EP0043726A1 - Sealable fastening device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealable fastening device comprises a movable body (1), a body (2) (designated the fixed body) to which in use of the device the movable body (1) is to be fastened, and a seal device (3), the fixed body (2) comprising a housing (4) having a cavity (4a) within the housing (4), and the movable body (1) being shaped so that it can be fitted over said housing (4) so as to act as a cover for the housing (4), the fixed body (2), movable body (1) and seal device (3) being arranged to co-operate so that when the movable body (1) is fitted as aforesaid the seal (3) can be fitted so as to fasten said movable body (1) to said fixed body (2) in such a manner that in order to remove said movable body (1) from said fixed body (2) is will normally be necessary to break or otherwise detectably modify said seal device (3), at least part of the seal device (3) (viz. arrowlike head (24) plus part of a connecting portion (26)) then being retained in said cavity (4a), said housing (4) having an aperture (13) therein through which the seal device or part seal device retained in said cavity (4a) can be removed after removal of said movable body (1) from said fixed body (2), said aperture (13) being covered by said movable body (1) (by lip (22) thereof) when fitted as aforesaid.

Description

• This invention relates to a sealable fastening device, and is primarily, although not exclusively, concerned with a device for fastening the runner of a zip fastener, especially the runner of a zip fastener which serves to close a container, such as a reusable container, for example.
• There are already know several types of sealable fastening devices which comprise a movable body, a body (herein referred to as the fixed body) to which in use of the device the movable body is to be fastened, and a seal device, the movable body, fixed body and seal device being arranged to co-operate so that when the movable body is suitably attached to the fixed body the seal can be fitted so as to fasten the movable body to the fixed body in such a manner that, in order to remove the movable body from the fixed body it will normally be necessary to break the seal device. The seal devices are expendable, and fresh supplies are only available to authorised persons, so that if an unauthorised person removes the movable body from the fixed body, there will normally be evidence of this because the seal will have been broken. Examples of such fastening devices are disclosed in U.K. Patent Specifications Nos. 930,508, 1,424,680, 1,476,430 and 1,543,380.
• Sealable fastening devices of the above described kind are often used to protect closure devices (e.g. zip fasteners) on containers, so that any unauthorised opening of the closure device can be detected. A container which is commonly protected in this manner is what has become known as a reusable container. In its usual form, a reusable container comprises a pouch which is closed by a zip and has on its outside a window through which the destination address may be shown and optionally an additional window for postage stamps. When fitted with the above-described kind of fastening device, the runner of the zip is attached to the movable body, and the fixed body is attached to the container adjacent to the position of the zip fastener when the zip is closed, so that the zip runner can be fastened via the movable body to the fixed body and the sealing device can then be fitted.
• The sealable fastening devices hitherto employed for such purposes have all suffered from one or more of the following disadvantages:
• 1. They.are_'generally nf a relatively complicated construction, and so relatively expensive to produce.
• 2. In most designs, in order to enable the broken part of the seal left inside the fixed body on opening the fastening device to be removed from the fixed body, it is arranged that.the broken part passes through the base of the fixed body into the container. Unless the user regularly goes to the trouble of searching in the pouch for such broken parts, this leads to an accumulation of broken parts within the pouch, with the possibility of contamination of, or damage to, the contents, as well as an unnecessary increase in the overall weight of the container.
• 3. In the few designs-which-permit the broken part of the seal to be removed from the fixed body from outside the pouch (after opening of the sealable fastening device), the broken part is generally difficult to extract. Also, in some such designs, the provision of this facility results in there being a substantial aperture in the fixed body through which the seal device can be probed when the sealable device is in its fastened condition, leading to the risk that the seal device can be undetectably released or at least to the temptation to try to do this.
• 4. Many designs are fiddly to operate in practice. For example, in many designs, it is difficult to attach the-movable body to the fixed body prior to sealing= and/or to remove it after breakage of the seal. In an attempt to rectify this problem there has been proposed a design in which the movable body projects substantially from the fixed body. However, such a design increases the risk that an accidental blow to the device will cause unintended breakage of the sealing device.
• It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealable fastening device of the above-described kind which can be simple in construction and use and yet resistant to undetectable tampering.
