Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PINLESS SECURITY DEVICE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to Electronic Article Surveillance
("EAS")
systems for the prevention of unauthorized removal of an item from a
controlled area, and
more particularly to a pinless EAS security tag that securely attaches to an
item of
merchandise without penetrating the item.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical Electronic Article Surveillance ("EAS") system in a retail setting
may
comprise a monitoring system and one or more security tags or labels attached
to articles
to be protected from unauthorized removal. The monitoring system establishes a
surveillance zone (also referred to as an interrogation zone), usually at an
access point for
the controlled area. Articles which are authorized for removal from the area
can be
deactivated or removed so as not be detectable by the monitoring system. If
the monitored
item enters the surveillance zone with an active security tag, an alarm may be
triggered to
indicate possible unauthorized removal of the item.
As is known in the art, security tags (also referred to as labels) for EAS
systems
can be constructed in any number of configurations. The desired configuration
of the tag
or label is often dictated by the nature of the article to be protected. For
example, pre-
packaged goods which are subject to retail theft, such as CDs, DVDs, small
electronic
devices, etc., may contain an EAS label disposed within the packaging in such
a way that
it is hidden from the consumer at least during the pre-purchase period.
An EAS label may be enclosed in a rigid housing which can be secured to the
monitored item, such as hard tags containing EAS labels which are commonly
attached to
clothing in retail stores. The rigid housing typically includes a pin which is
inserted
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through the fabric and secured in place on the opposite side. The housing
cannot be
removed from the clothing without destroying the housing except by using an
EAS
deactivator/remover.
However, by inserting the pin through the fabric, the item to be protected
incurs
some damage from the pin. High-end retailers and customers dislike having
expensive
merchandise, such as, for example, leather goods, suffer some damage in order
to prevent
theft. Shoes are especially difficult to protect using a device having a pin
as the material
the shoe is constructed from often suffers permanent damage from the pin.
Additionally, shoes present other difficulties for EAS tags having a pin
because the
shoe material may simply be too rigid to insert the pin. Many retailers
currently attempt to
secure their merchandise using these hard tags in combination with pins,
lanyards or both
through a lace eyelet or in the tongue area. This practice is fine for a few
shoe types, but
the tag/pin/lanyard interferes with the fitting and lacing process of the
merchandize. Thus,
many shoes, boots and expensive or strapped women's shoes cannot be tagged at
all. For
items such as boots, pin may be too short to extend through the thickness of
the boot
material, thereby preventing the pin from being secured.
Therefore, what is needed is a pinless EAS security device that is attachable
to
items of merchandise without penetrating through or damaging the item.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention advantageously provides a pinless Electronic Article
Surveillance ("EAS") security device, system and method for attaching the
pinless EAS
security device to an article of merchandise. The pinless EAS security device
protects the
article from being removed from a monitored area without penetrating the
article.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a security device is
removably affixable to an article. The security device includes a housing, a
locking
element and a strap. The housing includes a securing pad. The locking element
is
disposed within the housing. The strap includes a first end having a latching
region that is
insertable into the housing and a second end having a securing region. The
strap is
slidingly movable between an open position and a locked position. The locking
element is
engageable with the latching region of the strap. The strap, when in the
locked position is
at least partially retained within the housing and secures the article between
the securing
pad and the securing region of the strap.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an electronic
article
EAS system for securing an article includes an EAS security device and a
magnetic
detacher. The EAS security device includes a housing, a strap and a locking
element. The
housing includes a securing pad and a protrusion. The strap includes a first
end having a
latching region that is insertable into the housing and a second end having a
securing
region. The locking element includes a magnetically actuable latch and a
flexible locking
element. The magnetically actuable latch is disposed within the protrusion of
the housing.
The flexible locking element biases the magnetically actuable latch and the
latching region
of the strap into a locked position. The strap is slidingly movable between an
open
position and a locked position. The locking element is engageable with the
latching region
of the strap. The strap, when in the locked position is at least partially
retained within the
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housing and secures the article between the securing pad and the securing
region of the strap.
The magnetic detacher includes a detaching zone operable to nest the
protrusion of the
housing therein for detaching the EAS security device from the article.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method is
provided for protecting an article from theft. A security device is affixed to
a portion of the
article. The security device includes a housing, a locking element and a
strap. The housing
includes a securing pad. A locking element is disposed within the housing. The
strap includes
a first end having a latching region that is insertable into the housing and a
second end having
a securing region. The strap is slidingly moved from an open position to a
locked position.
