Abstract:
A point-of-sale security system is provided herein. The security system includes a container for containing the product and a holder assembly, the holder assembly including a closure device for closing the container. The holder assembly and the container are operatively coupled together by means of cooperative members. The cooperative members being configured in a special way, i.e., when an associated stop member is enabled, the cooperative members prevent decoupling of the holder assembly from the container, and when the stop member is disabled, the cooperative members enable decoupling of the holder assembly from the container.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a formal application based on and claiming the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/311,084, filed Aug. 10, 2001. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a product container having point-of-sale security inherent therein. After purchase, the point-of-sale security feature is disabled, and the product container may be used by the consumer to store the article or articles which are sold in the product container. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   There are many patents directed to providing articles in a container which is sold to consumers. One such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,944 issued Nov. 27, 2001 to E. M. Centrangolo. 
   There are also many patents directed to providing evidence that the contents of a container have been tampered with. Among such patents are the following: 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,898 issued Sep. 19, 2000 to R. C. G. Dark; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,902 issued Mar. 2, 1999 to Dieter F. Lay; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,840 issued Sep. 1, 1998 to Jens Mogard; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,918 issued Feb. 7, 1995 to George J. Neveras et al; and 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,044 issued Oct. 18, 1994 to Donald La Vange. 
   However, none of these patents provide a point-of-sale security feature. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Aims of the Invention 
   Accordingly it is a first object of the present invention to provide a point-of-sale security feature to a container having an article therein. 
   A second object of the invention is to provide an attachment for such container having an article therein, so that such point-of-sale security may be provided. 
   A third object of the present invention is to provide such an attachment which cannot readily be bypassed or disabled, thereby voiding such point-of-sale security. 
   STATEMENT OF INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a point-of-sale security system for a product. The point-of-sale security system includes a container for containing the product, and a holder assembly, the holder assembly including a closure device for the container. The closure device and the container are provided with cooperative members which are operatively associated with the container and with the closure device. The cooperative members are configured such that, when enabled by a stop member, the container is prevented from being decoupled from the device and when the stop member is disabled, the container can be decoupled from the holder device. The stop member is configured to be selectively prevented from enabling the decoupling of the container and the device. 
   OTHER FEATURES OF THE INVENTION 
   In a first preferred feature of this invention, the closure device is a cap for the container, the cap being integral with, and projecting outwardly from, the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag. 
   In a first subsidiary feature of this first preferred feature of this invention, the cap includes a pair of flexibly-movable parts, the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, is integrally associated with the stop member, and the holder member, e.g., the hang tag is configured to be severed, along with its stop member, from the cap and to be discarded. This disables the stop member and enables the cap to be decoupled from the container. 
   In a second subsidiary feature of this first preferred feature of this invention, the cap includes a pair of slits to enable flexing of the two associated flexibly-movable parts of the cap. When the two associated, flexibly-movable parts of the cap are urged towards one another, the cap can be decoupled from the container. 
   In an auxiliary feature of this second subsidiary feature of this first preferred feature of this invention, the cap is provided with at least two external locking ramped projections and the container is provided with a like number of cooperating locking apertures. These ramped projections and apertures enable the cap and the container to be selectively coupled and decoupled. 
   In a fourth subsidiary feature of this first preferred feature of this invention, the stop member is an integral tongue projecting from the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, and that tongue is slidably disposed within a longitudinal slot between two opposed integral internally-oriented projections within the interior of the cap. 
   In a fifth subsidiary feature of this first preferred feature of this invention, the cap comprises two flexibly-movable parts which are held in united orientation by a pair of integrally-molded straps, so that these integrally-molded straps comprise the stop member. When the straps are severed, the parts of the cap may be urged towards one another, so that the cap can be decoupled from the container. 
   In an auxiliary feature of this fifth subsidiary feature of this first preferred feature of this invention, the cap is provided with at least two external locking ramped projections and the container is provided with a like number of cooperating locking apertures. These ramped projections and apertures enable the cap and the container to be selectively coupled and decoupled. 
   In a sixth subsidiary feature of the first preferred feature of this invention, the flexibly-movable parts of the cap are held together, and the cap is simultaneously secured to the container, by means of a pin passing through cooperating aligned apertures in the cap and the container, the pin being secured in the aperture. When the pin is structurally-altered to enable its removal from the apertures, the two parts of the cap may be urged towards one another, so that the cap can be decoupled from the container. 
   In a first auxiliary feature of this sixth subsidiary feature of the first preferred feature of this invention, the two flexibly-movable parts of the cap are also held together by severable, integrally-molded straps. 
   In a second auxiliary feature of this sixth subsidiary feature of the first preferred feature of this invention, the cap is provided with at least two external locking ramped projections, and the container is provided with a like number of cooperating locking apertures. These ramped projections and apertures enable the cap and the container to be selectively coupled and decoupled. 
