Nice! From the 2nd link on your post.
The present invention relates to tamper resistant bulk-solidifying amorphous metal alloy joining and parts thereof.
BACKGROUND
Tampering involves the deliberate altering or adulteration of a product, package, or system. Tamper resistance is resistance to tampering by either the normal users of a product, package, or system or others with physical access to it. There are many reasons for employing tamper resistance. Tamper resistance ranges from simple features like screws with special heads, more complex devices that render themselves inoperable or encrypt all data transmissions between individual chips, or use of materials needing special tools and knowledge. Tamper-resistant devices or features are common on packages to deter package or product tampering. In some applications, devices are only tamper-evident rather than tamper-resistant.
It has been argued that it is very difficult to make simple devices, particularly electronic devices, secure against tampering, because numerous attacks are possible, including: physical attack of various forms (microprobing, drills, files, solvents, etc.), freezing the device, applying out-of-spec voltages or power surges, applying unusual clock signals, and inducing software errors using radiation (e.g. microwaves or ionizing radiation). However, there is a need to arrive at a simple, but effective, tamper resistant joining that would at least obviate some of the possible attacks, particularly physical attack. A proposed solution according to embodiments herein for tamper resistance is an enclosure or assembly having tamper resistant bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy joints, wherein the enclosure or assembly is fitted together and joined via a thermoplastic forming operation, for example, in order to seal the enclosure and hinder attempts to tamper with the contents.
SUMMARY
The embodiments herein comprise an enclosure or assembly which is fitted together and joined via a thermoplastic forming operation in order to seal the enclosure and hinder attempts to tamper with the contents.
Thermoplastic forming (TPF) of amorphous alloys involves heating amorphous feedstock, including die cast/injection molded shapes or parts, above its glass transition temperature in order to soften it. In this softened, metastable state, the alloy can be shaped using relatively low forming pressures, and it will remain amorphous after it has been cooled back down to room temperature, retaining its extremely high strength, hardness, and elasticity. If an enclosure were cast and which incorporated, for example, rod or pin-shaped protrusions, these protrusions could be subsequently heated in order to soften them, allowing them to be formed in a manner analogous to riveting. The heating process could involve resistive, inductive, radiative, frictional, or other types of heating and would confine the heated zone to a narrow region near the tip necessary for joining.
AI
