Abstract:
An electronic tag housing which may be secured to variously configured containers, such as containers having curved surfaces. The housing could have a base and a cover overlying the base for support of a tag therebetween. A flexible suction cup is secured to the base, the suction cup has an upper surface and an opposed lower suction surface for suction attachment to the article surface. An adhesive is applied to the lower suction surface for additional attachment to the suction cup to the curved surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION: 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/084,001 filed on Jul. 28, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an electronic tag housing used to support an electronic tag. More particularly, the present invention relates to a housing, which supports an electronic tag and which may be secured to variously configured containers, such as containers having curved surfaces, using suction. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    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. They also may be used to provide theft deterrence to articles to which they are attached. 
         [0004]    It is desirable to provide a single electronic tag housing, which may be easily applied to a variety of products with different shaped surfaces, such as cylinders of various sizes and both flat and curved surfaces. The efficient use of such electronic tags requires the tag to be securely attached to the desired article to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized removal therefrom. However, to function effectively in the retail market, it is desirable to have the tag be quickly and efficiently removed from the article so that the purchaser can remove the article from the purchased location, especially when the tags are used in combination with article surveillance. 
         [0005]    It is, therefore, desirable to provide an electronic tag housing of this type, which can easily be manufactured and applied, yet remain securely attached. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides an electronic tag housing assembly for attaching to an article surface. The assembly includes a housing, having a base and a cover overlying the base for support of a tag therebetween. A suction cup is secured to the base having an upper surface and an opposed lower suction surface for suction attachment to the article surface, and an adhesive is applied to the lower suction surface. 
         [0007]    The present invention further provides a combination of an article with an article surface, a housing, an electronic tag supported within the housing, and a suction cup. The housing includes a base and a cover. The cover overlies the base and supports the tag therebetween. The suction cup is secured to the base. The suction cup has an upper surface and an opposed lower surface for suction attachment to the article surface. The lower suction surface includes an adhesive thereon for adhesively securing the lower suction surface to the article surface. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 C shows an exploded perspective view of the components of the electronic tag housing assembly of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2A ,  2 B,  2 C, and  2 D show isometric, side, top, and bottom views of the electronic tag housing assembly fully assembled. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C show a front, a side, and an enlarged view of the electronic tag housing assembly attached to a compressed gas cylinder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows the electronic tag housing assembly attached to a box. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0012]    The present invention provides a tag housing assembly including a housing, which supports an electronic tag, for example, an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag or radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The housing is attachable to an article so as to maintain the tag with the article to track shipment, purchase and/or to provide theft deterrence. 
         [0013]    The tag housing assembly of the present invention supports a flexible suction cup, which may be suction attached to an article. The suction cup enables the housing to be attached to a variety of containers including both curved and flat containers. While the housing may be used in combination with any desired article, the present invention is particularly useful with articles having curved surfaces, such as compressed gas cylinders. 
         [0014]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  show the components of a tag housing assembly  10 . With reference to  FIG. 1A , the tag housing assembly  10  of the present invention includes a housing  12 , an electronic tag  14 , and a suction cup  16 . The housing  12  further includes a base  18  and a cover  20  overlying the base  18  to support the tag  14 . The suction cup  16  includes a lower suction surface  22  that attaches to an article and an upper surface  24  with a post  26  to receive the housing  12 . 
         [0015]    In the present embodiment, the tag  14  is a generally planar member, which may function as an EAS tag or an RFID tag, as is well known in the art. Other configurations and types of electronic tags  14  are also contemplated within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0016]    The tag housing  12  is generally a planar shaped two-piece member including the base  18  and the cover  20 . The base  18  may include a cavity  28  formed therein. The cavity  28  is configured to accommodate the tag  14  therein. The cover  20  is positionable over the base  18  and is attached thereto to cover and enclose the tag  14  within the cavity  28  of the base  18 . The cover  20  is attached to the base  18  by any well known attachment technique, such as friction fit, adhesive, sonic welding, and the like. 