The locking element engages with the latching region of the strap.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a security
device, removably affixable to an article, the security device comprising; a
housing including:
an exterior securing side; an interior channel having an opening adjacent the
exterior securing
side, the channel oriented at an acute angle with respect to the exterior
securing side; and a
locking element disposed within the housing adjacent the interior channel; and
a rigid
bifurcated strap with diverging first and second arms, the first and second
arms defining an
inside surface therebetween, the first arm being insertable into the channel
in the housing and
having a latching region engagable with the locking element of the housing,
the second arm
having a distal end with the inside surface of the second arm proximate the
end including a
securing region having at least one protrusion extending therefrom, the
protrusion configured
and positioned to contact the exterior securing side of the housing when the
first arm is
inserted into the channel; the strap slidingly movable within the channel
between an open
position and a locked position in which the first arm is retained within the
channel, the
retention of first arm within the channel causing the securing region of the
second arm to exert
compressive force against the securing side, wherein moving the strap into the
locked position
compresses the securing region into the exterior securing side of the housing
to secure a
portion of the article therebetween.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
electronic article surveillance ("EAS") system for securing an article,
comprising: an EAS
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security device including: a housing including: an exterior securing side; an
interior channel
having an opening adjacent the exterior securing side, the channel oriented at
an acute angle
with respect to the securing side; and a locking element disposed within the
housing adjacent
the interior channel; and a rigid bifurcated strap with diverging first and
second arms, the first
and second arms defining an inside surface therebetween, the first arm being
insertable into
the channel in the housing and having a latching region engagable with the
locking element of
the housing, the second arm having a distal end with the inside surface of the
second arm
proximate the end including a securing region having at least one protrusion
extending
therefrom, the protrusion configured and positioned to contact the exterior
securing side of the
housing when the first arm is inserted into the channel; the strap slidingly
movable within the
channel between an open position and a locked position in which the first arm
is retained
within the channel, the retention of first arm within the channel causing the
securing region of
the second arm to exert compressive force against the securing side, wherein
moving the strap
into the locked position compresses the securing region into the exterior
securing side of the
housing to secure a portion of the article therebetween; and a magnetic
detacher including a
detaching zone, the detaching zone operable to nest the protrusion of the
housing therein for
detaching the EAS security device from the article.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a
method for protecting an article from theft, the method comprising: affixing a
security device
to a portion of the article, the security device including: a housing
including: an exterior
securing side; an interior channel having an opening adjacent the exterior
securing side, the
channel oriented at an acute angle with respect to the securing side; and a
locking element
disposed within the housing adjacent the interior channel, the locking element
including a
magnetically actuable latch; and a flexible locking element biasing the
magnetically actuable
latch and the latching region of the strap into a locked position; and a rigid
bifurcated strap
with diverging first and second arms, the first and second arms defining an
inside surface
therebetween, the first arm being insertable into the channel in the housing
and having a
latching region engagable with the locking element of the housing, the second
arm having a
distal end with the inside surface of the second arm proximate the end
including a securing
region having at least one protrusion extending therefrom, the protrusion
configured and
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positioned to contact the exterior securing side of the housing when the first
arm is inserted
into the channel; slidingly moving the strap within the channel between an
open position and a
locked position in which the first arm is retained within the channel, the
retention of first arm
within the channel causing the securing region of the second arm to exert
compressive force
against the securing side; and securing a portion of the article between the
securing region and
the exterior securing side of the housing by moving the strap into the locked
position.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant
advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference
to the
following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates components of a pinless electronic article surveillance
("EAS")
security device and system, in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear/left-side perspective view of a pinless EAS device with the
left half
of the housing removed, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the
present
invention;
FIG. 3 is a left-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS device with the
left
half of the housing removed, constructed in accordance with one embodiment of
the
present invention;
FIG. 4 is a rear/left-side perspective view of a pinless EAS device
constructed in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top/right-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS device
constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a bottom/left-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS device
constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is rear/right-side perspective view of a pinless EAS device constructed
in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a top/right-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS device
constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 6 is a bottom/right-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS device
constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present
invention;
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FIG. 7 is a right-side view of a pinless EAS device with the right half of the
housing removed, constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of
the
present invention;
FIG. 8 is an illustration showing a pinless EAS device attached to a shoe, in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9 is an illustration showing a pinless EAS device attached to a boot, in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 10 is an illustration showing a view of the interior of the boot of FIG.
