Bottle security device

• US 7,259,674 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alpha Security Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Fawcett, Christopher J., Marsilio, Ronald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/022,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/572.9, 340/551, 340/542, 340/571, 215/201, 215/207, 215/212, 215/274, 215/279, 215/291, 70/571, 244/56, 247/041, 24/16.PB, 24/17.AP, 292/256, 292/256.6, 292/325, D10/104
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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: E05B 73/0041 for essentially round objects, e.g. bottles or racket handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0052 of the magnetic type
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0329 having electronic sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/14 by strings, straps, chains, or wires
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/50 Readily interlocking, two-part fastener requiring either destructive or tool disengagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/20 Clamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/505 Strap-end fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article

Abstract

A security device for securing around a generally cylindrical article such as the neck of a bottle includes a housing which forms a lock compartment and which contains an EAS security device and a magnetically actuated lock mechanism. A ratchet strap have a series of locking teeth and is formed integrally with the housing and extends outwardly therefrom and has sufficient rigidity to assume a generally circular configuration with a curved article contact surface of the housing to facilitate attaching the device around the article. The lock mechanism includes a locking pawl which engages the strap teeth and an actuation strip which biases the pawl toward locking engagement with the strap.

Claims

1. A security device for attaching around a generally annular article to be protected from theft, said device comprising:

a rigid housing having a lock compartment with an entry port and a ratchet strap extending outwardly therefrom, said strap having a curved inner surface, a curved outer surface, a series of one-way locking teeth formed on the outer surface and sufficient stiffness to provide a preset curvature to the strap whereby the curved inner surface of the strap assumes a generally circular configuration with a curved portion of the housing to facilitate attaching the device around the cylindrical surface of the article;

wherein the curved portion of the housing has a convexly curved inner surface which communicates with the lock compartment and has a mating configuration with the curved inner surface of the strap;

a locking mechanism disposed within the lock compartment, said locking mechanism including a locking pawl engageable with one of the locking teeth for securing the strap in a locked position; and

a guide pin mounted in the lock compartment adjacent a distal end of the locking pawl for engaging the curved outer surface of the strap during insertion thereof into the lock compartment to guide the strap toward the curved inner surface of the housing to facilitate a mating engagement of the curved inner surface of the strap with the curved inner surface of the housing and to assist in maintaining the strap in position for locking engagement with the pawl.

2. The security device defined in claim 1 including an actuating strip engageable with the locking pawl for biasing the locking pawl toward the locked position.

3. The security device defined in claim 2 wherein the locking pawl has a first end loosely pivotally mounted within the lock compartment and a second end bent toward locking engagement with the locking teeth of the strap.

4. The security device defined in claim 3 wherein the actuating strip is formed of a magnetically attractable material and is spring biased toward moving the locking pawl into the locked position with the strap.

5. The security device defined in claim 2 including at least one locating tab formed on the lock housing for aligning a magnetic key with the locking pawl and actuating strip to move the locking pawl to an unlocked position.

6. The security device defined in claim 5 wherein the locating tab is an arcuate shaped projection;

and in which one of said locating tabs is formed on each of a pair of spaced side walls of the housing.

7. The security device defined in claim 1 wherein the ratchet strap has a first section extending from the housing and free of locking teeth and a second section extending from said first section and terminating in a distal end, said second section having the series of locking teeth formed integrally therewith;

and in which an outwardly extending tab is formed on the first section to facilitate insertion of the distal end of the second section into the lock compartment through the entry port.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising an EAS tag disposed within the housing.

28. The device of claim 1 wherein the strap has a terminal end which is insertable through the entry port and disposed within the lock compartment in the locked position;

and the housing is free of an exit opening through which the terminal end may exit the housing.

8. A security device for attaching around a generally annular article to be protected from theft, said device comprising:

a rigid housing having a lock compartment with an entry port and a ratchet strap extending outwardly therefrom, said strap having a series of one-way locking teeth formed thereon; and

a locking mechanism disposed within the lock compartment, said locking mechanism including a locking pawl engageable with one of the locking teeth for securing the strap in a locked position;

wherein the housing includes an arcuate flange with an arcuate shaped article contact surface having a width greater than spaced side walls of the housing;

wherein the strap and the flange are formed together as an integral one-piece member; and

wherein the housing further includes a pair of end walls, a top wall and a bottom closure wall, which in cooperation with the side walls and article contact surface, form the lock compartment.

20. The device of claim 8 further comprising an EAS tag disposed within the housing.

29. The device of claim 8 wherein the housing has first and second ends;

the strap is connected to and extends outwardly from the first end of the housing;

the entry port is formed in the second end of the housing; and

the arcuate article contact surface extends circumferentially from adjacent the first end to adjacent the second end.

