Patent Publication Number: US-11047153-B2

Title: Adjustable anti-theft case comprising withdrawal-preventing means

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention refers to an adjustable anti-theft case, in particular for containers for blades, perfumes, compact discs, musicassettes, videocassettes, books or the like, and of the type comprising withdrawal-preventing means of such items from inside the case, which can be activated and/or only de-activated by means of magnetic devices available only for service personnel, while inside the case, together with such items, anti-theft means are housed, in an inaccessible position, such as magnetic labels, radiofrequency emission labels or the like, cooperating with detecting barriers. 
     2) Background Art 
     Cases of this type are known, and have transparent walls to make the product contained therein visible. They are composed of boxes whose shape is complementary to the packaging shapes of the items which are inserted in the cases themselves, generally through an open head side, and they are equipped with withdrawal-preventing means which allow opening the container and withdrawing the package of the product therein, through the use of suitable and dedicated detaching devices of a magnetic type, available to the service personnel of a point of sale. 
     Such cases have proven efficient to avoid thefts of the items. However, they have the problem of not allowing a good visibility from outside of the product contained therein, due to the presence of the withdrawal-preventing means which are placed on a wall of the case. 
     Such withdrawal-preventing means are cumbersome, with respect to the case sizes, and are made on one of its walls, preventing the view of the product being sold contained therein. 
     Documents US-A1-2012/079858, FR-A1-2 862 999 and FR-A1-2 914 938 disclose prior art anti-theft cases. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing an adjustable anti-theft case, equipped with withdrawal-preventing means, which allows a total visibility of the product contained therein. 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will result from the following description, are obtained with an adjustable anti-theft case as claimed in claim  1 . Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. 
     It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description. 
     It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without deparing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view which shows the two main parts of which the case is composed in a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the anti-theft case according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the case of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 3 , which shows one of the two main parts of which the case is composed; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 3 , which shows the other of the two main parts of which the case is composed; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the case of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a side sectional view in detail of the locking and unlocking mechanism of the case in its locking position; 
         FIG. 8  is a side sectional view in detail of the locking and unlocking mechanism of the case in its unlocking position; 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view which shows the two main parts of which the case of the invention is composed, in an embodiment thereof; and 
         FIG. 10  is a rear perspective view which shows the two main parts of which the case of the invention is composed in a further embodiment thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the Figures, a preferred embodiment of the adjustable anti-theft case of the present invention is shown and described. 
     With reference to the Figures, the case  1  according to the present invention comprises a sector of case which extends next to an angular zone of the item  2  to be contained, whose package is composed of a box, substantially shaped as a relatively thin, rectangular parallelepiped. In this case, the item can be a package of razor blades, a perfume, a videocassette, a compact disc, a book or similar items. 
     The sector of case  1  has two opposite faces, and a side  101  which substantially mutually connects the free ends of a side along its height  3  and of a side along its depth  4 , which enclose the corresponding angle. The side along its height  3  and the side along its depth  4  of the sector of case  1  have a length substantially equal or slightly lower than the length of the corresponding sides of the item  2  with minimum sizes. Along the side along its height  3 , an extension  6  is assembled, sliding in its longitudinal direction. In particular, as better shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the extension  6  engages a profiled sliding extension  105 , for example a dovetail, in a complementary guide  103  made on the end of the side  101 . 
     Preferably, the case  1  further comprises a sliding element on the extension  6  and a corresponding sliding element on the side  3 , not shown in the Figures, wherein such sliding elements are mutually engaged to guarantee the sliding of the extension  6  with respect to the side  3 . 
     At its free end, the extension  6  is connected to a side along its depth  44 , in turn connected to a perpendicular transverse head wall  206  and to a section of longitudinal side wall  306 ; similarly, the side  3  is connected to the side along its depth  4 , in turn connected to a perpendicular transverse head wall  205  and to a section of longitudinal side wall  305 , everything connected in such a way as to form a housing seat of the angular zone of the packaging box  2  of the item. 
