Removable attachment device for attaching to longer linear or filiform objects

Abstract

A removable attachment device, that particularly forms an anti-theft device and/or electronic information medium, comprising a body on which a flap is mounted pivotably, wherein the body and the flap each have a substantially flat surface, wherein the flap rotates in relation to the body between a first extreme open position and a second extreme position known as the closed position in which the two respective surfaces can grip the object, wherein means are provided to lock the flap on the body temporarily and securely in the gripping position, characterized in that at least the gripping surface of the body and/or flap has/have raised or protruding means, that are elastically deformable.

Claims

1. A removable attachment anti-theft device comprising a body on which a flap is pivotably mounted on a hinge, wherein the body and the flap are elongated in a longitudinal direction and each have a substantially flat surface and a griping surface located between the hinge and an element associated with the body, the flap rotates in relation to the body between a first extreme open position and a second extreme closed position in which the two respective gripping surfaces are configured to grip an object, locking means located between the body and the element are provided to keep locked the flap on the body temporarily and securely in the closed position, wherein at least the gripping surface of the body and/or flap has/have raised or protruding means, that are elastically deformable; and wherein the device comprises detection means which are housed in the element, the element being substantially spherical and having a height according to a dimension transversal to the longitudinal direction of the body that does not exceed a height of the body and the flap in the closed position of the device.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the raised or protruding means are made of an elastic plastic material.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic plastic material is thermoplastic elastomer or silicone.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said locking means are made up of notched surfaces with alternate parallel ribs and grooves forming waves, and being parallel to each other.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the grooves and ribs on the locking means are in a direction transversal to said longitudinal direction.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping surfaces of the flap and the body are substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction to protect the object.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said gripping surfaces are rectangular in shape.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said raised or protruding means are either added and fixed to the body and/or flap, by gluing, welding, clipping on, molding, or form an integral part of the body and/or flap, and are integrated into each of the body and flap when the device is made.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said raised or protruding means are either discontinuous or contiguous.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the raised or protruding means of the body and the flap respectively have complementary sides.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the raised or protruding means are made of alternating ribs separated by grooves, and said ribs of the body are placed opposite the grooves of the flap and vice versa in the closed position.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein, in the closed position of the flap on the body, the respective gripping surfaces are parallel and separated by a distance that is slightly smaller than the corresponding dimension of the object to grip, or are in contact or virtually in contact.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the locking means comprise indentations made on a tab of the flap transversal to the gripping surface, and notches placed in a housing associated with the body, wherein the indentations are designed to cooperate with the notches by locking the device in the closed position.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection means is detectable by an acousto-magnetic or radio frequency electronic theft-detection system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS(S)

(1) This invention will now be described with only illustrative and non-limiting examples of the scope of the invention, and from the appended illustrations, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device attached to an eyeglass temple;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device attached to a necklace or chain;

(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B are views of the device according to the invention in the open position, respectively in a perspective top and side view;

(5) FIGS. 4A and 4B are views of the device according to the invention in the closed position, in a top perspective and a top view respectively;

(6) FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views, of the body and flap respectively, detached from each other for the sake of clarity;

(7) FIGS. 7A and 7B show a side view of the device in two successive closing steps to attach it to an eyeglass temple;

(8) FIG. 8 shows a device in the closed position in a front view with a fine object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of eyeglasses 1 comprising a front frame 2 and two side temples 3 and 4 in the unfolded position. The removable attachment device 5 of the invention is fixed on the temple 4 with the particular function of an anti-theft device (called anti-theft device in the description below for convenience).

(10) FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a jewelry item, especially a neck chain 6 on which the anti-theft device 5 of the invention is fixed.

(11) The device is described in greater detail in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B.

(12) The anti-theft device 5 comprises two main parts, namely a body 7 and a flap 8 fitted to articulate on the body 7 along an axis 9. The body and the flap are each shaped like parallelepipeds with the larger dimension along the longitudinal direction, which is also that of the axis of rotation 9.

(13) Further, the anti-theft device comprises an element 10 that is substantially spherical, associated with the body 7, on a longitudinal side of the body opposite the flap. Said element 10 acts as the means for grasping the anti-theft device, and further incorporates locking and electronic detection means, designed to work along with detection means and sensors placed at the exits of points of sale in which the objects associated with the anti-theft devices are displayed. The electronic detection means are known in themselves and are not shown or described.

(14) Preferably, the element 10 that houses the detection means has a dimension transversal (height) to the longitudinal direction of the body 7 that does not exceed the height of the body and the flap in the closed position of the device. The device thus remains small, adapted to the objects to protect.