   In a seventh subsidiary feature of this first preferred embodiment of this invention, the cap is secured to the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, by mushroom pins and cooperating apertures operatively associated with the holder member, e.g., the hang tag and the cap. When the mushroom pins are structurally-altered to enable removal from the apertures, the two parts of the cap can be urged towards one another, so that the cap can be decoupled from the container. 
   In a first auxiliary feature of this seventh subsidiary feature of this first preferred embodiment of this invention, the cap is provided with at least two external locking ramped projections and the container is provided with a like number of cooperating locking apertures. These ramped projections and apertures enable the cap and the container to be selectively coupled and decoupled. 
   In a second auxiliary feature of this seventh subsidiary feature of this first preferred embodiment of this invention, the stop member is an integral tongue projecting from the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, and that tongue is slidably disposed within a longitudinal slot between two opposed integral internally-oriented projections within the interior of the cap. 
   In a second preferred feature of this invention, the holder assembly is preferably a hang tag, and the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, is provided with an integral cap which is inset within the lower edge of the holder assembly, e.g, the hang tag. 
   In a first auxiliary feature of this second preferred feature of this invention, the stop member is an integral tongue depending from the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, and is situated within the integral cap. Severing of the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag and tongue enables separation of the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag, from the container. Manual removal of the severed tongue enables access to the contents of the container. 
   Yet another feature is the cap portion having tabs extending axially therefrom, which engage in corresponding slots in the end of the tube, to act as a further obstacle to prevent twisting of the tube in an attempt to separate it from the hang tag. 
   Further features will be described or will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description. 
   GENERALIZED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a combination of a container and a holder assembly, e.g., a hang tag. In one embodiment, the container can only be separated from the holder, e.g., the hang tag by cutting at cut points. This is something which the purchaser can do easily at home, but not so easily in a retail (store) environment. Once the holder, e.g., hang tag, is separated from the container, a part of the holder, e.g., hang tag, can be used as a cap for the container. 
   In other embodiments, destructible straps, or destructible pins, when cut or structurally-altered, enable the container to be decoupled from the holder assembly, e.g., the hang tag. 
   The container can be used to hold a variety of single or multiple articles. Among the articles which can be so held are small hardware items, e.g., drill bits, toiletry articles, OTC medications, shampoos, toothpaste, etc. The container preferably is cylindrical. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings, 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing a product-containing tube and a cap including a point-of-sale security element associated with an integral holder assembly, e.g., hang tag; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view similar to that in  FIG. 1 , showing the tube, and the cap which are no longer integrally associated with the security element and holder assembly, e.g., hang tag; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an integrally-molded cap and security element and integral holder assembly, e.g., hang tag in its “as-molded” orientation; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view similar to the view in  FIG. 3 , but where the cap is in its orientation which is configured to receive the container, as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view showing cut points to separate the cap from the security element and holder assembly, e.g., hang tag; 
       FIG. 6  is an expanded view of the cut point area shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a plan view showing an embodiment of the invention in which the security element is inserted between the inward projections within the cap before the cap is attached to the container; 
       FIG. 8  is a plan view showing an alternative embodiment in which the cap has a “teardrop” hole for hanging the container and cap once they have been separated as an integral unit from the security element and holder assembly, e.g., hang tag; 
       FIGS. 9  to  11  are views of an embodiment in which the cap has a through hole for hanging the container and cap once they have been separated as a unit from the security element and holder assembly, e.g., hang tag, in which 
       FIG. 9  is a plan view thereof, 
       FIG. 10  is a side view thereof, and 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view in partial section; 
       FIGS. 12 ,  13  and  14  are views of an overall assembly including an example of a drill bit within the container, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in which 
       FIG. 12  is a decoupled front view, 
       FIG. 13  is a coupled front view, and 
       FIG. 14  is a coupled side view; 
       FIGS. 15  to  17  are views of another embodiment of the invention in which the security element includes an integrally-molded strap between opposed sides of the cap, in which 
       FIG. 15  is a side view thereof in its coupled orientation, 
       FIG. 16  is a side view thereof after the strap has been cut to enable decoupling, and 
       FIG. 17  is an enlarged close-up of the view of  FIG. 16 ; 
       FIGS. 18  to  20  are views of yet another embodiment of this invention in which the security element includes a pin securing the container to the cap which is integral with the holder assembly, e.g., hang tag, in which 
       FIG. 18  is a decoupled front view thereof, 