• According to the present invention, there is provided a sealable fastening device, the device comprising a movable body, a body (herein referred to as the fixed body) to which in use of the device the movable body is to be fastened, and a seal device, the fixed body comprising a housing having a cavity within the housing, and the movable body"being shaped so that it can be fitted over said housing so as to act as a cover for the housing, the fixed body, movable body and seal device being arranged to co-operate so that when the movable body is fitted as aforesaid the seal can be fitted so as to fasten said movable body to said fixed body in such a manner that in order to remove said movable body-from said fixed body it will normally be necessary to break or otherwise detectably modify said seal device, at least part of the seal device then being retained in said cavity, said housing having an aperture therein through which the seal device or part seal device retained in said cavity can be removed after removal of said movable body from said fixed body, said aperture being covered by said movable body when fitted as aforesaid.
• It will be appreciated that with a fastening device in accordance with the invention, it is possible to arrange that the seal device or part seal device retained in the cavity of the housing after unfastening of the device can be removed from outside a container to which the fastening device may be applied, and yet the fastening device can be resistant to tampering when in the fastened condition. Also, the- form of movable body employed in the device of the invention can lend itself to easy manipulation in use.
• The seal device may comprise a head portion which is connected to a tail portion and be arranged to co-operate with said movable body and said fixed body so that, for fitting, it is inserted so that said head portion passes through said movable body and said fixed body into said cavity,-leaving said tail portion projecting outside said movable body, said head portion then being held sufficiently securely within said cavity that an attempt to withdraw it from said cavity'by'man'lpulation of said tail portion will result in said head portion becoming detached from said seal device rather than such withdrawal. Desirably, said tail portion is dimensioned so that it cannot enter into said housing. Conveniently, said movable and fixed bodies are formed so'that, when said movable body is fitted as aforesaid, there is a passage through said movable body and said housing through which, in fitting the seal device, said head portion passes into said cavity, said head portion being shaped and dimensioned such that, having entered said cavity, it cannot be withdrawn through it, but being resiliently deformable so as to permit its initial insertion through said passage into said cavity. In accordance with the form of design which we at present prefer, said head portion comprises a substantially V-shaped member, the apex of the V-shaped member being connected to said tail portion through an end of a first one of the legs of the V, which end is remote from the apex of the V, the second of the legs of the V being capable of being resiliently urged towards said first leg to permit said head portion to pass through said passage into said cavity; when in said cavity said first leg can spring back to its original position, so that if it is then attempted to withdraw the seal device, the free end of said first leg will catch on the interior of the fastening device (e.g. on the interior wall of the housihg) to resist such withdrawal. We particularly prefer that in-this design the seal device should include a shoulder at the point of attachment of said first leg to the rest of the seal device, said shoulder being in opposed relation to said tail portion; again, the shoulder can, by'catching on the interior of the fastening device, resist withdrawal of the seal device.
• We have found it advantageous that the housing of the fixed body of the fastening device should be of substantially cuboid (rectangular parallelepiped) shape.
• For many contemplated uses of the sealable fastening device of the invention, it is preferable for the fixed body to be arranged for-fitting to another body. For example, the fixed body may have a pair of outwardly projecting legs attached to the base of said housing in opposed relationship; or.it may have a pair of downwardly projecting legs attached to the base of said housing in opposed relationship. When arranged for fixing to another body, the fixed body may have an aperture (herein referred to as the base aperture) in its base, said base aperture being dimensioned so as to permit passage therethrough of the seal device or part seal device retained in said cavity. The provision of such a base aperture can be useful in circumstances where the fastening device is t6 be employed on a container, and-it is preferred, in spite of the disadvantages mentioned above, to arrange for the seal device or part seal device retained in the cavity (after the seal has been detectably modified to permit removal of the movable body from the fixed body) to be able to pass into the container. In such circumstances, the required object can be achieved by fixing the fixed body with its base aperture over a suitably dimensional aperture in the container which aperture is in communication with the interior of the container.
• In a preferred application of the fastening device of the invention, the movable body is attached to the runner of a zip fastener so that, when the zip fastener is closed, the movable body, and thus also the runner of the zip fastener, can be fastened to the fixed body.
