Bottle security device

• US 7,866,497 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Belden, Dennis D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US12/001,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20090152230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 215/223, 215/222, 215/218, 215/217, 215/214, 215/213, 215/211, 215/228, 215/243, 215/244, 215/239, 215/238, 215/237, 215/235, 215/287, 215/288, 215/289, 215/283, 215/280, 215/277, 215/273, 215/364, 215/356, 215/355, 215/44, 215/43, 215/346, 215/341, 215/316, 215/303, 215/295, 215/200, 215/201, 215/219, 220/351, 220/354.4, 220/245.4, 220/348, 220/345.2, 220/345.1, 220/830, 220/827, 220/810, 220/812, 220/811, 220/212, 220/212.5, 220/254.5, 220/254.3, 220/254.1, 220/254.9, 220/254.8, 220/326, 220/325, 220/324, 220/315, 222/153.03, 222/153.01, 222/470, 222/559, 222/562, 222/563, D94/36, D94/35
• US Class Current: 215/223
• 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

Abstract

A bottle security device locks onto a bottle neck to prevent theft of the bottle or its contents. The device includes a housing and a cap which receives a portion of the bottle neck and rotates relative to the housing. A spiraling cam surface provides a mechanism during rotation of the cap to move a securing member between a secured position to engage the bottle neck and an unsecured position to disengage from the bottle neck. A locking mechanism is provided to prevent rotation of the cap to keep the device locked on the bottle neck.

Claims

1. A bottle security device comprising:

a housing;

an interior chamber formed in the housing;

a cap rotatable relative to the housing about a vertical axis;

a portion of the cap in the interior chamber;

a cavity formed in the cap adapted to receive therein a portion of a bottle neck;

at least one securing member in the interior chamber;

a first cam surface which spirals radially outwardly relative to the axis;

a second cam surface;

a sliding engagement between the first and second cam surfaces during rotation of the cap relative to the housing;

a secured position of the at least one securing member adapted to engage the bottle neck;

an unsecured position of the at least one securing member adapted to be disengaged from the bottle neck; and

wherein the at least one securing member is movable in response to the sliding engagement from one of the secured and unsecured positions to the other of the secured and unsecured positions; and

a lock adapted to lock the at least one securing member into the secured position so that the bottle security device cannot be removed from the bottle neck, and wherein the lock is adapted to be unlocked with a key so that the at least one security member can be moved to the unsecured position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first cam surface extends a circumferential distance of at least thirty degrees.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising first and second circumferentially opposed ends on the at least one securing member;

and wherein the first cam surface extends from adjacent the first end toward the second end.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the first cam surface extends from adjacent the first end to adjacent the second end.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one securing member is pivotable between the secured and unsecured positions.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the second cam surface spirals radially outwardly relative to the axis and forms a mating engagement with the first cam surface.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a projection in the interior chamber;

and a groove which spirals radially outwardly relative to the axis and receives therein the projection; and

wherein one of the projection and groove is on the at least one securing member;

the other of the projection and groove is on one of the cap and housing; and

the first cam surface is one of on the projection and bounding the groove.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the projection is a ridge which spirals radially outwardly relative to the axis.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising an annular flange on the cap in the interior chamber;

and wherein the first cam surface is on the flange.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising an annular flange on the cap in the interior chamber;

a slot formed through the flange; and

a post on the housing extending through the slot.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sliding engagement between the at least one securing member and the cap during rotation of the cap relative to the housing.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising an annular sidewall on the housing;

and wherein the at least one securing member contacts the sidewall in the unsecured position and is out of contact with the sidewall in the secured position.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one securing member comprises a plurality of securing members which contact one another in the secured position and are out of contact with one another in the unsecured position.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising inner perimeters respectively on the at least one securing member forming respective arcs.

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pair of guide surfaces in the interior chamber;

and wherein the at least one securing member slidably engages the guide surfaces to guide movement of the at least one securing member between the secured and unsecured positions.

16. The device of claim 1 further comprising first and second guide surfaces extending transversely to one another in the interior chamber;

and

wherein the at least one securing member comprises first and second securing members which respectively slidably engage the first and second guide surfaces to guide movement of the first and second securing members between the secured and unsecured positions.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising an upwardly-facing surface on the housing;

first and second overhangs respectively adjacent and extending outwardly beyond the first and second guide surfaces;

a portion of the first securing member extending under and adjacent the first overhang; and

a portion of the second securing member extending under and adjacent the second overhang; and

wherein the first and second securing members slidably engage the upwardly-facing surface.

18. The device of claim 1 further comprising first and second opposed ends on the at least one securing member;

and first and second overhangs on the housing extending respectively over the first and second ends of the at least one securing member.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the lock is in the housing;

a locked position of the lock which prevents rotation of the cap relative to the housing in a first direction;

an unlocked position of the lock which allows rotation of the cap relative to the housing in the first direction;

a spring member which biases the lock to the locked position; and

a guide surface within the housing for guiding movement of the lock; and

wherein the lock slidably engages the guide surface to move linearly between the locked and unlocked positions at an angle relative to horizontal ranging from 20 to 70 degrees.

20. A bottle security device comprising:

a housing;

an interior chamber formed in the housing;

a cap rotatable relative to the housing about a vertical axis;

a portion of the cap in the interior chamber;

a cavity formed in the cap adapted to receive therein a portion of a bottle neck;

at least one securing member in the interior chamber;

a first cam surface which spirals radially outwardly relative to the axis;

a second cam surface;

a sliding engagement between the first and second cam surfaces during rotation of the cap relative to the housing;

wherein one of the first and second cam surfaces is on the at least one securing member;

the other of the first and second cam surfaces is on one of the cap and housing; and

the at least one securing member is movable in response to rotation of the cap relative to the housing between a secured position adapted to engage the bottle neck and an unsecured position adapted to be disengaged from the bottle neck.