Optical sealing device for a container, and method of detecting tampering using this device.

p0001The present invention relates to a sealing device or closure of a container and a method of detecting an attempted break-in or theft even if a thief manages to replace the closure.

p0002In the remainder of this text, use the word "container" to include not only a container that can contain such radioactive waste, but any closed object for containing products, objects and documents that may be the subject of an attempted theft or opening. The word 'container' 'may therefore refer both to a container a safe, a desk, cabinet or portable object such as a briefcase or suitcase.

p0003There are currently a number of sealing devices for detecting an attempt to open a container. Most consist of a cable which passes through the toggle or the container of the closure vents and whose ends are connected to a housing in which is flowed a resin mass which is cracked during cooling. These cracks form a definite pattern that is starting to photograph if someone managed to open and close the case, it may move the mass of resin or create new cracks and we can observe this change through a new photograph. However, it will not detect anything if the thief does not touch the case and simply cut the cable and then reconstitute the splicing by.

p0004U.S. Patent 4,106,849 discloses an optical fiber sealing device which comprises a fiber optic cable whose two ends are located within a sealed housing wherein the fiber ends intersect. a single figure is thus obtained when observing one of the cable ends with a microscope. In the method of observation and inspection, illuminating one end of the cable using a projector and the other end is observed using a microscope. A mobile reticle rotation and carrying a row or opaque mark to hide a number of fibers whose details are marked with another reticle mounted near the eyepiece. If anyone manipulates the sealing device, the relative arrangement of fibers and exchange contact information masked by fiber line also change, which can detect a break-in attempt.

p0005In this device, the reticle is part of an external device and can be movable in rotation, the coordinates may be changed. Moreover, this device can not distinguish it from other devices of the same type applied to containers stored contiguously.

p0006The present invention is precisely intended to overcome this disadvantage with a sealing device that will detect any attempt to break, regardless of where the manipulation was done.

p0007The object of the invention device comprises, in known manner, an optical fiber cable passing into at least one shaped piece ring integral with the container, said cable having an input end and a light output end light, means for masking at least part of the fibers at the cable entry end and means of observation of the output end when the light inlet end. According to the invention, both ends of the cable are maintained in a sealed body having at least a portion is transparent to light.

p0008According to the embodiment, the means for masking a portion of the fibers at the cable entry end include: - A device emitting an energy beam on the cable input end to conceal the end of certain fibers; - Means for moving said transmitter apparatus to direct the beam on a given fiber; and - The means to identify the coordinates of fibers whose end was obscured.

p0009The observation of the outlet end means when the cable illuminates the entrance end includes a target camera and marking means the coordinates of unlit fiber on the cable outlet side.

p0010It is advantageous that the seal body comprises two cavities in each of which is accommodated one end of the cable, each end of the cable being placed within a tube itself held in said cavity, said tube being crimped onto the cable .

p0011The invention also relates to a method of sealing a container and method for detecting a break-in attempt. According to the main characteristic of this process, it comprises the following steps: - Passing an optical fiber cable in at least one part shaped ring fixed to the container, said cable having an input end and a light output end of the light; - Placing the two ends of the cable in a sealed body having at least a portion is transparent to light; - Using a device emitting an energy beam, it clears the end of some fibers at the cable entry end; - Sending a light beam to the cable input end and coordinates they predict unlit fibers on the exit face; and - Upon further inspection, it illuminates the face of cable entry, the coordinates of unlit fiber are identified at the output end and compared with what has been noted in the implementation of the device.

p0012The comparison of the coordinates of unlit fiber when setting up the device and during the subsequent control can be done by a statistical method. We can also transform the coordinates of unlit fiber to the cable outlet end in a coded message, the same code is used to transform the coordinates of unlit fiber in a message during a subsequent check.

p0013Can also be illuminated by the output face and determine the location of the fibers on the masked inlet face. A systematic coding can then be used to re-identify a container whose identity would be lost for any reason if the location of the sealed input fibers is always the m ven according to the coding mentioned above.

p0014The invention will appear from reading the following description given by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting, in reference to the single figure which is a schematic perspective view showing the embodiment of the device of the invention .

p0015If one refers to this figure, it is seen that the device of the invention consists essentially of a sealed body 2, made partly of a material transparent to light and having substantially the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped . It has an input and output face of the light 4 for receiving the light emitted by a source, and return to the observation means. The cuboid is not mandatory, it being essential to have an input and an exit face that are planar and parallel to each other, the rest can possibly vary for convenience of use.

