Abstract:
A theft-deterrent device ( 10 ) for application to an article to be protected includes first ( 20 ) and second ( 30 ) components adapted for locking engagement to secure the article therebetween, with a fragile vile ( 60 ) disposed within the first component containing a detrimental substance which would damage the article in the event the vial is fractured. A pin ( 15 ) protruding from the first component has a first end secured to the vial using a suitable attachment structure. The attachment structure provides an aperture which surrounds a portion of the “vial in a closely engaged arrangement, and also serves to rupture the vial and release the detrimental substance if unauthorized removal is attempted. The pin and the attachment structure can be integrally formed, or alternatively the attachment structure can be formed as a separate piece and attached to the pin.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to theft deterrent devices providing benefit denial, and more particularly to an improved anti theft ink tag used to deter the theft of articles by permanently staining the article if unauthorized removal of the tag is attempted. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The prior art includes numerous conventional theft deterrent devices of the “benefit denial” type which use ink to stain the fabric of a garment when unauthorized attempts have been made to remove the tag from the garment. Usually the ink is contained in one or more frangible containers, such as tubes or vials comprised of glass or rigid plastic which are carried in the housing of the tag. The housing is secured to the garment to be protected by an attachment structure of a type which is releasable upon use of specialized release devices by authorized personnel. Such attachment generally takes the form of a tack carried on one section of the tag which is pushed through a layer of the fabric of the garment into a receptacle carried on another section of the tag. The substance contained within the vials is released when a fracturing element is flexed so that the vial is broken, releasing the substance. 
         [0003]    Known devices are typically assembled with two sealed cylindrical glass vials containing a liquid stain or indelible ink fluid, each vial lying alongside the vertical axis of the tack and requiring a breaker plate that is attached to the grooved tack (nail) and lying along the top or surrounding the vials in such a manner as to break the ink vial with pressure when the grooved tack or nail transmits a compressive force exceeding the vial strength. 
         [0004]    In known ink-tack type deterrent devices, symmetrical placement of the tack with relation to the ink tags usually requires the use of at least two ink vials. When two or more ink vials are used in the tack assembly, a wider range of the compression force is required to fracture each vial, and the product size is larger and more costly to manufacture. 
         [0005]    It would be therefore be highly advantageous to provide an improved ink tag design which is configured to use a single vial which is symmetric about the tack. The ink tag as disclosed herein which utilizes a single vial requires less compression force to rupture the vial than prior art ink tags, and also provides better control of the required pressure. Product size is also advantageously reduced, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An anti-theft ink tag device for application to an article to be protected includes first and second components adapted for locking engagement to secure the article therebetween, with a fragile vile disposed within the first component containing a detrimental substance which would damage the article in the event the vial is fractured. A pin protruding from the first component has a first end secured to the vial using a suitable attachment structure. The attachment structure provides an aperture which surrounds a portion of the vial in a closely engaged arrangement, and also serves to rupture the vial and release the detrimental substance if unauthorized removal is attempted. The pin and the attachment structure can be integrally formed, or alternatively the attachment structure can be formed as a separate piece and attached to the pin. 
         [0007]    A theft deterrent ink tag in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a one piece eyelet pin. The eyelet pin includes an integral a ring which surrounds the ink vial and serves to rupture the vial if removal is attempted. The eyelet ring can be formed symmetrical with respect to the pin, or off set from the central axis of the pin. The eyelet ring can be a closed ring or an open ring. In another embodiment, a pin is attached to a pin-retaining sleeve having a cylindrical aperture for receiving the vial in longitudinal orientation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional view of the first and second components of a theft-deterrent device according to the invention in a detached configuration depicting the fragile vial disposed within the first component; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the first component; 
           [0010]      FIG. 1C  is a cross-sectional side end view of the first component of  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates the fragile vile with a pin having an integral attachment structure according to one embodiment of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is pin having an integral attachment structure according to another embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates the pressure exerted on the vial when unauthorized removal is attempted; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of the pin in which the attachment structure is offset from the axis of the pin; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is another embodiment in which the attachment structure is formed as a pin-retaining sleeve; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is an alternative configuration of the embodiment of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates yet another embodiment in which the attachment structure is formed as a flexible loop; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates yet another embodiment in which the attachment structure is formed as a generally annular portion which is formed as a separate piece and then attached to the pin. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    For simplicity and ease of explanation, the invention will be described herein in connection with various embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the features and advantages of the invention may be implemented in a variety of configurations. It is to be understood, therefore, that the embodiments described herein are presented by way of illustration, not of limitation. 
         [0020]      FIGS. 1A-C  illustrates an ink tack type theft deterrent device  10  according to a one embodiment of the invention. The device  10  includes a first component  20  and a second component  30  which are adapted for locking complementary engagement to secure a portion of an article to be protected (not shown) therebetween. The first component  20  and second component  30  can be formed from any suitable rigid material, such as plastic. The first and second components  20  and  30  can be locked together using a pin  15  extending from the first component and a cooperating clutch  31  in the second component  30 . The pin  15  has an upper first end (generally referred to as  17 ) disposed within the first component  20  and a second piercing end  40  protruding outwardly from a flat lower wall  21 . The clutch  31  in the second component  30  is adapted to grasp the pin  15 . In use, the pin  15  pierces a portion of an article to be protected, and the first and second components are locked together by insertion of the pin  15  into the clutch  31 . The pin  15 , the clutch  31  and the technique of releasing the pin  15  from the grasp of the clutch  31  to allow the first component  20  to be unlocked from the second component  30  to detach the protected article from the theft-deterrent device are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,356 to Lincoln H. Charlot, Jr. 
