Electronic article surveillance label cartridge and system

• US 6,032,799 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Bellum, Karen E., Hansen, Norman B., Krom, Mark D., Motooka, Barbara G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US08/749,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 221/232, 221/226, 221/307, 221/312 R, 229/23 R, 229/125.19, 312/42, 312/50, 312/60, 206/499, 206/526, 206/449, 206/718
• US Class Current: 206/449
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/04 Racks or containers with arrangements for dispensing articles , e.g. by means of gravity or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2585/6875 engines, motors, machines and vehicle parts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/10 for dispensing razor-blades
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/68 for machines, engines or vehicles in assembled or dismantled form

Abstract

A cartridge for electronic article surveillance labels comprising a housing shaped to hold a plurality of electronic article surveillance labels in a stack such that the electronic article surveillance labels can be removed individually from a first side of the housing and a system utilizing such housing and a plurality of electronic article surveillance labels that are at least semirigid.

Claims

1. A cartridge for holding rectangular electronic article surveillance labels in a stack, said cartridge comprising:

a first side having an aperture so that the electronic article surveillance labels can be removed serially from said cartridge;

second and third straight sides that are sized to accommodate the largest dimension of the electronic article surveillance labels;

fourth and fifth straight sides that are sized to accommodate the second largest dimension of the electronic articles surveillance labels; and

a sixth side opposite said first side, said sixth side having an aperture, said second side contacting said fourth side to form a first interior angle, said second side contacting said fifth side to form a second interior angle, said third side contacting said fourth side to form a third interior angle and said third side contacting said fifth side to form a fourth interior angle, wherein one of said second, third, fourth, and fifth sides has a slot from said first side to said sixth side, thereby dividing the side having the slot into two pieces, and wherein at least one of said first, second, third, and fourth interior angles is greater than ninety degrees.

2. A cartridge for electronic article surveillance labels as recited in claim 1, wherein said second, third, fourth and fifth sides are sized so that the electronic article surveillance labels in the stack will fall out of said cartridge one after the other when said cartridge is positioned such that said first side is at the bottom of said cartridge.

3. A cartridge for electronic article surveillance labels as recited in claim 2, further comprising a cap sized to fit over said first side to hold the electronic article surveillance labels in said cartridge.

4. A cartridge for electronic article surveillance labels as recited in claim 1, wherein said aperture in said sixth side is about the size of the electronic article surveillance labels.

5. A cartridge for electronic article surveillance labels as recited in claim 4, where comprising caps sized to fit over said first and sixth sides to hold the electronic article surveillance labels in said cartridge.

6. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 4, wherein all four of said first, second, third and fourth interior angles are greater than ninety degrees.

7. A cartridge for electronic article surveillance labels as recited in claim 4, wherein said cartridge is made of plastic.

8. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 1, wherein all four of said first, second, third and fourth interior angles are greater than ninety degrees.

12. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 2, further comprising a cap sized to fit over said first side to hold said electronic article surveillance labels in said cartridge.

17. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 2, wherein said electronic article surveillance labels comprise an electronic article surveillance element and a housing that is at least semirigid, said electronic article surveillance element being positioned inside said housing.

18. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 17, wherein said electronic article surveillance element of said electronic article surveillance labels comprises a magnetic element.

19. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 18, wherein said magnetic element comprises a magnetomechanical marker.

9. An electric article surveillance label cartridge system comprising:

a plurality of electronic article surveillance labels that are at least semirigid and a cartridge shaped to hold said electronic article surveillance labels in a stack, said cartridge having a first side with an aperture sized so that said electronic article surveillance labels can be removed serially from said cartridge, second and third sides that are sized to accommodate the largest dimension of said electronic article surveillance labels, fourth and fifth sides that are sized to accommodate the second largest dimension of said electronic article surveillance labels and a sixth side opposite said first side, said sixth side having an aperture, said second side contacts said fourth side to form a first interior angle, said second side contacts said fifth side to form a second interior angle, said third side contacts said fourth side to form a third interior angle and said third side contacts said fifth side to form a fourth Interior angle, wherein one of said second, third, fourth, and fifth sides has a slot from said first side to said sixth side, thereby dividing the side having the slot into to pieces, and wherein at least one of said first, second, third, and fourth interior angles Is greater than ninety degrees.

10. An electronic article surveillance label system as recited in claim 9, wherein all four of said first, second, third and fourth Interior angles are greater than ninety degrees.

11. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system comprising:

comprising;

a plurality of electronic article surveillance labels that are at least semirigid and a cartridge shaped to hold said electronic article surveillance labels in a stack, said cartridge having a first side with an aperture sized so that said electronic article surveillance labels can be removed serially from said cartridge, second and third sides that are sized to accommodate the largest dimension of said electronic article surveillance labels, fourth and fifth sides that are sized to accommodate the second largest dimension of said electronic article surveillance labels so that said electronic article surveillance labels in said stack will fall out of said cartridge one after the other when said cartridge is positioned such that said first side is at the bottom of said cartridge, and a sixth side opposite said first side, said sixth side having an aperture that is about the size of said electronic article surveillance labels, said second side contacts said fourth side to form a first interior angle, said second side contacts said fifth side to form a second interior angle, said third side contacts said fourth side to form a third interior angle and said third side contacts said fifth side to form a fourth interior angle, wherein one of said second, third, fourth, and fifth sides has a slot from said first side to said sixth side, thereby dividing the side having the slot into two pieces, and wherein at least one of said first, second, third, and fourth interior angles is greater than ninety degrees.

13. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 11, further comprising caps sized to fit over said first and sixth sides to hold said electronic article surveillance labels in said cartridge.

14. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 11, wherein said cartridge is made of plastic.

15. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 11, wherein said electronic article surveillance labels comprise an electronic article surveillance element attached to a substrate that is at least semirigid.

16. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 15, wherein said electronic article surveillance element is attached to a flexible substrate that is attached to said substrate that is at least semirigid.

20. An electronic article surveillance label cartridge system as recited in claim 11, wherein all four of said first, second, third and fourth interior angles are greater than ninety degrees.