Luggage Security Device

Abstract

A luggage security device for use on luggage having a zipper including a first zip chain and a second zip chain with first and second zip sliders such that the zipper is sealed when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider. The device includes a zipper engaging portion that engages the first zip chain at a point on the zipper between the first and second zip sliders when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider and a slider engaging portion to engage with both the first and second zip sliders when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider. The slider engaging portion prevents movement of the first zip slider relative to the second zip slider and the zipper engaging portion prevents the first and second zip sliders from moving relative to the zipper.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for use with the zipper assembly of luggage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An issue of increasing importance to travelers is ensuring that their luggage is properly sealed by themselves and not opened without their consent. Given increases in security at airport terminals and better methods for detecting the transport of illegal substances, many travelers are concerned that persons wishing to transport such goods may attempt to place them in the luggage of innocent parties to avoid the risk of being caught.

A number of methods have therefore been proposed for securing luggage and providing an obvious indication that the luggage has been opened. In the past, the use of padlocks across the zip sliders of a suitcase was common. A further method proposed is the use of a tag device secured through the zip sliders when the bag has been closed. These solutions have had inherent problems in that the removal and replacement of such devices, either with the same or a replacement device, is not particularly difficult. Tag devices having an identity code have also been proposed to alleviate the problem of someone simply cutting the tag away and replacing it with an identical tag.

One problem with all of the above solutions is that they only prevent separation of the zip sliders but do not prevent accessing the bag directly through the joined zipper. The zip seal on luggage can be quite easily breached simply by the application of sufficient force to the joined zipper with a suitable tool. Luggage having the common two zip slider arrangement can then be resealed simply by sliding the two connected sliders over the portion of zipper that has been breached.

The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part the aforementioned disadvantages of previous luggage security devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a luggage security device for use on luggage having a zipper comprising a first zip chain and a second zip chain with first and second zip sliders such that the zipper is sealed when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider, the device comprising:

a zipper engaging portion that engages the first zip chain at a point on the zipper between the first and second zip sliders when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider; and
a slider engaging portion to engage with both the first and second zip sliders when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider;
wherein the slider engaging portion prevents movement of the first zip slider relative to the second zip slider and the zipper engaging portion prevents the first and second zip sliders from moving relative to the zipper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a is a front view of a first embodiment of a security device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1b is a side view of the security device of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a is a front view of a sealing member of the security device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3b is a side view of the sealing member of FIG. 3a;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 prior to engagement with a zipper and sliders;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 with the zipper engaging portion engaged with the first zip chain;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 with the first and second zip sliders closed;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 with the sealing member extended;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 with the slider engaging portion partially engaged with the first and second sliders;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 with the slider engaging portion fully engaged with the first and second sliders;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 with the sealing member secured across the slider engaging portion;

FIG. 11a is a top view of a second embodiment of a security device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11b is a side view of the security device of FIG. 11a;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 1 prior to engagement with a zipper and sliders;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the zipper engaging portion engaged with the first zip chain;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the first and second zip sliders closed;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the slider engaging portion partially engaged with the first and second sliders;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the slider engaging portion fully engaged with the first and second sliders;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the slider engaging portion commencing engagement with a first aperture in the body portion;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the slider engaging portion engaged with the first aperture body portion;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the slider engaging portion commencing engagement with a second aperture in the body portion;

FIG. 20a is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 with the slider engaging portion engaged with the body portion;

FIG. 20b is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 11 showing the application of the sealing member secured across the slider engaging portion;

FIG. 21a is a top view of a third embodiment of a security device in accordance with the present invention in which the slider engaging portion is to be provided as a separate piece;

FIG. 21b is a side view of the security device of FIG. 21a;

FIG. 22a is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 21 showing folding of the body portion;

FIG. 22b is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 21 prior to engagement with a zipper and sliders;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 21 with the zipper engaging portion engaged with the first zip chain;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 21 with the first and second zip sliders closed; and

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the security device of FIG. 21 with the body portion engaged with the first and second zip sliders ready for application of the slider engaging portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures, there is shown a luggage security device 10 for securing a zipper 12 comprising a first zip chain 14 and a second zip chain 16 secured together in a conventional manner by a first zip slider 18 and a second zip slider 20. Each of the first and second zip sliders 18 and 20 include a loop 22. The loops 22 are aligned when the first zip slider 18 is adjacent the second zip slider 20 in a closed position, such that a securing device can be inserted through the loops 22 to prevent movement of the first zip slider 18 relative to the second zip slider 20.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, the security device 10 comprises a generally planar sheet of material having a body portion 24, a head portion 26 and a neck portion 28 connecting the head portion 26 and the body portion 24. The body portion 24 in the embodiment shown is generally rectangular in shape and the head portion 26 is generally circular of a diameter approximately equivalent to the width of the body portion 24.