     In the embodiment shown, the extension  6  is equipped, preferably on its face oriented towards the corresponding side along its height  3 , with at least one row of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to a side end  15  of the extension  6 ; in a preferred way, the extension  6  is equipped with two rows of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to two side ends  15 ,  16  opposite to the extension  6 ; preferably, a row of first engaging teeth  7  is arranged next to a first side end  15  of the extension  6 , and a second row of first engaging teeth  7  is arranged next to a second side end  16  of the extension  6 , opposite to the first, the rows of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to a first side end  15  and to a second side end  16 , which, in a preferred way, are mutually parallel. The first engaging teeth  7  of each row are mutually at the same distance and aligned along the sliding direction of the extension  6 . They project over the surface of the extension  6  oriented towards the internal surface of the side along its height  3  of the sector of case  1 . Such first teeth  7  are oriented in a complementary way to second engaging teeth  14  (better described below) which are part of first locking and unlocking means of the case  1 . 
     The case  1  of the invention further comprises second locking and unlocking means  24 , preferably connected to the side along its height  3  and projecting from its surface oriented towards the surface of the extension  6  in order to engage the first engaging teeth  7 . 
     Preferably, the first locking and unlocking means  14  and/or the second locking and unlocking means  24  are made next to a side end  25  of the side  3 ; in a preferred way, the first locking and unlocking means  14  and the second locking and unlocking means  24  are made next to two opposite side ends  25 ,  26  of the side  3 ; preferably, the first locking and unlocking means  14  are arranged next to a first side end  25  of the side  3 , and the second locking and unlocking means  24  are arranged next to a second side end  26  of the side  3 , opposite to the first. 
     Advantageously, the first engaging teeth  7  are made as saw teeth, whose slanted side is oriented towards the angle enclosed by the sector of case  1 . This enables a possible movement along the withdrawal direction of the extension  6  inside the sector of case  1 , efficiently preventing their movement along the elongation direction of the side  3 . 
     As clearly appears from what is described above, the case  1  according to the invention can be suited in a very accurate way to the sizes of an item  2  to be housed. The extension  6  and the sector of case  1  block the item  2  so that it cannot be withdrawn, unless by moving again the extension  6  along the elongation direction of the side  3 . This is prevented by the second engaging teeth  14  and by the second locking and unlocking means  24 , which unmovably engage the first engaging teeth  7 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The sector of case  1  is deep enough to guarantee the application inside it of a magnetic or a radiofrequency label (not shown), which cannot be grasped from outside when the item  2  is housed in the case. 
     In order to guarantee the locking and unlocking of the case  1 , the first engaging teeth  7  on the extension  6  are designed to be locked and unlocked by the first locking and unlocking means, in particular by the second engaging teeth  14 , and by the second locking and unlocking means  24 . 
     The second engaging teeth  14  are preferably obtained on a projection  13  inside which a transverse pin  11  made of ferromagnetic material is inserted, which is housed in an external appendix  10  of the side along its height  3 , preferably made next to a side end of the side  3 . The pin  11  is stressed always towards the extension  6  by first elastic means  12 , for example a spring  12 , which, by pushing pin  11  and projection  13 , mutually engages the first  7  and the second  14  engagement teeth, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The second locking and unlocking means  24  preferably comprise second elastic means  24  made of ferromagnetic material, for example at least one lamella  24 , connected projecting to the side along its height  3 , preferably fastened next to a side end of the side  3 ; in a preferred way, the second elastic means  24  comprise two lamellas  24 , preferably fastened next to a side end of the side  3 . 
