of the deflectable element 34 in the locked configuration, which is directed, at least in part, towards the wire-receiving bore 22. In order to create this bias, it is preferable that the spring is a torsion spring.

[0077] In the initial configuration of the wire lock 10 the movable member 30 is positioned within a locking region 42 of the internal cavity 28, the movable member 30 confined within the locking region 42 by the engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34.

[0078] The deflectable element 34 is freely pivotable about a spring connector 50 of the lock body 12 which is here formed as a cylindrical nub about which the spring coil 44 is mountable. In the initial configuration, motion of the deflectable element 34 occurs by pivoting alone.

[0079] The locking region 42 is a segment of the internal cavity 28 that is defined as the volume of the internal cavity 28 within which the movable member 30 is movable in the locked configuration. Consequently, the locking region 42 is effectively the volume of the internal cavity 28 that is on the side of the engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34 proximate the first end 24 of the wire-receiving bore 22, with this shown in Figure 5.

[0080] The lock body 12, and in particular the slanted surface 32, may comprise a metal, including but not being limited to: steel; brass; zinc; nickel; silver; copper; aluminium; or any other metal. The lock body 12, and in particular the slanted surface 32, may comprise a plastic. The lock body 12, and in particular the slanted surface 32, may comprise a combination of any number of metals and / or any number of plastics.

[0081] The movable member 30 may comprise a metal, including but not being limited to: steel; brass; zinc; nickel; silver; copper; aluminium; or any other metal. The movable member 30 may comprise a plastic. The movable member 30 may comprise a combination of any number of metals and / or any number of plastics.

[0082] Figure 5 indicates the wire lock 10 in a locked configuration, wherein the wire 14 has been passed through the wire-receiving bore 22. Upon insertion of the wire 14 into the wire-receiving bore 22 the wire 14 contacts the movable member 30, which is consequently pushed against the engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34 causing the movable member 30 to be displaced out of the wire-receiving bore 22, thereafter being positioned on an outer surface 52 of the said wire 14. This displacement is assisted by the relative positioning of the engagement portion 38 to the arm portion 46; the engagement portion 38 is at an acute angle QAA to the arm portion 46, preferably in a range from 20° to 80°.

[0083] The movable member 30 is contained within the locking region 42, in the locked configuration, as the deflectable element 34 is in contact with the movable member 30 to retain it with the locking region 42. The distance D between the deflectable element 34 and the wall of the internal cavity 28 is smaller than a dimension DMM of the movable member 30, preventing the movable member 30 from accessing the rest of the internal cavity 28 and consequently retaining the movable member 30 in the locking region 42.

[0084] After displacing the movable member 30 out of the wire-receiving bore 22, the said wire 14 displaces the engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34 to a position out of the wire-receiving bore 22. Further insertion of the said wire 14 results in a force being applied to the anchor portion 48 of the deflectable element 34, which is initially positioned within the wirereceiving bore 22 in the initial configuration due to its disengagement with the lock body 12. This contact urges the anchor portion 48 towards an anchor engager 54 of the lock body 12. The anchor engager 54 is uni-directional; urging of the anchor portion 48 out of the wirereceiving bore 22 may allow the anchor portion 48 to hook onto the anchor engager 54, for instance, if the anchor engager 54 has a curved or sloped surface that the anchor portion 48 can flex over. Once fully engaged, however, the anchor portion is irretrievably hooked around the anchor engager 54 until the lock body 12 is dismantled.

[0085] The anchoring of the anchor portion 48 creates a bias force within the deflectable element 34 when the wire lock 10 is in the locked and tampered configurations, with this bias force acting towards the wire-receiving bore 22. This bias force is such that it causes the engagement portion 38 to press towards the inserted wire 14, whilst also contacting the movable member 30 and imparting a force thereon. The angular arrangement of the engagement portion 38 is such that a force is applied on the movable member 30 in a direction towards the direction from which the wire 14 was introduced. Due to the tapering of the internal cavity 28 towards the first end 24 of the wire-receiving bore 22, and the minimum cavity height DCH being less than the dimension DMM of the movable member 30, the movable member becomes wedged between the wire 14 and the slanted surface 32 of the internal cavity 28 when retraction of the wire 14 is attempted. The engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34 applies a retaining force which urges the movable member into this wedging condition, causing an interference fit and locking the wire lock 10.

[0086] The wire lock 10 can still be tightened. If the wire 14 is drawn towards the second end 26 of the wire-receiving bore 22, the wire 14 has a sufficient coefficient of friction to drag the movable member 30 out of the interference fit, against the biasing force applied by the engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34. The looped portion 20 can be tightened, but not loosened without breaking the wire 14 or wire lock 10.

[0087] Referring now to Figure 6 there is the wire lock 10 in a configuration achieved by cutting the looped portion 20 of the wire 14 that was previously passed through the wire-receiving bore 22. By the cutting of the looped portion 20 in the locked configuration, it is possible to extract a cut portion of the wire fully out of the second end 26, effectively shortening the length of the said wire 14 but evacuating the wire-receiving bore 22.

