Magnetically releasable electronic article surveillance tag

• US 7,724,146 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Valade, Franklin H. Jr., Nguyen, Thang T., Hogan, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tai T
• Application Number:
  US11/467,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.9, 340/572.1, 340/551, 340/568.1, 340/825.54, 340/5.61, 340/825.44, 70/571, 703/91, 704/16, 704/53, 706/54
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2015/0472 Made of rubber, plastics or the like
• 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 73/0052 of the magnetic type
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/50 Readily interlocking, two-part fastener requiring either destructive or tool disengagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/778 Operating elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7915 Tampering prevention or attack defeating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8595 Key guides, internal

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method are described for an electronic article surveillance security tag having a magnetically releasable tack retaining system, and a magnetic detaching device for use with the electronic article surveillance tag. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A security tag, comprising:

a housing to hold a tack retaining system, said tack retaining system to include a wedge and a biasing member arranged to retain a tack assembly by biasing a first tack retaining edge of said wedge against said tack assembly and cause said wedge to pivot, and to release said tack assembly when exposed to a magnetic field.

2. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said wedge comprises a tack retaining portion, said tack retaining portion including said first tack retaining edge.

3. The security tag of claim 2, wherein said tack retaining edge is formed by two surfaces, at least one of which is curved.

4. The security tag of claim 2, wherein said tack retaining portion further includes at least one more tack retaining edge.

5. The security tag of claim 4, wherein said tack retaining portion further includes a front side, said front side extending between said first and second tack retaining edges.

6. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said wedge comprises a tack retaining portion, said tack retaining portion including a first chamfer.

7. The security tag of claim 6, wherein said tack retaining portion further includes a second chamfer.

8. The security tag of claim 7, wherein said first and second chamfers include a coincident edge.

9. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said wedge comprises a rounded tack retaining portion.

10. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said wedge is a symmetrical wedge.

11. The security tag of claim 10, wherein said symmetrical wedge comprises a tack retaining portion, said tack retaining portion including a tack retaining edge.

12. The security tag of claim 10, wherein said symmetrical wedge comprises a tack retaining portion, said tack retaining portion including two tack or more retaining edges.

13. The security tag of claim 10, wherein said symmetrical wedge comprises a tack retaining portion, said tack retaining portion being curved.

14. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said biasing member comprises a spring.

15. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring comprises metal.

16. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring comprises plastic.

17. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring comprises a leaf spring.

18. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring comprises a torsion spring.

19. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring comprises a wire spring.

20. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring is integral with said housing.

21. The security tag of claim 14, wherein said spring comprises a compression spring.

22. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said biasing element comprises a wedge-bending element.

23. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said wedge and said biasing member are secured to each other.

24. The security tag of claim 23, wherein said wedge and said biasing member are secured to each other by being integral with each other.

25. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said biasing member comprises at least one locating element.

26. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said security tag is to be reusable.

27. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said security tag is to be for single use.

28. The security tag of claim 27, wherein said housing is to include a trap cavity to receive at least a portion of said wedge when said wedge is moved out of a locked condition.

29. The security tag of claim 28, wherein said housing is to include a wedge catch to restrict movement of said wedge out of said trap cavity and into a position in which said security tag is operable.

30. The security tag of claim 1, wherein the security tag is to be resettable.

31. The security tag of claim 30, wherein said housing is to include a trap cavity to receive at least a portion of said wedge when said wedge is moved out of a locked condition.

32. The security tag of claim 31, wherein said housing is to include a guiding ramp to guide movement of said wedge out of said trap cavity and into a position in which said security tag is operable.