(15) The body 7, the flap 8 and the element 10 are made of rigid plastic material, for example polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

(16) The flap 8 rotates in relation to the body 7 along an angle of approximately 180, between two extreme positions, namely: an open position (FIGS. 3A and 3B) where the flap and the body are substantially on each side of the axis 9; a closed or folded position (FIGS. 4A and 4B) where the flap is opposite the body and is against or very close to the body.

(17) The body and the flap each comprise a rectangular side 11, respectively 12, designed to come in contact or in virtual contact or be very close to each other, in the closed position of the anti-theft device (FIGS. 4A and 4B).

(18) The surfaces 11 and 12 have the same width (transverse direction), while the surface 11 of the body is slightly longer, on each side of the flap.

(19) The surfaces 11 and 12 form surfaces for gripping the object, between which the object is designed to be fixed, sandwiched firmly. For example, the temple 4 (FIG. 1) of the eyeglasses and the chain 6 (FIG. 2) are thus clamped or gripped between said surfaces.

(20) By reference to FIG. 3B, the flap 8 comprises a core 80 bearing the gripping surface 12, a wing 81 joined and orthogonal to said core 80, where the free end of the wing, opposite the gripping surface, forms part of an articulation system to make up the hinge between the flap 8 and the body 7.

(21) By reference to FIGS. 3A, 5 and 6, around the axis of rotation 9, the body 7 and the flap 8 comprise an articulation system made up of sleeves and tabs, which form integral part of the body and the flap, placed alternately along the axis 9. The axis takes the form of a longitudinal rod 9A, visible only in FIG. 3B.

(22) The articulation sleeves and tabs are placed on the two respective longitudinal sides of the body and the flap, and the articulation rod 9A further goes through them.

(23) More particularly: the flap comprises a first and a second end sleeve 13 and 14 and a first and a second tab 15, 16 that are central and parallel; the body comprises two sleeves 17, 18 located so as to fill the gap between the first end sleeve 13 and the tab 15 on the one hand, and the second end sleeve 14 and the tab 16 on the other.

(24) A spiral spring 19 (FIG. 3A) is provided between the tabs 15 and 16, substantially at the center of the rod 9A and surrounding it, where the ends 19A and 19B are respectively supported on the body and the flap so as to create a return force that tends to open the anti-theft device to the open position (FIGS. 3A and 3B).

(25) Locking means are provided to make the flap 8 integral with the body 7 in a temporary manner. Said means comprise (FIG. 3B, 5 and 6): on the flap, a tab 20 orthogonal to the gripping surface 12 of the flap, the orthogonal side of which is turned outside the flap and has parallel indentations 21; on the body, a housing 22 between the body 7 and the grasping element 10; said housing 22 has a shape complementary to the tab 20 and has notches 23 on its side backed by element 10; a non-visible locking system housed in the element 10 and comprising a retaining piece, one of the sides of which has notches 23 and a part internal to the element 10 of which is made of magnetic material. The retaining part, the working of which is known in itself, can move and is associated with a spring arranged in the element 10.

(26) To make it easier to insert the tab 20 in the housing 22, the tab is slightly curved towards the inside of the device (FIG. 3B).

(27) Once the tab 20 is engaged in the housing 22, the notches 23 of the housing 22 are capable of cooperating with the indentations 21 of the tab 20, wherein the indentations 21 and the notches 23 have cut corners with opposing inclinations. The notches 23 and the indentations 21 are advantageously made of plastic, such as PVC.

(28) The magnetic material of the retaining piece housed in the element 10 makes it possible to unlock the flap 8 by separating the indented tab 20 from the notches 23. When a usual anti-theft device detachment tool (not shown) generally named a detacher and formed of a powerful magnet is applied against the element 10, particularly against the side known as the front 10A opposite the body 7 (FIG. 3), the mobile retaining piece is attracted to the detacher in the direction opposite the body 7. Its movement releases the coupling of the tab 20 with the notches 23 of the retaining piece, and under the effect of the internal spring associated with the retaining piece, the tab 20 is ejected out of the element 10, thus releasing the flap, which turns because of the return force of the spring 19 and ends in the fully open position shown in FIG. 3A.

(29) The closing tab 20 has a dimension (width) in the longitudinal direction of the flap that is significantly smaller than the length of the flap.

(30) The plurality of notches and indentations extending over the height of the tab (or length, dimension transverse to the longitudinal direction of the flap) makes it possible to adapt the degree of closing of the device and therefore the pressure applied to the object, thus not damaging the object.