       FIG. 19  is a coupled front view thereof, and 
       FIG. 20  is a coupled side view thereof also showing insertion of a pin; 
       FIGS. 21  to  27  are views of still another embodiment of this invention in which one portion of the security element includes protruding mushroom pins to engage the cap, and a stop member which is integral with another portion of the holder member assembly, e.g., hang tag, of the security element, in which 
       FIG. 21  is a front view of the coupled holder assembly, e.g., hang tag and cap, 
       FIG. 22  is a side view of the view shown in  FIG. 21 , 
       FIG. 23  is a front view of the holder assembly, e.g., hang tag, including the security element, 
       FIG. 24  is a side view of the view shown in  FIG. 23 , 
       FIG. 25  is a front view of the cap element, 
       FIG. 26  is a side view of the cap element, and 
       FIG. 27  is a bottom view of the cap element; and 
     FIG.  28  and  FIG. 29  are views of yet a further embodiment of the invention in which the cap is inset rather than projecting from the lower edge of the holder assembly, e.g., hang tag, in which 
       FIG. 28  is a front view thereof; 
       FIG. 29  is a side view thereof; and 
       FIG. 30  is a perspective view showing an additional rib or tab aimed at preventing rotation of the tube. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Description of FIGS.  1  to  4   
     FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the present invention in the form of a container  10  which is constituted by the form of a cylindrical tube containing a product  12 , e.g., a drill bit, and a holder assembly  14 . The holder assembly  14  preferably is a hang tag portion  16  which preferably has a hole  18  for hanging the product  12  at the point-of-sale. The holder assembly  14  also initially includes an integral projecting cap portion  20  which may be separated from the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) by cutting at two cut points, to be described hereinafter. 
   The cap portion  20  includes a primary portion  22  which is integral with the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ), and a reduced diameter portion  24 . Reduced diameter portion  24  is provided with two, diametrically-opposed integral locking ramped projections  26  (only one of which can be seen) along its outer circumference. 
   The end  28  of the tube  10  is provided with two diametrically-opposed locking openings  30 . The locking ramped projections  26  are configured to engage with the locking openings  30  to lock the tube  10  in place against a face  32  of the larger-diameter primary portion  22  of the cap  20 . 
   The cap  20  has two diametrically-opposed, longitudinally-extending slots  34 , which can be urged to closer proximity at their open ends to permit the locking ramped projections  26  to mate with the locking openings  30  in order to couple the tube  10  with the cap  20 . These slots  34  also permit the cap  20  to be manually squeezed so that the locking ramped projections  26  can be disengaged from the locking openings  30 , to decouple the cap  20  from the tube  20 . 
   Such removal of the cap  20  from the tube  10  is prevented by a security element provided by various embodiments of this invention. One embodiment of such security element, as shown in  FIGS. 1  to  4 , comprises a tongue  36  which projects into the interior of the cap  20  and which is integral with the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ). The tongue  36  is slidably disposed between two integral, inwardly-oriented projections  38  within the interior of the cap  20 . It is noted that the tongue  36  and the two internal inwardly-oriented projections  38  have a cruciform shape. 
   Once the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) is cut away from the cap  20  and is discarded, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the tongue  36  no longer is seen. In its place, is a longitudinally-extending slot  40  between the two internal inwardly-oriented projections  38 . 
   In the absence of the tongue  36 , the cap  20  may be manually-squeezed to urge the slots  34  closer together at their open ends to decouple the cap  20  from the tube  10 . 
     FIG. 3  shows the cap  20  holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) in its “as molded” orientation. It will be noted that the cap  20 , as molded is formed of two open jaw parts  42 ,  44 . The inwardly-oriented projections  38  are also seen, as is the tongue  36  which is integral with the holder assembly  16  (hang tag  16 ). 
     FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of  FIG. 1  showing the cap  20  and the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) in its orientation ready to be received in the tube  10 . 
   Description of FIGS.  5  and  6   
     FIGS. 5 and 6  show the cut points to separate the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) from the cap  20 . In this embodiment, the tongue  36  is integrally molded with the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) and is shown projecting downwardly into the cap  20 . Cutting the hang tag portion at the two spaced-apart locations  46 ,  48 , allows the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) and tongue  36  to be removed as a unit from the cap  20 . The cap  20  is still attached to the tube  10 . However, as explained hereinabove, the cap  20  may now easily be decoupled from the tube  10  by squeezing the cap  20 . 
   Description of FIG.  7   
     FIG. 7  shows a second embodiment of the security element combination of this invention. In this embodiment the tongue  52  is a separate piece, which is manually-inserted into the slot  40  between the two inwardly-oriented projections  38  (See  FIG. 2 ) before the cap  20  is attached to the tube  10 . In order to decouple the cap  20  from the tube  10 , the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) can be bent at bend lines  54 , and the tongue  52  can then be removed by pliers. The cap  20  can then be squeezed and decoupled from the tube  10  as previously described. The holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) can be retained or fully separated from the cap  20  and discarded. 