33. The security tag of claim 1, wherein said housing is further to hold a sensor.

34. The security tag of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises a magnetic sensor.

35. The security tag of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises an acoustic magnetic sensor.

36. The security tag of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises a radio-frequency sensor.

37. The security tag of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises an RFID sensor.

38. The security tag of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises a ferrite assembly.

39. The security tag of claim 33, wherein said sensor comprises two or more types of sensors.

40. The security tag of claim 1, said housing to have a wedge stop, said wedge stop to limit movement of said wedge.

41. The security tag of claim 1, said wedge including a tack retaining portion, said tack assembly to have a tack shank, and said tack shank including a groove to contact said tack retaining portion when said tack shank is inserted into said housing.

42. The security tag of claim 41, said groove having a groove lip, said biasing member to bias said tack retaining portion into said groove when said tack shank is inserted into said housing such that said groove lip is to contact said tack retaining portion to form a locked condition.

43. The security tag of claim 1, said wedge comprising a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and said housing to have a first recess and a second recess to receive said first and second protrusions, respectively.

44. The security tag of claim 1, said housing to have a detacher interface for a magnetic detaching device.

45. The security tag of claim 44, said magnetic detaching device to include a tag interface to receive at least a portion of said detacher interface.

46. The security tag of claim 45, said wedge to engage said tack assembly in a locked condition, said wedge to be moved out of said engagement when said tag interface receives said at least a portion of said detacher interface.

47. The security tag of claim 46, said movement of said wedge out of said engagement to include a rotational movement.

48. The security tag of claim 46, said movement of said wedge out of said engagement to include a translational movement.

49. The security tag of claim 46, said movement of said wedge out of said engagement to include a combination of a rotational movement and a translational movement.

50. A security tag, comprising:

an attachment end having a first compartment to hold a tack retaining system, said tack retaining system to include a wedge and a biasing member arranged to retain a tack assembly by biasing a first tack retaining edge of said wedge against said tack assembly and cause said wedge to pivot, and to release said tack assembly when exposed to a magnetic field; and

a detection end having a second compartment to hold an electronic article surveillance sensor.

51. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said magnetic field is to be from a magnetic detaching device.

52. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said electronic article surveillance sensor comprises a magnetic sensor.

53. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said electronic article surveillance sensor comprises an acoustic magnetic sensor.

54. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said sensor comprises a radio-frequency sensor.

55. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said electronic article surveillance sensor comprises an RFID sensor.

56. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said electronic article surveillance sensor comprises a ferrite assembly.

57. The security tag of claim 50, wherein said electronic article surveillance sensor comprises two or more types of sensors.

58. A security tag, comprising:

a housing to receive a tack retaining system and an electronic article surveillance sensor therein, said tack retaining system to include a wedge and a biasing member arranged to retain a tack assembly by biasing a first tack retaining edge of said wedge against said tack assembly and cause said wedge to pivot, and to release said tack assembly when exposed to a magnetic field.

59. The security tag of claim 58, wherein said housing is to include an upper housing having a wedge compartment to receive said wedge and said biasing member.

60. The security tag of claim 59, said tack assembly to include a tack shank, and said housing is further to include an aperture to receive said tack shank, said aperture to extend into said wedge compartment.

61. The security tag of claim 59, wherein said wedge compartment is further to receive at least a portion of said tack assembly, said wedge to engage said tack assembly in a locked condition.

62. The security tag of claim 61, said tack assembly to include a tack shank having one or more grooves, said biasing member to bias said wedge toward a position in which said wedge engages one of said one or more grooves in said locked condition.

63. The security tag of claim 59, wherein said upper housing is further to include a detacher interface.

64. The security tag of claim 59, wherein said housing is further to include a lower housing, said lower housing to include a bearing surface to restrict movement of said biasing member out of said wedge compartment.

65. The security tag of claim 59, wherein said housing is further to include a lower housing, said lower housing to include a bearing protrusion to restrict movement of said biasing member within said wedge compartment.

66. A security tag, comprising:

means for engaging a tack assembly within a housing in the locked condition, said means for engaging the tack assembly comprising a wedge and a biasing member arranged to bias a first tack retaining edge of said wedge against said tack assembly and cause said wedge to pivot; and

means for releasing said engagement of said tack assembly from said locked condition.