Anti-theft device for bottles

• US 5,602,530 A
• Filed: 12/21/1995
• Issued: 02/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MW Trading UK Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MW International Ltd.
• Inventors: Holmgren, Bertil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/525,644
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572, 340/568, 215/202, 215/221, 215/201, 215/206, 215/207, 215/216
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0017 Anti-theft devices, e.g. tags or monitors, fixed to articles, e.g. clothes, and to be removed at the check-out of shops
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0041 for essentially round objects, e.g. bottles or racket handles

Abstract

The invention relates to an anti-shop lifting device, intended to be passed onto and locked to a bottle-neck having an external circumferential bead. The device comprises an outer socket (15) which can be shifted in relation to an inner socket (10) between two end positions and is locked by latch means (24) in one end position. A number of retainers (21) distributed peripherally on the inner surface of the outer socket, when the outer socket is in said one end position extend into the inner socket through openings (13) in the wall of said inner socket to an engaged position in which the retainers engage behind the bead of the bottle-neck in order to prevent the anti-shop-lifting device form being withdrawn. The latch means (24) is biased to latching position but can be actuated by means of an external element (13) to a disengaged position against the bias in order to allow movement of the retainers from the engaged position and thus withdrawal of the anti-shop-lifting device from the bottle-neck.

Claims

1. Anti-shop-lifting device, intended to be passed onto and locked to a bottle-neck having an external circumferential bead comprising an inner socket (10) to be passed onto the bottle-neck, an outer socket (15) mounted externally on the inner socket, which can be shifted in relation to the inner socket between two end positions, a number of retainers (21) distributed peripherally, which in an engaged position engage behind the bead on the bottle-neck in order to prevent the anti-shop-lifting device from being withdrawn from the bottle-neck, and latch means (24) for locking the outer socket in one end position with the retainers in the engaged position, which latch means is biased to latching position but can be actuated by means of an external element (31) to a disengaged position against the bias in order to allow movement of the retainers from the engaged position and thus withdrawal of the anti-shop-lifting device from the bottle-neck, characterized in that the retainers (21) distributed circumferentially on the inner surface of the outer socket, when the outer socket is in said one end position extend into the inner socket through openings (13) in the wall of said inner socket to the engaged position, the outer socket after actuation of the latch means to disengaged position being adjustable from said one end position towards the other end position under withdrawal of the retainers through the openings from said engaged position.

2. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer socket (15) can be displaced axially on the inner socket (10).

3. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the latch means (24) can be actuated magnetically to the disengaged position by means of the external element.

4. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the latch means comprises a first spring tongue (24) on the outer socket (15), which in the engaged position engages at the free end thereof a shoulder (12) of the inner socket (10) and can be adjusted to the disengaged position by magnetic attraction by means of the external element by withdrawal of the free end of the first spring tongue from the shoulder.

5. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 4, characterized in that two or more first spring tongues (24) are provided and that the external element (31) forms a ring which can be applied around the outer socket (15) and has magnets (33) for actuation of the first spring tongues.

6. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 5, characterized in that said device is provided with an alarm element forming part of an external alarm system.

7. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 4, characterized in that the retainers comprise second spring tongues (21) on the outer socket (15), which in the engaged position with the outer socket in said one end position extend through openings (13) in the inner socket obliquely inwards towards the mouth of the bottle to engage the bead at the free ends thereof, and by adjustment of the outer socket from said one end position towards the other end position can be withdrawn from the engaged position through said openings.

8. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second spring tongues (21) are deflected towards the central axis of the sockets (10, 15) at the free end thereof.

9. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second spring tongues (21) at the free end thereof have a V-shaped notch to form two pointed teeth (22).

10. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the first spring tongue blade (24) and the second spring tongues (21) are deflected from a spring steel strip (18) mounted to the inner surface of the outer socket (15).

11. Anti-shop-lifting device according to claim 10, characterized in that the second spring tongues (21) at the base thereof connect to one edge of a ribbon-shaped base portion (19) of the spring steel strip (18), which forms circumferentially elongated slots (20), and that the base portion is attached to the outer socket at the other edge of the base portion with said slots exposed.