MXPA06005822A - Electronic article surveillance marker assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic article surveillance assembly comprises a housing containing an electronic article surveillance marker, the housing defining a viewability channel extending between opposed first and second exterior surfaces of the housing, the electronic article surveillance marker being disposed aside the viewability channel. In a combination, there is provided an article of manufacture and an electronic article surveillance assembly comprising a housing containing an electronic article surveillance marker, the housing defining a viewability channel extending between opposed first and second exterior surfaces of the housing, the electronic article surveillance marker being disposed aside the viewability channel, the article of manufacture having a bottom portion thereof disposed in the housing in registry with the viewability channel.

Description

ASSEMBLY ELECTRONIC ARTICLE INSPECTION MARKER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to security from the theft of goods from manufacturing articles and belongs more particularly to electronic inspection marker assemblies for use with articles of manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One form of electronic article inspection marker (EAS) in wide use is in the form of a rectangular, flexible, elongated member, which is adhesively applied to flat or curved outer surfaces of the articles. A disadvantage of such an external surface application is that, while it is often covered by a bar code label, the presence of the EAS marker is evident as it is visible from the sides of the bar code label. In addition, the EAS marker is accessible to a client. Commonly assigned United States Patent No. 5,945,909 discloses a "seal" comprising a one-piece body having first and second members that can be closed one on top of the other and thereby correspondingly defining first and second second outer seal walls and a peripheral part peripherally continuous with at least one of the first and second members in a third external seal wall, the rear part having a hook at a free end thereof. The seal body defines an internal recess and a retainer opening within the third external seal wall for retentive reception of the back hook internally to the seal. An EAS marker is placed in the recess of the seal body and is contained between the first and second seal walls external to the closure of the first and second members. The seal of the '909 patent is used when circumscribing a portion of an article, for example, a watch band, with the back part and then inserting the hook of the back part into the seal body retainer. The EAS marker is a ferromagnetic strip member and is detectable through several known EAS systems, for example, when the marker is not deactivated (as in an article payment verification counter) and is transported through gates that detect EAS marker in an installation exit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention has as its primary object the provision of an EAS marker assembly adapted for use with articles of manufacture having information about them that need to be readable by a customer. By way of example of said article of manufacture, the baby formula containers have a tubular body portion having a metal lower portion having an indication of the expiration date for the safe use of the baby formula. In obtaining the above and other objects, the invention provides an electronic article inspection assembly comprising a housing containing an electronic article inspection marker, the housing defining a viewing channel extending between first and second surfaces. opposite exteriors of the housing, the electronic article inspection marker that is positioned apart from the viewing channel. The housing defines a first opening extending through the first external surface, a second opening extending through the second external surface, the housing defining a passage communicating with the first and second openings, the viewing channel which is constituted by the first opening, the passage and the second opening. The invention further provides, in combination, an article of manufacture and an electronic article inspection assembly comprising a housing containing an electronic article inspection marker, the housing defining a viewing channel extending between first and second surfaces. opposite exteriors of the accommodation, the electronic article inspection marker that is positioned apart from the viewing channel, the article of manufacture having a lower portion thereof positioned in the housing in registration with the viewing channel. The invention will be further understood from the consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof and from the drawings in which similar reference numbers identify similar parts in all of them.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top plan view of an EAS assembly according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the EAS assembly of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the EAS assembly of Fig. 1 as seen from the plane III-III of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a partial view as would be seen from the plane IV-IV of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a known article of manufacture. Figure 6 is a view showing the assembly of the EAS marker of Figures 1-4 with the article of manufacture of Figure 5, partially broken away to show the internal detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Referring to Figures 1-3, the electronic article inspection assembly 10 comprises the housing 12, which contains the electronic article inspection marker 14. The housing 12 defines the display channel 16 extending between first and second surfaces. opposing exteriors 18 and 20 of the housing, the electronic article inspection marker 14 which is positioned apart from the viewing channel 16. The housing 12 is comprised of an opaque plastic material so that the marker 14 is not visible through the first outer surface 18. The housing 12 defines a first opening 22 extending through the first outer surface 18, a second opening 24 extending through the second outer surface 20, the housing defining a passage 26 communicating with the first and second openings 22 and 24. The viewing channel 16 is constituted by the first opening 22, the passage 26 and the second opening 24. The housing defines the interior structure 28 which is attached at least in part to the passage 26 and extends contiguously from the first exterior surface 18 and recessed relative to the first exterior surface 18.