         [0017]    The base  18  includes a suction cup catch  30  that attaches the base  18  to the suction cup  16  using the post  26  located on the upper surface  24  of the suction cup  16 . The catch  30  is attached to the base  18  by any well known attachment technique, such as friction fit, adhesive, sonic welding, and the like. It is contemplated however, that the catch  30  may also be integrally formed with the base  18 . A suction cup lock  32  is configured for engagement with the catch  30  and used to secure the post  26  to the base  18 . Preferably, the lock  32  is attached to the catch  30  in a non-removable fashion. For example, the lock  32  may include one way spring fingers  32   a  that engage with a mating structure (not shown) on the catch  30  to non-removably secure the lock  32  to the catch  30 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 1B , shows a lower surface of the suction cup  16 . The lower surface  22  of the suction cup  16  contains an adhesive  34  to securely attach the housing assembly  10  to an article surface. In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  a coating of the adhesive  34  is applied directly to the lower surface  22  of the suction cup  16  with a removable release strip  36  and a protective film  38  overlaying the adhesive  34 . When the release strip  36  and the protective film  38  are removed from the lower suction surface  22 , the suction cup  16  may be attached to the article surface by the suction cup  16  and secured by the adhesive  34 . The adhesive  34  may include any variety of well known adhesives  34 . 
         [0019]    The invention also contemplates using a separately applied adhesive  34 , such as a two sided disc  35 , with the removable release strips  36  and the protective film  38  on both sides of the disc  35 , as shown in  FIG. 1C . The two sided disc  35  may include a first side  37  of the disc  35  for adhesive attachment to the lower suction surface  22  and a second side  39  of the disc  35  for adhesive attachment to the article surface. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A-2D , the electronic tag housing assembly  10  is more fully shown.  FIG. 2A  shows an isometric view  40  of the tag housing assembly  10  with the housing  12  assembled and attached to the suction cup  16 .  FIG. 2B  shows the side view  50  of the tag housing assembly  10  with the suction cup lock  32  visible. A top view  60  of the tag housing assembly  10  is shown in  FIG. 2C .  FIG. 2D  shows a bottom view  70  of the tag housing assembly  10  with the adhesive  34 , the release strip  36 , and the protective film  38  on the lower surface  22  of the suction cup  16 . 
         [0021]      FIGS. 3A-3C  show the electronic tag housing assembly  10  attached to a compressed gas cylinder  80 , having a non-flat or curved article surface  82 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the tag housing assembly  10  is attached to the curved article surface  82  by removing the release strip  36  and the protective film  38  that covers the adhesive  34  on the lower suction surface  22 , attaching the suction cup  16  to the curved article surface  82 , and securing the tag housing assembly  10  to the curved article surface  82  by both suction and adhesion. This embodiment shows the flexible nature of the suction cup  16  which allows it to conform to the curved surface of the cylinder  80 . While a suction attachment is achieved between the suction cup  16  and the curved article surface  82  of the cylinder  80 , the primary attachment is by adhesive attachment of the suction cup  16  to the cylinder  80 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a further embodiment of the electronic tag housing assembly  10  attached to a box  90 , having a flat article surface  92 . In one embodiment, the tag housing assembly  10  is attached to the flat article surface  92  using a two sided disc  35 . First, the release strip  36  and the protective film  38  are removed from the first side  37  of the disc  35  and the first side  37  of the disc  35  is attached to the lower suction surface  22 . Then, the release strip  36  and the protective film  38  are removed from the second side  39  of the disc  35  and the second side  39  of the disc  35  is attached to the flat article surface  92  by both suction and adhesion. 
         [0023]    The present invention further allows authorized personnel to remove the tag housing assembly  10  from the product by removing the lock  32  from the catch  30  and separating the suction cup  16  and the housing  12 . 
         [0024]    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.