9.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Before describing in detail exemplary embodiments that are in accordance with
the
present invention, it is noted that the embodiments reside primarily in
combinations of
apparatus components and processing steps related to implementing apparatuses,
systems
and methods for securing a pinless EAS security device to items of merchandise
without
penetrating through or damaging the item. Accordingly, the system and method
components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in
the
drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to
understanding the
embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with
details that
will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the
benefit of the
description herein.
As used herein, relational terms, such as "first" and "second," "top" and
"bottom,"
and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from
another entity or
element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical
relationship or
order between such entities or elements.
One embodiment may include, for example, a pinless EAS security device
comprising a securing mechanism, locking mechanism, security tag, and a
housing. The
securing mechanism may comprise a strap and a securing pad. The strap may be
any
suitable materials, such as metal or plastic and may be rigid or flexible. The
strap includes
a securing side and latching side. The securing side of the strap may extend
outward from
the housing and secure the pinless EAS security device to an item by
entrapping a portion
of an article between the strap and the securing pad. The locking mechanism
may include
a magnetically actuable latch and a flexible element that biases the
magnetically actuable
latch toward a locking position. The latching side of the strap mates with at
least a portion
of the magnetically actuable latch in the locking position. As used herein,
the "locking
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position" may refer to the position of the magnetically actuable latch in
which it is
partially or fully within a void of, in engagement with, joined with, or
otherwise mated
with the latching side of the strap. The housing may be a structure configured
to secure
the locking mechanism, security tag, securing mechanism, and the article to
the housing.
As secured, the magnetically actuable latch of the locking mechanism may mate
with the
latching side of the strap in the locking position to lock the housing, and
thus the security
tag with which the housing is secured, to the article. When the housing is
locked, the
security device may prevent or provide resistance to an attempt to separate
the housing
from the article.
It is worthy to note that any reference in the specification to "one
embodiment" or
"an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in
connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The
appearances
of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are
not
necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Numerous specific details may be set forth herein to provide a thorough
understanding of the embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in
the art,
however, that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.
In other
instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been
described in
detail so as not to obscure the embodiments. It can be appreciated that the
specific
structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and
do not
necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by
like
reference numerals throughout, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a perspective
view of
components that may be included in an EAS security system 10 in accordance
with one
embodiment. In this embodiment, the security system 10 includes the security
device 12
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and a detacher 14 used to remove the security device 12 when attached to an
item of
merchandise. The pinless EAS security device 12 may include a housing 16
having two
conjoining halves 16a, 16b molded from a polymer and/or another rigid material
or
materials. A securing mechanism 18, such as a strap 20, is movable between an
open
position and a locked position. When security device 12 is attached to an
article, the strap
20 is moved to the closed position where the article is trapped or sandwiched
between the
strap 20 and a securing side 22 of the housing 16.
The housing 16 further includes a protrusion 24 designed to fit into an
indented
detaching zone 26 of the magnetic tag detacher 14 in order to remove the
pinless EAS
security tag 12 from the protected article.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a rear/left-side perspective view of a pinless EAS
device
with the left half 16b of the housing removed is provided in accordance with
the principles
of the present invention. The pinless EAS security device 12 may include a
securing
mechanism 18, a locking mechanism 28, a detectable security element 30 and a
housing
16. The securing mechanism 18 may include a strap 20 and a flexible channel
element 32.
The strap 20 has a latching side 34 and a securing side 36. The locking
mechanism 28
may be a magnetically actuable locking mechanism, and may include a
magnetically
actuable latch 38 and a flexible locking element 40. The flexible locking
element 40, e.g.,
a spring, in a locked position, is biased to apply an upward force on the
magnetically
actuable latch 38, thereby causing the magnetically actuable latch 38 to
engage the
latching side 34 of the securing mechanism 18.
The housing 16 may be any casing or other structure that partially or fully
contains
and/or surrounds, encloses, affixes to, interlocks with, or otherwise secures
the locking
mechanism 28 and detectable security element 30, a portion of the securing
mechanism
18, and an article when the locking mechanism 28 is in the locking position
and the
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housing 16 is thereby locked. The housing 16 and locking mechanism 28 may thus
cooperate to secure, or lock, the article to the housing 16, and thus the
security device 12.
