EP3947869B1 - Closure-securing means for a bottle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a closure lock for a bottle according to the preamble of claim 1.

Various uses are conceivable for such locking devices for bottles and are already partially implemented in practice. On the one hand, it can serve as an anti-theft device, as has been used for many years in publicly accessible department stores, where it can ensure sufficient protection against the unauthorized removal of goods offered there from a limited sales area. For this purpose, such generic locking devices are provided with an anti-theft element, such as an RFID chip or an EAS unit (electronic article surveillance), which is set up to be equipped with an external anti-theft system, for example a transmitter/receiver unit for electromagnetic radiation of a suitable wavelength, to work together so that when the locking device equipped with the RFID chip or the EAS unit is passed, a signal is generated and an alarm can be triggered, this alarm being triggered both at the exit of the department store in the external anti-theft system and optionally by suitable means the locking device itself can be triggered.

Accordingly, such generic locking devices must be removed after purchasing a bottle equipped with them in order to avoid false alarms. Happening so far This is usually done through manual intervention by a cashier who, if necessary, uses a tool to remove the locking device from a purchased bottle so that it can be removed from the sales area. It is assumed that so-called "self-checkout systems" will become more widespread in the future, in which a potential buyer can independently purchase a product in a sales room using a software application on a mobile device without having to interact with it would be necessary for a human cashier, such locking devices reach their limits, since a mechanism must be found that is compatible with such systems and the locking device can be removed from a bottle purchased in this way by the user himself - ideally without the help of other tools - possible.

However, another application of such locking devices for bottles can also be seen where, for example, bottles with alcoholic beverages are to be displayed publicly, but at the same time it must be prevented that unauthorized persons can access the contents of the bottles. On the one hand, one could think of restaurants or bars that want to display their drinks bottles visibly for their guests, but in any case have to prevent them from taking the contents out of the bottle on their own in an unobserved moment.

On the other hand, such situations can also occur in private homes, where, for example, visually appealing bottles of wine or spirits are to be presented, but it must be prevented that minors have access to the drinks they contain. In these applications too, it is necessary or at least desirable to be able to remove the corresponding locking device from the bottle neck quickly if necessary and, ideally, without additional tools. Furthermore, it is of course assumed that such locking devices are massive enough must be designed so that they cannot be forcibly removed from the bottle neck with little effort.

An example of such a generic locking device is from the US 2016/0321894 A1 known, in which a multi-part housing with a complicated locking mechanism is used, in which a needle is held by a pair of displaceable balls, whereby the locking device is wedged onto the bottle neck. However, due to its complex structure, this locking device is relatively expensive and it is questionable whether the locking mechanism in question can provide a sufficiently high resistance force against unauthorized removal of the locking device from the bottle neck.

On the other hand, from the US 2014/0191871 A1 Furthermore, a ring-shaped anti-theft device for a bottle is known, which wraps around the neck of the bottle in the manner of a cable tie. Here too, however, the question arises as to whether this construction can provide sufficiently large resistance forces against unauthorized removal, especially since an additional cover for the bottle cap is only attached, so that under certain circumstances the anti-theft device could remain on the bottle neck, but for example a cork the bottle could be pulled out by simply prying off the anti-theft device cover.

The publication US 2017/175426 A1 discloses a locking device according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, see the publications US 2015/137977 A1 and US 2011/219828 A1 pointed out.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a robust locking device of the generic type, which is nevertheless relatively inexpensive to produce and can be combined with modern access mechanisms.

This task is achieved by a locking device according to claim 1. By providing a direct engagement of the locking pin of the locking mechanism with the two housing parts in the secured state, a significantly improved robustness of the locking device is achieved compared to the known prior art, which on the other hand can be achieved with a reduced number of moving parts. In particular, the locking mechanism can include any other components, such as electronic components for communication with external devices and also differently designed, suitable actuating elements; care only needs to be taken to ensure that the locking pin can be brought into engagement with the two housing parts and removed from them again .