The body portion 24 and the neck portion 28 are constructed of a flexible resilient material, such as a suitable plastic. The head portion 26 is constructed of a material that is deformable such that it will hold its deformed shape. In the embodiment shown, the head portion 26 includes a metallic foil, however the head portion 26 may be constructed of any suitable material such as a plastic material with the required physical properties. In the embodiment shown, the body portion 24 comprises a sheet of 0.5 mm Nylon 30 and the head portion 28 comprises a 0.2 mm aluminium sheet 32. A lamination of 0.1 mm polyester 34 is wrapped above and below the Nylon sheet 30 and the aluminium sheet 32, as shown in the enlarged portions of FIG. 1b, to form the neck portion 28. The head portion 24 forms a zipper engaging portion in that it engages, in use, a portion of one of the first and second zip chains 14 or 16.

The security device 10 includes a slider engaging portion 36 for engaging through the loops 22 of the first and second sliders 18 and 20 in use. The slider engaging portion 36 comprises a tongue portion 38 extending along a slot 40 provided in the body portion 24. The slot 40 extends along a portion of the length of the body portion 24 and the tongue portion 38 extends along the slot 40 from an end of the slot 40 adjacent the neck portion 28. The tongue portion 38 is of the same material as the body portion 24 and is therefore constructed by appropriate cutting of the body portion 24 material. The tongue portion 38 is therefore flexible and may be bent from a position in which the tongue portion 38 is in the plane of the body portion 24 and a position in which the tongue portion 38 extends out of the plane of the body portion 24.

The slot 40 is provided with a widened portion 42 at an end adjacent the neck portion 28 and a transversely extending opening 44 at an end remote from the neck portion 28. The widened portion 42 is to receive the loops 22 of the first and second zip sliders 18 and 20 in use. The transversely extending opening 44 is to receive a sealing member 46 of the type shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. The sealing member 46 forms a means to detect disengagement of the slider engaging portion 36. The sealing member 46 is provided to secure the tongue portion 38 in the position in which the tongue portion 38 is coplanar with the body portion 24.

The sealing member 46 comprises a sheet of material having an adhesive on a first side thereof which is covered with a backing sheet 50. The sealing member 46 is arranged to be inserted through the opening 44, after which the backing sheet 50 is removed and the sealing member 46 is folded down (as shown in FIG. 10) such that the first side contacts both the upper and lower surfaces of the body portion 24. The adhesive on the first side of the sealing member 46 adheres to the body portion 24, securing the tongue portion 38 in place.

The sealing member 46 is constructed of a material such that, once the adhesive has set, any attempt to remove the sealing member 46 results in the sealing member 46 fracturing. In the embodiment shown, the sealing member 46 is constructed of two films laminated together in a pattern as shown in FIG. 3a. The two layers are connected together in this example along intersecting perpendicular lines 52. The result is an array of rectangular air pockets 54 formed on the sealing member 46. The two layers are chosen such that the outer layer, being the layer remote from the backing sheet, is significantly less flexible than the inner layer. In this way, the force applied to the sealing member 46 when trying to peel off the sealing member 46 will result in fracturing of the less flexible outer layer. The sealing member 46 may also be provided with a signature panel 56 printed on the outer layer that may be signed by the owner of the luggage. This signature would be destroyed on trying to remove the sealing member 46, thereby reducing the likelihood of someone removing the security device 10 and replacing with an other similar device after accessing the inside of the luggage.

In use, the security device 10 is installed as shown in FIGS. 4 to 10. The security device is located approximately perpendicular to the zipper 12 and the head portion 26 placed on top of the first zip chain 14. The head portion 26 is bent around the first zip chain 14 such that the head portion 26 substantially encloses a portion of the first zip chain 14 between the first and second zip sliders 18 and 20, as shown in FIG. 5.

The first and second zip sliders 18 and 20 are then slid together as shown in FIG. 6. A portion of the head portion 26 on a first side thereof is received in the first zip slider 18 and a portion of the head portion 26 on a second opposite side of the head portion 26 is received in the second zip slider 20. The action of engaging the first and second zip sliders with the head portion 26 further moulds the material of the head portion 26 around the first zip chain 14. Also, a kink 27 is formed in the folded edge of the head portion 26 as shown in “View A” of FIG. 5 that locks further into the zip chain 14, preventing movement of the security device 10 relative to the zipper 12.

The tongue portion 38 is then pressed out of alignment with the body portion 24 and inserted through the loops 22 in the first and second sliders 18 and 20 until the loops 22 are received in the widened portion 42, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The body portion 24 is then bent around the zip sliders 18 and 20, by flexing the neck portion 28 until the body portion 24 is again in line with the tongue portion 38, as shown in FIG. 9. The backing sheet 50 on the sealing member 46 is then removed and the first surface of the sealing member 46 is adhered to the upper and lower surfaces of the body portion 24, including the tongue portion 38.

Once the adhesive has set, the sealing member 46 cannot be removed without fracturing the outer layer of the sealing member 46, thereby destroying the signature panel 56. Should someone attempt to break into the luggage by breaking apart the first and second zip chains 14 and 16 of the luggage, the engagement of the first and second sliders 18 and 20 with the head portion 26 of the security device 10 prevents the zipper 12 from being resealed by sliding the first and second zip sliders 18 and 20 over the breached portion of the zipper 12.

