Electronic article surveillance (EAS) assembly installable in product processing workstation, and method of installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9947193-B2
Application number	US-201615132391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 19, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An electronic article surveillance (EAS) assembly is installable in a workstation that processes products associated with targets to be electro-optically read. The assembly includes a radio frequency (RF) antenna having a pair of RF feed lines and a conductive loop for generating an electromagnetic field to deactivate EAS tags associated with the products to be processed, and a protective carrier for supporting and protecting the antenna during the installation in a predetermined position in the workstation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic article surveillance (EAS) assembly for installation in a workstation for processing products associated with targets to be electro-optically read, the assembly comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) antenna having a pair of RF feed lines and a conductive loop for generating an electromagnetic field to deactivate EAS tags associated with the products to be processed; and
a protective carrier for supporting and protecting the antenna during the installation in a predetermined position in the workstation, the carrier having a hinge about which the carrier and the supported antenna are foldable.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the carrier has a pair of guides of complementary contour to the feed lines for supporting the feed lines, and a guard of complementary contour to the loop for supporting the loop.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the feed lines and the loop are constituted of a one-piece, flexible conductor; and wherein the carrier is constituted of an inflexible material and has a groove in which the flexible conductor is received and held.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the carrier has legs for mounting the carrier and the supported antenna in the predetermined position in the workstation by snap action.

5. A workstation for processing products associated with targets to be electro-optically read, and for deactivating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags associated with the products, the workstation comprising:
a housing for supporting a light-transmissive window through which the targets are electro-optically read; and
an EAS assembly installable in a predetermined position in the housing, the EAS assembly including a radio frequency (RF) antenna having a pair of feed lines and a conductive loop for generating an electromagnetic field to deactivate the EAS tags, and a protective carrier for supporting and protecting the antenna during installation of the EAS assembly in the predetermined position in which the loop surrounds the window
wherein the carrier has a hinge about which the carrier and the supported antenna are foldable.

6. The workstation of claim 5 , wherein the carrier has a pair of guides of complementary contour to the feed lines for supporting the feed lines, and a guard of complementary contour to the loop for supporting the loop; and wherein the loop and the guard surround the window in the predetermined position, and wherein the feed lines and the guides extend outwardly of the housing in the predetermined position.

7. The workstation of claim 5 , wherein the feed lines and the loop are constituted of a one-piece, flexible conductor; and wherein the carrier is constituted of an inflexible material and has a groove in which the flexible conductor is received and held.

8. The workstation of claim 5 , wherein the carrier has legs for mounting the carrier and the supported antenna in the predetermined position in the housing by snap action.

9. The workstation of claim 6 , and a scale for weighing the products, and wherein the loop and the guard surround the scale in the predetermined position.

10. The workstation of claim 6 , wherein the housing has a horizontal bed for supporting the window, and an upright raised tower for supporting another window, and wherein the loop and the guard surround both windows in the predetermined position.

11. A method of installing an electronic article surveillance (EAS) assembly in a workstation for processing products associated with targets to be electro-optically read, the method comprising:
configuring a radio frequency (RF) antenna with a pair of RF feed lines and a conductive loop for generating an electromagnetic field to deactivate EAS tags associated with the products to be processed;
supporting and protecting the antenna with a protective carrier to constitute the EAS assembly;
folding the carrier and the supported antenna about a hinge; and
installing the EAS assembly in a predetermined position in the workstation.

12. The method of claim 11 , and configuring the carrier with a pair of guides of complementary contour to the feed lines for supporting the feed lines, and with a guard of complementary contour to the loop for supporting the loop.

13. The method of claim 11 , and constituting the feed lines and the loop of a one-piece, flexible conductor; and constituting the carrier of an inflexible material; and receiving and holding the flexible conductor in a groove of the carrier.

14. The method of claim 11 , and mounting the EAS assembly in the predetermined position in the housing by snap action.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the processing of the products is performed by electro-optically reading the targets through a light-transmissive window on the workstation, and wherein the installing is performed by surrounding the window with the loop and the guard in the predetermined position.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the processing of the products is performed by weighing the products with a scale in the workstation, and wherein the installing is performed by surrounding the scale with the loop and the guard in the predetermined position.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the processing of the products is performed by electro-optically reading the targets through at least one of a pair of light-transmissive windows on the workstation, and wherein the installing is performed by surrounding the windows with the loop and the guard in the predetermined position.

Assignees

• Symbol Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Barkan Edward D
• Drzymala Mark E

Classifications

• G08B13/244

  Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G08B13/246

  Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag (anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003) · CPC title

• G07G1/0054 Primary

  with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles · CPC title

• G07G3/003

  Anti-theft control (theft alarms G08B13/00) · CPC title

• G08B13/2434 Primary

  Tag housing and attachment details · CPC title