In order to ensure a secure and non-releasable locking of the locking device in the secured state, the locking pin can be preloaded to its engagement position by a first elastic element, for example a spring, in particular a spiral spring. Thus, before the locking lock is transferred from the locking state to the release state, the locking pin of the locking mechanism must first be displaced out of engagement with one of the two housing parts by the actuating element against the action of the first elastic element.

Although different versions of actuating elements can be used in the locking mechanism, according to the invention the actuating element comprises an actuator which is at least partially formed by a shape memory alloy and/or a piezoelectric element. Shape memory alloys are metal alloys that change their shape, for example, when a first crystal structure changes to a second crystal structure Length expansion, change. Such a transition between the two crystal structures can be triggered in particular by an increase in temperature or the application of an electrical voltage, with this phase transformation allowing very large forces to be exerted without fatigue over a large number of transformation cycles. A temperature increase in particular can easily be achieved in the locking device according to the invention using suitable electrical and electronic means.

Although, for example, dedicated elements for engagement with the locking pin in the secured state can be provided on the first and second housing parts, in a particularly simple embodiment a respective opening can be provided in both the first and second housing parts through which the locking pin can be passed is guided in the secured state in order to fix them against each other.

Various embodiments are also conceivable for ensuring the relative mobility of the first and second housing parts relative to one another between the secured state and the released state. On the one hand, it could be thought of connecting the first and second housing parts to one another in a manner that is linearly movable relative to one another, in particular by a sliding guide, while it could also be considered to connect the first and second housing parts in a manner that is pivotally movable relative to one another by means of a hinge to connect with each other, in which case the pivot axis of the hinge in the secured state could be arranged above the bottle neck or parallel to it.

In any case, the first and second housing parts could be preloaded to their release state by a second elastic element, for example a spring, in particular a spiral spring. So can By actuating the actuating element to remove the locking pin from engagement with one of the two housing parts, an automatic opening of the locking device into its release state can be achieved, which can lead to improved handling of the locking device according to the invention, especially when used in retail.

In order, for example, in retail to enable a potential customer to take a look at the product before making a purchase, for example in the case of a wine bottle, the condition of the capsule or cork, at least one of the first and second housing parts can be formed at least in sections from a transparent material , for example made of a hard transparent plastic. Of course, in other variants of the locking device according to the invention, non-transparent materials could also be used, although when using metal, an even higher resistance of the locking device to unwanted removal can be achieved under certain circumstances than in the case of plastic materials.

Furthermore, in order to permanently enclose the closure lock on the bottle neck, the closure lock can comprise at least one barb element, which is assigned to one of the first and the second housing parts and is designed to interact with a bead on the bottle neck in the secured state of the closure lock in such a way that the closure lock can be removed Locking device is prevented from the bottle neck. Alternatively, the inseparable enclosing can also be achieved in other ways in variants of the locking mechanism, for example by a large-area positive contact of the two housing parts themselves against the bottle neck.

If a barb element is provided, it can be attached to the corresponding housing part in a displaceable or pivotable manner Be assigned and preloaded by a third elastic element in the direction of the bottle neck. This measure makes it possible to place the locking device on the bottle neck both in its secured state and in its release state, with the at least one barb element then counteracting the effect of the third elastic element in the secured state when the locking device is placed onto the bottle neck from above is first of all deflected away from the bottle neck by the bead and when the bead is passed over it is pushed back behind it by the effect of the third elastic element and can develop its barb function there. This also makes it possible to place the locking device on the bottle neck with one hand, which can significantly simplify the securing process.

On the other hand, positioning the locking device on the bottle neck in the release state and simply transferring the two housing parts into the securing state can be done by correspondingly moving the two housing parts relative to one another if the at least one barb element is already located below the bead on the bottle neck.

Although different ways are conceivable in which the actuating element can transfer the locking pin, electromechanical actuation may be preferred since this can be most easily integrated with a modern opening system. For this purpose, the locking device can further comprise a power supply unit, for example a battery. However, other embodiments are also conceivable, for example by providing the locking device with an antenna for receiving electrical power by means of induction, but then in order to open the locking device it must be brought close to a corresponding transmitter and therefore less self-sufficient and less suitable for some conceivable applications.

