Bottle security device

• US 7,100,783 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alpha Security Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Belden, Dennis D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELOSHWAY, NIKI MARINA
• Application Number:
  US11/133,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 215/207, 215/215, 215/272, 215/274, 215/216, 215/277, 215/206, 215/225, 215218-221, 215/204, 215/302, 215/253, 215/278, 215/293, 220/255.1, 220/210, 220/259.3, 220/259.5, 220/284
• US Class Current: 215/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/14 Applications of locks, e.g. of permutation or key-controlled locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0041 for essentially round objects, e.g. bottles or racket handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7486 Single key

Abstract

A bottle security device includes an inner member, an intermediate member and an outer member that cooperate to lock the device on a bottle neck. The inner member includes a plurality of fingers adapted to fit under the bead on a bottle neck. The intermediate member slides over the inner member and forces the fingers against the bottle. The intermediate member includes a plurality of upwardly extending arms with inwardly projecting teeth that engage outwardly extending teeth on the inner member to lock the inner and intermediate members together. A key unlocks and rotates a rotatable member to separate the intermediate and inner members to unlock the device. Upon rotation of the cover cap, camming surfaces on the rotatable member engage the upwardly extending arms to move them radially outward to disengage them from the inner member.

Claims

1. A bottle security device for use with a bottle having a neck, the bottle security device comprising:

an outer member defining a cavity;

an inner member movable between locked and unlocked positions and adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck of the bottle;

a portion of the inner member disposed in the outer member cavity;

a plurality of engaging members disposed inside the outer member cavity and selectively lockably engaging the inner member to lock the device; and

a rotatable member which selectively engages the plurality of engaging members to move the engaging members to disengage them from the inner member to unlock the device when the rotatable member is rotated.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotatable member respectively engages the plurality of engaging members at a respective plurality of camming surfaces to move the engaging members.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the outer member has a sidewall;

and wherein the rotatable member rotatably abuts the outer member sidewall adjacent each of the camming surfaces.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the rotatable member includes a plurality of outwardly extending arms which respectively engage the plurality of engaging members along the respective camming surfaces.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the rotatable member includes a top wall and a sidewall extending downwardly therefrom;

and wherein the plurality of arms extend outwardly from the sidewall.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the outer member includes an annular top wall defining an entrance opening of the outer member cavity;

wherein a portion of the rotatable member is disposed within the entrance opening; and

wherein the plurality of arms are disposed within the outer member cavity and rotatably engage the annular top wall to prevent removal of the rotatable member through the entrance opening.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein the rotatable member includes the plurality of camming surfaces;

and wherein the plurality of engaging members are a plurality of upwardly projecting engaging fingers each having an upper end and including an upwardly projecting cam follower adjacent said upper end whereby the camming surfaces respectively engage the cam followers when the rotatable member is rotated.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein each engaging finger except for a portion of the cam follower thereof is lower than the rotatable member.

9. The device of claim 1 further including a non-rotatable member on which the rotatable member is rotatably mounted;

wherein the rotatable member and the non-rotatable member define therebetween an enclosure; and

wherein a locking mechanism is disposed in the enclosure for selectively locking the rotatable member to the non-rotatable member;

the locking mechanism having locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of the rotatable member.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the locking mechanism is magnetically unlockable.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the outer member includes a sidewall having an inner surface;

wherein a plurality of strengthening fingers extend upwardly inside the outer member cavity and abut the inner surface of the outer member sidewall.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the inner member includes a plurality of downwardly projecting locking fingers adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck of the bottle.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the outer member has a sidewall bounding the outer member cavity;

and wherein the engaging members are disposed between the outer member sidewall and the locking fingers.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of engaging members are a plurality of upwardly projecting engaging fingers.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the outer member has a sidewall;

and wherein the engaging fingers are disposed between the outer member sidewall and the inner member.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotatable member respectively engages the engaging members to move the engaging members radially.

17. The device of claim 1 further including a locking mechanism having locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of the rotatable member.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the locking mechanism is magnetically unlockable.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the outer member has a sidewall bounding the outer member cavity;

and wherein the engaging members are disposed between the outer member sidewall and the inner member.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the inner member has a sidewall defining a cavity;

and wherein the engaging members are disposed between the outer member sidewall and the inner member sidewall.

21. A bottle security device for use with a bottle having a neck, the bottle security device comprising:

an outer member including a top wall and a sidewall and defining a cavity therewithin;

wherein the top wall extends radially inwardly from the sidewall;

an inner member movable between locked and unlocked positions and having a plurality of downwardly projecting locking fingers adapted to fit around at least a portion of the neck of the bottle;

a portion of the inner member disposed in the outer member cavity; and

a rotatable member for unlocking the device when the rotatable member is rotated relative to the outer member;

wherein a portion of the rotatable member is disposed in the outer member cavity and a portion of the rotatable member slidably engages the top wall of the outer member when the rotatable member is rotated relative to the outer member;

wherein the device has a top wall; and

wherein a portion of the rotatable member forms a portion of the top wall of the device.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the outer member top wall defines an upwardly opening entrance opening of the outer member cavity;

wherein the portion of the rotatable member slidably engaging the outer member top wall engages the outer member top wall to prevent removal of the rotatable member upwardly through the entrance opening.

23. The device of claim 21 wherein the outer member top wall has a lower surface bounding the outer member cavity;

and wherein the portion of the rotatable member slidably engaging the top wall slidably engages the lower surface of the top wall.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the rotatable member slidably engages the outer member sidewall when the rotatable member is rotated.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein the rotatable member includes a plurality of arms which extend radially outwardly and slidably engage the lower surface of the outer member top wall when the rotatable member is rotated.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the arms of the rotatable member are in abutment with or closely adjacent to the outer member sidewall.

27. The device of claim 21 further including a locking mechanism having locked and unlocked positions for respectively preventing and allowing rotation of the rotatable member.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the locking mechanism is magnetically unlockable.

29. The device of claim 21 wherein the outer member top wall is annular and defines a substantially circular upwardly opening entrance opening of the outer member cavity;

wherein the rotatable member has a substantially circular top wall disposed within the entrance opening to provide the portion of the rotatable member which forms the portion of the top wall of the device; and

wherein the rotatable member includes a plurality of arms which extend outwardly within the outer member cavity and slidably engage the annular top wall when the rotatable member is rotated relative to the outer member and prevent removal of the rotatable member upwardly through the entrance opening.

30. The device of claim 21 wherein a plurality of engaging members lockably engage the inner member to lock the inner member in the locked position;

wherein a portion of each engaging member is moved in response to rotation of the rotatable member to disengage the engaging members from the inner member to allow the inner member to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.

31. The device of claim 30 wherein the engaging members are disposed within the outer member cavity between the outer member sidewall and the locking fingers.

32. The device of claim 30 wherein the rotatable member includes a plurality of outwardly extending arms which respectively move the plurality of engaging members to disengage them from the inner member when the rotatable member is rotated.