Modular security system
First Claim
1. A security system comprising the combination of:
- a plurality of electrical circuits, each designed to physically interconnect with a different article to be secured;
means coupled to each of the plurality of electrical circuits for sensing each change of state of any of the plurality of electrical circuits, a change of state of an electrical circuit being producted by connection of the electrical circuit and also being produced by disconnection of the electrical circuit, and the means for sensing providing a change of state signal upon sensing of a change of state; and
means responsive to change of state signal from the means for sensing for activating an alarm.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic security system for monitoring merchandise and the like is provided which is responsive to any change of state in the electrical connections thereto thus providing for the detection of virtually any tampering with the merchandise or security system. Conductive loop sensors attached to the merchandise are releasably coupled to series-connected modular sensor monitoring units which in turn are connected to a single control box enclosing latching and alarm circuits. Each monitoring unit is preferably adapted to receive a plurality of conductive loops. Severing of any of the loops, as well as disconnection or reconnection of the loops, the monitoring units or the control box activates the alarm. A time-out circuit controls the length of time of alarm activation and is switchable between long and short alarm durations.
Means facilitating the mounting of the manifold units and control box on existing T-stand and wall rack clothing displays, are also disclosed.
82 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A security system comprising the combination of:
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a plurality of electrical circuits, each designed to physically interconnect with a different article to be secured; means coupled to each of the plurality of electrical circuits for sensing each change of state of any of the plurality of electrical circuits, a change of state of an electrical circuit being producted by connection of the electrical circuit and also being produced by disconnection of the electrical circuit, and the means for sensing providing a change of state signal upon sensing of a change of state; and means responsive to change of state signal from the means for sensing for activating an alarm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A modular security system comprising the combination of:
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a plurality of electrical loops, each having a releasable connector and designed to physically interconnect with a different article to be secured; a plurality of manifolds units, each having a different group of the plurality of electrical loops coupled thereto by the releasably connectors of the electrical loops and operative to provide a change of state signal in response to each change in the connection of an electrical loop thereto including coupling of the electrical loop thereto and uncoupling of the electrical loop therefrom; a control box having an alarm therein and responsive to a change of state signal from any of the plurality of manifold units to activate the alarm; and means for releasably connecting the plurality of manifold units to the control box. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A security system comprising the combination of:
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a plurality of conductive loops, each designed to pass through a portion of a different article to be secured; a first plurality of exclusive OR circuits, each adapted to be coupled to a different pair of the plurality of loops and operative to provide an indication when one of the pair of loops is coupled thereto and also when one of the pair of loops is uncoupled therefrom; a second plurality of exclusive OR circuits coupled to the first plurality of exclusive OR circuits and to each otehr and operative to provide a change of state signal at an output thereof in response to an indication from one of the first plurality of exclusive OR circuits; an alarm; and a flip flop circuit normally assuming a first state and coupled to activate the alarm when switched to a second state, the flip flop circuit being opeative to switch to the second state in response to a change of state signal at the output of the second plurality of exclusive OR circuits. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A clothing display T-stand having a security system and comprising the combination of:
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a generally vertically disposed support shaft mounted on a base; a generally horizontally disposed crossbar coupled to the top of the support shaft at an intermediate portion of the crossbar and adapted to have articles of clothing hung therefrom; at least one manifold unit mounted on the support shaft; a plurality of conductive loops adapted to be coupled to the at least one manifold unit and to extend through portions of articles of clothing hung from the cross-bar, the manifold unit being operative to provide a signal in response to a change of state in the coupling of one of the plurality of loops thereto; and a control box mounted on the support shaft and electrically coupled to the manifold unit, the control box including an arm and circuitry for activating the alarm in response to a signal from the manifold unit. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A clothing display wall arrangement having a security system and comprising the combination of:
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a plurality of spaced-apart, generally vertically disposed slotted support tubes; a hanging arrangement mounted on and extending between an adjacent pair of the support tubes and adapted to have articles of clothing hung therefrom; an elongated manifold unit mounting member disposed adjacent the hanging arrangement and having an opposite pair of brackets secured to the adjacent pair of the support tubes; at least one manifold unit mounted in the manifold unit mounting member; a plurality of conductive loops adapted to be coupled to the at least one manifold unit and to extend through portions of articles of clothing hung from the hanging arrangement, the manifold unit being operative to provide a signal in response to a change of state in the coupling of one of the plurality of loops thereto; and a control box mounted on one of the adjacent pair of the support tubes and electrically coupled to the at least one manifold unit, the control box including an alarm and circuitry for activating the alarm in response to a signal from the manifold unit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A modular security system for protecting articles such as merchandise, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors, each sensor being adapted to be attached to a protected article and undergoing a change of state when a signal therein changes from a first level to a second level and also when the signal changes from the second level to the first level; a multi-channel sensor monitoring unit having an input, an output, and means for coupling the sensors to the monitoring unit; a detection circuit carried by the sensor monitoring unit, the detection circuit being connected to the input, the output and the sensor coupling means, the detector circuit being responsive to a change of state of any of the sensors or of the input to generate an alarm signal and to supply the alarm signal to the output; and a control box including an alarm circuit responsive to the alarm signal at the output of the monitoring unit detection circuit, the input of the sensor monitoring unit being adapted to be coupled in series to the output of another sensor monitoring unit and the output of the sensor monitoring unit being adapted to be coupled in series to the input of another sensor monitoring unit or directly to the control box. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A security system comprising the combination of:
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a plurality of electrical circuits, each designed to physically interconnect with a different article to be secured; means coupled to each of the plurality of electrical circuits for sensing each change of state in each of the plurality of electrical circuits, a change of state of an electrical circuit occurring whenever a signal level in the electrical circuit changes between either of two different levels, the means for sensing providing a change of state signal upon sensing of a change of state; and means responsive to a change of state signal from the means of sensing for activating an alarm.
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Specification