Electronic article surveillance tag having an expulsion detrimental substance system with substance routing system

Abstract

An EAS/EXPULSION DETRIMENTAL SUBTANCE tag in which the tag is held to an article by an attaching assembly, a part of which may be releasably prevented from being withdrawn from the body of the tag. The tag body may be provided with an arcuate channel through which an arcuate detacher probe can be guided for releasing the attaching assembly part. A spring clamp may provide the releasable preventing function and may include jaws specifically adapted to respond to in-plane torsional and/or other forces provided by the arcuate probe, which may be moved through the arcuate channel by rotation to reach the spring clamp. An abutment may be placed within the arcuate channel to prevent a relatively rigid wire formed into an arcuate shape from being used to release the attaching assembly part. The Benefit Denial (Ink portion) of this tag may feature an ink vial that may be disposed inside of a rubber bladder, which may then be placed in a completely sealed, ultrasonically welded compartment. In one embodiment, when the tag and its ink vial are attacked, the tag will expel the detrimental substance out and onto the article being protected. In another embodiment, when the tag is attacked, the detrimental substance may be forced out of the bladder and then into a channel and then out a hole in the rampart area and may stain the article that is being protected.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.