Clutch lock

C4-015B 10693S7 This application is a division of our Application No.

216,361 filed December 18, 1974. The present invention relates to a clutch lock for securing a reusable security tag adapted to be secured to an article to be maintained under surveillance.

In the Canadian patent No. 947,398 of John Welsh et al., issued May 14, 1974, for "Article Surveillance Method and System", there is disclosed inter alia a system for maintaining security through a surveillance zone by establishing throughout said zone an interrogating radio wave field and affixing tags to articles under surveillance which are adapted to reradiate a discernible and distinguishable radio wave signal when passing through said zone. As described in said patent, the active portion of the tag may take the form of a simple nonlinear impedance, e.g., a semiconductor diode, directly coupled ~o antenna elements. Such surveillance system is particularly useful when employed for controlling theft from retail stores or the like.

The present invention provides a clutch lock for a re usable tag for securing a reradiating element, such as that dis- closed in said patent, to an article to be maintained under surveillance. Said tag is adapted to be secured to the fabric of a garment or to other material through which a pin can be passed.

It will be understood that for such system to operate satisfactorily, the tags containing the detectable elements must be easily attachable to the garment or article yet not readily removed by unauthorized hands. On the other hand, the retail clerk must have a simple convenient means for readily removing tags from garment~ which, due to purchase or other reasons, may be removed legitimately from the premises.

--1- 10~i9357 It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a clutch lock whereby a reusable se:curity tag of the aforesaid type is easily secured to a garment or the like and non-removable except throu'gh the use of authorized nondestructive reIease means.

In accordance'with the present invention there is provided a clutch lock comprising a cruciate member of spring sheet metal with one pair of arms at right angle to another pair of arms and with'a pair of jaws within the central region of said member raised in t~e same direction from said member so as to project on one side of said member, said jaws being disposed to oppose'one'another on opposite sides of a plane which'is normal to the axis of said one pair of arms for receiving and grîpping a pin when one is introduced therebetween, ~:

said cruciate ~em~er as a whole being curved cylindrically in the direction of the axis of said one pair of arms with the concavity facing said one side of said member, and said arms ~of said cruciate:member are reinforced with ribs located to prevent significant flexure of said arms other than adjacent said jaws such that any flexing force applied to said arms is comm,unicated to said jaws whereby manipulation of said pairs of arms respectiveIy in opposite directions in one direction will cause separation of said jaws to release any pin gripped thexebetween.

The invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a reusable tag embodying the subject invention and showing the component ~ -2 10~;9,3S7 parts thereof;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tag partially assembled showing certain details of construction;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the tag fully assembled and applied to the garment;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vie~ of the pin, clutch lock and retaining member;

-2a ~06'~357 Figure 5 is a transverse view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side view of the clutch lock member;

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the principal elements of a release tool about to be applied to a tag secured to a garment;

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 3 showing the tool of Figure 7 in place;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the tool of Figure 7 in place;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 with release force applied; and Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 with the pin released.

The same reference numerals are used throughout the appended drawings to designate the same or similar parts.

Referring now to the drawings, the detectable element is designated generally by the reference character 10 and may take the form of a thin elongated laminated structure containing a suitable sensor emitter circuit, not shown. The details of such circuit do not form a part of the present invention and, therefore, are not described herein. Reference may be had to the aforesaid Canadian patent No. 947,398 for description of several examples thereof.

The enclosure for the lock means, described in detail in our main application identified above, comprises a housing 11 formed of plastic material. The housing 11 has first and second mating parts 12 and 13~ respectively, which when uni~ed provide 106~357 a cavity 14 within to receive both the lock means 15 and the detectable element 10. During assembly, after inserting the detectable element 10 and the lock means 15 in the corre~ponding sections of cavity 14, (see Fig. 2~, the mating part 13 is folded over upon the part 12 such that the plurality of studs 17 in the part 12 pass through the slotted apertures 18 in the part 13, whereupon the studs 17 are upended or hot-formed to produce a head thereon preventing withdrawal from said apertures 18.

The part 12 of the housing has a pintle 19 at one end positioned remotely from ~he end enclosing the lock means 15.

Said pintle 19 réceives the end 20 of a plastic lever 21 whose opposite end has secured thereto a pin 22 by means of a retaining ~ member 23.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 7, it will be seen that the lever 21 has at its free end a zone 24 separated from the remainder of said lever 21 by frangible means in the form of the very thin radial spokes 25. Said pin 22 is joined to said zone 24 by passing therethrough, and the head 26 of said :pin is keyed to said zone 24 by having a noncircular configuration. Such keying of the pin to the zone 24 prevents rotation of the pin with respect thereto for a reason that will be apparent hereinafter.