     The second elastic means  24  are always stressed towards the extension  6  and mutually engaged with the first engaging teeth  7 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     To unlock the extension  6 , it is enough to subject the pin  11  and the second elastic means  24 , preferably the lamella  24 , to a magnetic attraction force along the withdrawal direction. This is shown in  FIG. 8  with reference to the side  3 . The pin  11  and the second elastic means  24  are in a withdrawn position in the appendix  10  and in the side  3  due to the action of a magnet (not shown), which is operatively contacted with the appendix  10  and with the second elastic means  24  and which exerts the necessary attraction force. 
     In this case, the operation of introducing and withdrawing an item  2  in the case  1  can be performed more comfortably. The magnet can be a fixed basement, with a housing hole (not shown) for the appendix  10 . Therefore, it takes care of also easily keeping in position the case  1 , allowing to more easily handle it, with the two hands substantially free, in particular for moving the extension  6 . 
       FIGS. 9, 10 and 1  show other embodiments of the adjustable anti-theft case  1  of the invention. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 9 , the case  1  only comprises the second locking and unlocking means  24  arranged next to a side end  25  of the side  3 , and a row of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to a side end  15  of the extension  6 , and does not provide for the first locking and unlocking means  14 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 , the case  1  comprises second locking and unlocking means  24 , preferably composed of at least one lamella  24 , described previously, arranged both next to a first side end  25  of the side  3 , and next to a second side end  26  of the side  3 , opposite to the first; the case  1  further comprises two rows of first engaging teeth  7  arranged respectively next to a first side end  15  and a second side end  16  of the extension  6  opposite to the first, and does not provide for the first locking and unlocking means  14 . 
     In another embodiment not shown in the Figures, the case  1  only comprises the first locking and unlocking means  14  arranged next to a side end  26  of the side  3 , and a row of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to a side end  16  of the extension  6 , and does not provide for the second locking and unlocking means  24 . 
     According to a further embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 10 , the case  1  comprises extensions  46  respectively assembled along the sides in depth  4 ,  44  sliding along their longitudinal direction. In particular, the extension  46  engages a profiled sliding extension  405 , for example a dovetail, in a complementary guide  403  obtained on the end of the longitudinal side wall  305 ,  306 . Preferably, the case  1  further comprises a sliding element on the extension  46  and a corresponding sliding element on the sides in depth  4 ,  44 , not shown in the Figures, wherein such sliding elements are mutually engaged to guarantee the sliding of the extension  46  with respect to the sides in depth  4 ,  44 . 
     In a similar way to the extension  6 , the extension  46  is equipped, preferably on its face oriented towards the corresponding side along its depth  4 ,  44 , with at least one row of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to a side end  55  of the extension  46 ; in a preferred way, the extension  46  is equipped with two rows of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to two opposite side ends  55 ,  56  of the extension  46 ; preferably, a row of first engaging teeth  7  is arranged next to a first side end  55  of the extension  46 , and a second row of first engaging teeth  7  is arranged next to a second side end  56  of the extension  46 , opposite to the first, the rows of first engaging teeth  7  arranged next to a first side end  55  and a second side end  56  being in a preferred way mutually parallel. The first engaging teeth  7  of each row are made similarly to what has been previously described for the extension  6 , and project over the surface of the extension  46  oriented towards the side along its depth  4 ,  44 . 
     The case  1  according to this further embodiment of the invention comprises the first locking and unlocking means  14  and/or the second locking and unlocking means  24 , preferably connected to the side along its depth  4 ,  44  and projecting from its surface oriented towards the surface of the extension  46  in order to engage the first engaging teeth  7 . 
     Preferably, the first locking and unlocking means  14  and/or the second locking and unlocking means  24  are made next to a side end  65  of the side along its depth  4 ,  44 ; in a preferred way, the first locking and unlocking means  14  and the second locking and unlocking means  24  are made next to two opposite side ends  65 ,  66  of the side along its depth  4 ,  44 ; preferably, the case  1  comprises the first locking and unlocking means  14  arranged next to a first side end  65  and a second side end  66 , opposite to the first, of the side along its depth  4 ,  44 .