GB2187706A

GB2187706A - Theft-deterring label-holders

Info

Publication number: GB2187706A
Application number: GB08702843A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henri Morel
Original assignee: ITW de France SAS
Current assignee: ITW de France SAS
Priority date: 1986-03-13
Filing date: 1987-02-09
Publication date: 1987-09-16
Also published as: AU6876687A; GB8702843D0

Abstract

A label-holder for deterring theft includes a label-supporting member (1) and an attachment member (20) which may be snapped together. The attachment member (20) includes at least one rod (21',22') equipped with a stop (25,26) on a barb (23,24) which is resiliently movable transversely between a position of rest and a position of stress. The supporting member (1) includes at least one clearance (10) which includes a catch surface for co-operating with the stop (25,26) after the attachment member (20) has been passed through an article (33) to be protected, and after the stop (25,26) has passed through the position of stress to a position of relaxation. It will be appreciated that the attachment member (20) cannot subsequently be separated from the supporting member (1) or the article (33) without damage occurring. The supporting member (1) may comprise a snap fitting base (3, fig. 1) and cap (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Theft-deterring label-holders The present invention relates to label-holders for deterring theft of various articles on display.

It is known that in certain businesses such, forex- ample, as the fancy leathertrade,the deterring of theft lies in the labelling ofthe articles on display very conspicuously, the label being removed art a cash deskofthe shop at the time of paymentforthe article in question. The label may carry various indications such as the price. Certain magnetic signals may likewise be included on the label, such signals enabling the protected object two be detected as soon as an unscrupulous customer passes through a det ection zone in the vicinity of an exitfrom the shop.

The manufacturers of label-holders ofthe above type generally try to make the label-holders inviolable. That is to say, such label-holders must not be detachable from the article which is to be protected without destruction ofthe label-holder in question.

This destruction must also be as difficult as possible for the unscrupulous customer, so that it is practic ally impossibleto do itdiscreetlywithin the bounds of the shop.

In accordance with the present invention, a label holderfor deterring theft comprises a supporting memberforsupporting a label and an attachment member for attachment to an article two be protected, the supporting member and the attachment member being fastenabletog ether with a snap action.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment member includes at least one rod presenting a stop which is resiliently movable transversely of the rod between a position of rest and a position of stress, and the supporting member includes at leastone clearance presenting a catch surface which cooperates with the stop, after the attachment member has been introduced to the supporting member and the stop has passed through the position of stress to a position of relaxation, in order to opposesubsequentseparation ofthe attachment memberfrom the supporting member.

Thus,a label-holderisavailablewhich exhibitsa particularly well markedcharacterofinviolability,es- pecialywhen the position of relaxation corresponds to the position of rest.

Preferably, the attachment member includes two of the rods, a free end of each of the rods being formed as a barb to present a respective one oftwo of the stops, and the other ends of the rods being connected together. The attachment member may advantageously consist of a loop of piano wire of reasonable diameter, for example one millimetre, whilstthesupporting member may be produced from particularly hard moulded plastics material. In the attachment member, one of the rods may be longerthan the other to permit pre-assembly ofthe attachment member with the supporting member, the stop on the longer rod co-operating with a catch surface of a pre-assem bly clearance presented by the supporting member before the stop on the shorter rod has been introduced to the supporting member.

Thus, if it is a question, for example, of protecting fancy leather articles, by passing the attachment member through a part in the form of a loop on the article which isto be protected (such as the buckle of a beltorthe handle of a suitcase) and by snapping the attachment member into the supporting member, it becomes impossible to remove the labelholder without damage or destruction either of the attachment member, or of the supporting member or of the part of the article through which the attachment member is passed.

In orderto destroy the label-holder it would be necessary to have available an adequate tool and in any case such destruction cannot be done discreetly.

To enable easy manufacture ofthe supporting member from moulded plastics material, it is prefer ablethat:thesupporting member includes a male portion and afemale portion; the male portion and the female portion are initially frangibly connected together; the male portion andthefemale portion are snapped together before the attachment member is introduced thereto; and the male portion presents at least one resilient blade including a stop surface, whilst the femal portion presents at least one notch including a shoulderwhich, afterthe male portion and the female portion have been snapped together, co-operates with the corresponding stop surface to resist separation of the male portion from the female portion.

In an alternative, however, the male and female portions may be nested in one another and then irre versiblysecured byfor example welding, such as ultrasonicwelding.