Now referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the pin 22 has a shank 27 joining its ends which is formed with a plurality of axially spaced annular grooves 28 having elliptical cross sections in planes normal to the pin axis and with the major axes of said grooves lying in a common plane. The grooves 28 --4- . . , . 1~9357 provide a roughened surface to the pin for cooperation with the lo~k means as will be better understood hereinafter. This ls accomplished due to the elliptical configuration at minimal sacrifice of tensile strength in the shank 27 80 as to afford maximum resistance to unauthorized withdrawal of the pin from the lock means.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, it will be seen that the clutch lock means 15 comprise a cruciate member with one pair of arms 29a and 29b at right angle to another pair of arms 30a and 30b and formed from spring sheet metal with opposing jaws 31 and 32 raised on one side thereof from its central region. The longitudinal axes of said jaws 31 and 32 are parallel to the axis of said one pair of arms 29a and 29b and arranged such that manipulation of said pairs of arms respectively in opposite directions in one direction will cause separation of said jaws 31 and 32. From Fig. 6 it will be seen that the entire cruciate member 15 is eylindrically curved with the concave side being on the same side as th~ opposing jaws 31 and 32. The jaws 31 and 32 are sprung apart when the arms 29a and 29b are urged in a direction toward the convex side of the member, while the arms 30a and 30b are urged in the opposite direction.

Ribs 33 and 34 are provided to prevent flexure of said arms other than immediately adjacent said jaws 31 and 32 such that any flexing force applied to said arms is communicated directly to said jaws. The edges of the jaws are circularly notched, as best seen in Fig. 5, to cooperate with the grooves 28 in the shank of the pin 22.

.. . . .

~069357 It now should be readily apparent that the manner of hinging the lever 21 to the housing 11 is such that the pin 22 is constrained for movement along a path intersecting the lock means 15. See Figs. 1 and 3.

Once the pin is inserted in the lock means it preferably should require a pull in excess of 200 lbs. to separate the pin 22 from the lock means 15 in the absence of the application of a special tool thereto for releasing the same. If an attempt is made to withdraw the pin by applying prying force to the lever 21 the frangible spokes 25 will give way freeing the zone 24 along with the head 26 of the pin 22 from the lever. It will be understood that s~lch action will fail to release the tag from a garment to which it is secured.

Referring now to Fig. 7, there is shown the essential components of an unla~ching tool 36 for the subject security tag.

Only the operative elements of the tool are shown since the mechsnism for manipulating the same may take many obvious forms.

In particular, such mechanism may either be hand operable or machine operable. Specifically, said unlatching tool comprises a pair of confronting jaws 37a and 37b having inwardly directed lips for embracing the housing 11 of the tag adjacent the ends of one pair of arms 30a and 30b of the lock means 15. The tool further includes a pair of spaced apart fingers 38a and 38b mounted for oppositional movement relative to the confronting jaws 37a and 37b for engaging the housing 11 at 39 and 40 to effect deformation thereof ad;acent the other pair of arms 29a and 29b of said lock means sufficient to cause manipulation of said arms to release said lock means. See particularly Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11.

lO~g3S7 From the foregoing it should be understood that the housing ll for the tag should have a size, shape and rigidity related to that of the lock means 15 such as to bar unassisted manual release of said lock means while communicating to said lock means sufficient force to effect releasing manipulation thereof upon the application to the housing of said unlatching tool 36.

It should now be readily apparent that the aperture 47 in detectable element 10 accommodates passage of pin 22.

raised portion 48 with an aperture therethrough on the inner surface of housing part 13 acts as a locater for the element 10 by entering aperture 47 while simultaneously providing a bushing for guiding entry of pin 22.

Referring now to Figures l and 2, it should be observed that the cavity formed in housing part 12 for receiving the lock means 15 is proportioned to afford clearance at the ends 29c and 29d of àrms 29a and 29b, respectively, while surrounding the arms 30a and 30b with a reasonably close fit. Said clearance at ends 29c and 29d accommodates outward movement of arms 2~a and 29b as the lock means 15 is flattened during an unlocking manipulation.

However, the close fit between the housing part 12 and arms 30a and 30b functions to center the lock means such that the opening in jaws 31 and 32 is maintained in proper registration for receiving pin 22.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that arms 30a and 30b may be shortened or truncated retaining only sufficient projection to afford said centering action for the lock means 15.

In such case, however, the housing part 13 will require reinforcing 10~;9357 sufficient to communicate releasing force to the lock means 15 from the ~aws 37a and 37b of the unlatching tool 36.

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