Alternatively or additionally, the locking device according to the invention can further comprise a signal receiving unit, which is operationally coupled to the actuating element and is set up, upon receipt of a release initiation signal, to instruct the actuating element to disengage the locking pin from at least one of the first and second Move the housing part out. Here, the release initiation signal can be sent from any suitable terminal, for example through a user's mobile terminal, such as a cell phone or a smartwatch, in the above-mentioned scenario of a self-checkout department store, or also through a permanently installed dedicated one Station. Furthermore, wired solutions are also conceivable in which physical contact is to be established between the locking device and a device for sending the release initiation signal, or an operating interface could also be provided on the locking device itself, for example for entering a release code.

Furthermore, the locking device according to the invention could include a storage unit which is set up to store information about the bottle to be secured and/or the number of actuations of the actuating element and/or further data. Access to this stored data could be established in the manner described above via a bidirectional wireless or wired data connection with any suitable terminal devices.

Furthermore, the locking device according to the invention could also be provided with a display device on the outside of the first or second housing part, which displays any information about the state of the locking device itself or the bottle enclosed by it could and for this purpose could also be provided with suitable data processing means or operationally coupled.

In this context, the locking device according to the invention could further comprise at least one sensor unit, which is set up to detect the presence of the securing state, the release state and/or a state attached to a bottle. The sensor data obtained in this way can be used or processed in a variety of ways, for example to create statistics or monitor individual backups in a warehouse.

Furthermore, it can be considered to alternatively or additionally equip the locking device itself with an alarm device, such as a loudspeaker, which, for example, in cooperation with the sensor just mentioned or another sensor, can issue an alarm upon detecting an attempted manipulation, or when leaving one sales area and beyond.

As already briefly mentioned above, the locking device according to the invention could also additionally comprise an anti-theft element which is set up to interact with an external anti-theft system.

Figuren 1A und 1B:

eine erste Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Verschlusssicherung in ihrem Freigabezustand bzw. ihrem Sicherungszustand;

Figuren 2A und 2B:

eine zweite Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Verschlusssicherung in ihrem Freigabezustand bzw. ihrem Sicherungszustand;

Figuren 3A und 3B:

eine dritte Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Verschlusssicherung in ihrem Freigabezustand bzw. ihrem Sicherungszustand; und

Figuren 4A und 4B:

eine Detailansicht des Verriegelungsmechanismus aus den ersten bis dritten Ausführungsformen in ihrem Freigabezustand bzw. ihrem Sicherungszustand.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof when considered together with the accompanying figures. These show in detail:

Figures 1A and 1B:

a first embodiment of a locking device according to the invention in its release state or its secured state;

Figures 2A and 2B:

a second embodiment of a locking device according to the invention in its release state or its secured state;

Figures 3A and 3B:

a third embodiment of a locking device according to the invention in its release state or its secured state; and

Figures 4A and 4B:

a detailed view of the locking mechanism from the first to third embodiments in their release state or their secured state.

In the Figures 1A and 1B First of all, a first embodiment of a closure lock according to the invention for a bottle is shown and generally designated by the reference number 100. The locking device 100 comprises a first housing part 102 and a second housing part 104, which are connected to one another in a linearly movable manner relative to one another by a sliding guide 106.

In the in Figure 1A In the state shown, the first housing part 102 and the second housing part 104 are at a maximum distance from one another, so that this state corresponds to a release state in the sense of the invention. The two housing parts 102 and 104 are also in the in Figure 1A shown release state. Furthermore, it can be seen that the locking device 100 is placed on a bottle neck F1 of a bottle F, which also has a bead F2 at the upper end in the area of its bottle cap.