[0088] The cutting of the said wire 14 results in the said wire 14 having a cut end 56 as opposed to the free end 19 it had previously. The cut end 56 of the wire 14 has multiple loose strands of material emanating from it, with these strands of material being those that make up the helical structure of the wire 14.

[0089] In Figure 7 a wire 14 is being threaded into the wire lock 10 in a tampered configuration. When the wire 14 is inserted into the wire-receiving bore 22, the movable member 30 is displaced out of the wire-receiving bore 22. The movable member 30 is able to freely move within the internal cavity 28 in the tampered configuration due to the distance D between a wall of the internal cavity 28 and the deflectable element 34 being only marginally less than the dimension DMM of the movable member 30. The movable member 30 is able to freely access the rest of the internal cavity 28 by deflecting the deflectable element 34.

[0090] In the tampered configuration, at least one of the guiding elements 36 of the movable member 30 may be in communication with the arm portion 46 of the deflectable element 34. This prevents the movable member 30 from dropping beneath the arm portion 46 and into the wirereceiving bore 22.

[0091] Once the movable member 30 is out of the wire-receiving bore 22, the cut end 56 of the wire 14 engages with the engagement portion 38 of the deflectable element 34, as the engagement portion 38 is configured to engage with the cut end 56 of the wire 14. The loose strands of material of the cut end 56 snare the engagement portion 38, which prevents the wire 14 from slipping beneath the deflectable element 34 and through the wire-receiving bore 22. Thus, the passage of the wire 14 through the wire-receiving bore 22 is inhibited, and a locked configuration can no longer be attained.

[0092] In Figure 8, the wire lock 10 is shown in the tampered configuration, with the movable member 30 indicated in dashed lines. The engagement portion 38 is shown as a bent-wire engager 58, which extends at least in part across a width of the internal cavity 28 and is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis AL of the wire-receiving bore 22.

[0093] The bent-wire engager 58 has an approximately rectangular shape and has a central stop 60 that contacts a main body segment 62 of the movable member 30, with this being true in all configurations of the wire lock 10. Other engager shapes are possible, including curved shapes or shapes with a general return. The bent-wire engager 58 also has a side member 64 that communicates with a guiding element 36 of the movable member 30, the side member 64 being connected to the arm portion 46 of the deflectable element 34 by a horizontal member 66. The horizontal member 66 communicates with the main body segment 62 of the movable member 30, and has a length that is marginally larger than the width of the main body segment 62 of the movable member 30. The shape of the bent-wire engager 58 is such that it is configured to engage with a cut end 56 of the said wire 14 and inhibit its passage through the wire-receiving bore 22 in the tampered configuration.

[0094] Also shown in Figure 8 are two horizontal walls 68 of the internal cavity 28. When the movable member 30 is in the initial configuration, the guiding elements 36 of the movable member 30 ride upon these horizontal walls 68.

[0095] In a separate embodiment of the wire lock, there may be provided a wire lock having a distinctive deflectable element to that presented by the embodiment previously described.

[0096] The deflectable element of this separate embodiment has an engagement portion that comprises a curved deflector. The passage of the said wire through the wire-receiving bore in the tampered configuration is prevented by the cut end of a re-inserted wire being deflected by the curved deflector into the internal cavity. Additionally, the deflectable element is engaged with the lock body by a flexible hinge portion, with this flexible hinge portion providing the biasing means of the deflectable element.

[0097] Whilst the specific embodiment of the wire lock prepared and tested as being preferred comprises a tapered portion within the internal cavity of the wire lock, the same performance could be achieved without the use of such a portion. The disadvantage of this, however, is that it is likely that a different method of locking the wire in place would complicate the mechanism of the wire lock, resulting in worse reliability.

[0098] Moreover, whilst the specific embodiment of the wire lock prepared and tested as being preferred comprises the deflectable element in the form of a spring, similar performance could be achieved using a different structure. The benefit that the spring in the current application provides, however, is that it is a cheap and easy way to introduce a biasing means into the invention.

[0099] Furthermore, whilst the specific embodiment of the wire lock prepared and tested as being preferred comprises a movable member in the form of a cylindrical roller, similar performance could be achieved by utilising a movable member in a different form, for example a sphere, cube, cuboid, pyramid, cone, any prism shape or 3D shape.

[0100] Additionally, whilst the specific embodiment of the wire lock prepared and tested as being preferred comprises a wire built into the lock body; identical performance could be achieved by this not being the case. Having the wire not built into the lock body, however, has the disadvantage that the wire necessary for the functioning of the wire lock would have to be purchased separately, which reduces the ease of use of the wire lock.

[0101] Furthermore, whilst the specific embodiment of the wire lock prepared and tested as being preferred comprises a bent-wire engager as the engagement portion of the deflectable element, the same function could be achieved with a differently shaped engagement portion. This would have the disadvantage, however, of not being the optimal shape for preventing the passage of a re-inserted wire through the wire-receiving bore.

