Anti-theft Needle with Retractable Cages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-theft devices for securing items like clothing and accessories are invasive, prone to accidental release under impact, limited in versatility for different article types, and can be difficult to fit or remove without risking injury.
Innovation Solution
An anti-theft device comprising two articulated parts with a hinge, a movable needle, and a housing with locking mechanisms that allow the needle to retract and extend, featuring nested cages and a shock absorber to prevent accidental release, along with optional features like a marking substance or transparent zones for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a needle is used to pass through the article to be protected, then the locking function is improved, but the risk of injury to the user during fitting or removal increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is nested within a protective cage structure that allows the needle to extend only when needed for locking, and retract when not in use to prevent injury. The cage contains the needle in a retracted position during normal handling, eliminating the harmful exposed needle tip while maintaining locking capability when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cage acts as a cushioning structure that prevents direct contact between the user and the sharp needle tip. The cage absorbs potential harm by providing a physical barrier before injury can occur, allowing safe handling during fitting and removal operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle is made flush with the surface in the open position, then safety is improved, but the ability to engage and lock the device properly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is designed to be dynamic rather than static, capable of extending from a flush retracted position to an engaged locking position. The cage structure allows controlled movement of the needle between these states, providing safety when retracted and reliable locking when extended into the locking aperture.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is preliminarily positioned in a retracted flush state for safe handling, then deliberately extended into the locking position only when the locking operation is required. This preliminary safe state prevents accidental injury while maintaining the capability for proper engagement when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the locking means is simplified for easy operation, then ease of operation is improved, but the vulnerability to accidental release under impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism uses nested structures where the needle extends into a housing with locking features. The cage nested around the needle provides additional containment and protection against accidental disengagement, while the unlocking device can still access and operate the needle through the nested structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cage and housing structure provide beforehand cushioning and protection to the locking mechanism against impact forces. The nested construction absorbs and distributes impact energy, preventing accidental release while maintaining simple operation through the unlocking device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides a secure, versatile, and safe solution for various item types, preventing unauthorized removal while minimizing risk of injury during fitting or removal and enhancing protection against sudden impacts.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (25) resting on the bottom of the receptacle (5)... These balls block the movement of the needle (4) by the wedging effect resulting from the radial component of the action of the balls (22, 23) on the inner wall of the tapered housing (21)
Implementation Method 2
a magnet (38) arranged in the button (37)... a magnetic field (39) arranged in the body (1) interacting with the magnet (38) so as to hold the button (37) in a pressed position
Implementation Method 3
sudden impact on the device... a shock absorber to prevent accidental release
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention concerns an anti-theft device intended to be attached to an item sold over-the-counter, formed from two portions (1, 2), one of which comprises a means for remote interaction with a terminal for detecting when it is passed by such a device, said portions (1, 2) being articulated by a hinge (3) in order to allow travel between a protected position in which it interacts with a portion of the item to be protected in order to prevent the anti-theft device from being separated from the item, and a released position in which it can be removed from the item, one of the portions (1) having, at the end opposite said movable hinge (3), a needle (4) that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the median plane of the device, the other portion (2) comprising a housing (5) for receiving said needle (4), the housing (5) comprising locking means configured to allow said needle (4) to be released using an opener, characterised in that said first portion (1) has three retractable cages (12, 13, 14) that allow said needle (4) to move between a retracted position in which the tip of said needle (4) does not extend beyond the inner surface of the first portion, and a protruding position in which said needle (4) is engaged in the additional housing (5) when the device is in the closed position.