Anti-theft seal for commercial articles having rod-like portions

Abstract: An anti-theft seal for commercial articles having rod-like portions such as spectacles includes a box-like body (1) for containing an electronic indication component (2). The body (1) has a tab (8) which is constituted by three consecutive elements (9-11) which are articulated by reducing their cross section so that they can fold back onto the body and define a containment seat (14) for a rod-like element (15) to be secured. A slider (21) engages, in a non-reversible manner, a guide (19-20) which is rigidly associated with the box-like body (1); the slider (21) has a mushroom-shaped head (28) which is suitable for inserting, by translatory motion, in a seat (26) of the tab (8) so as to lock it in folded position.

Description: The present invention relates to an anti-theft seal for commercial articles having rod-like portions. The seal is particularly suitable for engaging the rods of spectacles. In spectacle sales points it is currently common to secure said spectacles with anti-theft seals capable of activating electronic alarm circuits arranged at the entrances. Said devices are substantially constituted by small blocks, on the surfaces of which advertising or guarantee inscriptions or trade-marks are generally applied, which have a seat for the insertion of one of the rods of a pair of spectacles and, in said seat, a screw which engages against the surface of the rod so as to lock it. In this manner, securing occurs by exerting stress on the rod, and this can lead to permanent deformations thereof or even to the spoiling of its outer surface due to the friction of the tip of the screw. Grip is furthermore not optimum, since action occurs only at one point of the rod, the countless commercially available embodiments whereof may be conical with a taper which decreases from the hinge toward the end or vice versa. As can be imagined, the screw thus acts on an inclined plane, and its securing is consequently never stable unless the rod is deformed as mentioned above. Documents EP-A-0 139 065 and FR-A-2 560 760 disclose prior art anti-theft devices for articles of different nature. The aim of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft seal for spectacles which improves, with respect to known types, its grip on one of the rods so that it cannot be slid off. A consequent primary object is to provide a seal which can adapt to any type of spectacle rod. Another important object is to provide an anti-theft seal which can be recovered after selling the spectacles. Still another object is to provide a seal which is particularly advantageous with respect to known types in terms of price as well. Still another object is to provide a seal which does not have the risk of damaging in any way the rod to which it is fixed. Still another object is to provide a seal which can also be applied to other commercial articles having rod-like portions. Not least object is to provide a seal which can be manufactured with conventional machines and facilities. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an anti-theft seal for commercial articles having rod-like portions, characterized in that it comprises a box-like body which is suitable for containing an electronic indication component, said body having a tab constituted by three consecutive elements which are articulated by reducing their cross section, so as to be able to fold back onto said body and define a containment seat for a rod-like element to be secured, a slider being provided, said slider engaging, in a non-reversible manner, a guide which is rigidly associated with the box-like body, said slider having a mushroom-shaped head which is suitable for inserting itself, by translatory motion, in a seat of said tab so as to lock it in folded position. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is an exploded view of the anti-theft seal according to the invention; figure 2 is a perspective view of the anti-theft seal of figure 1 in the configuration for fixing to a spectacle rod; figure 3 is a vertical median sectional view of the seal according to the invention in the configuration of figure 2. With reference to the above figures, the anti-theft seal according to the invention comprises a substantially parallelepipedal box-like body 1 made of plastic material which is open at one of its larger faces. An electronic indication component, for example a high-frequency diode 2, with its terminals 3 and 4, can be conveniently inserted inside said box-like body 1. The peculiarity of the high-frequency diode 2 resides in the fact that although it has no power supply, when it passes through an electric field provided for example between two plates arranged at an entrance it starts to vibrate at a very high frequency. This vibration, detected by the electric field itself, is capable of activating a known alarm system. Conveniently, two tubular lugs 5 extend from the bottom of said box-like body 1, and complementarily shaped cylindrical pins 6, which extend from a cover 7 suitable for closing said box-like body 1 by inserting itself snugly between its walls, can be inserted in said tubular lugs. As illustrated in the figures, a planar tab 8 extends from the box-like body 1, and one of its larger faces extends and continues from the surface defined at the edges of the walls of the box-like body 1 and of the cover 7. Said tab 8 is constituted by three consecutive elements, respectively 9, 10, and 11, which are articulated by reducing their cross-section along two hinge lines 12 and 13 which allow folding back onto the box-like body so that the element 11 is parallel to the element 9 and is close thereto. A containment seat 14 is thus defined for a rod-like element to be secured, which can be for example a rod 15 of a pair of spectacles. Two transverse holes 16 are conveniently defined on the element 10, and pins 17, which extend from a longitudinal rubber fitting 18, engage in said holes; said fitting 18 has, toward the seat 14, a recess for accommodating the outer surface of