Secure battery compartment for alarming hard tag

• US 8,286,881 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics LLC (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Day, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung
• Application Number:
  US12/760,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20110253790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 235/487, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0097 including means for monitoring voltage, e.g. for indicating low battery state
• 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

Abstract

An electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) tag for securing an item of merchandise is provided. The EAS tag includes a housing defining an opening leading to a compartment therein. A battery is removably disposed within the compartment. An alarm transducer is electrically connected to the battery. A cover is releasably engageable with the housing to cover the opening. A an anchor is releasably engageable with the housing and adapted to removably affix the housing to the item of merchandise. The anchor overlaps at least a portion of the cover when engaged to the housing to prevent removal of the cover when the anchor is engaged to the housing.

Claims

1. An electronic article surveillance (“

EAS”

) tag for securing an item of merchandise, the EAS tag comprising;

a housing;

a removable power supply positioned within the housing; and

an anchor releasably engageable with the housing and adapted to removably affix the housing to the item of merchandise, engagement of the anchor to the housing obstructing removal of the power supply.

2. The EAS tag of claim 1, wherein the removable power supply includes at least one battery.

3. The EAS tag of claim 1, further comprising a power level indicator electrically coupled to the power supply.

4. The EAS tag of claim 3, wherein the power level indicator is located on the housing, and wherein the anchor is engageable to the housing to obscure the power level indicator.

5. The EAS tag of claim 1, wherein the housing defines an opening providing access to the power supply, and the anchor covers the opening upon engagement to the housing.

6. The EAS tag of claim 1, wherein the housing defines an opening to a compartment therein containing the power supply, the EAS tag further comprising a cover attachable to the housing over the opening.

7. The EAS tag of claim 6, wherein the anchor overlaps at least a portion of the cover when engaged to the housing.

8. The EAS tag of claim 6, wherein the cover is affixed to the housing by at least one screw.

9. The EAS tag of claim 6, wherein the cover defines a slot releasably engageable with a tab defined by the housing.

10. The EAS tag of claim 6, wherein the housing and cover define a lip that substantially circumscribes the anchor when the anchor is engaged with the housing.

11. An electronic article surveillance (“

EAS”

) tag using a removable power supply for securing an item of merchandise, the EAS tag comprising;

a housing;

a cover releasably engageable with the housing, the cover providing access to the removable power supply, the cover securing the removable power supply within the housing; and

an anchor releasably engageable with the housing and adapted to removably affix the housing to the item of merchandise, the anchor covering at least a portion of the cover when engaged to the housing.

12. The EAS tag of claim 11, wherein the cover is releasably engageable with the housing by one or more screws.

13. The EAS tag of claim 11, wherein the cover is releasably engageable with the housing by a quarter-turn mechanism.

14. The EAS tag of claim 11, wherein the cover defines a flange positionable within a recession defined by the housing.

15. The EAS tag of claim 11, further comprising an alarm transducer powered by the removable power supply.

16. The EAS tag of claim 11, further comprising a power level indicator electrically coupled to the removable power supply.

17. The EAS tag of claim 11, wherein the housing defines a raised lip and the cover defines a raised lip positionable adjacent to the lip of the housing.

18. An electronic article surveillance (“

EAS”

) tag for securing an item of merchandise, the EAS tag comprising;

a housing defining an opening leading to a compartment therein;

a battery removably disposed within the compartment;

at least one of an alarm transducer and sensor powered by the battery;

a cover releasably engageable with the housing to cover the opening; and

an anchor releasably engageable with the housing and adapted to removably affix the housing to the item of merchandise, the anchor overlapping at least a portion of the cover when engaged to the housing to prevent removal of the cover when the anchor is engaged to the housing.

19. The EAS tag of claim 18, further comprising a battery power level indicator disposed on the housing and electrically coupled to the battery, the battery power level indicator being obscured by the anchor when the anchor is affixed to the housing.

20. The EAS tag of claim 18, wherein the housing comprises a first lip and the cover defines a second lip, the first lip and the second lip substantially circumscribe the anchor when the anchor is engaged with the housing.