Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This application is a division of our Application No.
216,361 filed December 18, 1474. The present invention relates
to an unlatching tool for a reusable security tag adapted to be
secured to an article to b~ maintained under surveillance.
In the Ganadian patent No. 947,398 of John Welsh et al.,
issued May 14, 1974, for "Article Surveillance Method and System",
there is disclosed inter alia a system for maintaining security
through a surveillance zone by establishing thro~ghout said zone
an interrogating radio wave field and affixing tags to articles
under surveillance which are adapted to reradiate a discernible
and distinguishable radio wave signal when passing through said
zone. As described in said patent~ the active portion of the
tag may take the form of a simple nonlinear impedance, e.g., a
semiconductor diode, directly coupled to antenna elements. Such
surveillance system is particularly useful when employed for con
trolling the~t from retail stores or the like.
The present invention provides an unlatching tool for a
reusable tag for securi~g ~ reradiating e~ement, such as that
disclosed in said patent, to an article to be maintained u~der
surveillance. Said tag is adapted to be secured to the fabric of
a garment or to other material through which a pin can be passed.
It wîll be understood that or such system to ~perate
satisactorl1y, the tags cvntaining the detectable elements mu~t
be easily atta~hable to the garment or article yet not readily re-
moved by unauthorized hands. On the other hand, ~he retail clerk
must have a simple convenient means for readily removing tags
from garments which, due to purchase or other reasons, may be re-
moved legitimately from the premises. ~
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It is, therefore, an object of the pre.se.nt .invention
to provide an unlatching tool whereby a reusable security tag
of the aforesaid type, which is easily secured to a garment or
the like and non-removable except through the use of authorized
non-destructive release means, can be easily released.
In accordance with the pxesent invention there is
provided an unlatching tool for a reusable security tag of
generally flat rectan~ular configuration with opposite broad
surfaces extending between substantially parallel side edges,
lQ comprising in operationally interconnected relationship a pair
of confronting jaws spaced apart and arranged to straddle said
tag with a close fit alongside said side edges, each jaw having
a portion for disposition alongside a corresponding side edge
and an inwardly directed lip projecting toward the other jaw but
not connected thereto for overlying and engaging a gi~en one of
the broad surfaces of said tag to prevent movement of said tag
from between said ja~s in a direction past said lips, and a
pair of spaced apart fingers mounted for oppositional movement
relative to the lips of said jaws for engaging the other broad
2Q surface of said tag to apply pressure to said tag against the
restraint of said jaw lips, said fingers being located in a
plane passing between said jaws so as to engage said tag at
points on a line which.is spaced from and substantially parallel
to said por ions of sa;d jaws.
The invention will be better understood after reading
the following detailed description o~ a presently preferred
embGdiment thereof with reference to the appende~ drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a reusable
tag embodying the subject invention and showing the component
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parts thereof;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tag partially
assembled showing certain details of construction;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along
the line 3-3 of Figure 2 but showing the tag fully assembled
and applied to the garment;
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the pin, clutch lock
and retaining member;
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Figure 5 is a transverse view taken along line 5-5 of
Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a side view of the clutch lock member;
Figure 7 is an exploded view of the principal elements
of a release tool about to be applied to a tag secured to a
garment;
Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along
line 8-8 of Figure 3 showing the tool of Figure 7 in place;
Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the
~ool of Figure 7 in place;
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 with release
force applied; and
Figure 11 is a view similar ~o Figure 10 wi~h the pin
released.
The same reference numerals are used throughout the
appended drawings to designate the same or similar parts.
Re~erring now to the drawings, the detectable element is
designated generally by the reference charactPr 10 and may take
the form of a thin elongated laminated structure containing a
suitable sensor emitter circuit, not shown. The details of such
circuit do not form a part of the present invention and, there-
fore, are not described herein. Reerence may be had to the
aforesaid Canadian patent No. 947,398 or description of ~everal
examples thereof.
The enclosure for the lock means, described in detail in
our main application identified above, comprises a ~ousing 11
formed of plsstic material. The housing 11 has first and second
ma~ing parts 12 and 13, respectivel:y, which when united provide
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a cavity 14 within to receive both the lock means 15 and the
detectable element 10. During assembly, after inserting the
detectahle element 10 and the lock means 15 in the corresponding
sections of cavity 14, (see Fig. 2~, the mating part 13 is fold-
ed over upon the part 12 such that the plurality of studs 17 in
the part 12 pass through the slotted apertures 18 in the part 13,
whereupon the studs 17 are upended or hot-formed to produce a
head thereon preventing withdrawal from said apertures 18.
The part 12 of the housing has a pintle 19 at one end
positioned remotely from the end enclosing the lock means 15.
Said pintle 19 receives the end 20 of a plastic lever 21 whose
opposite end has secured thereto a pin 2~ by means of a retaining
member 23.
Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 7, it will be seen
that the lever 21 has at its free end a zone 24 separated from
the remainder of said lever 21 by frangible means in the form of
the very thin radial spokes 25. Said pin 22 is joined to said
zone 24 by passing therethrough, and the head 26 of said pin is
keyed to said zone 24 by having a noncircular con~iguration as
shown. Such keying of the pin to the zone 24 prevents rotation
of the pin with respect thereto for a reason that will be apparent
hereina~ter.
Now referring to Figs. 4 and 51 it will be observed tha~
the pin 22 has a shank 27 joining its ends which is formed with
a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves 28 having elliptical
cross sections in planes normal to the pin axis and with the major
axes of said grooves lying in a common plane. The groovas 28 pro-
vide a roughened surace to the pin for cooperation with the lork
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means as will be better understood hereinafter. This is accom-
plished due to the el~iptical configuration at minimal sacrifice
of tensile strength in the shank 27 so as to afford maximum re-
sistance to unauthorized withdrawal of the pin from the lock
means.
Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, it will
be seen that the clutch lock means 15 comprise a cruciate member
with one pair of arm~ 29a and 29b at right angle to another pair
of arms 30a and 30b and formed from spring sheet metal with
oppo~ing jaws 31 and 32 raised on one side thereof from itg
central region. The longitudinal axes of said jaws 31 and 32 are
parallel ~o the a~is of said one pair o~ arms 29a and 29b and
arranged such that manipulation of said pairs of arms respective-
ly in opposite directions in one direction will cause separation
of said jaws 31 and 32. From Figo 6 it will be seen that the
enti~e cruciate member 15 is cylindrically curved with the concave
side being on the same side as the opposing jaws 31 and 32. The
jaws 31 and 32 are ~prung apart when the arms 29a and 29b are
: urged in a direction toward the convex side of the member, while
the arms 30a and 30b are urged~in the opposite direction. ~ibs
33 and 34 are provided to prevent~lexure of said arms other than
immediately adjacent said jaws 31 and 32 such tha~ any 1exing
~Eorce applied to said arms is cornmunicated directly ~o said ~aws.
The edges of the jaws are circularly notched, as best seen in
Fig. 5, to cooperate with the grooves 28 in the sha~k o the pin
22.
It now should be readily apparent that the manner of
hinging the lever 21 to the housing 11 is such that the pin 22
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is constrained for movement along a path intersecting the lock
means 15. See Figs. 1 and 3.
Once the pin is inserted in the lock means it preferably
should require a pull in excess of 200 lbs. to separate the pin
22 from the lock means 15 in the abs~nce of the application of
a special tool thereto for releasing the same. If an attempt is
made to withdraw the pin by applying prying force to the lever
21 the frangible spokes 25 will give way freeing the zone 24
along with the head 26 of the pin 22 from the lever. It will be
understood that such action will fail to release the tag from a
garment to which it is secured.
Referring now to Fig. 7, there is shown the essential com-
ponents of an unlatching tool 36 for the subject security tag.
Only the operative elements of the tool are shown since the
mechanism for manipulating the same may take ma~y obvious forms.
In particular, such mechanism may either be hand operable or
machine operable. Specifically, said unlatching tool comprises a
pair of confronting jaws 37a and 37b having inwardly directed lips
for embracing the housing 11 of the tag adjacent the ends of one
pair of arms 30a and 30b of the lock means lS. The tool fur~her
includes a pair of spaced apart fingers 38a and 38b mounted for
oppositional movement relative to the confronting jaws 37a and 37b
for engaging th~ housing 11 at 39 and 40 to effect deformation
thereof adjacent the other pair o arms 29a and 29b of said lock
means sufficient to cause manipulation of said arms ~o r lease
said lock mean~. See particularly Figs. 8, 9, 10 and llo
From the foregoing it should be understood that the housing
11 for the tag should have a size~ shape and rigidity related
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to that of the lock means 15 such as to bar unassisted manual
release of said lock means while communicating to said lock means
sufficient force to effect releasing manipulation thereof upon
the application to the housing of said unlatching tool 36.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, it should be observed
that the cavity formed in housing part 12 for receiving the lock
means 15 is proportioned to afford ~learance at the ends 29c and
29d of arms 29a and 29b, respectively, while surrounding the arms
30a and 30b with a reasonably close fit. Said clearance at ends
29c and 29d accommodates outward movement of arms 29a and 29b as
the lock means 15 is flattened during an unlocking manipulation.
However, the close fit between the housing part 12 and arms 30a
and 30b functions to center th lock means such that the opening
in jaws 31 and 32 is maintained in proper registration or re-
ceiving pin 22.
From the foregoing it should be apparent that arms 30a
and 30b may be shortened or truncated retaining only sufficient
projection to afford said centering action for the lock means ~5~
In such case, however, the housing part 13 will requlre reinforcing
sufficient ~o communicate releasing force to the lock means 15
from the jaws 37a and 37b of the unlatching tool 36.