p0016The face 6 of the body 2 opposite to the inlet face and outlet 4 is pierced with cylindrical cavities, axes perpendicular to the inlet face and outlet 4, in which are inserted a first and a second ends of an optical cable 22 comprising a number of fiber 24. the tubes 26 and 32 are inarrachables mold inserts that maintain the cable 22 by crimping, these tubes being deformed by creating brands such that any cable grubbing destroyed the outer coating thereof and prohibits re discreet spot. In addition, if the cable comprises a braided metal sheath, the "spikes" or other reliefs by the clamp creating "punctured" into the tubes 26 or 32 block the optical cable irreversibly. If fibers are damaged at the time of crimping, they are taken into account by the examination done after installation of the seal.

p0017On the other hand, the deformation of the sheath is more or less elastic: after possible tearing, there would be a swelling in turn would prevent the reintroduction.

p0018The device comprises means for masking at least a portion of the optical fibers 24 to the cable input end 22. According to the invention, the masking is obtained by means of an energy beam, for example a laser beam 56 out of a guide 58 which is itself connected to a transmitter unit (not shown). The guide 58 is mounted on a support 60 mobile in translation relative to a carriage 62 moving in a direction perpendicular to a frame 64. This will direct the beam 56 on a determined fiber which can identify the coordinates because the sealed body 2 is held on a support 66. the end of the fiber is obscured and therefore no longer transmits light, is thus obtained a black dot at the other end when the first light. In the example described here, it obscures the end of three fibers A, B, C which correspond to A₁ points B₁, C₁ in the outlet end of the cable. The elements 60, 62, 64 are associated with a tracking system 68 the movements of the laser beam 56 which transmits the coordinates of the fibers A, B, C, taking account of the transfer function, to a computer 70 optionally combined with a 72 coding system: thus one can transform the coordinates of the fibers a, B, C in a message giving information on loading the container, destination, etc ... the provision of this figure can be used provisionally for a prelabeling sealed, before assembly, for sealing of the fibers for the coding, the final identification of the particular figure being made of sealed after final assembly, to account for potentially affected when the sealing fibers.

p0019Gradually, as we cross the ends of the fibers A, B, C, the other end by means of observations on the part of the cable is illuminated and observed. The latter may be constituted by a camera 74, or an image guide, associated with a system 76 for tracking the coordinates of the A₁ points B₁, C₁. The system 76 is also connected to the computer 70 and the encoder 72 to turn in a message contact information A₁ points B₁, C₁, taking into account the cable transfer function.

p0020Thus, upon further inspection, for example during transport or when the container has reached its destination, it illuminates the first end of the cable and other observed with a similar camera to the camera 74. The operations knowing the code used to the implementation of the device, determining the coordinates of the point A₁, B₁, C₁ can reconstruct the message. If we get a different message from that expected or incomprehensible message is that there has been manipulation.

p0021It is clear that one can do a check with a camera. One can also use a statistical method to confirm initially that he will at least approximate conformity between the observed image and the original image, even do a more detailed check then.

p0022Thus, the invention of object device is particularly interesting since it allows, in a simple, almost detect fail, any attempt to open the container and handling of the sealing device.

p0023Moreover, it is not beyond the scope of the invention by introducing some variants. For example, thanks to image guides, it may be postponed to a remote control panel with optional connection of a remote alarm that goes off in case of mismatch of images when an audit the system for centralized periodic control almost continuously.

p0024Finally, you can take certain precautions to avoid misinterpretations during a check. For example, it is advantageous to give the cable a good mechanical resistance so as not to damage the fibers in a collision or accident: for this, we can place the fibers in a rubber sheath surrounded a metal sheath itself surrounded by an outer sheath. On the other hand, to crimp the tubes, will preferably be used a multiple notches clip which exerts a constant pressure on the tube regardless of the operator. This limits the destruction of the fibers situated at the periphery of the cable, which is very troublesome because they have fewer fibers available for encoding.

p0025Finally, it is not mandatory that the two ends of the cable are in the vicinity of the same face of the seal body. May be considered another arrangement in order to make more difficult a sawing attempt of the seal body and covered with an opaque coating a portion of the outer surface thereof.

p0026We can still consider the case where both ends of the cable are not in the body of seal: This provision allows a long cable to hold together a larger or smaller containers.