Severed around the interior of the housing 12 is a plurality of retaining means 30, placed in the housing 12 adjacent to the first exterior surface 18 and in registration with the recess between the interior surface of the housing 28 and the first exterior surface 18. In the Figure 4 shows a modality of retention means 30, comprising a first rib 32 contiguous with the first outer surface 18 and a second rib 34 separated below the first rib 32, the ribs (retention elements) defining the retaining slot 36 between them. Alternatively, the retaining means 30 may comprise an adhesive 37 (Figure 3) applied to the inner periphery of the housing 12. The invention contemplates the joint use of ribs 32 and 34 and the adhesive 37. Returning to Figure 5, the The article of manufacture 38 is the aforementioned infant formula container having a tubular body with a metal lower portion 40 having an indication of expiration date for the safe use of the infant formula. In Figure 6, the lower portion 40 is shown inserted through the second outer surface of the housing 20 into the housing 12. In the course of said insertion, the lower portion 40 retentively crests between the ribs 32 and 34 , completely peripheral to the housing 12, thereby securing the housing 12 to the article of manufacture 38. As mentioned above, the securing of the lower portion 40 with the housing 12 can also be effected, or otherwise, by adhesive 37. The expiration date or similar information in the lower portion 40 is visible through the display channel 16 (Figure 1) when the assembly of Figure 6 is performed.

Various changes can be made to the preferred embodiment described without departing from the invention. By way of example, the interior structure 28 effectively provides sufficient separation between the EAS marker 14 and the metal bottom portion 40 so that the marker can be deactivated in the verification. When the portion of the article that has the expiration date is not metallic, for example, it is comprised of plastic, the Interior structure can be reduced in length. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the true spirit and scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (16)

1. An electronic article inspection assembly comprising a housing containing an electronic article inspection marker, the housing defining a viewing channel extending between the first and second opposite exterior surfaces of said housing, the article inspection marker electronic that is placed apart from the viewing channel.

The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing defines a first opening extending through the first outer surface, a second opening extending through the second outer surface, the housing defining a passage communicating with the first and second openings, the viewing channel that is constituted by the first opening, the passage and the second opening.

3. The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing defines the interior structure that is attached at least in part to the passage and extends contiguous from the first exterior surface.

The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the inner structure of the housing is recessed relative to the second outer surface.

The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the housing defines retaining means for securing an article of manufacture to the housing, the retaining means that are located in the housing adjacent to the second exterior surface and in coincidence with the recess between the inner structure of the housing and the second outer surface.

6. The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the retaining means comprise a plurality of retaining elements that extend internally to the housing from a periphery of said housing.

The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the retaining means comprises an adhesive that extends internally to said housing from a periphery of the housing.

The electronic article inspection assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the retaining means comprises a plurality of retaining elements and an adhesive that extends internally to said housing from a periphery of said housing.

9. In combination: (a) an article of manufacture; and (b) an electronic article inspection assembly comprising a housing containing an electronic article inspection marker, the housing defining a viewing channel between first and second opposing exterior surfaces of said housing, the marker for viewing the article. electronic article that is placed apart from the viewing channel, the article of manufacture having a lower portion thereof placed in the housing in coincidence with the viewing channel.

The invention according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing defines a first opening extending through the first outer surface, a second opening extending through the second outer surface, the housing defining a passageway. communicating with the first and second openings, the viewing channel that is constituted by the first opening, the passage and the second opening.

11. The invention according to claim 10, characterized in that the housing defines the interior structure that is attached at least in part to the passage and that extends contiguous from the first exterior surface.

12. The invention according to claim 11, characterized in that the inner structure of the housing is recessed relative to the second outer surface., the lower portion of the article of manufacture that resides in said recess and joins externally to the housing.

13. The invention according to claim 12, characterized in that the housing defines retaining means for securing the lower portion of the article of manufacture to the housing, the retaining means that are placed in said housing adjacent to the second outer surface and in coincidence with the recess between the inner structure of the housing and the second outer surface.

The invention according to claim 13, characterized in that the retaining means comprise a plurality of retaining elements that extend internally to the housing from a periphery of the housing.

15. The invention according to claim 14, characterized in that the retaining means comprise an adhesive that extends internally to the housing from a periphery of said housing.

16. The invention according to claim 15, characterized in that the retaining means comprises a plurality of retaining elements and an adhesive extending internally to said housing from a periphery of said housing.