Abstract:
Transmitter housing to bottle attachment assembly where the housing can be removed and replaced from the attaching member. In a preferred embodiment, a bottle neck attachment platform includes outwardly extending longitudinal ribs that can slidably engage L shaped members located on the back of the housing. The platform also includes a semi-rigid tab having an aperture capable of receiving a protrusion located on the back side of the housing so that the housing can be removed after contents of the bottle is used up. The platform has an integral standard cable tie strap protruding from one side which can be inserted into a mating aperture located in the platform. The transmitter housing includes accommodation for either a mechanical switch or hall effects magnetic switch that engages with the surface of the bottle neck thereby turning the transmitter on.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This invention relates generally to the field of attachment mechanisms and more specifically to a transmitter housing to bottle attachment means. Bars and restaurants lose a significant amount of revenue due to pilferage at the point of sale, pilferage of bottles from the bar and storage areas and dispensing of drinks to “buddies” as well as due to manual, delayed, and error-prone methods of establishing and keeping metrics. Critical metrics such as pouring cost, pour accuracy and inventory values are calculated as infrequently as once a month. The task of counting and measuring beverage inventory is time consuming and open to intentional and unintentional errors.  
         [0005]     In my U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,481 titled “Service Transaction Monitoring System, Method and Device, I disclose a system, method and device for monitoring service transactions, in particular, the dispensing of liquids. The system includes an electronic sensor device, data receiver, and personal computer. The system provides a method for automatically detecting dispensing events including the steps of detecting an event of dispensing a liquid from a standard liquor or other beverage bottle and detecting the type and amount of the liquid dispensed  
         [0006]     At the heart of my patented system is the attachment of a transmitting device to a beverage bottle such as a liquor bottle or beer bottle. The attachment means must be easy for a person to apply, difficult for a bar tender to tamper with, yet easy to remove after a bottle of liquor or the like as been consumed. The transmitter housing and attachment assembly must also be able to withstand the rigors of a bar type environment including moisture and rough treatment from bar tenders and cleanup people. Although my original patent disclosed several unique and efficacious methods of transmitter housing attachment to a bottle, I have since discovered other, potentially improved methods of attachment.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The primary object of the invention is to provide a plurality of unique methods of attaching a transmitter assembly to a beverage bottle.  
         [0008]     Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment means that allows a user to remove the transmitter from the bottle for future use.  
         [0009]     Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment means that interacts with the bottle so that when a person removes the transmitter, a signal is sent to a central processor.  
         [0010]     A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment means that is water resistant.  
         [0011]     Yet another object of the invention is to provide an attachment means that does not interfere with the beverage pouring process.  
         [0012]     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.  
         [0013]     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a transmitter housing to bottle attachment means comprising: a transmitter housing, a housing attachment means, and said housing capable of being removable and replaceable from a beverage bottle.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the attachment strap of the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an independent strap for the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a forth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]     Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.  
         [0026]     Referring now to  FIG. 1  we see a perspective view of a strap that is designed to wrap around the neck of a standard wine bottle or liquor bottle. The entire strap is injection molded as one piece, preferably out of nylon plastic. The C shaped portion  4  wraps around most of the neck. The toothed strap portion  2  terminates in a rounded tongue  14  that can be inserted into an aperture  12  that includes a standard pawl as found in most nylon cable ties. The excess strap  2  is to be trimmed by a standard cable tie cutter so that no portion of strap  2  protrudes beyond the surface of platform  17 . Platform  17  is integrated into strap  4  by means of side walls  6  and curved top wall  16 . The curve of top wall  16  is designed to match the diameter of a standard wine or liquor bottle. Small differences in the neck diameter of various bottles do not affect the overall performance of the attachment strap shown here. The platform  17  includes integral extension rails  18 ,  20  that can receive mating L shaped brackets  40 ,  42  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Additionally, when the transmitter housing  38  is fully slid onto rails  18 ,  20  the aperture  10  in tab  8  engages the raised barb  11  located on the back of the transmitter housing  38  so that the housing  38  is locked in place until a person forcefully pulls back on tab  8  thereby flexing it so that raised barb  11  can be disengaged from aperture  10  thereby allowing the entire transmitter housing assembly to be removed for use an another bottle.  FIG. 2  also shows a hall effects sensor type switch  48  that becomes activated by magnet  46 . Magnet  46  includes an adhesive backing so that it can adhere to the neck of a bottle. The sensor  48  is fixedly attached to the housing  38  so that when a person removes housing  38  the sensor  48  is no longer in close proximity to magnet  46  thereby causing a switching signal within housing  38  that tells the microprocessor located within housing  38  that the transmitter assembly is no longer attached to that particular bottle.  