• The present invention-also comprehends a container, whenever fitted with one or more fastening devices in accordance with the invention in such a manner that the container can be closed using the fastening device or devices so that subsequent opening of the container will normally result in breakage or otherwise detectable modification of the respective seal device or at one of the respective seal devices. The container may be arranged for closure by a zip fastener, the runner of the zip fastener being attached to the movable body as described above.
• In one embodiment of the invention, the container is in the form of a reusable container which is closed by a zip fastener situated in a side of the container and running adjacent to an edge of the container, the fixed body of the fastening device having outwardly projecting legs as described above and being attached to said side of the container. With this embodiment, it is preferred that it is arranged that the seal is to be inserted so that after insertion it has a tail portion projecting from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane of said side of the container and perpendicular to said edge of-the container; we have found that with this arrangement the seal is generally less likely to be accidentally damaged.
• In another embodiment of the invention, the container is in the form of a reusable container which is closed by a zip fastener situated along an edge of the container, the fixed body of the fastening device having downwardly projecting legs as described above and being attached to said edge of the container. With this embodiment, it is preferred that it is arranged that the seal device is to be inserted so that after insertion it has a tail portion projecting from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to said edge of the container and away from the zip fastener; again, we have found that with this arrangement the seal is generally less likely to be accidentally damaged.
• In order that the invention may be more fully understood, some embodiments in accordance therewith will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealable fastening device in accordance with the present invention, in an unfastened condition, the view additionally showing a backing plate and rivets which may be employed in fixing the fixed member of the fastening device to another body;
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sealable fastening device shown in Figure 1, when in its fastened condition;
• Figure 3 is a view of the device shown in Figure 2, as seen from below;
• Figure 4 is a side view of a reusable container in accordance with the invention, employing the fastening device, backing plate and rivets shown in Figures 1 to 3;
• Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4, but with the seal device ommitted for clarity;
• Figure 6 is a side view of another reusable container in accordance with the invention, employing a modified form of fastening device; and
• Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 6, again with the seal device omitted for clarity.
• In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar parts.
• - Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the sealable fastening device shown therein comprises amovable body 1, a body 2 (designated the fixed body) and aseal device 3. Thefixed body 2 is of a suitable structural plastics material and is in the form of a hollow substantially cuboid-shaped housing 4 defining acavity 4a,. and having a pair of outwardly projectinglegs 5 and 6, which are attached to the base of the housing 4 in opposed relationship, there beingholes 7, 8, 9 and 10 formed through the legs. Housing 4 has a,rectangular slit 11 in aside wall 12, anaperture 13 extending in the lower portion of thefront wall 14 right down to the level of the bottom oflegs 5 and 6, and a further aperture 15 (designated the base aperture) constituting the base of the cuboid of the housing 4. It will be seen thatapertures 13 and 15 abut each other.
• Movable body 1 again is of a suitable structural plastics material, and comprises a hollow generally cuboid-shaped housing 16 having atab 17 projecting rearwardly therefrom,tab 17 having ahole 18 therethrough. Formed inside wall 19 ofhousing 16 is arectangular slit 20, the rectangular dimensions of which are substantially the same as those ofrectangular slit 11. It will be seen that thefront wall 21 of thehousing 16 has a dependinglip 22.
• The housing of thefixed body 2 and thehousing 16 of themovable body 1 are so dimensioned that themovable body 1 can be snugly fitted over the housing 4 to act as a cover for it, with therectangular slits 11 and 20 in alignment with each other so as to form apassage 23 of rectangular cross-section, and thefront wall 21 together with itslip 22 fully covering theaperture 13 in thefront wall 14 of the housing 4.
• Seal device 3 comprises ahead portion 24 and atail portion 25 connected to thehead portion 24 by a short connectingportion 26. Thehead portion 24 consists of a substantially V-shaped member 27 and alength 28 which links V-shaped member 27 to the connectingportion 26. V-shaped member 27 consists of afirst leg 29 and asecond leg 30 joined together at theapex 31 of the V-shaped member 27, thelength 28 serving to link theend 32 of the first-leg 29 which is remote fromapex 31 to the connectingportion 26. It will be seen that this arrangement results in ashoulder 33 at the point of attachment offirst leg 29 to the connectingportion 26, theshoulder 33 being in opposed relation to thetail portion 25.