9. A security device for attaching around a cylindrical surface of an article to be protected from theft, said device comprising:

a rigid housing having a lock compartment with an entry port and a ratchet strap extending outwardly therefrom, said strap having a curved inner surface, a curved outer surface, a series of one-way locking teeth formed on the outer surface and sufficient stiffness to provide a preset curvature to the strap whereby the curved inner surface of the strap assumes a generally circular configuration with a curved portion of the housing to facilitate attaching the device around the cylindrical surface of the article;

a locking mechanism disposed within the lock compartment, said locking mechanism including a locking pawl engageable with one of the locking teeth for securing the strap in a locked position;

wherein the housing includes an arcuate shaped flange extending outwardly beyond spaced side walls of the housing; and

in which said flange has an outer article contact surface and a curved inner surface which communicates with the lock compartment and has a mating configuration with the inner surface of the strap for guiding the curved inner surface of the strap as it moves into the lock compartment into a mating engagement with the curved inner surface of the flange in the locked position.

10. The security device defined in claim 9 wherein the strap has sufficient stiffness to maintain a preset curvature thereto whereby a distal end of the strap is located generally adjacent the entry port when in an unattached position, and which in combination with the outer article contact surface forms a preset generally annular configuration to the strap and housing.

21. The device of claim 9 further comprising an EAS tag disposed within the housing.

30. The device of claim 9 wherein the strap has a terminal end which is insertable through the entry port and disposed within the lock compartment in the locked position;

and the housing is free of an exit opening through which the terminal end may exit the housing.

31. The device of claim 9 wherein the strap and the flange are formed together as an integral one-piece member.

11. In combination, a bottle having a cylindrical neck and a security device attached around the neck of the bottle protecting the bottle from theft, said security device comprising:

a rigid housing having a lock compartment with an entry port and a ratchet strap extending outwardly therefrom, said strap having a series of one-way locking teeth formed thereon;

a locking mechanism disposed within the lock compartment, said locking mechanism including a locking pawl engageable with one of the locking teeth for securing the strap in a locked position on the neck of the bottle; and

wherein the neck of the bottle includes an annular shoulder; and

in which a plurality of spaced projections are formed along an inside surface of the strap and engage the annular shoulder on the neck of the bottle to assist in retaining the security device on the bottle neck.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 including an actuating strip engageable with the locking pawl for biasing the locking pawl toward the locked position;

and in which the locking pawl has a first end loosely pivotally mounted within the lock compartment and a second end bent toward locking engagement with the locking teeth of the strap.

22. The device of claim 11 further comprising an EAS tag disposed within the housing.

13. A security device for attaching to an article to be protected from theft, said device comprising:

a rigid housing having a lock compartment with an entry port and a ratchet strap extending outwardly therefrom, said strap having a series of one-way locking teeth formed thereon;

a locking mechanism disposed within the lock compartment, said locking mechanism including a locking pawl engageable with one of the locking teeth for securing the strap in a locked position; and

a plurality of thin projections formed on and projecting outwardly from the housing to provide pain bumps to retard unauthorized tampering with the security device by applying excess twisting pressure to the housing.

14. The security device defined in claim 13 wherein the housing comprises spaced side walls;

and the spaced thin projections are formed on and project outwardly from the side walls of the housing to provide the pain bumps.

15. The security device defined in claim 14 wherein the housing includes an arcuate shaped article contact surface having a width greater than the spaced side walls of the housing.

16. The security device defined in claim 15 in which the article contact surface forms a curved wall portion within the lock compartment of the lock housing;

and in which the strap has sufficient stiffness to provide a preset curvature which is generally complementary to the curvation of said curved wall portion whereby said strap slides along said curved wall portion as it moves into the lock compartment.

17. The security device defined in claim 15 in which a plurality of spaced projections are formed on the article contact surface of the housing and along a portion of the strap to assist in stabilizing the security device when attached around an article.

18. The security device defined in claim 13 wherein the pain bumps projections have rounded tops which prevent pain and injury upon casual contact with said projections yet will cause pain and discomfort if sufficient pressure is applied thereto.

23. The device of claim 13 further comprising an EAS tag disposed within the housing.

24. The device of claim 13 wherein the pain bumps projections comprise a plurality of first projections extending outwardly from the housing in a first direction and a plurality of second projections extending outwardly from the housing in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.

25. A security device for attaching around a generally annular article to be protected from theft, said device comprising:

a rigid housing;

a lock compartment formed in the housing;

an entry port in communication with the lock compartment;

a ratchet strap connected at a first end thereof to the housing, extending outwardly therefrom to a second terminal end and adapted to loop around the article;

a series of one-way locking teeth formed on the ratchet strap;

a manually accessible push tab connected to and extending outwardly from the strap and manually pushable for moving the terminal end of the strap into the lock compartment through the entry port; and

a locking pawl disposed in the lock compartment and engageable with one of the locking teeth for securing the strap in a locked position.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the terminal end of the strap is disposed within the lock compartment in the locked position.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the device is free of an exit opening which communicates with the lock compartment and through which the strap may extend outwardly of the housing in the locked position.

32. The device of claim 25 wherein the push tab is fixedly connected to the strap.

33. The device of claim 32 wherein the push tab and strap are formed together as an integral one-piece member.

34. The device of claim 32 wherein the strap comprises a first segment with the locking teeth formed thereon and a second segment free of the locking teeth;

and the push tab extends outwardly from the second segment.

35. The device of claim 32 wherein the strap has an inner article contact surface adapted to contact the annular article and an outer surface;

and the push tab is connected to and extends outwardly from the outer surface away from the inner surface.