Multiple conductor security tag
First Claim
1. A security tag comprising a strap for securing the tag to an object to be protected and an electronic module connected to the strap for detecting an attempt to defeat the tag by short circuiting and severing the strap, the strap being formed of plural discrete conductors connected to the electronic module, which conductors are insulated from each other along at least a substantial length of the strap, wherein short circuiting of opposite ends of a single one of the conductors followed by severance of plural ones of the insulated conductors, or short circuiting between various separate insulated conductors can be detected by the electronic module as an alarm condition, and wherein severance or misconnection of only one or a small number of the insulated conductors is detected by the electronic module as not being an alarm condition.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A security tag having a strap for securing the tag to an object to be protected and an electronic module connected to the strap for detecting an attempt to defeat the tag by short circuiting and severing the strap. The strap is formed of plural discrete conductors connected to the electronic module, which conductors are insulated from each other at least along a substantial length of the strap. Short circuiting of opposite ends of a single pair of the conductors followed by severance of plural ones of the insulated conductors, or short circuit in between separate conductors can be detected by the electronic module as an alarm condition. Severance or misconnection of only one or a small number of the insulated conductors can be detected by the electronic module as not being an alarm condition.
128 Citations
29 Claims
- 1. A security tag comprising a strap for securing the tag to an object to be protected and an electronic module connected to the strap for detecting an attempt to defeat the tag by short circuiting and severing the strap, the strap being formed of plural discrete conductors connected to the electronic module, which conductors are insulated from each other along at least a substantial length of the strap, wherein short circuiting of opposite ends of a single one of the conductors followed by severance of plural ones of the insulated conductors, or short circuiting between various separate insulated conductors can be detected by the electronic module as an alarm condition, and wherein severance or misconnection of only one or a small number of the insulated conductors is detected by the electronic module as not being an alarm condition.
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4. A security tag comprising a strap for securing the tag to an object to be protected and an electronic module connected to the strap for detecting an attempt to defeat the tag by short circuiting and severing the strap, the strap being formed of plural discrete conductors connected via terminals to the electronic module, which conductors are insulated from each other along at least a substantial length of the strap, the module containing a circuit for:
- in the event any of at least a predetermined number of plural opposite terminals to which the conductors are to be connected are short circuited together, making a determination that the band is intact and do not raise the alarm;
in the event only one pair or a small number of opposite terminals, or no opposite terminals, to which one or more conductors would be connected are short circuited together, making a determination that the band has been tampered with, and raising an alarm. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
- in the event any of at least a predetermined number of plural opposite terminals to which the conductors are to be connected are short circuited together, making a determination that the band is intact and do not raise the alarm;
- 9. A connector for a security tag having a multiconductor band, comprising a slot in an insulating body having dimensions slightly larger than the cross-section of the band such as to guide insertion of the band into the slot, and conductive resilient mutually insulated contacts pointed toward a rear end of the slot supported by the insulating body for piercing insulation surrounding said majority of conductors when the strap, once having been inserted into the slot and past the contacts, is pulled back outwardly relative to the slot, thereby making contact with said majority of conductors and at the same time inhibiting the strap from be able to be pulled back out from the slot.
- 11. Apparatus for securing an object comprising a multiconductor security strap connected to a strap tamper detector, wherein the conductors are mutually insulated over at least a major length of the strap, the strap being connected to the detector by at least one connector, the connector being comprised of a slot having dimensions slightly larger than the cross-section of the band such as to guide insertion of the band into the slot, and conductive resilient contacts pointed toward a rear end of the slot, for piercing insulation surrounding said majority of conductors upon the strap once having been inserted into the slot and past the contacts is pulled outwardly relative to the slot, thereby making contact with said majority of conductors and at the same time inhibiting the strap from be able to be pulled back out from the slot.
- 19. A method of securing an object comprising fixing a band containing plural mutually insulated conductors to an object to be protected, in the event any of plural first predetermined numbers of opposite ends of the conductors are short circuited together via the conductors or by external means, making a determination that the band is intact and not raising an alarm, and in the event opposite ends of only a second predetermined number of pairs of conductors, or in the event no opposite ends of any conductors are short circuited together by said conductors or by external means, making a determination that the band has been tampered with, and raise an alarm.
- 21. A security tag comprised of a module to which a strap is to be connected, and strap attachment points to the module offset from a center of the module wherein an axis of the strap is offset toward one edge of the module.
- 28. A security tag comprised of a module to which a strap is to be connected, the shape of the electronic module having one edge to a substantially plane or slightly concave surface which has a large radius which extends between substantially opposite sides of said surface, the module having attachment points for the strap at locations adjacent opposite ends of said large radius edge.
Specification