The present invention relates generally to an electronic tag housing used to support electronic tags. More particularly, the present invention relates to a loop tag housing which supports an electronic tag and which is securely attachable to an article by use of the loop.
It is widely known to use electronic tags for various purposes. Electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags as well as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are used for purposes such as tracking sales and shipments of products to which they are attached. These tags may also be used to provide theft deterrence to articles to which they are attached.
Many articles which require the use of electronic tags may have portions thereof in a closed circumferential configuration. These article may include watches, bracelets, necklaces and the like. One technique for applying a tag to such an article is to provide a tag housing having a longitudinal strap extending therefrom. The strap could be extended through or “looped” about, for example, the necklace and then reattached to the plastic housing. Thus, the tag housing would hang from the necklace and could be used for other purposes such as advertising and price information.
In order to prevent the unauthorized removal of the tag housing from the article, it would be necessary to assure that the strap is securely attached to the housing once threaded or looped through the article so that it cannot be nondestructively removed.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an electronic tag housing of this type which can easily manufactured and applied, yet remain securely attached.
The present invention provides an electronic tag housing assembly which includes an elongate tag housing having opposed ends. The electronic tag is supported within the housing. The housing includes an elongate base having a hook at one end. An elongate cover overlies the base and supports the tag therebetween. An elongate slide is supported between the cover and the base for slidable movement with respect thereto. An elongate wire loop has portions thereof secured to the housing between the cover and the base and has a looped end for attachment to the hook of the base. The slide is movable from a first position permitting access to the hook for attachment of the looped end, to a second position preventing removal of the looped end.
It is contemplated that the slide in the base would employ a one-way detent structure to permit movement of the slide from the first position to the second position.
The wire may be formed of plastic coated metal to prevent unauthorized removal.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, an electronic tag housing assembly includes an elongate housing and an electronic tag supported in the housing. The housing includes a base and a cover affixed to the base supporting the tag therebetween. An elongate flexible wire is fixedly supported at one end between the cover and the base. The wire includes a loop at the other end. The housing and cover define a slot in the housing for receiving the wire loop. A movable lock is insertably received in the slot for movement between an open position wherein the loop is insertable into the slot and a closed position securing the loop in the slot.
The present invention provides an electronic tag housing assembly which may be used to secure an electronic tag such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag to an article.
The housing assembly 10 of the present invention is shown in
The housing is more fully shown
The base 18 which is more fully shown in
The slide 20, more fully shown in
The slide 16 has a pair of outwardly extending detents 32 which are engageable with like recesses 34, 36 in the undersurface of the cover 16 so as to make the slide movable between a first position and a second position. In this first position, the detents 32 are supported in recesses 34, and in the second position, the detents 32 are supported in the recesses 36. This allows for a one-way locking of the slide 20. Slots 33 adjacent detents 32 allow for flexing so as to permit resilient movement of the detents 32. Also, the forward end of slide 20 includes a slot 38 which accommodates and surrounds hook 22 of base 18 as shown in
As shown in
The tag housing assembly 10 is initially provided with the slide moved to rearward open position exposing the hook 22 of base 18. In this position, the outwardly extending detents 32 are within the recesses 34. The wire 14 may be looped through the article to which it is desired to be attached. Thereafter, the looped end 40 of the wire may be placed around the hook. The slide is then moved from its first position to its second position whereupon the slot 38 of the slide 16 surrounds the hook 22 preventing the wire loop 40 from being removed from the tag housing. This prevents the loop from being removed from the hook in a nondestructive manner. Any destructive removal would provide evidence of tampering.
A further embodiment of the present invention is shown with respect to
As shown in
Wire 114 is an elongate extent of wire, which may be plastic coated stainless steel, which renders the wire difficult to sever and remove from the article on which it is placed. The wire may be flexible or it may be a stiff wire. The wire is generally folded upon itself to form a looped end 140 and a non-joined end 142 having end extents 142a and 142b. The two end extents are placed in side-by-side relationship. As also shown in
It is also contemplated that the ends 142a and 142b of wire 114 may be further secured within the channel 124 by ultrasonic welding or other fastening means. For example, a permanent adhesive may be used to secure the ends within the channel 124. The ends 142a and 142b are permanently secured within the channel 124 between base 118 and cover 116.
As particularly shown in
As shown in more detail in
In order to permanently secure the housing assembly 110 to the article, lock 120 is provided. Lock 120 is an elongate hook-shape member which is inserted into the housing 112 laterally through an elongate side passage 130 formed adjacent one end 111 of housing 112. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 15-17, side passage 130 is formed by aligned passage portions 130a in base 118 and 130b in cover 116. Side passage 130 is in transverse communication with slot 117. Formed in passage 130 is a detent structure 132 which works with cooperative detent structure 134 on lock 120 to allow movement of the lock 120 between first or open position shown in
With additional reference to
In this position, the hook-like detent structure 134 of lock 120 is positioned between curved rib 132a and angled rib surface 132b as shown in
While the particular detent structure shown herein includes ramps and hooks, other detent structures which provide one way securement may also be employed. Lock 120 is therefore movable from a first position permitting entry of the looped 140 of wire 114 into slot 117 to a second position preventing withdrawal of the looped end therefrom. Once in the second or locked position, the wire cannot be nondestructively removed from the housing 112. Thus, when used as a security or identification device, the housing assembly 110 cannot be removed from an article without severing the flexible wire and thereby providing an indication of tampering.
Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures would now be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/901,073, filed on Feb. 13, 2007, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/835,014, filed on Aug. 2, 2006, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60901073 | Feb 2007 | US | |
60835014 | Aug 2006 | US |