• Connectingportion 26 includes a depression at 34 which reduces the amount of material required and provides an additional point of weakness to ensure that the seal can be broken when required, although breakage of the seal normally occurs at the j.unction between thetail portion 25 and the connectingportion 26.
• Tail portion 25 is of generally rectangular shape and includes acentral depression 35 which reduces the amount of material required and also makes it easier to manipulate thetail portion 25.
• Seal device 3 is monolithically constructed (by moulding, for example) of a plastics material which is of sufficient strength to enable to seal device to remain in its sealing position without breakage when subjected to the forces to be expected during normal use of the fastening device when in its sealed condition. However, the strength of the plastics material must not be sufficiently great as to prevent the seal from being broken, when required, by manipulation of thetail portion 25. Also, the plastics material employed must be such as to permit thesecond leg 30 to be resiliently urged towards thefirst leg 29.
• Inspection of the drawings will show that the height of thepassage 33 formed by therectangular slits 11 and 20 is slightly greater than the thickness of the seal device, and that the width of thepassage 23 is slightly greater than the maximum width of thehead portion 24 when the-second leg 30 has been urged fully towards thefirst leg 29 so that thefree end 36 of the former is snugly accommodated inrecess 37 formed between connectingportion 26 and thelength 28. It will also be seen that the width of thetail 25 is substantially greater than that of thepassage 23, so that thetail 25 cannot enter into thehousing 4a.
• Figure I shows abacking plate 38 and rivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 which can be used for fitting thefixed body 2 of the sealable fastening device to another body, for example a reusable container as shown in Figures 4 and 5. Backingplate 38 hasholes 7a, 8a, 9a and 10a positioned to be aligned withholes 9 and 10 in fixedbody 2, and is shaped to provide adepression 43, which can accommodate excess material of the body to which the fixedbody 2 is being fixed. In use, the fixedbody 2 and thebacking plate 38 are placed in position on the body in question so that the latter is sandwiched between them and the respective holes 7, 7a etc. are aligned, the body in question being bored at the appropriate places so that the shaft ofrivet 39 can pass through holes 7 and 7a until the head of the rivet abuts theleg 5, and the remainingrivets 40, 41 and 42 can be similarly inserted. The free ends of the rivets are then heat-deformed so as to enlarge them (e.g. as indicated at 44 and 45 in Figure 5), thereby affixing the fixedbody 2 to the body in question.
• We will now describe the manner of fastening and unfastening the sealable fastening device shown in Figures 1 to 3. First, the movable body I is fitted over the housing 4 of the fixedbody 2 so as to act as a cover for the housing 4, as can best be seen in Figure 2, thefront wall 21 together with its dependinglip 22 fully covering theaperture 13 in thefront wall 14 of the housing 4. Next, the-seal device is fitted, by inserting the apex 31 of the V-shapedmember 27 into the passage-23 and pushing the seal fully home so that the-second leg 30 is gradually resiliently urged, by wedge action, towards thefirst leg 29 until itsfree end 36 fits snugly into therecess 37, and then, when thehead portion 24 enters into thecavity 4a, thefree end 36 springs away again and thehead portion 24 takes up the position best shown in Figure 3, wherein thetail 25 abuts against the outside ofwall 19 ofhousing 16, andshoulder 33 and/orfree end 36 ofleg 30 abut against the inside ofside wall 12 of housing 4. (Normally bothshoulder 33 andfree end 36 will so abut, but only one of these will do so if theseal device 3 is in either of its extreme lateral positions, i.e. if it is laterally slid within thepassage 23 either as leftwardly or rightwardly as possible, as viewed in Figure 3). It will be appreciated that in this position theseal device 3 prevents the removal of the movable body I from the fixedbody 2, because to do this-it would be necessary to lift the movable body I upwardly relative to the fixedbody 2 and this is prevented by the lower edge of theslit 20 fouling theseal device 3.Seal device 3 cannot be pushed further into the fastening device, because thetail portion 25 abuts thewall 19. Attempts to withdraw the seal are thwarted by the reaction of theshoulder 33 and/or thefree end 36 of leg3₀ against the inside ofwall 12, so that such attempts will result in thetail portion 25 becoming detached from the seal device rather than such withdrawal. Theaperture 13 in thefront wall 14 of the housing 4 is covered by themovable body 1 as explained above, and the normal manner of mounting the fixedbody 2 is such that access cannot be gained from the outside to thebase aperture 15, so that thehead portion 24 of theseal 3 will, when the fixed body is so mounted, be protected from prying, both physical and (so long as the structure of the fastening device is not transparent) visual.
