Security tag for use on articles of clothing and the like
First Claim
1. A reusable security tag for application to garments and other commodities, comprising a housing consisting of a non-metallic material and defining a chamber;
- a signal generator secured to said housing;
a retaining member having a first portion including an elongated shank and extending into said chamber, and a second portion outwardly adjacent said housing and arranged to retain a portion of a commodity between itself and the housing, said second portion including a head at one end of said shank;
means for releasably locking the first portion of said retaining member in said housing, said locking means being disengageable from said first portion of said retaining member in response to mechanical deformation of a selected component of said housing and in response to the application of magnetic force to thus permit extraction of the first portion of said retaining member from said housing with attendant separation of said portion of a commodity from the housing, said housing comprising a first section and a second section and said second section constituting said component, said locking means including a non-magnetic casing having an inlet for said shank, at least one clamping element movable into and from engagement with the shank, displacing means for moving said at least one clamping element into engagement with said shank, and magnetically and mechanically displaceable ferromagnetic means for disengaging said at least one clamping element from said shank by way of said displacing means, said displacing means including a reciprocable carrier, a pusher provided on said carrier adjacent said at least one clamping element and means for biasing said carrier in a direction to urge said pusher against said at least one clamping element and to thereby maintain said at least one clamping element in engagement with said shank, said ferromagnetic means being disposed in said housing outwardly adjacent said casing and being connected with said carrier; and
resilient means disposed in said housing and arranged to move said ferromagnetic means in response to deformation of said second section to thereby permit disengagement of said at least one clamping element from said shank.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reusable security tag for use on merchandise in department stores and like establishments has a housing which confines a locking device, a leaf spring and a signal generator. The locking device can receive the shank of a retaining member having a head which holds a portion of an article of clothing or other merchandise between itself and the housing. The locking device can release the shank by way of the spring in response to deformation of a selected component of the housing, or in response to placing of a magnet adjacent the housing so that the magnet can shift a ferromagnetic member which is reciprocably installed in the housing and can change the position of a reciprocable shaft forming part of the locking device.
78 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A reusable security tag for application to garments and other commodities, comprising a housing consisting of a non-metallic material and defining a chamber;
- a signal generator secured to said housing;
a retaining member having a first portion including an elongated shank and extending into said chamber, and a second portion outwardly adjacent said housing and arranged to retain a portion of a commodity between itself and the housing, said second portion including a head at one end of said shank;
means for releasably locking the first portion of said retaining member in said housing, said locking means being disengageable from said first portion of said retaining member in response to mechanical deformation of a selected component of said housing and in response to the application of magnetic force to thus permit extraction of the first portion of said retaining member from said housing with attendant separation of said portion of a commodity from the housing, said housing comprising a first section and a second section and said second section constituting said component, said locking means including a non-magnetic casing having an inlet for said shank, at least one clamping element movable into and from engagement with the shank, displacing means for moving said at least one clamping element into engagement with said shank, and magnetically and mechanically displaceable ferromagnetic means for disengaging said at least one clamping element from said shank by way of said displacing means, said displacing means including a reciprocable carrier, a pusher provided on said carrier adjacent said at least one clamping element and means for biasing said carrier in a direction to urge said pusher against said at least one clamping element and to thereby maintain said at least one clamping element in engagement with said shank, said ferromagnetic means being disposed in said housing outwardly adjacent said casing and being connected with said carrier; and
resilient means disposed in said housing and arranged to move said ferromagnetic means in response to deformation of said second section to thereby permit disengagement of said at least one clamping element from said shank. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- a signal generator secured to said housing;
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2. A reusable security tag for application to garments and other commodities, comprising a housing consisting of a non-metallic material and defining a chamber;
- a signal generator secured to said housing;
a retaining member having a first portion including an elongated shank and extending into said chamber and a second portion outwardly adjacent said housing and arranged to retain a portion of a commodity between itself and the housing, said second portion including a head at one end of said shank;
means for releasably locking the first portion of said retaining member in said housing, said locking means being disengageable from said first portion of said retaining member in response to mechanical deformation of a selected component of said housing and in response to the application of magnetic force to thus permit extraction of the first portion of said retaining member from said housing with attendant separation of said portion of a commodity from the housing, said housing comprising a first section and a second section and said second section constituting said component, said locking means including a non-magnetic casing having an inlet for said shank, at least one clamping element movable into and from engagement with the shank, displacing means for moving said at least one clamping element into engagement with said shank, and magnetically and mechanically displaceable ferromagnetic means for disengaging said at least one clamping element from said shank by way of said displacing means, said displacing means including a reciprocable carrier, a pusher provided on said carrier adjacent said at least one clamping element and means for biasing said carrier in a direction to urge said pusher against said at least one clamping element and to thereby maintain said at least one clamping element in engagement with said shank; and
resilient means disposed in said housing outwardly adjacent said casing and being deformable in response to deformation of said second section to thereby move said carrier and said pusher to a position in which said at least one clamping element is disengageable from said shank and the latter can be extracted from said casing and said housing.
- a signal generator secured to said housing;
Specification