Anti-theft sensor marker

• US 4,945,339 A
• Filed: 11/16/1988
• Issued: 07/31/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Yoshihito, Yamauchi, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sutcliffe, Geoff
• Application Number:
  US07/271,791
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 340/551, 340/572, 148/306, 148/307, 148/308, 148/309, 148/310
• US Class Current: 340/551
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 45/02 with iron as the major constituent
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2411 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/244 Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2442 Tag materials and material properties thereof, e.g. magnetic material details
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/15308 based on Fe/Ni H01F1/15325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/928 Magnetic property

Abstract

An anti-theft sensor marker is disclosed which has good sensitivity characteristics and which does not readily deteriorate due to bending stress. The marker is mainly composed of an alloy ribbon and is employed in an anti-theft system in which the stealing of a commodity previously marked by the marker is determined by detecting a magnetic field of a specific frequency with respect to an incident magnetic field intensity applied to a detection region through the alloy ribbon of the marker when the marker is disposed within the detection region. The alloy ribbon has the constitutional formula ##STR1## wherein, M is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni; M'"'"' is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Nb, W, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti and Mo; M" is at least one member selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Al, platinum metals, Sc, Y, rare-earth metals, Au, Zn, Sn and Re; X is at least one member selected from the group consisting of C, Ge, P, Ga, Sb, In, Be and As; and a, x, y, z, α, β and γ satisfy the relations: 0≦a≦0.3, 0.1≦x≦3, 6≦y≦25, 3≦z≦15, 14≦y+z≦30, 1≦α≦10, 0≦β≦10, 9≦γ≦10, and wherein at least 50% of the structure of the alloy ribbon is composed of fine bccFe solid-solution crystalline grains in which the mean grain diameter, measured as a maximum grain diameter, is not larger than 500 Å.

Claims

1. An anti-theft sensor marker mainly composed of an alloy and employed in an anti-theft system in which the unlawful taking of a commodity marked by said marker is determined by detecting a magnetic field of a specific frequency with respect to an incident magnetic field intensity applied to a detection region through said alloy of said marker when said marker is disposed within said detection region, said alloy having the constitutional formula ##STR3## wherein, M is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni;

M'"'"' is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Nb, W, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti and Mo;

M" is at least one member selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Al, platinum metals, Sc, Y, rare-earth metals, Au, Zn, Sn and Re;

X is at least one member selected from the group consisting of C, Ge, P, Ga, Sb, In, Be and As; and

a, x, y, z, α

, β and

γ

satisfy the relations;

0≦

a≦

0.3, 0.1≦

x≦

3, 6≦

y≦

25, 3≦

z≦

15, 14≦

y+z≦

30, 1≦

α

≦

10, 0≦

β

≦

10, 9≦

γ

≦

10, and wherein at least 50% of the structure of the alloy ribbon is composed of fine bccFe solid-solution crystalline grains in which the mean grain diameter, measured as a maximum grain diameter, is not larger than 500 Å

.

2. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the surface of said alloy is provided with a coating layer thereon.

3. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 2, wherein the coating layer is a magnetic alloy having a semi-hard magnetic characteristic.

4. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 2, wherein the coating layer is one of Cu and Ni.

5. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein the angular ratio of the direct-current B-H curve of said alloy is not less than 60%;

and wherein the maximum magnetic permeability thereof is not less than 50,000.

6. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, further comprising first and second support members, said alloy ribbon being sandwiched between said members.

7. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 6, wherein said first support member consists of paper, and wherein said second support member consists of polypropylene.

8. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein said crystalline grains are uniformly distributed.

9. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein the mean grain diameter of said crystalline grains ranges between 20 and 200 Å

.

10. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein the alloy is in the form of a line.

11. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein the alloy is in the form of a film.

12. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 1, wherein the saturation magnetostriction λ

s of said alloy is not larger than +5×

10^-6.

13. The anti-theft sensor marker according to claim 12, wherein the saturation magnetostriction λ

s of said alloy ribbon ranges between -5×

10^-6 and +5×

10^-6.