• When the fastening device is to be unfastened, theseal 3 is broken, conveniently by manipulating thetail portion 25 upwards so that breakage occurs in the region of the junction of thetail portion 25 and the connectingportion 26, and thetail portion 25 generally together with part of the connectingportion 26 is withdrawn so that the remaining part of the seal 3 (thehead portion 24 generally together with part of the connecting portion 26) falls or is pushed into thecavity 4a. Themovable body 1 is then lifted off the housing 4 of the fixedbody 2, thus unfastening the device and uncovering theaperture 13 to permit the portion of the seal device withincavity 4a to be removed. It will be appreciated that with this design in accordance with the invention, theaperture 13 can be made of substantial size so as greatly to facilitate the removal of this broken portion of theseal 3. It will also be appreciated that, as themovable body 1 includeshousing 16 which acts as a cover for the housing 4 of the fixedbody 2, it can be relatively large and accessible for ease of handling.
• We will now describe the reusable container in accordance with the invention which is shown in Figures 4 and 5. The container comprises apouch 46 the interior of which is, in use, closed by azip fastener 47 and is fitted with a sealable fastening device as described above with reference to Figures I to 3.Pouch 46 is constructed predominanantly of plastics material, and has atransparent window 48 sealed around itsperiphery 49 toside 50 of the pouch. Aslit 51 is provided inside 50 beneathwindow 48 so that an address card can be placed in view from within thepouch 46. If the reusable container is to be used in the public mails, an additional window device may be provided for postage stamps. If the stamps are to be accessible for cancellation, no slit in communication with the interior of thepouch 46 is provided under the additional window, but instead provision is made for inserting a card bearing the stamps from outside the pouch, and the portion of the window below which the stamps are to appear will be left open, so that the stamps will be accessible for cancellation.
• Zip fastener 47 is situated inside 50, and runs adjacent to edge 52 of thepouch 46, and includes arunner 53 having a projectingfinger 54 which passes throughhole 18 in the movable body I. Thus, movable body I acts as pull tab forrunner 53.Fixed body 2 is attached to theside 50 of thepouch 46 in a position adjacent to the end of thezip fastener 47 at which therunner 53 is situated when thezip fastener 47 is closed. Backingplate 38 and rivets 39, 40,41 and 42 are used for the attachment of fixedbody 2 topouch 46, in the manner described above. In a modification, therivets 39, 40, 41 and 42 are replaced by heat-deformable spikes which are formed integrally with the fixedbody 2 and project downwardly therefrom at locations corresponding to the positions of theholes 7, 8, 9 and 10 in the embodiment described above.
• In use thezip fastener 47 is opened to permit the insertion of the address card and the articles which are to be carried in thepouch 46, thezip fastener 47 is closed, and themovable body 1 is fastened to the fixedbody 2 as described above, using theseal device 3. As will be seen from Figure 5, thebase aperture 15 is completely covered by the part of theside 50 which the fixedbody 2 overlies, and theaperture 13 is covered by thefront wall 21 together with its dependinglip 22. It should also be noted that after insertion of theseal device 3, thetail portion 25 projects in a direction which is generally parallel to the plane ofside 50 and perpendicular to edge 52. We have found that with this arrangement, manipulation of the seal device is easy , and yet the seal is considerably protected by thepouch 46 from accidental damage. Unfastening of the movable body I is also as described above, and permits the-zip fastener 47 to be opened so that the contents of thepouch 46 can be removed.
• The reusable container shown in Figures 6 and 7 is generally the same as that shown in Figures 4 and 5, except that thezip fastener 47 is situated alongedge 52 of thepouch 46, and the fixedbody 2 is modified and repositioned accordingly. For this purpose, the outwardly projectinglegs 5 and 6 of the previously described fastening device are replaced by downwardly projectinglegs 5a and 6a attached, in opposed relationship, to the base of the housing 4 of thebody 2, and the fixedbody 2 is fixed, in a manner entirely analogous to that described above, so that it straddles theedge 52 at a position adjacent the end of thezip fastener 47 at which therunner 53 is situated when thezip fastener 47 is closed.
• As can be seen in Figure 6, theseal device 3 is positioned so as to lie in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane ofside 50. For many purposes, we prefer to modify the fastening device, by relocation ofslits 11 and 20 to thefront walls 14 and 21 respectively, so that the seal device can be inserted so that it will project from the fastening device in a direction which is generally parallel to theedge 52 and away from thezip fastener 47. With this arrangement, manipulation of the seal is easy, and, provided that the fixedbody 2 is sufficiently withdrawn from theedge 55 of thepouch 46, the seal is considerably protected by thepouch 46 from accidental damage.
• It will, of course be appreciated that theaperture 13 need not be located in the position shown; it can be located in any suitable position which will both enable the removal of the broken portion of the seal device retained within cavity-4a after unfastening of the device, and be covered by themovable body 1 when the device is.fastened. For example, provided that the rear wall'56 (see Figure 6) of thehousing 16 is suitably extended downwardly, theaperture 13 could be located in the lower section of the rear wall of the housing 4.