The housing 16 may be configured as desired, and may be shaped based upon the
shapes
of the locking mechanism 28, detectable security element 30, and article for
which it is
designed to secure, such as described below with respect to embodiments of the
housing
16. The housing 16 may include a securing pad 42, which may be integral with
the
housing 16 or may be a separate piece mounted on the securing side 22 of the
housing 16.
The housing 16 may alternatively be configured to pair with the securing pad
42. The
interior of the housing 16 may further comprise a rectangular channel 44 which
encompasses a portion of the latching side 34 of the strap 20 and allows the
strap 20 to
slide along the channel 44. The channel 44 is oriented at an acute angle of
approximately
350 with respect to the securing side 36 of the housing 16.
In one embodiment, the strap 20 may comprise or may be formed of a non-
magnetic material such as aluminum, plastic or a die-cast alloy. The strap 20
may
comprise a "U-shaped" or "V-shaped" element wherein one side of the U (or V)
is a
latching side 34 and the other side is a securing side 36. The angle between
the latching
side 34 and the securing side 36 is an acute angle of approximately 20-60 .
The latching
side 34 partially resides in the housing 16 within the rectangular channel 44.
The latching
side 34 of the strap 20 slides within the channel 44 to allow the strap 20 to
move from an
open position to a closed position. A flexible channel element 32 is
compressed between
the bottom surface 46 of the latching side 34 of the strap and an outer wall
of the housing
16, thereby biasing the flexible element 32 to apply an upward force to the
bottom surface
46 of the latching side 34 of the strap 20 and causing the strap 20 to tend to
rest in an open
position. The flexible channel element 32 may be a cylindrical spring, an
elliptical spring,
a cantilever arm, such as, for example, a leaf spring or any other shape, as
long as the
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flexible channel element 32 serves to apply an upward force on the bottom
surface 46 of
the latching side 34 of the strap 20.
The securing side 36 of the strap 20 includes an end portion 48 having at
least one
protrusion 50, such as ribs, ridges, spikes, teeth, etc., extending inward
towards the
securing side 24 of the housing 16. The amount and type of protrusion 50 may
vary
depending upon the type of article to be secured. When security device 12 is
attached to
an article, the strap 20 is moved to a closed position where the article is
trapped or
sandwiched between the end portion 48 of the securing side 36 of the strap 20
and the
securing pad 42 on the securing side 24 of the housing 16. The protrusions 50
of the
securing side 36 of the strap 20 "bite" into the material of the article
preventing the
security tag 12 from being removed without destroying or damaging the
detectable
security element 30 or article.
The securing pad 42 may also include protrusions, such as rows of teeth or
ridges
52 designed to operate in conjunction with the protrusions 50 of the securing
side 36 of the
strap 20 to securely grip the material of an article and prevent the pinless
EAS security
device 12 from being removed from the article when the strap 20 is in a locked
position.
The securing pad 42 may comprise a metal, polymer, ceramic, and/or another
material or
materials, as long as the material is rigid enough to prevent the housing 16
from being
forcibly removed from the article, when secured to the article, without
destroying or
damaging the detectable security element 30 or article.
The latching side 34 of the strap 20 includes a plurality of parallel ridges
54, such
as ribs, teeth, notches, jags, points, curves, voids, or other shapes, which
engage the
magnetically actuable latch 38 to secure the strap 20 in a locked position and
prevent the
latching side 34 from being extended from the housing 16. The latching side 34
of the
securing mechanism 16 may be configured as desired, such as with one or more
holes or
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other voids, ribs, teeth, protrusions, or other shapes. The latching side 34
may be
configured to engage, receive, insert into, or otherwise mate with at least a
portion of the
magnetically actuable latch 38.
The magnetically actuable latch 38 may include a base portion 56, which may
include a base portion end 58 and a latching portion 62 which may include a
latching
portion end 64. Protruding from the latching portion end 64, the magnetically
actuable
latch 38 includes one or more teeth 66, ribs, notches, jags, points, curves,
voids, or other
shapes such as those described herein with respect to embodiments of the
magnetically
actuable latch 38, while the base portion end 58 may be flat or another shape.