Referring to FIGS. 11 to 20, there is shown a second embodiment of a security device in accordance with the present invention in which like reference numerals are used to denote like parts.

The security device 10 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 to 20 operates in essentially the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 in that a zipper engaging portion, being the head portion 26, is provided for engaging with the first zip chain 14 and a slider engaging portion 36 is provided to engage through the first and second sliders 18 and 20. In the second embodiment however, the slider engaging portion 36 comprises a tongue portion 38 that extends outwardly from the head portion 26. The tongue portion 38 is passed through the loops 22 of the first and second sliders 18 and 20 in a direction opposite to that of the first embodiment and back towards the body portion 24.

The body portion 24 is provided with first and second apertures 60 and 62. The slider tongue 38, after being passed through the loops 22, is passed first through the first aperture 60 (as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18) and then back through the second aperture 62 (as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20). The sealing member 46 is then secured across the tongue 38 and the body portion 24 to prevent removal of the tongue 38 from the body portion 24.

FIGS. 22 to 25 show a third embodiment of the security device in which the slider engaging portion is to be provided as a separate element. The security device 10 of FIGS. 22 to 25 comprises the body portion 24, head portion 26 and neck portion 28 of the type shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 but does not include the slider engaging portion. The zipper engaging portion, being the head portion 26, engages with the first zip chain 14 in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 and a hole 64 is provided in the body portion 24 to perform the same function as the widened portion 42 of the slot 40 of the first embodiment. That is, once the head portion 26 is engaged with the first zip chain 14 and the first and second sliders 18 and 20 closed, the body portion 24 is bent over so that the loops 22 are received in the hole 64. In this configuration (as shown in FIG. 25) a separate slider engaging portion (not shown) is provided to pass through the loops 22 and second the first and second sliders 18 and 20 together. The slider engaging portion may comprise any suitable device such as a cable tie or padlock.

It will be noted in FIG. 22a that the body portion 24 is provided as a length of planar sheet material that may be folded over on itself and secured by a suitable adhesive. This allows printed matter to be contained on both sides of the product in use by printing during manufacturing on one side only. It also increases the strength of the body portion 24 of the security device 10.

Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention

Claims

1. A luggage security device for use on luggage having a zipper including a first zip chain and a second zip chain with first and second zip sliders such that the zipper is sealed when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider, the device comprising:

a zipper engaging portion that engages the first zip chain at a point on the zipper between the first and second zip sliders when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider; and

a slider engaging portion to engage with both the first and second zip sliders when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider;

wherein the slider engaging portion prevents movement of the first zip slider relative to the second zip slider and the zipper engaging portion prevents the first and second zip sliders from moving relative to the zipper.

2. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the zipper engaging portion comprises a portion of deformable sheet material to engage with the first zip chain by bending the sheet material around the first zip chain.

3. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the portion of deformable sheet material includes a metallic foil layer.

4. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first zip slider includes a first loop, the second zip slider includes a second loop and the slider engaging portion engages through the first and second loops when the first zip slider is positioned adjacent the second zip slider.

5. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a body portion, a head portion and a neck portion joining the body portion and the head portion, wherein the head portion comprises the zip chain engaging portion and the slider engaging portion comprises a tongue portion that is passed through the first and second loops and secured to the body member by a sealing member.

6. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the tongue portion comprises a portion of the body portion and flexible between a position in which the tongue portion is in a plane of the body position and a position in which it is out of the plane of the body position and can be passed through the first and second loops, wherein the sealing member seals across the tongue portion and body portion after the tongue portion has been passed through the first and second loops.

7. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the tongue portion extends from the head portion and the body portion includes one or more apertures through which the tongue portion is passed, after passing through the first and second loops, wherein the sealing member secures the tongue portion to the body portion after passing through the or each aperture.

8. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the body portion includes a hole such that the body portion is bent so the first and second loops are received in the hole and the slider engaging portion comprises a separate element received through the first and second loops preventing disengagement of the body portion from the first and second loops.

9. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the slider engaging portion comprises a padlock.

10. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the slider engaging portion comprises a cable tie.

11. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the body portion comprises a sheet of Nylon, the head portion comprises an aluminum sheet and the head portion and body portion are covered with a polyester lamination that forms the neck portion.

12. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the body portion is at least partially rectangular in shape and the head portion is at least partially circular in shape and said shape has a diameter equivalent to a width of the rectangular shape of the body portion.

13. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the sealing member comprises a sheet of material having an adhesive first side covered with a backing sheet such that removal of the backing sheet and folding the sealing member so the first side contacts both sides of the body portion secures the sealing member to the body portion and the tongue portion.

14. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the sealing member is constructed of a breakable material such that an attempt to remove the sealing member will result in fracturing of the sealing member.

15. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 14, wherein the sealing member comprises an outer layer remote from the backing sheet and an inner layer, the outer layer being less flexible than the inner layer and a plurality of air pockets being provided between the outer and inner layers.

16. A luggage security device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the sealing member includes a signature panel to receive an identifying signature.