Patent ID: 6029322
Filing Date: 2000-02-29
Classification: E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
A device for deterring theft of an article, comprising:a fragile elongate vial containing a theft deterring substance, said vial having a central portion and being elongate in a longitudinal direction;a vial carrier structure including vial engaging surfaces in-between which said vial is being carried, an attachment means for attachment to an article to be protected at an attachment side of said device and a weakened region allowing the vial carrier to yield if a force in a direction towards said attachment side is exerted on said attachment means, thereby causing the vial to fracture due to loads transferred via said vial engaging surfaces; anda substantially rigid cover structure;said weakened region providing said vial carrier structure with a flexible central portion;said vial engaging surfaces including a first vial engaging surface and a second vial engaging surface, both of said first and second vial engaging surfaces being adjacent the same side of said vial, both of said first and second vial engaging surfaces being spaced apart from said central portion of said vial for engaging said vial to break said vial in response to flexing of the central portion of the vial carrier structure;said carrier structure being at least partially located within said cover structure and connected to said cover structure to restrain the carrier structure from movement away from said cover structure towards said attachment side;wherein said connection between said carrier structure and said cover structure is formed by at least two distinct local connections, said at least two distinct local connections being separated by a central area in which said carrier structure and said cover structure are not connected to each other and located spaced away from said attachment means in opposite longitudinal directions of said vial.