In order to lock the locking device 100 in the in. by engaging with this bead F2 Figure 1B To attach the locking state shown in a non-detachable manner, the locking lock 100 also includes the second housing part 104 assigned a barb element 110, which runs obliquely from bottom to top towards the bottle neck F1, so that it attaches from below to the bead F2 in the in Figure 1B shown state and prevents the closure lock 100 from being pulled upwards from the bottle neck F1. By means of a further spiral spring 112, the barb element 110, which is displaceably mounted on a linear guide 114, is preloaded in the direction of the bottle neck F1, so that on the one hand the barb element rests securely on the bottle neck F1 in the secured state Figure 1B and thus a secure fixation of the locking device 100 on the bottle F is ensured, but on the other hand, by deflecting the barb element 110 against the effect of the spiral spring 112, it is possible to put the locking lock 100 on the bottle neck F1 even in the secured state of the locking lock 100, since this is the case the barb element 110 is initially deflected away from the bottle neck F1 by the bead F2 against the action of the spiral spring 112 and can come to rest behind it when the bead F2 is passed over.

The Figures 2A and 2B now show a second embodiment of a locking device according to the invention, which is designated by the reference number 200. In contrast to the first embodiment from the Figures 1A and 1B In this case, the two housing parts 202 and 204 are not fastened to one another so that they can be moved linearly relative to one another, but rather can be pivoted relative to one another via a hinge 206 with a pivot axis S1. A tension spring 208 is also provided here, which holds the two housing parts 202 and 204 in the in Figure 2A Release state shown is preloaded along a loading direction.

Another difference between the second embodiment 200 and the first embodiment 100 of a locking device according to the invention is that the barb elements 210, from which in the embodiment Figures 2A and 2B one each to the first Housing part 202 and one assigned to the second housing part 204 are not held on a linear guide, but are also attached to their respective housing part so as to be pivotable about corresponding pivot axes S210. Here, the two barb elements 210 are again preloaded by the action of springs 212 in the direction of the bottle neck F1 of the bottle F, so that in the in Figure 2B In the securing state shown, a secure hold of the locking device 200 on the bottle F is ensured.

Furthermore, they show Figures 3A and 3B a third embodiment of a locking device according to the invention, which is designated by the reference number 300, and which is shown in the Figures 3A and 3B is shown in a schematic top view. Although the two housing parts 302 and 304 are again pivotally connected to one another about a pivot axis S2 by means of a hinge 306 and are preloaded in the direction of a release position by an elastic element 308, this pivot axis S2, in contrast to the pivot axis S1, is made of Figures 2A and 2B is not arranged above the bottle F, but runs parallel to the bottle neck F1 next to it. Apart from this difference in the positioning and orientation of the corresponding pivot axis, the two embodiments from the Figures 2A and 2B or 3A and 3B essentially identical, so that a further description of the additional components is omitted at this point, in particular the indicated barb elements 310 and the springs 312 assigned to them.

Last is in the Figures 4A and 4B The locking mechanism used in embodiments 100, 200 and 300 and by means of which the respective pairs of housing parts can be locked together in the secured state is shown and designated by the reference numeral 400.

Again shows the Figure 4A the locking mechanism 400 in a state which corresponds to the release state of the corresponding locking device, while the Figure 4B shows the same locking mechanism 400 in a state which corresponds to the locking state of the corresponding locking lock. For simplicity, the two housing parts between which the locking pin 402 of the locking mechanism 400 engages are designated by the reference numerals 102 and 104 so that they correspond to the first and second housing parts Figures 1A and 1B correspond, but it is understood that a corresponding locking mechanism 400 can also be provided at suitable locations in the further embodiments 200 and 300 of locking devices according to the invention.

Respective openings 102a and 104a are provided in the two housing parts 102 and 104, through which the locking pin 402 extends in the secured state in order to fix the relative position between the first and second housing parts 102 and 104. On the other hand, this is in Figure 4A the locking pin 402 only advances into the opening 104a of the second housing part, to which the locking mechanism 400 is attached, so that it can be seen that a relative movement between the first housing part 102 and the second housing part 104 is possible without any problems.

