Package of tobacco articles featuring a shoplifting marker

• US 7,093,711 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: G. D. Societa Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni.
• Inventors: Draghetti, Fiorenzo, Minarelli, Alessandro, De Pietra, Gaetano, Cerati, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US10/720,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 206/242, 206/247, 206/265, 206/268, 206/271, 206/273, 206/807, 229/160.1, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/572.2
• US Class Current: 206/268
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1072 Bundle of cigarette packs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1081 Inserts or accessories added or joined to the container, e.g. coins, pens, cards, spacers B65D85/1009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/807 Tamper proof

Abstract

A package of tobacco articles, having a container; a group of tobacco articles housed inside the container; and a marker, which is housed inside the container, has a resonating body resonating at a given resonance frequency, and is remotely detectable by a shoplifting detector device by means of an electromagnetic field having a frequency substantially equal to the resonance frequency.

Claims

1. A package of tobacco articles, comprising:

a container (2) having an open top end (6);

a lid (7) hinged to the container (2) along a hinge (8) to rotate, with respect to the container (2), between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open top end (6);

a collar (15), which is folded into a U, is connected inside the container (2), and projects partly outwards of the open top end (6) to engage a corresponding inner surface of the lid (7) when the lid is in the closed position;

a group (3) of tobacco articles (4) housed inside the container (2);

at least one marker (24), which is housed inside the container (2), comprises magnetic resonating means resonating acoustically at a given resonance frequency, and is remotely detectable by a shoplifting detector device by means of a magnetic field having a frequency substantially equal to the resonance frequency; and

a label (25) supporting the marker (24) and interposed between a wall of the collar (15) and a wall of the container (2).

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the label (25) is glued to an inner surface of the container (2).

3. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the label (25) is glued to a wall of the collar (15).

4. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group of tobacco articles is defined by a group of packets of cigarettes.

5. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group (3) of tobacco articles (4) is defined by a group (3) of cigarettes (4).

6. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marker (24) comprises an enabling/disabling body fitted to the magnetic marker and for enabling and disabling the magnetic marker.

7. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the marker (24) comprises a supporting element provided with a number of segments of magnetic material, which are spaced from each other.

8. A package as claimed in claim 7, wherein each segment is an oriented magnetic dipole, which vibrates when struck by a magnetic field having a frequency in the acoustic sound-ultrasound range and emits energy in the form of a return magnetic field having a lower frequency.

9. A package as claimed in claim 8, wherein the marker (24) is disabled when struck by a magnetic field, which changes the magnetic orientation of the segments.

10. A package as claimed in claim 7, wherein the marker (24) comprises a supporting element provided with three segments of magnetic material, which are spaced from each other.