         [0021]    The first component  20  is formed with a cavity  14  therein configured to contain an elongated sealed vial  60 . The illustrated vial  60  is cylindrical in configuration, however the invention is not limited in that regard. The vial  60  is made of a fragile material, such as glass or frangible plastic, and it breaks easily under application of a longitudinal bending moment. The vial is filled with a theft deterrent substance, such as ink or other detrimental substances that permanently stain and marks the article when released. In addition to a staining substance, many other types of substances can be used for detrimental effect, such as bleach, or ill-smelling, fume-generating or skin-irritating substances in gas, liquid or powder form. Preferably the vial  60  is made of a transparent or translucent material so that the condition of the detrimental substance can be inspected, and that the public is made aware of the presence of its contents. 
         [0022]    Either or both of the first component  20  and the second component  30  can include an EAS tag or label disposed therein to provide enhanced security for the protected article. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the second component  30  includes EAS tag or label  130 . 
         [0023]    The first end  17  of the pin  15  is secured within the cavity  14  by securing the pin  15  to the vial  60  trapped within the cavity  14 . The first end of the pin  17  is attached to the vial  60  such that the shaft of the pin  15  extends through an opening  42  in the lower wall  21 . The opening  42  is sized for close alignment with the shaft of the pin  15  to maintain the pin  15  approximately normal to the lower wall  21 , but is large enough in diameter to allow some vertical movement of the pin  15  with respect to the cavity  14 . In this and other embodiments disclosed therein, an attachment structure serves to attach the pin  15  to the vial  60 , and also advantageously functions to rupture the vial  60  if unauthorized removal is attempted. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , an attempt to separate the first and second components for authorized removal of the device  10  from the garment results in a downward force on the pin  15 , causing the downward motion of the pin  15  with respect to the cavity  14  such that the first end  17  ruptures the vial  60  to release the detrimental substance. The lower wall  21  of the first component  20  can include other openings therein to aid in dispersal of the detrimental substance when the vial  60  is ruptured. The longitudinal center of the vial  60  is usually the area most vulnerable to fracture, and the pin  15  is therefore located at the approximately longitudinal center of the vial  60  in the illustrated embodiments. However, in alternative designs the pin  15  could be asymmetrically positioned along the vial  60 . 
         [0025]    The cavity  14  can also be contoured to provide pressure points at various locations which serve to hasten the destruction of the vial  60  when the pin  15  is subjected to downward force. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the cavity can include, for example, protrusions  48  and  49  which are positioned at predetermined pressure points and which cooperate with the attachment structure to rupture the vial  60  if unauthorized removal is attempted. 
         [0026]    In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  5  the pin  15  and attachment structure are formed as a unitary piece. In this embodiment, the first end  17  of the pin  15  is formed as an aperture or eyelet  27  which is configured for close sliding engagement with the vial  60 . The aperture or eyelet  27  can have any suitable configuration which engages with the vial  60  to secure the pin and also imparts adequate suitable breaking force to the vial. The first end  17  can also be formed in such as the open ring (or hook) configuration shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the first end  17  of the pin  15  can be configured as an integrally formed aperture or eyelet  27  which is asymmetrically positioned with respect to the axis of the pin  15 . 
         [0027]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the means to secure the pin  15  to the vial  60  can be in the form of a sleeve member  77  having a cylindrical opening  78  sized to receive the vial  60  therein in a longitudinal orientation. The sleeve member  77  is attached to the first end  17  of the pin  15  using any suitable attachment means. In the illustrated embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the first end  17  of the pin  15  is formed as flat pin head  85 , and the sleeve member  77  includes a slot  79  configured to engage with the pin head  85  to allow sliding insertion at the time of manufacture, but which prevent vertical displacement of the pin  15  with respect to the sleeve member  77  in the assembled device  10 . In this embodiment, the slot  70  provides a T-shaped opening complementary to the side profile of the pin  15  and pin head  85 , allowing the pin  15  to be inserted therein such that the T-shaped opening supports the pin head  85  of the pin  15 . This configuration prevents the forced extraction of the pin  15  from the sleeve using a downward motion since lateral displacement of the pin  15  is prevented when the first component  20  is fully assembled. 
         [0028]      FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the sleeve member  77  adapted for use with a pin having a first end  17  formed as hook  86 . In this embodiment, the sleeve member  78  includes a slot  179  which is configured to engage with the hook  86  to secure the pin  15  and prevent extraction using a downward force. The sleeve member  78  can similarly be adapted to include a slot opening having a shape complementary to any desired configuration of the first end  17  of the pin  15  to retain the pin therein. The sleeve member  78  can include an aperture to receive the first end  17  in a press-fit fashion, so that the sleeve member  78  is fixedly secured to the pin  15 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 8  illustrates yet another embodiment in which the attachment structure is formed as a flexible loop  52  attached to the first end  17  and of pin  15 . The flexible loop  52  can be any material having sufficient strength to break the vial  60  when force is applied, such as wire, plastic line, etc. In this embodiment, the pin  15  includes a threading aperture  54  allowing the flexible loop to be secured therethrough. 
         [0030]      FIG. 9  illustrates yet another embodiment in which the attachment structure is formed as a generally annular portion (or eyelet ring)  101  which is formed as a separate piece and then attached to the first end  17  of the pin  15 . The eyelet ring  101  is configured to engage with the vial and can be formed from any suitable material, such as metal, sheet metal, wire, plastic, composite, fiber, etc. The eyelet ring  101  is attached to the pin  15  using any suitable method such as welding, bonding, snapping, hooking, riveting, swaging, etc. 
         [0031]    The eyelet ring can be formed into the closed ring-shape as shown in the  FIG. 9 , or a ring having an opening therein. In other embodiments, the attachment structure can have a non-annular configuration. The attachment structure can have any suitable shape which serves to encompass and fracture the ink vial when force is applied. 
         [0032]    While certain features of the embodiments have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the embodiments.