Preferably, the male portion is formed with the at least one clearance, and indeed the male portion is formed with two side flanks separated by respective grooves from a central block formed with four ofthe clearances, the clearances being formed astwo pairs opening into respective ones of the grooves, and the grooves being covered by the female portion to present respective passages.

Several label-holders, in accordance with the present invention,will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 7 is a plan view of one embodiment ofthe supporting member of a label-holder in accordance with the invention, before its assembly; Figure la is an end view in the direction ofthe arrow lain Figure 1,the capwhich may be seen in Figure 1 not being shown; Figure 16 is a side view in the direction of the arrow Ib in Figure 1, also indicating by the arrow I the direction ofthe plan view of Figure 1; Figure2isa planviewofthesupporting member of Figure 1 when assembled; Figure2a is an end view in the direction ofthe arrow Ila in Figure 2;; Figure2b is a side view in the direction ofthe arrow llb in Figure 2, also indicating by the arrow II the direction ofthe plan view of Figure 2; Figure 3 is a plan view of one embodiment ofthe label-holder, including the supporting memberof Figure 2; Figure4is a viewsimilarto Figure 3, showing another embodiment of the attachment member; Figure5isaviewsimilarto Figure 4 showing the attachment member locked into the supporting member and trapping an articlewhich isto be protected; Figure 6 is a plan view of another embodiment of the supporting member; Figure 6a is an end view in the direction ofthe arrowVlab in Figure 6 of a cap ofthesupporting member of Figure 6; and Figure 6b is an end view in the direction ofthe arrowVlabin Figure 6,the capwhich may be seen in Figures 6 and 6a not being shown.

In accordance with the present invention, a labelholderfor deterring theft comprises a supporting memberforsupporting a label and an attachment memberforattachmentto an article two be protected, the supporting member and the attachment member being fastenabletogetherwith a snap action.

The supporting member, referenced 1, includes a flat part 2 for labelling, which is integral with a male portion consisting of a receiver base 3 and a female portion consisting of a closure cap 4. The base 3 comprises slideflanks 5 and 6which definegrooves or guide rails 7 and 8, a retainer stop 9, and locking clearances 10 arranged in an axial enlargement 3a of the base 3. The base 3 carries two resilient blades 11 and 12 for locking the cap 4. Each clearance 10 includes a catch surface 30. The cap 4 exhibits an inner shape 13 corresponding to the outer shape of the base 3 whilst ieaving afterassemblytherewith passages 14 and 15. The cap likewise exhibits two skew notches 16 and 17, for receiving the blades 11 and 12, and particularly stop surfaces 11 a and 1 2a ofthe bla des 11 and 12.Theskewnotches 16and 17 have shoulders 16a and 17a, and are formed in enlargements 16b and 17b.

The base 3 is initially, as a result of a moulding procedure, connected to the cap4byfrangiblecon- nections 18 and 19, which must be broken to allow the base 3 to be secured with a snap action to the cap 4, the moulding ofthe base 3 and the cap 4 being of a particularly hard plastics material, such as polyamide.

The attachment member, referenced 20, consists of a loop of piano wire one millimetrethick, including two rods, 21,22 each of which is equipped with a barb 23,24 the ends of which constitute stops 25,26 which are resiliently movable transversely.

In fact, as will be seen later in the description, each of the stops 25,26 is movable in the transverse direc- tion with respectto the length ofthe rod which carries it, between a position of rest as illustrated in Figures3to 5and a position of stress.

Fig u res 3 to 5 in fact illustrate two embodiments of the attachment member 20. In Figure 3 the two rods 21,22 are of identical size, whilst in Figures4and 5 the two rods21 22' are of different sizes, the rod 21 ', called the "pre-assembly rod", being substantially longerthanthe rod 22'. In bothembodimentsthe barbs 23,24 are orientated towards arch 20a uniting the rods. The same applies to the clearances 10 which for their part are also orientated towards the left hand end of Figures 3 to 5, each making an angle with the longitudinal axis of symmetry 31 which is identical to that made by the barbs 23,24 with respecttothe rods which carrythem.

The label-supporting member 1 is assembled by nesting the base 3 into the cap4 as illustrated in Figure 2. During the course of assemblythe blades 11, 12 flatten at first and then elastically recovertheir positions as soon as they come opposite the skew notches 16,17. The stop surfaces 11a,1 2a then co- operate with the shoulders 16a, 1 7a in the skew notches 16,17 in orderto make any disengagement of the cap 4 impossible without destruction of the latter.

The use of the label-holder in accordance with the present invention is particularly easy.

