Abstract:
A mounting disk, lanyard and distal tip are formed as a unitary member and may be utilized with a plurality of differing EAS tags to provide effective theft protection devices.

Description:
This application claims priority of Provisional Application 61/610,593 filed Mar. 14, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated by reference, to the extent allowed by law. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Retail stores utilize electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags, especially in connection with clothing, to prevent theft of such items. A tag will generally be a rectangular structure on the order of ⅝ inch in width and 1½ inch in length with varying thickness, including a flat top side having a pin receiving aperture therein. For clothing and other fabric material items, a pin member, having a circular disk shaped top and a pin extending perpendicularly from the center thereof, is positioned through the fabric and into the aperture or hole in the tag to maintain the EAS structure on a consumer item to be sold. FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,766 discloses such a circular disk with pin extending therefrom that is meant to be positioned in the aperture or hole on the top of a tag  22 . Such a tag assembly is not convenient to utilize for articles of clothing such as leather or for handbags, purses, or the like generally made of other than a one layer of woven fabric. 
     Another type of theft deterrent device includes a lanyard that extends from the tag so as to be positioned around a handbag strap or through a button hole in an item wherein the prior mentioned combined disk and pin is not appropriate. U.S. Pat. No. 7,342,495 discloses an EAS tag that has a lanyard fixedly extending therefrom including a pin at the end that is mountable in an aperture or hole in the top of the lanyard. However, it should be noted that there are over approximately 200 different styles and shapes of EAS tags currently on the market and the lanyard shown only works with the one tag disclosed therein. Additionally, it would be expected that improvements in such EAS tags may be made in the future to provide for more elaborate electronic circuitry therein. 
     A need has developed for a simplified lanyard/pin/base device that can be utilized with a plurality of the EAS tags now available on the market and which may be available for use with EAS tags developed in the future. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An integrally formed mounting disk and lanyard for selectively attaching same to an (EAS) tag, said integral disk and lanyard comprising: a disk of plastic or other suitable material forming a base smaller in height than in a generally symmetrical length and width, said disk including an aperture vertically centrally therethrough. An elongate bodied lanyard is mounted on said disk at one end thereof and is securely attached, preferably by welding, soldering or the like to a rigid pin on an opposing end thereof. The lanyard is bendable with the pin end being insertable in and through the aperture in the disk. The length of the pin is sufficient to extend beyond the height of the disk aperture for being selectably retainable in an EAS tag. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the attached claims. The invention may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a combination disk and lanyard/pin constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on an electronic article surveillance tag; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the disk and lanyard/pin shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an end elevational view of the base member of the disk shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the base member shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a cover member for the disk shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the cover member of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view. 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in a preferred embodiment  10  of the present invention, the combination lanyard  12  and base  11  of the present invention is comprised of an elongated lanyard  12  having a rectangular mountable end (not shown), a plastic covered wire central portion  13  and a pointed tip  14  at its opposing end with annular indents  15 - 16  adjacent the pointed tip  14  for being captured in the mounting aperture or hole (not shown) of a separate electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag  17 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  8 , in the present preferred embodiment, the disk  11  portion of the invention includes a generally cylindrical base member  20  having a flat plain bottom  21  with an aperture  22  centrally perpendicularly therethrough. Adjacent the central aperture toward one part of the periphery is a female socket  23  shaped to receive the preferably generally rectangular, but also may be cylindrical, mounting end of the lanyard  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  cover  25  for the disk  11  is also circular in outline and has a generally frustoconical shape  26  with the exception of the socket cover portion  27  that is the rectangular portion extending from adjacent the central aperture  28  therein to the periphery  30  of the disk  11  which socket cover  27  is generally rectangularly shaped to cover up and close the lanyard mounting portion in the base  20 . The bottom of the cover further includes an annular rim which extends around the base of the cover with the exception of the lanyard mounting portion. 
     This annular ridge  31  is adapted to fit over a similar annular ridge  32  in the top of the base  20 . With the lanyard mounting portion (not shown) fitted in the recess  23  in the base, the cover  25  may be positioned thereover to securely mount the lanyard therein and cover it over. Also, the annular flat portion  32  of the cover  25  sits in and is retained by the annular rim  31  in the top portion of the base  20 . Once the cover  25  has been positioned on the combination of the lanyard mounting  23  and the base  11 , it may be secured thereto by an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, heat, etc. as desired to secure the three-piece assembly into a unitary structure  10 . 
     In a preferred embodiment such as shown in  FIGS. 3-8 , the outer diameter of the base  40  is 20 mm, the inner diameter  41  of the rim is 14.4 mm and the top  42  of the rim for the base  20  is 10 mm in diameter. The width of the lanyard mounting portion  44  is 6.62 cm. The outer dimension of the base  40  is 20 mm and the thickness of the base is 1.5 mm. The height of the base  45  at the top of the lanyard mounting portion is 1 mm. Further in the preferred embodiment, the cover  25  is also 20 mm in diameter at its outermost portion  30 , and 7.6 mm in height. The cover portion  40  which extends over the lanyard mounting portion  44  in the base is 1.6 cm in width. The radius of the frustoconical portion  26  begins at 17.6 mm in diameter and ends at 10 mm in diameter. A preferred material for the 2 piece base shown is molded plastic. The lanyard  12  is a plastic covered metal cable, although plastic of PTFE may be substituted. 
     It will be understood that this unitary structure combined lanyard and pin mounting disk may be utilized with a plurality of differing electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags, both as presently available in the marketplace and as may become available in the future with advanced electronics positioned therein. 
     While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.