Intermediate cover board with concealed security device for hard cover product

• US 7,183,918 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smartguard LLC
• Original Assignee: Smartguard LLC
• Inventors: Nichols, Dale Hunt Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/886,355
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/572.8, 340/568.1, 340/540, 340/539.1, 340/539.26, 340/572.3, 340/541, 340/693.5, 340/693.9, 340/693.12, 235/380, 235/381, 235/51, 235/426.13, 235/449, 235/450, 235/487
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging

Abstract

An intermediate cover board for assembly of hard cover products, in which a primary sheet having a first thickness and opposing planar surfaces defines an opening in a selected portion of the sheet. The opening receives a security device. A pair of opposing secondary sheets each having a second thickness less than the first thickness laminate to the opposing planar surfaces of the primary sheet, so that the security device is enclosed between the laminated secondary sheets that do not display surface indications of the presence of the security device. A method of making the intermediate laminated cover board and a hard cover product made with the intermediate laminated cover board are disclosed.

Claims

1. A hard cover product, comprising:

an outer liner;

a pair of cover boards disposed in spaced-apart relation to define a spine for a hard cover product while defining opposing cover boards therefor and each attached on a respective major surface to a major surface of the outer liner;

at least one of the cover boards comprising;

a central sheet having opposing surfaces with a length and width exceeding a first thickness, the central sheet defining an opening therethrough in a selected portion thererof;

a security device received in the opening, the security device having a thickness no greater than about a substantial majority of the thickness of the central sheet so that opposing sides thereof are substantially co-planar with respective ones of the opposing planar surfaces of the central sheet; and

a pair of opposing exterior sheets, each having a respective second thickness less than the first thickness laminated to the opposing planar surfaces of the central sheet and thereby enclosing the security device therebetween, the second thickness sufficiently sized so that the laminated board does not display surface indications of the presence of the security device therein,

whereby the security device enclosed in the central sheet is concealed from casual indication of its presence; and

an inner liner attached in overlying relation to the opposing planar surfaces of the cover boards,

whereby the opposing cover boards define a front cover and back cover that move together foldably along lines defined by opposing sides of the spine for the hard cover product.

2. The hard cover product as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer liner defines a coded indicia that is displayed on a portion thereof in alignment with the selected portion of the central sheet.

3. The hard cover product as recited in claim 1, wherein the security tag is a sheet that includes an electronic response device.

4. The hard cover product as recited in claim 1, further comprising an interior body attached to the spine.

5. The hard cover product as recited in claim 4, wherein the interior body comprises a plurality of pages bonded together along a side edge to define a book.

6. The hard cover product as recited in claim 4, wherein the interior body comprises a ring member for receiving sheets.

7. The hard cover product as recited in claim 1, further comprising an interior body configured to receive a disc.

8. The hard cover product as recited in claim 1, wherein the security tag is a RFID device.

9. The hard cover product as recited in claim 1, wherein the security tag is an acoustic magnetic security strip.

10. A hard cover product, comprising:

an outer liner;

a pair of cover boards disposed in spaced-apart relation to define a spine for a hard cover product while defining opposing cover boards therefor and each attached on a respective major surface to a major surface of the outer liner;

at least one of the cover boards comprising;

a central sheet having opposing surfaces and defining a receiving portion in a selected portion thererof;

a security device received in the receiving portion, the security device having a thickness so that a side thereof is substantially co-planar with a respective one of the opposing surfaces of the central sheet; and

at least one exterior sheet laminated to the central sheet in overlying relation enclosing the security device therein and sufficiently sized so that the laminated cover board does not display surface indications of the presence of the security device therein,

whereby the security device enclosed in the central sheet is concealed from casual indication of its presence; and

an inner liner attached in overlying relation to the cover boards or a pair of inner liners attached to respective ones on the cover boards,

whereby the opposing cover boards define a front cover and back cover that move together foldably along lines defined by opposing sides of the spine for the hard cover product.

11. The hard cover product as recited in claim 10, wherein the outer liner defines a coded indicia that is displayed on a portion thereof in alignment with the selected portion of the central sheet.

12. The hard cover product as recited in claim 10, wherein the security tag is a sheet—

that includes an electronic response device.