In one
embodiment, each ridge or tooth 66 may have a rise of approximately 1.36 mm
and a run
of approximately 0.46 mm. Exemplary ratios of rise to run can be approximately
3:1, 4:1
or 5:2. It is understood however, that these examples are not limiting and
that other ratios
can be used depending on the design requirements and the object to be secured.
In an embodiment where the magnetically actuable latch 38 is toothed at its
latching portion end 64, the latching side 34 of the securing mechanism 16 may
be
configured with ribs 54 that engage the teeth 66 of the magnetically actuable
latch 38 in
the locking position. The flexible locking element 40 is biased to exert a
force on the base
portion end 58 to engage the teeth 66 of the latching portion end 64 into the
teeth 54 of the
latching side 34 of the strap 20 to prevent the strap 20 from being pulled
away from the
housing 16. The flexible locking element 40 prevents the base portion 56 from
disengaging the latching side 34 of the strap 20 unless the magnetically
actuable latch 38
is being pulled away from the latching side 34 by a magnetic force, such as
that exerted by
a detacher 14.
The flexible locking element 40 may be shaped as desired, such as in a cuboid,
ellipsoid, coil, or any other shape such as described herein with respect to
the
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embodiments of the flexible locking element 40 and may include one or more
pieces, or
may be combined or integrally formed with the magnetically actuable latch 38.
In one
embodiment, the flexible locking element 40 may be shaped as a cantilever arm,
such as,
for example, a leaf spring. The flexible locking element 40 may comprise or
may be
formed of a flexible material such as a light, porous, semi-rigid, elastic,
gaseous, and/or
spongy material that may provide a resistant force when compressed and may
partially or
fully recover its uncompressed shape when the compressive force is removed.
For
example, in various embodiments, the flexible locking element 40 may comprise
or may
be formed of a foam rubber, polymeric foam, ceramic foam, or other foam; a
rubber;
and/or another material or materials. The flexible locking element 40 may also
or
alternatively be configured to provide the resistant force when compressed.
For example,
in various embodiments the flexible locking element 40 may be configured as a
coil, leaf
or other cantilevered arm, or other spring, or other like member, that
comprises a metal,
polymer, ceramic, and/or another material or materials. The flexible locking
element 40
may have any of various masses.
Additionally, the combination of forces applied to the strap 20 by the
flexible
locking element 40 and the flexible channel element 32, in the locked
position, produce a
torque upon the strap 20 which further serves to allow the securing side 22 of
the strap 20
to firmly grip the protected article.
The magnetically actuable latch 38 may be configured as desired, may comprise
one or more pieces, and may be symmetrical or unsymmetrical about any point,
line, or
plane. For example, in various embodiments the magnetically actuable latch 38
may be
configured with a "T", "I", curved, or other shape of face and with a
rectangular, circular,
thick, hollow or otherwise voided, and/or non-uniform cross-section, or as
described
herein with respect to embodiments of the magnetically actuable latch 38. In
addition, the
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base portion end 58 may be continuous or discontinuous. The magnetically
actuable latch
38 may be configured such that at least a portion of it, such as the latching
portion 62, may
engage, receive, insert into, or otherwise mate with the latching side 34 of
the securing
mechanism 16, such as described herein.
The magnetically actuable latch 38 may comprise or may be formed of a magnetic
material such as iron, nickel, or cobalt, or an alloy of iron, nickel, or
cobalt. In one
embodiment, the magnetically actuable latch 38 includes one or more magnetic
materials
and may also include one or more nonmagnetic materials.
In one embodiment, the magnetically actuable latch 38 and the flexible locking
element 40 are contained within the protrusion 24 of the housing 16 opposite
the securing
side 22. The protrusion 24 is designed to fit into an indented detaching zone
26 of the
magnetic tag detacher 14 (FIG. 1) in order to remove the pinless EAS security
tag 12 from
the protected article. The magnetic tag detacher 14 applies a magnetic field
which attracts
the magnetically actuable latch 38 with enough force to overcome the upward
force
supplied by the flexible locking element 40 such that the ridges or teeth 66
of the
magnetically actuable latch 38 disengage from the ridges or teeth 54 of the
latching side
34 of the strap 20, thereby allowing the strap 20 to move freely in the
channel 44 and
releasing the article.