Claims (10)

1. A sealable fastening device, the device comprising a movable body (1), a body (2) (herein referred to as the fixed body) to which in use of the device the movable body (1) is to be fastened, and a seal device (3), the fixed body (2) comprising a housing (4) having a cavity (4a) within the housing (4), and the movable body (1) being shaped so that it can be fitted over said housing (4) so as to act as a cover for the housing (4), the fixed body (2), movable body (1) and seal device (3) being arranged to co-operate so that when the movable body (1) is fitted as aforesaid the seal (3) can be fitted so as to fasten said movable body (1) to said fixed body (2) in such a manner that in order to remove said movable body (1) from said fixed body (2) it will normally be necessary to break or otherwise detectably modify said seal device (3), at least part of the seal device (3) then being retained in said cavity (4a), said housing (4) having an aperture (13) therein through which the seal device or part seal device retained in said cavity (4a) can be removed after removal of said movable body (1) from said fixed body (2), said aperture (13) being covered by said movable body (1) when fitted as aforesaid.

2. A fastening device according to claim 1, wherein said seal device (3) comprises a head portion (24) connected to a tail portion (25) and is arranged to co-operate with said movable body (1) and said fixed body (2) so that, for fitting, it is inserted so that said head portion (24) passes through said movable body (1) and said fixed body (2) into said cavity (4a), leaving said tail portion (25) projecting outside said movable body (1), said head portion (24) then being held sufficiently securely within said cavity (4a) that an attempt to withdraw it from said cavity (4a) by manipulation of said tail portion (25) will result in said head portion (24) becoming detached from said seal device (3).

3. A fastening device according to claim 2, wherein said tail portion (25) is dimensioned so that it cannot enter into said housing (4).

4. A fastening device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said movable (1) and fixed (2) bodies are formed so that, when said movable body (1) is fitted as aforesaid, there is a passage (23) through movable body (1) and said housing (4) through which, in fitting the seal device (3), said head portion (24) passes into said cavity (4a), said head portion (24) being shaped and dimensioned such that, having entered said cavity (4a), it cannot be withdrawn through it, but being resiliently deformable so as to permit its initial insertion through said passage (23) into said cavity (4a).

5. A fastening device according to claim 4, wherein said head portion (24) comprises a substantially V-shaped member (27), the apex (31) of the V-shaped member (27) being remote from said tail portion (25), and the V-shaped member (27) being connected to said tail portion (25) through an end (32) of a first one (29) of the legs of the V, which end (32) is remote from the apex (31) of the V, the second of the legs (30) of the V being capable of being resiliently urged towards said first leg (29) to permit said head portion (24) to pass through said passage (23) into said cavity (4a).

6. A fastening device according to claim 5, wherein said seal device (3) includes a shoulder (33) at the point of attachment of said first leg (29) to the rest of the seal device (3), said shoulder (33) being in opposed relation to said tail portion (25).

7. A fastening device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said housing (4) is of substantially cuboid shape.

8. A fastening device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said fixed body (2) is arranged for fitting to another body.

9. A fastening device according to claim 8, wherein said housing (4) has an aperture (15) (herein referred to as the base aperture) in its base, said base aperture (15) being dimensioned so as to permit passage therethrough of the seal device or part seal device retained in said cavity.

10. A fastening device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the movable body (1) is attached to the runner (53) of a zip fastener (47) so that, when the zip fastener (47) is closed, the movable body (1), and thus also the runner (53) of the zip fastener (47), can be fastened to the fixed body (2).

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