the rod 15. By means of said folding, the element 11 rests on two parallel guides 19 and 20 having an angular transverse cross-section, each of which extends with consecutive parts 19a, 19b, 19c and 20a, 20b, 20c respectively from the box-like body 1, from the cover 7 and from the element 9 (see in particular figure 1). A slider 21 which is laterally shaped complementarily to said guides 19 and 20 can be inserted between said guides, and engages, in a non-reversible manner, a saw-tooth rack 22 which is arranged on the cover 7 between the guides 19 and 20; said slider is provided with a complementarily shaped rack 23 on its sliding surface. Two diverging wings 24 extend from said slider 21 and are suitable for entering said seat 14, exerting an elastic pressure on two points of the outer surface of the rod 15, securing it safely to the seal. At this point it should be noted that a raised portion 25 extends from the slider 21 and is suitable for inserting itself by translatory motion within a slot 26 with which the element 11 is longitudinally provided. A disk-like element 27 extends from said raised portion 25, forming as a whole a mushroom-shaped head 28, and is thus suitable for keeping the tab 8 locked in folded position. Advantageously, said slot 26 ends at the end of the element 11 with a widened portion 29 which is suitable for preventing the folding from interfering with the disk-like element 27. After mounting the seal on the rod 15, said seal can thus be disconnected from said rod only by breaking the disk-like element 27 which allows to open the tab 8. Since the cover 7 is interposed between the element 11 and the box-like body 1, it cannot be disengaged in any way therefrom to gain access to the electronic indication component. The particular embodiment of the seal allows to fix it, by means of the wings 24, onto two distinct points of the rod, so as to adapt to the constructive characteristics thereof, which can have various types of taper. The seal cannot be slid off the rod in any way without first breaking the mushroom-shaped head 28 by means of an appropriate tool with which shopkeepers are provided. In any case, the breakage of the mushroom-shaped head 28 allows to recover the remaining part of the seal for association with other spectacles. The presence of the slider 21 allows the seal to adapt in the best manner to any type of rod. Finally, it should be noted that the seal according to the invention, also by virtue of the presence of the high-frequency diode 2, is extremely advantageous from the point of view of price with respect to known types of seal. The same seal can naturally also be used for other types of product having rod-like portions. In practice it has thus been observed that the seal according to the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects. The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials employed, so long as compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Anti-theft seal for commercial articles having rod-like portions, characterized in that it comprises a box-like body (1) which is suitable for containing an electronic indication component (2), said body (1) having a tab (8) constituted by three consecutive elements (9-11) which are articulated by reducing their cross section, so as to be able to fold back onto said body and define a containment seat (14) for a rod-like element (15) to be secured, a slider (21) being provided, said slider (21) engaging, in a non-reversible manner, a guide (19,20) which is rigidly associated with the box-like body (1), said slider (21) having a mushroom-shaped head (28) which is suitable for inserting itself, by translatory motion, in a seat (26) of said tab so as to lock it in folded position. Anti-theft seal according to claim 1, characterized in that said box-like body (1), which is preferably made of plastic material, is substantially shaped like a parallelepiped and has, at one face, an opening for the insertion of said electronic indication component, a cover (7) being insertable and lockable on said opening. Anti-theft seal according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said tab (8) extends from said body and continues the plane formed by said cover (7) so that, by means of its folding, said cover is comprised between said box-like body (1) and its consecutive end element (11). Anti-theft seal according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said slider (21) can slide between guides (19,20) which extend with consecutive portions (19a,19b,19c,20a,20b,20c) from the box-like body (1), from the cover (7) and from the first element (9) of said tab (8). Anti-theft seal according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the non-reversible engagement of said slider (21) with said box-like body (1) is performed by means of a saw-tooth rack (22) which extends from said cover (7) between said guides (19,20) and is suitable for engaging a complementarily shaped rack (23) which extends from said slider (21). Anti-theft seal, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said slider (21) has two diverging wings (24) which are suitable for inserting in said seat (14) for said rod-like element (15) and for pressing on said rod-like element (15) against a fitting (18) which is rigidly associated with the middle one (10) of said articulated consecutive elements which form said tab (8). Anti-theft seal according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mushroom-shaped head (28) is constituted by a raised portion (25) which extends from said slider (21) and can be inserted in a longitudinal slot (26) of said tab (8) constituted by articulated consecutive elements, a disk-like element (27) extending from said raised portion (25) and being suitable for resting externally on the last element (11) of said tab (8).

Inventors: COSTA EMILIO, COSTA, EMILIO
Applicants: COSTA EMILIO INT PLAST, INTERNATIONAL PLAST DI COSTA EMILIO & C. S.N.C., OF GASPARI, G., PIEROBON G. A., COSTA, E.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G08B13
IPC codes: G08B13, E05B73