Bottle security device

• US 20060027519A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Belden, Dennis D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 215/302
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/14 Applications of locks, e.g. of permutation or key-controlled locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0041 for essentially round objects, e.g. bottles or racket handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7486 Single key

Abstract

A bottle security device includes an inner member, an intermediate member and an outer member that cooperate to lock the device on a bottle neck. The inner member includes a plurality of fingers adapted to fit under the bead on a bottle neck. The intermediate member slides over the inner member and forces the fingers against the bottle. The intermediate member includes a plurality of upwardly extending arms with inwardly projecting teeth that engage outwardly extending teeth on the inner member to lock the inner and intermediate members together. A key unlocks and rotates a rotatable member to separate the intermediate and inner members to unlock the device. Upon rotation of the cover cap, camming surfaces on the rotatable member engage the upwardly extending arms to move them radially outward to disengage them from the inner member.

Claims

1. A bottle security device for use with a bottle having a neck, the bottle security device comprising:

an outer member defining a cavity;

an intermediate member defining a cavity;

a portion of the intermediate member being disposed in the outer member cavity;

an inner member including a body and a plurality of locking fingers which extend therefrom and are adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck of the bottle;

a portion of each locking finger being disposed in the intermediate member cavity;

a portion of the inner member being disposed in the outer member cavity;

the inner member being moveable between locked and unlocked positions; and

a rotatable member for unlocking the device in response to rotation of the rotatable member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the outer member is non-rotatably connected to the intermediate member.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein a portion of the intermediate member engages the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the intermediate member includes at least one engaging member which engages the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position;

wherein the outer member has a sidewall which bounds the outer member cavity; and

wherein the at least one engaging member is disposed between the outer member sidewall and the locking fingers.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the portion of the intermediate member engages the inner member body to lock the inner member in the locked position.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the intermediate member has an inner surface which the locking fingers slidably engage when the inner member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotatable member rotates with respect to the outer member.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the inner member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to rotation of the rotatable member.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the entire inner member moves downwardly from the locked position to the unlocked position.

10. The device of claim 1 further including a locking mechanism having locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of the rotatable member.

11. A bottle security device for use with a bottle having a neck, the bottle security device comprising:

an outer member defining a cavity;

an intermediate member defining a cavity;

a portion of the intermediate member being disposed in the outer member cavity;

an inner member including a sidewall defining a cavity and a plurality of locking fingers which extend from the sidewall and are adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck of the bottle;

a portion of the sidewall of the inner member being disposed in the intermediate member cavity;

a portion of the inner member being disposed in the outer member cavity;

the inner member being moveable between locked and unlocked positions; and

a rotatable member for unlocking the device in response to rotation of the rotatable member.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein a portion of the intermediate member engages the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the portion of the intermediate member engages the inner member sidewall to lock the inner member in the locked position.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein a portion of the intermediate member is moved in response to rotation of the rotatable member to unlock the device.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the rotatable member engages the intermediate member at a camming surface to move the portion of the intermediate member.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein the inner member moves from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to rotation of the rotatable member.

17. The device of claim 11 further including a locking mechanism having locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of the rotatable member.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein a force must be applied to rotate the rotatable member from a non-rotated position to a rotated position to unlock the device;

and wherein the rotatable member automatically returns to the non-rotated position when the force is removed.

19. The device of claim 11 wherein the outer member includes a sidewall having an inner surface;

wherein a plurality of strengthening fingers extend upwardly inside the outer member cavity and abut the inner surface of the outer member sidewall.

20. The device of claim 11 further including at least one engaging member for engaging the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position;

wherein the outer member has a sidewall which bounds the outer member cavity; and

wherein the at least one engaging member is disposed between the outer member sidewall and the locking fingers.