Marker assembly for use with an electronic article surveillance system

• US 5,331,313 A
• Filed: 10/01/1992
• Issued: 07/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Koning, Norman L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US07/954,819
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 340/551, 340/572
• US Class Current: 340/551
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2408 using ferromagnetic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging

Abstract

A marker assembly adapted for use with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, and particularly for use with books to be monitored by an EAS system, includes a flat elongated, marker strip of low coercive force, high permeability ferromagnetic material, adhesive layers carried on both the front and rear surfaces of the marker strip and a release liner which extends along the rear surface of the marker strip, around opposed end margins of the marker, and along the front surface thereof, terminating at the approximate midpoint of the marker strip with opposed, graspable tabs carried clear of the adhesive layer on the front surface. Pulling the opposed tabs away from each other removes the wrapper from the front surface, thereby exposing the adhesive carried on that surface and allowing attachment of the front surface to a selected page of the book. Continued pulling of the tabs detaches the wrapper from the rear surface, exposing the adhesive layer carried by that surface for attachment to the adjacent page of the book.

Claims

1. A marker assembly adapted for use with an electronic article surveillance system having an interrogation zone for detecting the presence of a premarked article within the zone, comprising a marker adapted to be secured to the article to enable detection of the article within the interrogation zone, the marker including a detectable element having a front surface, an opposed rear surface, and opposed end margins and adhesive means operably carried by the front and rear surfaces for attachment of the marker to the article, wherein said marker assembly further comprises wrapper means removably attached to the adhesive means, and having oppositely directed portions extending continuously over the rear surface of the marker, around respective end margins and along the front surface so as to cover substantially all of the adhesive on both surfaces, terminating with opposed graspable end tabs carried clear of the adhesive means on said front surface, whereby the pulling of the opposed end tabs away from each other will remove the wrapper means from said front surface of the marker thereby exposing the adhesive means carried by that surface and allowing attachment of that surface to the article, and continued pulling of the end tabs will remove the wrapper means from the rear surface, further exposing the adhesive means carried by the rear surface to enable additional attachment.

2. A marker assembly according to claim 1, wherein said marker comprises an elongated, narrow ferromagnetic strip adapted for placement between a pair of book pages adjacent said book'"'"'s binding.

3. A marker assembly according to claim 2, said strip presenting a marker length, said marker length being less than the length of said book'"'"'s binding, and said wrapper means comprising a narrow, elongated wrapper element presenting a wrapper element length longer than said book'"'"'s binding length when said opposed wrapper ends are pulled away from each other.

4. A marker assembly according to claim 2, wherein said marker further comprises at least one remanantly magnetizable element, which, when magnetized, changes a characteristic response produced by said ferromagnetic strip, thereby preventing its detection in said zone.

5. A marker assembly according to claim 1, wherein the graspable end tabs of the wrapper means are located generally mid-distance between said end margins.

6. A marker assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wrapper means comprises a thin, polymeric film.

7. A marker assembly adapted to be secured to an article to enable detection of that article in an interrogation zone of an electronic article surveillance system, said marker assembly comprising

a marker element detectable in said zone, and having a front surface, an opposed rear surface, and opposed end margins,

adhesive means carried by said front and rear surfaces, and

a release liner removably adhered to said adhesive means, having oppositely directed portions extending continuously over the adhesive means on one surface, around respective end margins, and along the opposite surface, terminating with opposed end tabs carried clear of the adhesive means on the opposite surface,

which tabs may be grasped to successively pull the liner first from the adhesive layer on the opposite surface and then from the adhesive layer on said one surface.

8. A method of attaching a marker to an article whose presence is desirably detected in an interrogation zone of an electronic article surveillance system, said method comprising

providing a marker assembly including a marker element detectable in said zone and having a front surface, an opposed rear surface, and opposed end margins, adhesive means carried by said front and rear surfaces and release liner means, oppositely directed portions of which extend continuously over the adhesive means on one surface, around respective end portions and along the opposite surface, terminating with opposed end tabs carried clear of the adhesive means on the opposite surface,

pulling said end tabs away from each other and away from said opposite surface to expose the adhesive means,

pressing the exposed adhesive means onto a surface of said article,

further pulling said tabs away from said one surface to expose the adhesive thereon, and

pressing the exposed adhesive onto another surface of said article.