Detrimental-substance-containing theft-deterrent device
First Claim
1. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprisingmeans for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article;
- wherein one component includes a plurality of fragile elongated vials that fracture when flexed longitudinally, with each vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article;
wherein the vial-containing component is so structured as to include a plurality of regions in which the vial-containing component flexes more easily in a predetermined direction than in other directions and regions, with the predetermined direction of easier flexing being different in different said given regions; and
wherein said vials are respectively disposed within each of the given regions of the vial-containing component such that when any of the given regions of the vial-containing component is flexed in the predetermined direction of easier-flexing for said given region, the vial disposed in said region is flexed longitudinally and fractures to thereby release the substance contained therein.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device for deterring theft of a protected article, including a pin and clutch for attaching the device to the article, with the pin and clutch being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of the protected article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article. One component includes a plurality of fragile elongated vials that fracture when flexed longitudinally, with each vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article. The vial-containing component is so structured as to include a plurality of regions in which the vial-containing component flexes more easily in a predetermined direction than in other directions and regions, with the predetermined direction of easier flexing being different in different said given regions; and the vials are respectively disposed within each of the given regions of the vial-containing component such that when any of the given regions of the vial-containing component is flexed in the predetermined direction of easier-flexing for said given region, the vial disposed in said region is flexed longitudinally and fractures to thereby release the substance contained therein. The other component is so structured as not to flex when the attempt is made to pry the vial-containing component from the other component while the two components are locked together, thereby concentrating flexure forces resulting from said prying in the vial-containing component.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component includes a plurality of fragile elongated vials that fracture when flexed longitudinally, with each vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; wherein the vial-containing component is so structured as to include a plurality of regions in which the vial-containing component flexes more easily in a predetermined direction than in other directions and regions, with the predetermined direction of easier flexing being different in different said given regions; and wherein said vials are respectively disposed within each of the given regions of the vial-containing component such that when any of the given regions of the vial-containing component is flexed in the predetermined direction of easier-flexing for said given region, the vial disposed in said region is flexed longitudinally and fractures to thereby release the substance contained therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component includes a fragile elongated vial that fractures when flexed longitudinally, with said vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; wherein the vial-containing component is so structured as to be more easily flexed in a predetermined direction in a given region than in other directions and regions; wherein the vial is disposed within the given region of the vial-containing component such that when the vial-containing component is flexed in the predetermined direction, the vial is flexed and fractures to thereby release the detrimental substance contained therein; and wherein the vial-containing component includes a flexible member defining an elongated chamber that confines the vial, a pair of directional voids extending laterally from opposite sides of the chamber, and additional voids that define stiffened regions adjacent the chamber for directing forces applied to the flexible member by a tool being used in an attempt to pry the vial-containing component from the other component while the two components are locked together, such that said directed forces are concentrated across the directional voids to so flex the region of the flexible member adjacent the chamber as to longitudinally flex and fracture the vial. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component includes a fragile elongated vial that fractures when flexed longitudinally, with said vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; wherein the vial-containing component is so structured as to be more easily flexed in a predetermined direction in a given region than in other directions and regions; wherein the vial is disposed within the given region of the vial-containing component such that when the vial-containing component is flexed in the predetermined direction, the vial is flexed and fractures to thereby release the detrimental substance contained therein; and wherein the other component is so structured as not to flex when an attempt is made to pry the vial-containing component from the other component while the two components are locked together, thereby concentrating flexure forces resulting from said prying in the vial-containing component. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component includes a fragile elongated vial that fractures when flexed longitudinally, with said vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; wherein the vial-containing component is so structured as to be more easily flexed in a predetermined direction in a given region than in other directions and regions; wherein the vial is disposed within the given region of the vial-containing component such that when the vial-containing component is flexed in the predetermined direction, the vial is flexed and fractures to thereby release the substance contained therein; wherein the vial-containing component defines a chamber that confines the vial; and wherein the device further comprises shock absorbing means disposed in the chamber adjacent the vial.
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21. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component includes a fragile vial, with said vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; wherein the attaching means includes a pin located in the vial-containing component and a clutch contained within a housing located in the other of said components for grasping said pin; and wherein the other component contains means for shielding the clutch housing from penetration by a drilling tool.
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22. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein the attaching means includes a pin located in one of said components and a clutch located in the other of said components for grasping said pin; and wherein the other component includes a fragile vial disposed around the clutch, with the vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured by contact with tools applied to the other component while the device was attached to the article.
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23. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component is flexible and includes a fragile vial that is disposed in said one component so that the vial fractures when the vial-containing component is flexed, with said vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; and wherein the other component is so structured as not to flex when an attempt is made to pry the vial-containing component from the other component while the two components are locked together, thereby concentrating flexure forces resulting from said prying in the vial-containing component. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A device for deterring theft of a protected article, comprising
means for attaching the device to the article, with said attaching means being embodied in two components that are adapted to be locked together on opposite sides of a portion of said article to prevent unauthorized removal of the device from the article; -
wherein one component includes a fragile vial, with said vial containing a detrimental substance that would damage the article if the vial were to be fractured while the device was attached to the article; wherein the one component including the fragile vial has a predominantly continuous exposed surface except for having at least one opening for enabling the detrimental substance to be released from the component upon the vial being fractured; and wherein each opening in the exposed surface is smaller than the vial so as to recess the vial from the exposed surface and thereby prevent the vial from being fractured during normal handling. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification