Theft deterrent device

• US 7,961,100 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS, INC. (CCL Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wyatt, James G. Jr., Weeden, Lance F., Moock, Andrew W., Eckert, Lee H., Conti, Brian V.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/183,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/568.2, 3405721-5728, 340/10.1, 235/375, 235/385, 705/22, 705/28
• 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: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details

Abstract

A theft deterrent device includes a carrier having a pivotally mounted pin and an alarm tag for receiving the pin to secure the carrier and alarm tag together when secured on an item of merchandise by an adhesive pad on the carrier. Spaced electrical contacts within the alarm tag receive the pin therebetween to provide an electrical path between the contacts to close a first electrical circuit which turns the device on. A flexibly mounted projection on the carrier depresses a plunger switch to arm the device. The security device is configured to sound an onboard alarm in response to prying of the carrier from the alarm tag or cutting of the pin of the carrier, or if an EAS tag receives a wireless signal from a security gate. The carrier can remain on the purchased merchandise for subsequent disposal.

Claims

1. A theft deterrent device comprising:

a carrier adapted to be secured to an object, said carrier having a metallic contact and a moveable member, wherein the metallic contact is a pin pivotally mounted on and extends upwardly from the bottom wall of the carrier;

an alarm tag securable to the carrier, said alarm tag having a pair of spaced electrical contacts, an alarm system, a battery supplying power to the alarm system and a switch for arming the alarm system,

said metallic contact providing an electrical path between the spaced electrical contacts when the carrier is secured to the alarm tag, and the moveable member actuating the switch upon securing the carrier to the object for arming the alarm system.

2. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier has a bottom wall and in which the moveable member is a projection moveably mounted on the bottom wall and extending outwardly from said bottom wall.

3. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 2 wherein the projection is formed on a flexible strip of material integrally formed in and extending along the bottom wall of the carrier.

4. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 2 wherein a pressure sensitive adhesive is attached to the bottom wall of the carrier for securing the carrier to the object.

5. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 3 wherein the alarm tag switch is a plunger switch;

and in which the plunger switch is aligned with the projection of the carrier when the alarm tag is secured to the carrier.

6. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 1 wherein the alarm system includes an audible alarm which is activated upon the switch being moved between extended and depressed positions upon securing the carrier to the object.

7. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 1 including a lock mechanism securing the alarm tag on the carrier.

8. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 7 wherein the lock mechanism includes a spring biased ball detent in the alarm tag;

and in which the pin is engaged with the ball detent to lock the carrier to the alarm tag.

9. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 8 wherein the ball detent includes a magnetically attractable shuttle;

and in which a magnetic key cooperates with the shuttle to unlock the lock mechanism enabling the alarm tag to be removed from the carrier.

10. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 1 wherein an EAS tag is located within the alarm tag.

11. A theft deterrent device comprising:

a carrier adapted to be secured to an object, said carrier having a contact pin and a bottom wall and an upstanding side wall forming a bottom chamber;

a pressure sensitive adhesive attached to a bottom wall of the carrier for securing the carrier to the object;

an alarm tag securable to the carrier at least partially within the bottom chamber, said alarm tag having a pair of spaced electrical contacts and an alarm system;

said contact pin providing an electrical path between the spaced electrical contacts when the carrier is secured to the alarm tag and the contact pin engages the electrical contacts upon securing the carrier to the object for arming the alarm system.

12. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 11 further comprising a projection moveably mounted on the carrier and extending outwardly from said bottom wall.

13. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 12 wherein the projection is formed on a flexible strip of material integrally formed in and extending along the bottom wall of the carrier.

14. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 12 wherein the alarm tag includes a switch;

and in which the carrier projection actuates the switch when the carrier is secured to the alarm tag.

15. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 11 including a spring biased ball detent lock mechanism in the alarm tag;

and in which the contact pin is engaged with the ball detent to lock the carrier to the alarm tag.

16. The theft deterrent device defined in claim 15 wherein the ball detent includes a magnetically attractable shuttle;

and in which a magnetic key cooperates with the shuttle to unlock the lock mechanism enabling the alarm tag to be removed from the carrier.

17. In combination, an object and a theft deterrent device attached to the object, wherein the theft deterrent device comprises:

a carrier attached to the object without puncturing the object, said carrier having a first switch actuation member;

an alarm tag removably securable to the carrier, said alarm tag having an alarm system, a battery supplying power to the alarm system and a second switch for arming the alarm system; and

said first switch actuation member actuating the first switch to arm the alarm system when the carrier is removably secured to the alarm tag.

18. The combination defined in claim 17 wherein the carrier has a bottom wall;

in which an outwardly extending projection is mounted on the bottom wall; and

in which the alarm system includes a second switch which aligns with the projection when the alarm tag is mounted on the carrier.

19. The combination defined in claim 18 wherein the projection is formed on a flexible strip of material integrally formed in and extending along the bottom wall of the carrier.

20. The combination defined in claim 18 wherein the first switch actuation member is a pin pivotally mounted on the carrier.

21. The combination defined in claim 17 wherein a pressure sensitive adhesive is attached to a bottom wall of the carrier for securing the carrier to the object.

22. The combination defined in claim 18 wherein the second switch is a plunger switch;

and in which the plunger switch is depressed by the projection of the carrier when the carrier and alarm tag is secured to the object.

23. The combination defined in claim 17 including a lock mechanism securing the alarm tag on the carrier;

said lock mechanism including a spring biased ball detent in the alarm tag;

in which the first switch actuation member is a metallic contact pin; and

in which the pin is engaged with the ball detent to lock the carrier to the alarm tag and to actuate the first switch.