The detectable security element 30 is positioned within a chamber in the
housing
16 and may be any detectable device or system, such as any security tag or
label. For
example, in various embodiments the detectable security element 30 may be any
type of
EAS element (e.g., Radio Frequency element, acousto-magnetic element, etc.),
Radio
Frequency Identification ("RFID") element, combination EAS/RFID element, smart
tag,
or other detectable anti-theft or other security element. Of note, although
the present
invention is described with reference to an "EAS system" using "EAS tags"
these terms
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are used in the general sense and include tags that use one or security
elements, e.g., EAS
element, RFID element, etc. The detectable security element 30 may be
detectable by a
corresponding detecting system or device, such as, depending on the type of
security tag
or label, an acousto-magnetic detector, electromagnetic detector, radio
frequency detector,
or other detector.
FIG. 3 illustrates a left-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS device
12 with
the left half 16b of the housing removed. FIG. 4 illustrates a rear/left-side
perspective
view of a pinless EAS device 12 constructed in accordance with one embodiment
of the
present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the detectable
security element
30 is oriented such that the longitudinal axis of the detectable security
element 30 lies in
the same plane as the strap 20 (hereinafter referred to as a "vertical
embodiment").
Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment of a pinless EAS security
tag
120 is provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In
contrast to
EAS security tag 12, the longitudinal axis of the detectable security element
300 lies in a
plane perpendicular to the strap 200 (hereinafter referred to as a "horizontal
embodiment").
The horizontal embodiment of a pinless EAS security tag 120 may include a
housing 160 having two conjoining halves 160a, 160b molded from a polymer
and/or
another material or materials. A securing mechanism 180, such as a strap 200,
is movable
between an open position and a locked position. When security device 120 is
attached to
an article, the strap 200 is moved to the closed position where the article is
trapped or
sandwiched between the strap 200 and a securing side 220 of the housing 160.
The housing 160 further includes a protrusion 240 designed to fit into an
indented
detaching zone 26 of a magnetic tag detacher 14 in order to remove the pinless
EAS
security tag 120 from the protected article.
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FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom/right-side/front perspective view of a pinless EAS
device constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present
invention.
Referring now to FIG. 7 a right-side view of a pinless EAS security device 120
with the right half 160b of the housing 160 removed is provided in accordance
with the
principles of the present invention. Pinless EAS security device 120 may
include a
securing mechanism 180, a locking mechanism 280, a detectable security element
300 and
a housing 160. The securing mechanism 180 may include a strap 200 and a
flexible
channel element 320. The strap 200 has a latching side 340 and a securing side
360. The
locking mechanism 280 may be a magnetically actuable locking mechanism, and
may
include a magnetically actuable latch 380 and a flexible locking element 400.
The flexible
locking element 400, e.g., a spring, in a locked position, is biased to apply
an upward force
on the magnetically actuable latch 380, thereby causing the magnetically
actuable latch
380 to engage the latching side 340 of the securing mechanism 180.
The housing 160 may be any casing or other structure that partially or fully
contains and/or surrounds, encloses, affixes to, interlocks with, or otherwise
secures the
locking mechanism 280 and detectable security element 300, a portion of the
securing
mechanism 180, and an article when the locking mechanism 280 is in the locking
position
and the housing 160 is thereby locked. The housing 160 and locking mechanism
280 may
cooperate to secure, or lock, the article to the housing 160, and thus the
security device
120. The housing 160 may be configured as desired, and may be shaped based
upon the
shapes of the locking mechanism 280, detectable security element 300, and
article for
which it is designed to secure, such as described below with respect to
embodiments of the
housing 160. The housing 160 may include a securing pad 420, which may be
integral
with the housing 160 or may be a separate piece mounted on the securing side
220 of the
housing 160. The housing 160 may alternatively be configured to pair with the
securing
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pad 420. The interior of the housing 160 may further comprise a rectangular
channel 440
which encompasses a portion of the latching side 340 of the strap 200 and
allows the strap
200 to slide along the channel 440.
In one embodiment, the strap 200 may comprise or may be formed of a non-
magnetic material such as extended aluminum or poly-carbonate. The strap 200
may
comprise a "U-shaped" or "V-shaped" element wherein one side of the U (or V)
is a
latching side 340 and the other side is a securing side 360. The angle between
the latching
side 340 and the securing side 360 is an acute angle of approximately 30-60 .
