CABLE WRAP SECURITY DEVICE

• US 20080236209A1
• Filed: 02/07/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fawcett, Christopher J., Conti, Brian V., Goldstein, Mitchell S., Christianson, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/18
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/005 Chain-locks, cable-locks or padlocks with alarms
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0017 Anti-theft devices, e.g. tags or monitors, fixed to articles, e.g. clothes, and to be removed at the check-out of shops
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0029 Tags wrapped around the protected product using cables, wires or the like, e.g. with cable retraction for tensioning
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0052 of the magnetic type
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1463 Physical arrangements, e.g. housings devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags A45C13/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/402 Fetters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/409 Shackles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/483 Flexible shackle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/50 Special application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7057 Permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7904 Magnetic features

Abstract

A security device includes a locking member, a ratchet mechanism, and a plurality of cables. The cables are wrapped around all six sides of a box-like article. An attachment clip is releasably snap-fitted into the body of the security device and locked therein by a magnetically attractable member. The ratchet mechanism includes a spool and a locking pawl or lever. A top wall of the housing or locking clip has a key receiving recess for positioning the key for unlocking the clip from the housing and releasing the spool from the ratchet mechanism. The housing has a rotatable handle for manually rotating the internal spool to further tighten the cable about the article after the cable slack is taken up by an internal spring. An alarm system is contained in the housing and actuates an audible alarm upon certain unauthorized actions occurring. The spool is biased by the internal spring to automatically wind the cable onto the spool after the clip has been unlocked from the housing. Insertion of the clip into the housing automatically actuates the ratchet mechanism preventing movement of the cable in the unwind direction and activates the alarm system.

Claims

1. A security device for placement about an object, said device comprising:

a housing;

a cable for placement about the object;

a spool rotatably mounted in the housing and operatively attached to a first end of the cable;

a clip attached to a second end of the cable for insertion into the housing to secure the cable about the object;

a lock mechanism for locking the clip to the housing;

a ratchet mechanism operatively engageable with the spool to maintain the cable tightened about the object;

a key for unlocking the clip from the housing; and

a retraction mechanism for automatically rotating the spool in the cable takeup direction to wind the cable onto the spool.

2. The security device defined in claim 1 in which the cable includes only two cable sections extending from the housing and connected to the clip.

3. The security device defined in claim 1 wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a locking disc movably mounted within the housing and having a plurality of locking pawls engageable with the spool.

4. The security device defined in claim 3 in which the plurality of locking pawls have ratchet teeth engageable with ratchet teeth formed on the spool to prevent rotation of the spool in a cable unwind direction when the clip is locked to the housing.

5. The security device defined in claim 3 in which the lock mechanism includes at least one magnetically attractable member releasably engageable with at least one projection formed on the locking disc.

6. The security device defined in claim 1 in which the lock mechanism includes a pivot arm pivotally mounted on the housing having ratchet teeth at one end engageable with gear teeth formed on the spool and a second end engageable with the cable clip when the clip is inserted into the housing.

7. The security device defined in claim 1 wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a locking lever pivotally mounted within the housing and movable into and out of engagement with locking teeth formed on the spool.

8. The security device defined in claim 7 wherein the spool has a pair of spaced flanges forming a cable storage space therebetween;

in which the locking teeth are formed on peripheries of the spool flanges; and

in which the locking lever engages the locking teeth of the spool flanges.

9. The security device defined in claim 1 including a spring biasing the spool in a cable takeup direction.

10. The security device defined in claim 1 including an alarm system mounted within the housing;

and in which a sensing loop is formed in the cable and when compromised actuates an audible alarm of the alarm system.

11. The security device defined in claim 10 wherein the audible alarm is located adjacent a bottom wall of the housing;

and in which projections extend from said housing bottom wall to provide a space between said bottom wall and the object when the housing is placed against the object to enhance the audible sound of the alarm when actuated.

12. The security device defined in claim 10 wherein the cable includes a pair of cable loops, each loop terminating in an electrical connector;

and in which the electrical connector engages electrical contacts of the alarm system when the clip is locked to the housing.

13. The security device defined in claim 10 wherein the alarm system includes a visual indicator indicating that the alarm system is activated.

14. The security device defined in claim 1 wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a winder mechanism rotatably mounted on the housing for manually rotating the spool to tighten the cable about the object.

15. The security device defined in claim 14 wherein the winder mechanism includes a pivotally mounted flip-up handle for rotating the spool in the cable takeup direction to tighten the cable about the object.

16. The security device defined in claim 1 wherein the lock mechanism includes at least one magnetically attractable locking member moveable between locked and unlocked positions with the clip;

and in which said locking member is biased toward the locked position.

17. The security device defined in claim 16 wherein the clip is formed with first and second longitudinally aligned recesses;

and in which the locking member progressively engages the locking recesses to place the clip in a first locked position and then in a second locked position with the housing.

18. The security device defined in claim 17 wherein the spool is free wheeling when the clip is in the first locked position and is prevented from free wheeling when the clip is in the second locked position.

19. A security device adapted to be placed about an object, said device comprising:

a housing;

a cable having only two cable sections extending from the housing for placement about the object;

a ratchet mechanism having a spool connected to first ends of the cable sections for tightening the cable sections around the object;

a locking clip connected to second ends of the cable sections and removably engaged with the housing; and

a lock mechanism for locking the clip in a locked position with the housing for securing said cable about the object.

20. The security device defined in claim 19 including a retraction mechanism mounted in the housing for biasing the spool in a cable windup direction.

21. The security device defined in claim 20 including a release mechanism engageable with the spool enabling the spool to move in the cable windup direction.

22. The security device defined in claim 20 including an alarm system mounted within the housing;

and in which a sensing loop is formed in the cable and when compromised actuates an audible alarm of the alarm system.

23. The security device defined in claim 19 wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a winder mechanism rotatably mounted on the housing for manually rotating the spool to tighten the cable about the object.

24. The security device defined in claim 19 wherein the lock mechanism includes at least one magnetically attractable locking member moveable between locked and unlocked positions with the clip;

in which the locking member is biased toward the locked position;

in which the clip is formed with first and second longitudinally aligned recesses; and

in which the locking member progressively engages the locking recesses to place the clip in a first locked position and then in a second locked position with the housing.

25. A security device adapted to be placed about an object, said device comprising:

a housing having an internal spool;

a cable operationally connected to the spool and extending from the housing for placement about the object;

a clip attached to the spool and removably engaged with the housing;

a magnetically actuated lock mechanism for locking the clip to the housing; and

a key having a pair of magnets positionable on the clip to actuate the lock mechanism to unlock the clip from the housing.

26. The security device defined in claim 25 including a retraction mechanism biasing the cable toward a windup position on the spool;

in which the lock mechanism locks the clip to the housing in a first locked position enabling the retraction mechanism to remove slack from the cable, and locks the clip to the housing in a second locked position enabling the cable to be tightened about the object by manual rotation of the spool in a cable windup direction.

27. The security device defined in claim 26 including a manually operated release mechanism engageable with the spool enabling the spool to move in the cable windup direction.