In Figure 3, the attachment member 20 is presented opposite the passages 14,15. It will be observed that in its position of rest each of the stops 25,26 is lying ata distanceXfrom the rod 21,22,whilstthe width ofthe passage 14,15 is X' (X' being smaller than X). In orderto engage the attachment member 20 in the supporting member 1,the barbs 23,24 are pushed into the passages 14,15 in the direction ofthe arrow 32.

Figures 4 and 5, whilst illustrating anotherembodiment of the attachment member, enable the operation of the label-holder in accordance with the present invention to be more easily understood.

The pre-assembly rod 21'isfirstofall engaged in the passage 14. Its barb 23 is deformed resiliently so that the stop 25 is displaced towards the rod 21 ' carrying it, so asto be able to pass through the passage 14 of width X'. Such a position of the stop 25 is called the position of stress. As soon as the stop 25 is lying opposite the first clearance 10, called the preassembly clearance, it adopts a position which is relaxed with respect to the position of stress, this position of relaxation corresponding in this embodiment with its position of rest. In this relaxed position, the stop 25 co-operates with the catch surface 30 ofthe pre-assembly clearance, in order to oppose withdrawal ofthe stop 25 from the supporting member 1.

It may be observed in Figure 4 that the stop 9 may be provided for positioning the stop 25 opposite the pre-assembly clearance 10, but it is possible to go beyond this stop 9 by applying an over-pressure in the direction ofthe arrow 32.

The second rod 22' is then passed through a passage arranged in the object which is to be protected.

In the embodiment chosen and shown it is a question of the buckle 33 of a belt. Athrust may then be exerted in the direction ofthe arrow 32 upon the attachment member 20 so that the barb 23 passes beyond the stop 9, and becomes snapped into the second clearance 10 downstream ofthe preassembly clearance, whilstthe barb 24 becomes snapped into the first clearance lOin the passage 15.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures4 and 5 offers the advantage with respect to that illustrated in Figure 3 ofthe attachment member being ableto be pre-assembed upon the supporting member.

In Figure 6 another embodiment of a supporting member 1' is represented. In this embodiment, a base 40 is capped by a cap 41 which is welded onto the base 40, as illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b. For the restofthe geometry of Figure 6is similartothat ofthe other Figures.

Claims

1. A label-holderfor deterring theft comprising a supporting memberforsupporting a label and an attachment member for attachment to an article two be protected, the supporting member and the attachment member being fastenabletogetherwith a snap action.

2. A label-holder according to claim 1, in which the attachment member includes at least one rod presenting a stop which is resilient movable transversely of the rod between a position of rest and a position of stress, and the supporting memberinclu- des at least one clearance presenting a catch surface which co-operates with the stop, afterthe attachment member has been introduced to the supporting member and the stop has passed through the position of stress to a position of relaxation, in orderto oppose subsequent separation ofthe attachment memberfrom the supporting member.

3. A label-holder according to claim 2, in which the position of relaxation corresponds to the position of rest.

4. A label-holder according to claim 2 or claim 3, in whichthe attachment member includestwo ofthe rods, a free end of each of the rods being formed as a barb to present a respective one of two ofthe stops, and the other ends ofthe rods being connected together.

5. A label-holder according to claim 4, in which one ofthe rods is longerthan the otherto permitpre- assembly of the attachment memberwith the supporting member, the stop on the longer rod cooperating with a catch surface of a pre-assembly clearance presented by the supporting member before the stop on the shorter rod has been introduced to the supporting member.

6. A label-holder according to any preceding claim, in which the supporting member includes a male portion and a female portion.

7. A label-holder according to claim 6, in which the male portion and the female portion are initially frangibly connected together.

8. A label-holder according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the male portion andthefemale portion are snapped together before the attachment member is introduced thereto.

9. A label-holder according to claim 8, in which the male portion presents at least one resilient blade including a stop surface, whilstthefemale portion presents at least one notch including a shoulder which, afterthe male portion and the female portion have been snapped together, co-operates with the corresponding stop surface to resist separation of the male portion from the female portion.

10. A label-holder according to any one of claims 6to 9, when dependenton any one of claims 2to 5, in which the male portion is formed with the at least one clearance.

11. A label-holder according to claim 10, in which the male portion is formed with two side flanks separated by respective grooves from a central block formed with four of the clearances, the clearances being formed as two pairs opening into respective ones ofthe grooves, and the grooves being covered by the female portion to present respective passages.

12. A label-holder for deterring theftsubstantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, Figures 4 and 5, or Figures 6, 6a and 6b,of the accompanying drawings.