The
latching side 340 partially resides in the housing 160 within the rectangular
channel 440.
The latching side 340 of the strap 200 slides within the channel 440 to allow
the strap 200
to move from an open position to a closed position. A flexible channel element
320 is
compressed between the bottom surface 460 of the latching side 340 of the
strap and an
outer wall of the housing 160, thereby biasing the flexible element 320 to
apply an upward
force to the bottom surface 460 of the latching side 340 of the strap 200 and
causing the
strap 200 to tend to rest in an open position. The flexible channel element
320 may be a
cylindrical spring, an elliptical spring, a cantilever arm, such as, for
example, a leaf spring
or any other shape, as long as the flexible channel element 320 serves to
apply an upward
force on the bottom surface 460 of the latching side 340 of the strap 200.
The securing side 360 of the strap 200 includes an end portion 480 having at
least
one protrusion 500, such as ribs, ridges, spikes, teeth, etc., extending back
towards the
securing side 240 of the housing 160. The amount and type of protrusion 500
may vary
depending upon the type of article to be secured. When security device 120 is
attached to
an article, the strap 200 is moved to a closed position where the article is
trapped or
sandwiched between the end portion 480 of the securing side 360 of the strap
200 and the
securing pad 420 on the securing side 240 of the housing 160. The protrusions
500 of the
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securing side 360 of the strap 200 "bite" into the material of the article
preventing the
security tag 120 from being removed without destroying or damaging the
detectable
security element 300 or article.
The securing pad 420 may also include protrusions, such as rows of teeth or
ridges
(not shown) designed to operate in conjunction with the protrusions 500 of the
securing
side 360 of the strap 200 to securely grip the material of an article and
prevent the pinless
EAS security device 120 from being removed from the article when the strap 200
is in a
locked position. The securing pad 420 may comprise a metal, polymer, ceramic,
and/or
another material or materials, as long as the material is rigid enough to
prevent the housing
160 from being forcibly removed from the article, when secured to the article,
without
destroying or damaging the detectable security element 300 or article.
The latching side 340 of the strap 200 includes a plurality of parallel ridges
540,
such as ribs, teeth, notches, jags, points, curves, voids, or other shapes,
which engage the
magnetically actuable latch 380 to secure the strap 200 in a locked position
and prevent
the latching side 340 from being extended from the housing 160. The latching
side 340 of
the securing mechanism 160 may be configured as desired, such as with one or
more holes
or other voids, ribs, teeth, protrusions, or other shapes. The latching side
340 may be
configured to engage, receive, insert into, or otherwise mate with at least a
portion of the
magnetically actuable latch 380.
The magnetically actuable latch 380 may include a base portion 560, which may
include a base portion end 580 and a latching portion 620 which may include a
latching
portion end 640. Protruding from the latching portion end 640, the
magnetically actuable
latch 380 includes one or more teeth 660, ribs, notches, jags, points, curves,
voids, or other
shapes such as those described herein with respect to embodiments of the
magnetically
actuable latch 380, while the base portion end 580 may be flat or another
shape.
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In an embodiment where the magnetically actuable latch 380 is toothed at its
latching portion end 640, the latching side 340 of the securing mechanism 160
may be
configured with ribs 540 that engage the teeth 660 of the magnetically
actuable latch 380
in the locking position. The flexible locking element 400 is biased to exert a
force on the
base portion end 580 to engage the teeth 660 of the latching portion end 640
into the teeth
540 of the latching side 340 of the strap 200 to prevent the strap 200 from
being pulled
away from the housing 160. The flexible locking element 400 prevents the base
portion
560 from disengaging the latching side 340 of the strap 200 unless the
magnetically
actuable latch 380 is being pulled away from the latching side 340 by a
magnetic force,
such as that exerted by a detacher 14.
The flexible locking element 400 may be shaped as desired, such as in a
cuboid,
ellipsoid, coil, or any other shape such as described herein with respect to
the
embodiments of the flexible locking element 400 and may include one or more
pieces, or
may be combined or integrally formed with the magnetically actuable latch 380.
In one
embodiment, the flexible locking element 400 may be shaped as a cantilever
arm, such as,
for example, a leaf spring. The flexible locking element 400 may comprise or
may be
formed of a flexible material such as a light, porous, semi-rigid, elastic,
gaseous, and/or
spongy material that may provide a resistant force when compressed and may
partially or
fully recover its uncompressed shape when the compressive force is removed.