(31) The gripping surfaces 11 and 12 of the flap and the body respectively comprise raised or protruding means in elastically deformable material.

(32) Said means are, in the example described, made of alternating ribs 24 for the body 7 and 24 for the flap, parallel to each other and transversal to the longitudinal direction of the body and the flap on the one hand, and grooves or furrows 25 for the body 7 and 25 for the flap that are parallel to each other and the ribs, on the other hand.

(33) Further, said means are made up of a solid block (preferred embodiment) or individual elements in elastically deformable material, such as elastomer, or silicone for example.

(34) The ribs and grooves form the gripping surfaces 11 and 12.

(35) The ribs and grooves preferably have a triangular section. Two ribs are separated by a groove with an obtuse angle, particularly of about 120.

(36) As non-limitative examples of values: The height distance between the bottom of a groove from the tip or the distal end of a rib is approximately 1.5 mm; The height or thickness of the gripping surface in elastic plastic is approximately 3 mm; The distance between two distal ends of ribs is approximately 4 to 5 mm; The length of the gripping surface is approximately 5 cm; The width of the surface (direction transversal to the length in the same plane) is approximately 1 to 2 cm.

(37) Said raised means of the gripping surfaces are preferably made of a block of material added and fastened to the body and/or flap respectively.

(38) More particularly and as an example: a parallelepiped block 26 is fixed to the body 7, one side of which block makes up the gripping surface 11; the block 26 is preferably fastened firmly but in a removable manner, for example by clipping on; the flap 8 is surrounded by a parallelepiped hollow sleeve 27, one side of which makes up the gripping surface 12.

(39) The fastening of the elastic plastic material that makes up the gripping surface or surfaces may be removable, or fully integral, for example by gluing, heat-welding or over molding.

(40) FIGS. 7A and 7B show side views of the steps of attaching the anti-theft device 1 on an eyeglass temple 4 (which temple is represented in a section for convenience).

(41) Advantageously, the user only needs one hand to manipulate it and close it around the object, which is held in the other hand.

(42) The user grasps the anti-theft device 1 by the grasping element 10 in one hand, particularly by placing their thumb against the front 10A of the element 10 and putting their index finger against and along the open flap 8, on the external side of the flap, opposite the gripping surface.

(43) With their other hand, they bring the object to grip (the eyeglass temple 4) against the surface 11 of the body 7, turn the flap 8 towards the body 7 by pressing their index finger, and make the closing tab 20 enter into the complementary receiving housing 22. The notches of the housing 23 and the notches 21 of the tab 20 respectively cooperate in this position.

(44) The arrangement obtained is shown in FIG. 7A.

(45) The last step (FIG. 7B) consists in pressing the flap 8 by bringing it closer to the body 7, for further cooperation of the respective notches 21, 23, until the respective gripping surfaces 11 and 12 press the eyeglass temple 4.

(46) The arrangement obtained is shown in FIG. 7B,

(47) The elastic deformation of the raised and deformable means provided on the gripping surfaces leads to increased pressure on the eyeglass temple 4 regardless of its diameter.

(48) Of course, a space between the two gripping surfaces 11 and 12 can be seen on each side of the object when it has a diameter or thickness of several millimeters; however, through the deformation of the protruding means, these means remain in close contact and by the pressure applied, it is impossible to remove the object through one of the ends of the anti-theft device, particularly by pulling it.

(49) The anti-theft device is adapted for all types of diameter and thickness of the elongated object to enclose. To that end, the width of the gripping surfaces 11 and 12 is appropriate and the wing height 81 for the flap is appropriate, particularly sufficiently high.

(50) For objects that are very fine, particularly approximately a millimeter or less, when the flap is closed on the body (FIG. 8), there is no space or virtually no space between the gripping surfaces 11 and 12, and the ribs 24, 24 and grooves 25, 25 are placed complementarily between the body and the flap. That alternative is more particularly intended for fine items 4 of the type jewelry items, particularly neck chains or bracelets, or fine metal eyeglass temples.

(51) The device according to the invention can thus be attached to all types of to elongated objects, firmly and securely, with no risk of damaging the object, while offering very effective resistance to pulling that could be applied to the object longitudinally to the body of the device.

(52) Further, associating/attaching this device does not require any tightening tool. With a single hand, the operator makes the attachment device grip the object.

(53) The attachment device of the invention can be used as an anti-theft device and/or a device carrying information by electronic reading/writing of the type comprising an RFID electronic tab.