Tag device

• US 6,731,212 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Tuner Industries Co. Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Tuner Industries Co. Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirose, Yuuki, Makiyama, Soichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/144,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.9, 340/572.1, 70/63, 70/571, 70/30, 70/49, 70/18, 70/53, 702/787
• US Class Current: 340/572.9
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/005 Chain-locks, cable-locks or padlocks with alarms
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0002 with electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0004 said core being linearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0603 the detent moving rectilinearly
• 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: Y10T 70/409 Shackles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/491 Shackles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle

Abstract

In a tag device wherein a wire 2 has a base end 21 fixed to a tag body 10 and a forward end 23 connected to the tag body 10 as releasably locked thereto, the wire 2 is provided at its forward end 23 with a lock pin 22. The tag body 10 comprises a case 1 having a pin insertion hole 13, and a latch member 3 engageable with the lock pin 22. The latch member 3 comprises a main body 31 supported inside the case 1 and a spring piece 32 provided on the main body 31. The latch member 3 prevents the thick rod portion 26 from slipping off when moved in one direction to a limit position, and allows the thick rod portion 26 to slip off when moved in the other direction to a limit position.

Claims

1. A tag device comprising a tag body and a wire having a base end fixed to the tag body and a forward end connected to the tag body as releasably locked thereto, the wire being provided at its forward end with a lock pin having a thick rod portion at an axially outer end of a thin rod portion, the tag body comprising a case having a pin insertion hole permitting the lock pin to pass therethrough, and a latch member disposed inside the case and engageable with the lock pin when the lock pin is inserted through the hole, the latch member comprising a main body supported inside the case and reciprocatingly movable in directions orthogonal to the direction of insertion of the lock pin, and a pair of opposed resilient spring pieces integrally formed on the main body and being elastically oppositely shiftable in directions intersecting the direction of insertion of the lock pin permitting the spring pieces to engage the thin rod portion of the lock pin in an inserted position to prevent the thick rod portion from moving in a slipping-off direction when moved in one direction to a limit position, and means operative to move the latch member in the reciprocatingly movable directions for moving the spring pieces thereon away from the thin rod portion of the lock pin to allow the thick rod portion to move in the slipping-off direction when moved away from the limit position.

2. A tag device according to claim 1 wherein the thick rod portion of the lock pin is provided at an outer end thereof with a tapered face for laterally biasing the spring pieces of the latch member upon insertion of the lock pin.

3. A tag device according to claim 1 wherein said means incorporated in the tag body for reciprocatingly moving the latch member by an attracting/releasing movement of a rod comprises a soleniod and a control circuit for controlling the operation of the solenoid.

4. A tag device according to claim 3 wherein the solenoid as unenergized retains a locking operative state to hold the latch member moved to a lock pin locking position.

5. A tag device according to claim 4 wherein the solenoid is provided with a spring for biasing the rod from the locking operative state toward an unlocking operative state.

6. A tag device according to claim 4 wherein the tag body has a switch for detecting a movement of the latch member from the lock pin locking position to an unlocking position where the lock pin is unlocked, and the control circuit commands the solenoid to perform a locking operation upon detecting an unlocking operative state based on a detection signal from the switch.

7. A tag device according to claim 3 wherein the control circuit holds the solenoid in an unlocking operative state only for a specified period of time in response to an unlocking signal.

8. A tag device according to claim 3 wherein the tag body has a buzzer incorporated therein, and the control circuit gives an alarm command to the buzzer upon receiving an alarm actuating signal or upon detecting a break in the wire, with the lock pin locked by the latch member.

9. A tag device according to claim 8 wherein the tag body has a connector pin of metal for clamping the thick rod portion of the lock pin with the lock pin locked by the latch member, the connector pin being connected to the control circuit by a pulled-up signal line, the wire having its base end grounded, and the control circuit detects a break in the wire based on a signal to be input from the pulled-up signal line.

10. A tag device according to claim 8 wherein the control circuit gives an alarm stop command to the buzzer upon receiving an alarm cancel signal during alarming or when alarming continues for a predetermined period of time.

11. A tag device according to claim 3 wherein upon receiving an alarm actuating signal or upon detecting a break in the wire, with the lock pin locked by the latch member, a control circuit wirelessly emits an alarm information signal giving notice of the situation.