13. The hard cover product as recited in claim 10, wherein the security tag is a RFID device.

14. The hard cover product as recited in claim 10, wherein the security tag is an acoustic magnetic security strip.

15. The hard cover product as recited in claim 10, further comprising an interior body attached to the spine.

16. The hard cover product as recited in claim 15, wherein the interior body comprises a plurality of pages bonded together along a side edge to define a book.

17. The hard cover product as recited in claim 15, wherein the interior body comprises a ring member for receiving sheets.

18. The hard cover product as recited in claim 10, further comprising an interior body configured to receive a disc.

19. A hard cover product, comprising:

an outer liner having opposing major surfaces;

a pair of boards each having opposing major surfaces disposed in spaced-apart relation to define a spine therebetween for a hard cover product and each of the boards attached on a respective major surface to one of the major surfaces of the outer liner;

wherein at least one of the boards has a first thickness that exceeds a length and a width of the board and the board defines an opening therethrough in a selected portion thererof;

a security device received in the opening, the security device having a thickness no greater than about a substantial majority of the first thickness so that opposing sides thereof are substantially co-planar with the respective opposing planar surfaces of the sheet; and

each of the pair of boards covered by an inner liner or by a separate one of a pair of inner liners, whereby the security device enclosed in the board is concealed from casual indication of its presence,

whereby the opposing boards define a front cover and back cover that move together foldably along lines defined by opposing sides of the spine for the hard cover product.

20. The hard cover product as recited in claim 19, wherein the outer liner defines a coded indicia that is displayed on a portion thereof in alignment with the selected portion of the board.

21. The hard cover product as recited in claim 19, wherein the security tag is a sheet that includes an electronic response device.

22. The hard cover product as recited in claim 19, wherein the security tag is a RFID device.

23. The hard cover product as recited in claim 19, wherein the security tag is an acoustic magnetic security strip.

24. The hard cover product as recited in claim 19, further comprising an interior body attached to the spine.

25. The hard cover product as recited in claim 24, wherein the interior body comprises a plurality of pages bonded together along a side edge to define a book, the bonded edge engaged to the spine.

26. The hard cover product as recited in claim 24, wherein the interior body comprises a ring member for receiving sheets.

27. The hard cover product as recited in claim 19, further comprising a pair of opposing shells attached to the inner sheet overlying the boards and configured for matingly aligning to receive and enclose a disc therebetween.

28. A hard cover product, comprising:

an outer liner;

a pair of chip boards disposed in spaced-apart relation to define a spine for a hard cover product and each attached on a respective major surface to a major surface of the outer liner;

at least one of the chip boards comprising;

a central sheet having opposing surfaces with a length and width exceeding a first thickness, the central sheet defining an receiving portion therein in a selected portion thererof;

a security device received in the receiving portion, the security device having a thickness no greater than about a substantial majority of the thickness of the central sheet so that opposing sides thereof are substantially co-planar with respective ones of the opposing planar surfaces of the central sheet; and

at least one opposing exterior sheet having a second thickness less than the first thickness laminated to the opposing planar surface of the central sheet and thereby enclosing the security device, the second thickness sufficiently sized so that the exterior sheet does not display surface indications of the presence of the security device therebehind,

whereby the security device enclosed in the central sheet is concealed from casual indication of its presence; and

selectively an inner liner attached in overlying relation to the opposing major surfaces of the chip boards or a pair of inner liners each attached in overlying relation to one of therespective opposing major surfaces of the chip boards,

whereby the opposing cover boards define a front cover and back cover that move together foldably along lines defined by opposing sides of the spine for the hard cover product.

29. The hard cover product as recited in claim 28, wherein the outer liner defines a coded indicia that is displayed on a portion thereof in alignment with the selected portion of the central sheet.

30. The hard cover product as recited in claim 28, wherein the security tag is a sheet that includes an electronic response device and the receiving area is a recessed cavity.

31. The hard cover product as recited in claim 28, further comprising an interior body attached to the spine.

32. The hard cover product as recited in claim 31, wherein the interior body comprises a plurality of pages bonded together along a side edge to define a book.

33. The hard cover product as recited in claim 31, wherein the interior body comprises a ring member for receiving sheets.

34. The hard cover product as recited in claim 28, further comprising an interior body configured to receive a disc.