Tamper evident seal

Abstract

Disclosed is a seal. The seal is for a box. A box housing has an aperture leading to an interior. A box cover is: secured to the housing in use by at least one screw to occlude the aperture; and removable, by screw removal, to permit interior access via the aperture. After the cover has been secured, one or more screws must be backed off or removed to obtain interior access via the aperture. The seal comprises: a base for each screw which, in use, is screwed to the cover by said screw when the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw; and, for each base, an assembly which is defined by frangibly connected structures, one being connected to said each base; the other, being separably connected to said each base, to preclude access to the screw holding said each base to the cover.

1 . A seal for a box of the type having a housing and a cover, the housing having an aperture leading to an interior and the cover being secured to the housing in use by at least one screw to occlude the aperture;
 removable, by removal of the at least one screw, to permit access to the interior via the aperture;   adapted such that, after the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw, one or more screws must be backed off or removed to obtain access to the interior via the aperture,   the seal comprising:   a base for each of said one or more screws, the base being, in use, screwed to the cover by said each screw when the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw; and   a cap assembly for each base part, the cap assembly being defined by two structures connected to one another in a frangible fashion,   one of the two structures, in use, being substantially permanently connected to said each base;   the other of the two structures, in use, being separably connected to said each base and adapted to preclude access to the screw holding said each base to the cover.   
     
     
         2 . A seal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the cap assembly comprises a cap and a sticker, the cap, in use, being separably connected to said each base and precluding access to the screw holding said each base to the cover;   the sticker having two parts connected to one another in a frangible fashion,   one of the two parts defining the one structure; and   the other of the two parts, in use, being substantially permanently connected to the cap in use to define the other structure.   
     
     
         3 . A seal according to  claim 2 , wherein the base has a raised boss terminating in a planar surface;
 the cap has an aperture and a peripheral surface surrounding the aperture and is adapted for snap-fit engagement with the base;   the boss of the base protrudes into aperture when the cap is separably connected to the base in use;   the planar surface of the base and the peripheral surface of the cap are flush with one another when the cap is separably connected to the base in use; and   the sticker can be defined by void tape which, in use, is applied to overlie the planar surface of the base and the peripheral surface of the cap such that, when the cap is separated from the base, the sticker separates from the planar surface but for a residual message left at least on the planar surface, the residual message defining the one structure.   
     
     
         4 . A seal system for boxes each of the type having a housing and a cover, the housing having an aperture leading to an interior and the cover being:
 (i) secured to the housing in use by at least one screw to occlude the aperture;   (ii) removable, by removal of the at least one screw, to permit access to the interior via the aperture; and   (iii) adapted such that, after the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw, one or more screws must be backed off or removed to obtain access to the interior via the aperture,   the seal system comprising:   bases;   caps; and   seals,   the bases, in use, being provided one for each of said one or more screws, each base being, in use, screwed to the cover by said each screw when the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw;   the caps, in use, being provided one for each base, each cap, in use, being separably connected to the base for which it is provided and precluding access to the screw holding said base to the cover;   the seals being provided one for each base, each seal having two parts connected to one another in a frangible fashion, one of the two parts, in use, being substantially permanently connected to the base for which said seal is provided and the other of the two parts, in use, being substantially permanently connected to the cap for said each base.   
     
     
         5 . A seal according to  claim 4 , wherein the base has a raised boss terminating in a planar surface;
 the cap has an aperture and a peripheral surface surrounding the aperture and is adapted for snap-fit engagement with the base   the boss of the base protrudes into aperture when the cap is separably connected to the base in use;   the planar surface of the base and the peripheral surface of the cap are flush with one another when the cap is separably connected to the base in use; and   the seal is defined by a piece of void tape which, in use, is applied to overlie the planar surface of the base and the peripheral surface of the cap such that, when the cap is separated from the base, the seal separates from the planar surface but for a residual message left at least on the planar surface, the residual message defining the one of the two parts.   
     
     
         6 . A seal system for use with stickers and boxes, the stickers having two parts connected to one another in a frangible fashion and the boxes each being of the type having a housing and a cover, the housing having an aperture leading to an interior and the cover being:
 (i) secured to the housing in use by at least one screw to occlude the aperture;   (ii) removable, by removal of the at least one screw, to permit access to the interior via the aperture; and (iii) adapted such that, after the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw, one or more screws must be backed off or removed to obtain access to the interior via the aperture,   the seal system comprising:   bases; and   caps,   the bases, in use, being provided one for each of said one or more screws, each base, in use, being screwed to the cover by said each screw when the cover has been secured to the housing by the at least one screw;   the caps, in use, being provided one for each base, each cap, in use, being separably connected to the base for which it is provided and precluding access to the screw holding said base to the cover;   the stickers in use, being provided one for each base, one of the parts being substantially permanently connected to said each base and the other of the two parts being substantially permanently connected to the cap provided for said each base such that, when the cap is separated from the base, the two parts of the sticker are broken apart.   
     
     
         7 . A seal according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the base has a raised boss terminating in a planar surface;   the cap has an aperture and a peripheral surface surrounding the aperture and is adapted for snap-fit engagement with the base;   the boss of the base protrudes into aperture when the cap is separably connected to the base in use;   the planar surface of the base and the peripheral surface of the cap are flush with one another when the cap is separably connected to the base in use; and   the sticker, in use, is applied to overlie the planar surface of the base and the peripheral surface of the cap.