[0102] The words ‘comprises / comprising’ and the words ‘having / including’ when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

[0103] It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0104] The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A wire lock (10) comprising: a lock body (12) having a wire-receiving bore (22) through which a wire (14) to be locked can be inserted and an internal cavity (28) in communication with the wirereceiving bore (22); a movable member (30) located within the internal cavity (28); and a deflectable element (34) having an engagement portion (38); wherein, in a locked configuration of the wire lock (10) in which a said wire (14) has been inserted into the wire-receiving bore (22), the movable member (30) is retained in a locking region (42) by the deflectable element (34) so as to apply a locking force on the said wire (14) against retraction of the wire (14) from a direction from which the wire (14) was introduced to the wire-receiving bore (22); wherein, in a tampered configuration of the wire lock (10) in which a cut portion of the said wire (14) is removed from the wire-receiving bore (22), the engagement portion (38) of the deflectable element (34) is biased towards the wire-receiving bore (22) to inhibit re-insertion of the said wire (14) through the wire-receiving bore (22).

2. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity (28) tapers towards a proximate said end of the wire-receiving bore (22) to permit wedging engagement of the movable member (30) therein against a said wire (14).

3. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the movable member (30) is formed as a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical roller.

4. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein in the locked configuration, a distance (D) between a wall of the internal cavity (28) and the deflectable element (34) is less than a dimension (DMM) of the movable member (30) for retaining the movable member (30) in the locking region (42).

5. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the tampered configuration, a distance (D) between a wall of the internal cavity (28) and the deflectable element (34) is such that the movable member (30) is freely movable within the internal cavity (28).

6. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement portion (38) is configured to engage with a cut end (56) of the said wire (14).

7. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement portion (38) of the deflectable element (34) comprises a bent-wire engager (58) which extends at least in part across a width of the internal cavity (28) perpendicular to an axis (AL) of the wire-receiving bore (22).

8. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deflectable element (34) comprises an anchor portion (48) engageable with the lock body (12).

9. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein in an initial configuration, the anchor portion (48) is disengaged from the lock body (12), and in the locked configuration, the anchor portion (48) is urged into engagement with the lock body (12).

10. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the anchor portion (48) is engaged with the lock body (12) by application of a force on the anchor portion (48) from the said wire (14).11 . A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deflectable element (34) further comprises an arm portion (46), the engagement portion (38) being connected to the arm portion (46).

12. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the engagement portion (38) is positioned at an acute angle (QAA) relative to the arm portion (46).

13. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the acute angle (QAA) is between 20° and 80°.

14. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deflectable element (34) is formed as a spring.

15. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the deflectable element (34) is formed as a torsion spring.

16. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the deflectable element (34) comprises a spring coil (44), the spring coil (44) being freely rotatable about a position within the internal cavity (28).

17. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the deflectable element (34) comprises a flexible hinge portion engaged with the lock body (12) within the internal cavity (28).

18. A wire lock as claimed in claim 17, wherein the engagement portion (38) of the deflectable element (34) comprises a curved deflector for preventing the re-insertionof the said wire (14) in the tampered configuration, the curved deflector deflecting a cut end (56) of the re-inserted wire (14) into the internal cavity (28).

19. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable member (30) has a contact surface having a sufficient coefficient of friction to be frictionally engaged with a said wire (14) upon insertion of the said wire (14) into the wire-receiving bore (22).

20. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable member (30) comprises at least one guiding element (36) complementarily formed to the deflectable element (34) for enabling transfer of biasing force to the movable member (30) from the deflectable element (34).

21. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a wire (14) engaged with the lock body (12) in the initial configuration, a free end (19) of the wire (14) being suitable for use as the said wire (14) to be locked, the wire (14) forming a looped portion (20) in the locked condition.

22. A wire lock (10) as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the free end (19) of the wire (14) is tapered for enabling the smooth passage of the said wire (14) through the wirereceiving bore (22) in non-tampered configurations of the wire lock (10).

23. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said wire (14) is a splaying wire (14).

24. A wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said wire (14) is a non-splaying wire (14).

25. A method of securing an object so as to provide evidence of tampering, the method comprising the steps of: a] providing a wire lock (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims; b] inserting a wire (14) to be locked into the wire-receiving bore (22) to thereby deflect the deflectable element (34) and anchor it to the lock body (12); and c] pulling the wire (14) through the wire-receiving bore (22) to form a desired locking loop size with the wire (14), the movable member (30) being retained in the locking region (42) and applying a locking force on the wire (14) to resist a retraction of the wire (14) from the direction from which the wire (14) was introduced into the wire-receiving bore (22), wherein if a cut portion of the said wire (14) is removed from the wire-receiving bore (22) by tampering, the engagement portion (38) of the deflectable element (34) is biased towards the wire-receiving bore (22) to inhibit reinsertion of the said wire (14) through the wire-receiving bore (22).

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