FIG. 3  shows an alternate embodiment of the strap assembly where a standard cable tie  30  is used in place of the integral cable tie  4  shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . Notice that the magnet  46  is set into a recess  47  so that when the strap  30  is wrapped around the neck of a bottle, the curved portion  16  can fit snuggly against the bottle neck.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  shows a different embodiment where transmitter housing  38  is fixedly attached to a bottle cap holding assembly. The cap holding assembly consists of a ledge  50  that extends outward from, and is perpendicular to, housing wall  39 . The ledge  50  terminates in a C shape  54  goes beyond the mid point of bottle cap  58  by approximately twenty degrees thereby causing a gripping action by the C shape  54 . The bottle cap  58  extends under C shaped member  54  as shown by dotted line  55 . A bottom ledge  56  retains the lower edge of cap  58 . This configuration allows the transmitter housing  38  to be firmly attached to a bottle cap. A switch located between wall  39  and the side of the bottle cap  58  activates the transmitter located in housing  38 . When the cap is removed from the bottle, the switch is released thereby indicating to the transmitter that it the bottle has been opened. The mitering  52  of the C member  54  allows a standard bottle cap opener to be applied to the bottle cap to remove the cap from the bottle. Once the cap  58  has been removed from the bottle, the cap can be easily removed from the C shaped cradle  54  because the rigidity of the bottle top is no longer within the cap, thereby allowing the cap sides to deform during removal.  FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the strap version where the strap  68  includes a platform  61  that has a flexible finger  62  with a small ledge that can interact with housing  38  ledge  60  thereby holding the housing  38  onto the platform  61 . In the version shown, the aperture  64  would interact with a matching protrusion located under housing  38  thereby allowing one finger  62  to hold the housing in place. Alternately, a second opposing finger could be positioned at the opposite end of the platform to interact with a matching ledge  60  on the opposite side of housing  38 . The one finger  62  design is ideal because the user needs to flex one finger to remove the housing  38  rather than two fingers. Aperture  66  accepts tongue  70  as described in the version shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of the invention where an elastic band  70  is retained by groove  75 . In this version, the user slides the band  70  over the top of a bottle and then twists the housing  38  one hundred and eighty degrees causing the band to be caught by wings  72 ,  74  and thereby holding housing in place on the neck of a bottle. Housing back  76  is curved to match the outside diameter of a standard wine or liquor bottle. When the housing is in place on a bottle, switch button  78  is pressed inward there by signaling to the transmitter located inside housing  38  that a bottle is ready for use and to start transmitting information about liquid dispensing activity. If the housing is removed, the switch  78  is deactivated and this fact is also transmitted.  FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of the attachment means that employs two elastic bands  80 ,  82  to hold housing  38  onto the neck of a bottle. In this embodiment, the user pulls back on tabs  94 ,  96  thereby extending plate  84  and attached bands  80 ,  82 . The user then slips the assembly over the top of a bottle so that the housing resides firmly against the bottle&#39;s neck. Curved portion  86  is designed to fit snuggly against the bottle neck wall. Through grooves  90 ,  92  retain bands  80 ,  82  to housing  38 .  FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the invention where a strap  116 ,  118  is molded onto housing  38  the strap  116  terminates in a buckle assembly  114 ,  110  that pivots about hinge  112 . The strap members are flexible so that they can be wrapped around a standard bottle neck so that the buckle portion  110  can interact with the retaining ribs on strap portion  118 . The user pushes down on tab  114  for final tightening.  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment of the invention where a C shaped spring metal assembly is attached to housing  38  by rivet heads  120  that cause the metal shape  124  to be held to posts  122 . The C shaped spring metal piece  124  includes four fingers that can flex outwards during application and then flex back inward to hold housing  38  snuggly against the neck of a bottle. Switch cap  128  becomes depressed when the assembly is attached to a bottle neck thereby informing the transmitter located within the housing  38  that it is attached to a bottle. Semi-rigid plastic tips  126  cover the ends of the metal fingers thereby protecting the user from the sharp edges of the spring metal.  FIG. 10  shows one more way of holding housing  38  onto a strap member  220 . A post  200  located on platform  222  includes outwardly extending tabs  202 ,  204  that can engage with cutouts  206 ,  208  in the housing wall  39 . In this way a standard bayonet attachment means can take place between strap assembly  220  and housing assembly  38 . One of the tabs  204  can activate switch  230  when fully engaged with the housing as shown, thereby telling the transmitter normally located inside housing  38  that the housing is attached to a bottle.  
         [0029]     Each of the above described and illustrated cases represent a unique and efficient method of attaching a housing to the neck of a standard bottle such as a liquor or wine bottle, where the housing can be removed and replaced on to a new bottle when the old bottle is emptied. In the process of attaching the housing, a switch is activated telling the transmitter located inside that housing that the housing is in place on a bottle neck. In this way, any tampering with the housing during the times that the bottle is in use, will be transmitted and recorded.  
         [0030]     While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.