Bottle security device

• US 20060043049A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• 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 7,350,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 215/215
• 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 and having a sidewall with an inner surface;

an inner member which is movable between locked and unlocked positions;

wherein the inner member includes a plurality of locking fingers adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck and lockably engage the neck when the inner member is in the locked position;

wherein a portion of the inner member is disposed in the outer member cavity; and

a plurality of strengthening fingers extending upwardly inside the outer member cavity and abutting the inner surface of the outer member sidewall.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the outer member has a lower end;

and wherein the strengthening fingers extend upwardly from adjacent the lower end of the outer member.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the strengthening fingers are cantilevered from adjacent the lower end of the outer member.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the outer member has an upper end;

and wherein the strengthening fingers extend upwardly to adjacent the upper end of the outer member.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the strengthening fingers are disposed between the inner member and the outer member sidewall to help prevent deformation of the outer member sidewall.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the strengthening fingers are disposed between the locking fingers and the outer member sidewall.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the strengthening fingers are substantially parallel to the outer member sidewall.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the inner member moves downwardly with respect to the outer member from the locked to the unlocked position.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein a plurality of engaging members are disposed inside the outer member cavity and selectively lockably engage the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the engaging members are a plurality of upwardly extending engaging fingers.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the engaging fingers and strengthening fingers are circumferentially spaced from one another.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the engaging fingers and strengthening fingers are disposed in an alternating manner so that one of the engaging fingers is disposed between each adjacent pair of strengthening fingers and one of the strengthening fingers is disposed between each adjacent pair of engaging fingers.

13. The device of claim 9 further including a disengaging mechanism for disengaging the engaging members from the inner member.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the disengaging mechanism includes a rotatable member for moving the engaging members away from the inner member to disengage the engaging members from the inner member when the rotatable member is rotated.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the rotatable member is disposed entirely above the strengthening fingers.

16. The device of claim 1 further including an intermediate member defining a cavity in which a portion of the inner member is disposed;

and wherein a portion of the intermediate member and a portion of the inner member is disposed in the outer member cavity.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the strengthening fingers are part of the intermediate member.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the intermediate member includes a plurality of upwardly extending engaging fingers which selectively lockably engage the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position.

19. The device of claim 1 in combination with the bottle having the neck;

wherein the locking fingers fit around at least a portion of the neck and lockably engage the neck when the inner member is in the locked position to secure the device to the bottle neck.

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

an outer member defining a cavity and having a sidewall with an inner surface;

an inner member which is movable between locked and unlocked positions;

wherein the inner member is adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck and lockably engage the neck when the inner member is in the locked position;

wherein a portion of the inner member is disposed in the outer member cavity; and

a plurality of engaging members disposed inside the outer member cavity and selectively lockably engaging the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position; and

a plurality of strengthening fingers extending upwardly inside the outer member cavity and abutting the inner surface of the outer member sidewall.