In addition to the locking pin 402 already mentioned, the locking mechanism 400 also includes a spiral spring 404, through which the locking pin 402 is inserted into the in Figure 4B shown engagement position is preloaded. The locking pin 402 should now be moved out of engagement with the first housing element 102 against the action of the spiral spring 404, i.e. out of the state Figure 4B into the state Figure 4A are transferred, the shape memory alloy 406 acting as an actuating element must be caused to contract to remove the engagement pin 402 from the first housing part 102 to move away until it emerges from the opening 102a. In order to initiate this actuation, the locking mechanism 400 further comprises electronic components 408, in particular a signal receiving unit 408a, by means of which release initiation signals can be received from an external device, as well as a battery 408b, which supplies the energy for the operation of the signal receiving unit and the actuating element.

Claims (15)

1. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) for a bottle (F), comprising:

   a first housing part (102, 202, 302) and a second housing part (104, 204, 304), which are configured to non-releasably enclose an upper portion of the neck (F1) of the bottle (F) to be secured, including the bottle closure, when in a securing state,

   the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) being interconnected so as to be movable relative to one another and being transferable between the securing state and a release state, in which the closure guard (100, 200, 300) can be released from the neck (F1), and

   a locking mechanism (400), which is associated with either the first housing part (102, 202, 302) or the second housing part (104, 204, 304) and configured to lock the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) in the securing state,

   wherein the locking mechanism (400) comprises a locking pin (402) which engages with both the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) when in the securing state in order to fix said housing parts in place in their relative orientation, and which can be displaced, by means of an actuation element (406), out of engagement with at least one of the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) in order to allow the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) to be transferred to the release state,

   characterized in that

   the actuation element (406) comprises an actuator which is formed at least in part by a shape-memory alloy and/or a piezoelectric element.
2. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to claim 1, wherein the locking pin (402) is biased toward its engagement position by a first resilient element (404), for example a spring, in particular a helical spring.
3. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, in the securing state, the locking pin (402) is guided through a respective opening (102a, 104a) in both the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) in order to fix said housing parts in place against one another.
4. Closure guard (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first housing part (102) and the second housing (104) are interconnected so as to be linearly movable with respect to one another, in particular by means of a sliding guide (106).
5. Closure guard (200, 300) according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first housing part (202, 302) and the second housing part (204, 304) are interconnected so as to be pivotably movable with respect to one another by means of a hinge (206, 306), wherein the pivot pin (S1, S2) of the hinge (206, 306) may be arranged above or in parallel with the neck (F1) in the securing state.
6. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims,
   wherein the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) are biased toward their release state by a second resilient element (108, 208, 308), for example a spring, in particular a helical spring.
7. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims,
   wherein at least one of the first housing part (102, 202, 302) and the second housing part (104, 204, 304) is made of a transparent material at least in some portions.
8. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one barb element (110, 210, 310), which is associated with either the first housing part (102, 202, 302) or the second housing part (104, 204, 304) and is configured to interact with a bead (F2) on the neck (F1) when the closure guard (100, 200, 300) is in the securing state in such a way as to prevent the closure guard (100, 200, 300) from being pulled off the neck (F1).
9. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to claim 8, wherein the barb element (110, 210, 310) is displaceably or pivotably associated with the corresponding housing part (104, 202, 204, 302, 304) and is biased in the direction of the neck (F1) by a third resilient element (112, 212, 312).
10. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a power supply unit (408b), for example a battery.
11. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a signal-receiving unit (408a), which is operatively coupled to the actuation element (406) and configured, upon receipt of a release-initiation signal, to instruct the actuation element (406) to displace the locking pin (402) out of engagement with at least one of the first housing part (102) and the second housing part (104).
12. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a storage unit configured to store information about the bottle (F) to be secured and/or the number of times the actuation element (406) has been actuated and/or further data.
13. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an indicator device on the outside of the first housing part or the second housing part.
14. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one sensor unit configured to detect the establishment of the securing state, the release state, and/or a state attached to a bottle, and/or further comprising at least one alarm generator.
15. Closure guard (100, 200, 300) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an anti-theft element configured to interact with an external anti-theft system.

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