Patent ID: 7400254

Claim:
An electronic article surveillance tag comprising: a) a tag housing; b) a tack consisting of a tack head and a tack shaft wherein said tack shaft is inserted through a portion of the article to be protected and into a first opening in said tag housing; c) a releasable ball bearing clutching means within said tag housing for retaining a portion of said tack shaft within said tag housing, said releasable ball bearing clutching means comprising a cup tapering from a larger end to a smaller end, said smaller end having a shaft aperture through it, said shaft aperture sized at least large enough to allow the insertion of said tack shaft and said cup being positioned with said shaft aperture in alignment with said first opening in said tag housing and with said smaller end nearest said first opening in said tag housing, a spindle, said spindle located substantially within said cup, having a hollow core at least large enough in diameter to allow the insertion of said tack shaft, and having ball bearing apertures passing from said hollow core to an external surface of said spindle in the portion of said spindle located within said cup, and a ball bearing located within each said ball bearing aperture, said cup, spindle and ball bearings being sized such that when said tack shaft is fully inserted into said tag housing and through said hollow core of said spindle, the tack shaft will be tightly wedged between the ball bearings which are tightly held by the wall of said tapered cup such that said shaft is prevented from being removed from said tag housing; d) a sensor means contained within said tag housing, and; e) at least two means of releasing said releasable ball bearing clutching means.