   Description of FIGS.  8  to  11   
     FIGS. 8  to  11  show one manner in which the cap  20 /tube  10  may be hung up after it is decoupled from the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) by the consumer. This manner is by way of either a tear-drop hole  56  (see  FIG. 8 ) or a simple aperture  58  (See FIGS.  8  and  11 ). 
   Description of FIGS.  12  to  14   
     FIGS. 12  to  14  show views of an overall assembly of the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ), the cap  20  and the tube  10  which includes, for example, a drill bit  12  as the article. 
   Description of FIGS.  15  to  17   
     FIGS. 15  to  17  show another embodiment of a security element according to this invention. In this embodiment of the invention, the two parts  42 ,  44  constituting the cap  20  are secured together, with the cap  20  being integrally attached to the tube  10 , by means of an integrally-molded strap  150 , (See FIG.  15 ). 
   After sale, when the strap  150  is cut by the consumer (See  FIGS. 16 and 17 ) the two parts  42 ,  44  constituting the cap  20  can flex to enable manually squeezing together thereof. This permits the locking ramped projections  26  to be removed from the locking apertures  30 , and thereby permit the cap  20  to be decoupled from the tube  10 . 
   Description of FIGS.  18  to  20   
     FIGS. 18  to  20  show still another embodiment of a security element according to this invention. In this embodiment of the invention, the tube  10  is secured to the cap  20  by a pin  180  passing through cooperating holes  182  in cap  20  and  184  in tube  10 . The pin  180  can be heat-staked after insertion, or flattened on both ends, to make removal at the retail site difficult. However, the flattened ends can be severed, i.e., the pin can be structurally-altered, to enable removal of the pin  180 . Once the pin  180  is removed, the cap  20  and tube  10  can be decoupled. 
   This embodiment also shows the strap  150  (described in  FIGS. 15  to  18 ). However, such strap is not essential for operation of this embodiment of the invention. 
   Description of FIGS.  21  to  27   
     FIGS. 21  to  27  show yet still another embodiment of a security element according to this invention. In this embodiment, the cap  20  is secured to the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) by means of mushroom pins  210  operatively inserted into associated holes  212 . The pins  210  may be provided either on the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) or in the cap  20  with the holes  212  respectively in the cap  20  or in the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ). As shown herein, however, the pins  210  are on the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ), and the holes  212  are in the cap  20 . 
   In use, the cap  20  is placed onto the tube  10 , and the tongue  30  is inserted into the slot  40  in the cap  20  between the two integral inwardly-oriented projections  38 . When the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) is fully seated, the pins  210  on one component are pressed through the holes  212  in the other component to complete the assembly. The mushroom head prevents removal of the pins  210  from the holes  212 . This must be done by special cutters either at the point-of-sale or later by the consumer. However, once the mushroom heads are severed, the pins  210  may be removed from the holes  212 , and the cap  20  can be decoupled from the tube  10 . 
   Description of FIGS.  28  and  29   
     FIGS. 28 and 29  show a still further embodiment of the security element of the present invention. The holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) is provided with a U-shaped cap  2820  which is inset from the lower edge thereof. The cap  2820  includes a closure element  2824 . The lower ends of the U-shaped cap  2820  are provided with inwardly-facing, ramped projections  2826 . A stop tongue  2836  is integral with the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) and extends through the closure element  2824 . 
   Assembly of the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) is the same as the assembly of the cap  20  and tube  10  of  FIGS. 1  to  4 . 
   Decoupling is effected by cutting at cut lines  2846 ,  2848 , and removal of the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) from the tube. The separated portion of the holder assembly  14  (hang tag  16 ) constituting the cap  2820  may be used as a cap for the tube  10  as described with respect to  FIGS. 1  to  4 . 
   Description of FIG.  30   
     FIG. 30  shows a still further embodiment of the security element of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cap portion  20  has tabs  60  extending axially therefrom, which engage in corresponding slots  62  in the end of the tube (one on each side of the tube, for example). This acts as a further obstacle to prevent twisting of the tube in an attempt to separate it from the hang tag. 
   CONCLUSION 
   The main advantages of embodiments of this invention is the point-of-sale security which is provided, and the potential for the consumer subsequently to reuse the container with its cap. 
   Although the accompanying drawings illustrate only a cylindrical embodiment of the container, it should be readily appreciated that the principle of the invention could be readily employed with a square, oval, rectangular or any other shape which would still permit squeezing of the cap to disengage the ramped projections. Similarly, it should be appreciated that there could be, for example in a rectangular embodiment, a number of such ramped projections along both upper and lower edges, such that squeezing the cap would disengage each of those multiple projections. 
   From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. Consequently, such changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and “intended” to be, within the full range of equivalence of the following claims.