Magnetic Decoupler

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a decoupler for releasing an antitheft device from a product to which the antitheft device is attached. The decoupler comprises a core, an annular magnet assembly, a nonmagnetic plate, and a permanently magnetic ring. The core comprises a permanently magnetic first core portion and a soft magnetic second core portion coaxial with the first core portion. The annular magnet assembly comprises a plurality of permanently magnetic segments collectively surrounding outer peripheries of the first and second core portions. The nonmagnetic plate abuts coplanar surfaces of the magnet assembly segments and the second core portion. The permanently magnetic ring abuts the nonmagnetic plate opposite the magnet assembly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.