For
example, in various embodiments, the flexible locking element 400 may comprise
or may
be formed of a foam rubber, polymeric foam, ceramic foam, or other foam; a
rubber;
and/or another material or materials. The flexible locking element 400 may
also or
alternatively be configured to provide the resistant force when compressed.
For example,
in various embodiments the flexible locking element 400 may be configured as a
coil, leaf
or other cantilevered arm, or other spring, or other like member, that
comprises a metal,
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polymer, ceramic, and/or another material or materials. The flexible locking
element 400
may have any of various masses.
Additionally, the combination of forces applied to the strap 200 by the
flexible
locking element 400 and the flexible channel element 320, in the locked
position, produce
a torque upon the strap 200 which further serves to allow the securing side
220 of the strap
200 to firmly grip the protected article.
The magnetically actuable latch 380 may be configured as desired, may comprise
one or more pieces, and may be symmetrical or unsymmetrical about any point,
line, or
plane. For example, in various embodiments the magnetically actuable latch 380
may be
configured with a "T", "I", curved, or other shape of face and with a
rectangular, circular,
thick, hollow or otherwise voided, and/or non-uniform cross-section, or as
described
herein with respect to embodiments of the magnetically actuable latch 380. In
addition,
the base portion end 580 may be continuous or discontinuous. The magnetically
actuable
latch 380 may be configured such that at least a portion of it, such as the
latching portion
620, may engage, receive, insert into, or otherwise mate with the latching
side 340 of the
securing mechanism 160, such as described herein.
The magnetically actuable latch 380 may comprise or may be formed of a
magnetic material such as iron, nickel, or cobalt, or an alloy of iron,
nickel, or cobalt. In
one embodiment, the magnetically actuable latch 380 includes one or more
magnetic
materials and may also include one or more nonmagnetic materials.
In one embodiment, the magnetically actuable latch 380 and the flexible
locking
element 400 are contained within the protrusion 240 of the housing 160
opposite the
securing side 220. The protrusion 240 is designed to fit into an indented
detaching zone
26 of the magnetic tag detacher 14 (FIG. 1) in order to remove the pinless EAS
security
tag 12 from the protected article. The magnetic tag detacher 14 applies a
magnetic field
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which attracts the magnetically actuable latch 380 with enough force to
overcome the
upward force supplied by the flexible locking element 400 such that the ridges
or teeth 660
of the magnetically actuable latch 38 disengage from the ridges or teeth 540
of the latching
side 34 of the strap 200, thereby allowing the strap 200 to move freely in the
channel 440
and releasing the article.
The detectable security element 300 may be any detectable device or system,
such
as any security tag or label. For example, in various embodiments the
detectable security
element 300 may be any type EAS element (e.g., Radio Frequency element,
acousto-
magnetic element, etc.), Radio Frequency Identification ("RFID") element,
combination
EAS/RFID element, smart tag, or other detectable anti-theft or other security
element. Of
note, although the present invention is described with reference to an "EAS
system" using
"EAS tags" these terms are used in the general sense and include tags that use
one or
security elements, e.g., EAS element, RFID element, etc. . The detectable
security
element 300 may be detectable by a corresponding detecting system or device,
such as,
depending on the type of security tag or label, an acousto-magnetic detector,
electromagnetic detector, radio frequency detector, or other detector.
Referring now to FIG. 8, a horizontal embodiment of a pinless EAS security
device
120 is illustrated in use while attached to a woman's shoe. FIGS. 9 and 10
illustrate a
horizontal embodiment of a pinless EAS security device 120 while attached to a
boot. As
may be noted from FIGS. 8-10, embodiments of the present invention allow a
customer to
try on the item of merchandise with minimal interference from the pinless EAS
security
device, while advantageously providing the assurance of protection against
theft for the
retailer.
Of note, although the present invention is described with reference to
capturing a
portion of an article to be secured between the contact pad on the housing and
the securing
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77496-361
region on the strap, use of the present invention is not limited to such. For
example, where
an article has an opening or an element with an opening such as a handbag
strap, handle,
ring or belt buckle, the strap of the security tag can be inserted through the
opening in the
article such that, when in the locked position, the securing region contacts
the securing pad
thereby locking the security tag to the article.
Unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of
the
accompanying drawings are not to scale.
=
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