Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-02
2001-11-13
Lee, Benjamin C. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S568100, C206S807000, C070S057100, C024S455000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317046
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of packaging objects and to the field of protecting such objects against theft, and more particularly to an antitheft link between two objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Every day, stores are the victims of shoplifting or “shrinkage”, and as a result they suffer loss of earning by amounts that are considerable. The fight against this scourge has led to the development of ever more sophisticated protection systems.
The technological background of the invention can be illustrated by document FR-A-2 605 747 which describes a method consisting in permanently integrating a flat resonant circuit in an object, which circuit operates within a gate that broadcasts a radiofrequency electromagnetic wave, by document FR-A-2 358 713 which describes an antitheft marker of ferromagnetic material fixed on the object that is to be protected, and by document WO-A-85 02285 which describes an alarm system using a tape comprising two superposed strips that are sandwiched between a face of the object and a protective label.
Reference can also be made to document EP-A-0 698 561 and EP-A-0 698 562 describing packaging of heat-shrink plastics material fitted with a metal filament constituting an antenna for an electronic surveillance system operating on a magnetic detection principle, said filament being organized on the inside wall of the packaging in the first document or being integrated in a tear strip in the second document. The techniques described in those documents are advantageous, but they can sometimes be difficult to implement with objects or portions of objects having a section of small size (for example, the temple of a pair of eyeglasses, the clip of a pen).
There also exists an antitheft system using a tie surrounding a portion of the object concerned. Thus, document EP-A-0 615 041 describes a reusable antitheft device for eyeglasses, comprising a tie that is reinforced by two steel cables associated with a fastening plate provided with locking means that can be released only with the help of a special tool.
Various other antitheft systems are known of the type comprising a rigid box or label fixed to the object concerned by staples or by adhesive. Recently, an advanced technology known as “magnetoacoustic” technology has been developed, whereby the antitheft system is constituted by two adjacent metal wafers (separated by an insulating wall) suitable for being set into vibration at a relatively low, predetermined frequency (e.g. about 60 kHz). The advantage of that type of protection system is that the system can be inhibited and reactivated at will, as often as desired. Usually, such a protection system is placed in a box having one adhesive face, so as to be applied directly against a wall of the object to be protected. As will easily be understood, for objects or portions of objects that are of small section, it becomes difficult or even impossible to fix such a box fitted with a magnetoacoustic system, with this being for purely mechanical reasons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention seeks specifically to solve the problem of providing an antitheft link between two objects, and to provide a technique that avoids the above-mentioned drawbacks.
The invention thus provides an antitheft link device between two objects, which device is both simple in structure and suitable for providing good protection in terms of theft-proofing, while nevertheless being easy to install.
More particularly, the invention provides a device for making an antitheft link between two objects, the device comprising:
an envelope of heat-shrink plastics material, implemented in the form of a sleeve whose walls are brought together locally along a common generator line to form a main compartment and an auxiliary compartment, the main compartment being open at both ends and being designed to envelop a first one of the two objects to be connected together, and the auxiliary compartment having an elongate pin disposed therein, which pin extends parallel to said common generator line;
a wall provided on the other object, which wall has formed therein a narrow longitudinal slot opening out at one of its ends, said slot being dimensioned firstly to enable the common generator line of the above-mentioned envelope to be inserted therein so that the associated elongate pin is disposed behind the wall and co-operates therewith to provide the link between said other object and the envelope when heat-shrunk onto said first object, and secondly to lock the envelope as inserted in the slot by associated locking means organized to close the open end of said slot; and
antitheft means integrated in the envelope, and/or at least one of the two objects.
Preferably, the elongate pin is held in the associated auxiliary compartment of the envelope by adhesive. Naturally, in a variant, it would be possible to bond the facing walls of the envelope together along the common generator line.
Advantageously, the elongate pin is a single piece extending over the full length of the associated auxiliary compartment of the envelope. In particular, provision could be made for the elongate pin to be made in the form of a bar or a tube of plastics material.
According to another advantageous characteristic of the device, the envelope is also fitted with antitheft means in the form of a metal filament constituting an electromagnetic antenna, said filament extending along a generator line of the main compartment. Preferably, the metal filament is disposed level with an inside flap of the sleeve constituting the envelope, and the outer wall of said sleeve has a local cutout or notch level with one end of the filament to enable it to be grasped for the purpose of tearing said wall. The antenna-filament then also acts as a tear strip. Whether or not an antenna-forming metal filament is provided, it is also possible to provide for the envelope to be fitted with a tear strip extending along a generator line of the main compartment.
In an advantageous embodiment, one of the objects is an elongate identity and/or antitheft plate. In particular, the elongate plate may be implemented in the form of a box serving to house antitheft means such as an antenna for magnetoacoustic detection, and one of the walls of the elongate plate is the wall having the narrow longitudinal slot.
Advantageously, the locking means associated with the narrow longitudinal slot is constituted by a locking catch which is either snap-fastenable to the wall or else is connected to the wall by a hinge-forming ligament such that said catch can pivot between a release position in which the entrance of the slot is disengaged, and a locking position in which the entrance of the slot is closed. In which case, the ligament is designed to allow use on a limited number of occasions, thereafter breaking naturally. It would also be possible to provide for the above-mentioned catch to be lockable in its locking position e.g. by a stud secured to said catch and snap-fastening in the slot.
Also advantageously, the locking means associated with the narrow longitudinal slot is constituted by a pair of inlet barbs organized to allow passage in the insertion direction only.
The invention also provides a heat-shrink envelope specially designed to constitute a link device having one or more of the above-specified characteristics, said envelope being made in the form of a sleeve of heat-shrink plastics material whose walls are brought together locally along a common generator line to form both a main compartment open at both ends, and an auxiliary compartment in which an elongate pin extending parallel to said common generator line is held in place.
Preferably, said envelope is fitted with antitheft means in the form of a metal filament constituting an electromagnetic antenna, said filament extending along a generator line of the main compartment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5079540 (1992-01-01), Narlow et al.
patent: 5437172 (1995-08-01), Lamy et al.
patent: 5524463 (1996-06-01), Schenkel et al.
patent: 5570080 (1996-10-01), Inoue et al.
pa
Dameme Alain
Fresnel Eric
Gouelibo Didier
Friedman Stuart J.
Lee Benjamin C.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Sensorimatic France
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