Monitor actuating device and reusable fastener therefor

A reusable, selectively releasable, tamper-resistant fastener for attachment to the end of a shaft, said fastener comprising:

• a generally hollow body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion defining a bore opening to the bottom surface of said lower portion for the receipt of the shaft, said lower portion including a generally tubular member at least partially defining the bore adjacent the opening thereto axially movable relative to the upper portion, said tubular member having an outer cam surface tapered radially inwardly and towards the opening to the bore, radially inwardly directed force on said cam surface being effective to resiliently move said member towards said upper portion;
• and
• a resilient one-piece spring steel clip mounted within said body, said clip having a base axially fixed and freely rotatable relative to said upper portion and a generally dome shaped portion having a generally concave inner surface arranged concave surface towards the opening to the bore, said dome shaped portion having an aperture therein generally coaxial with said bore and having a cross section having at least one dimension smaller than the cross section of the shaft, a plurality of generally radially extending slits in said dome shaped portion intersecting said aperture and dividing said dome shaped portion into a plurality of spring fingers adjacent said aperture, said fingers being resiliently radially outwardly deformable upon the application of an axial force to said concave surface to enlarge said aperture, said axially movable tubular member being selectively engageable with said concave surface upon resilient movement of said member towards said upper portion to radially outwardly resiliently deform said spring fingers.

A monitor actuating device attachment assembly comprising:

• a monitor actuating device,
• a pin member attachable to the monitor actuating device having a shaft for piercing a monitored article;
• and
• a reusable, releasable, tamper-resistant fastener for selective attachment to the free end of the shaft of the pin member to capture the monitored article on the pin member shaft, said fastener comprising:
• a body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion defining a bore opening to the exterior surface of the lower portion for receipt of the shaft, said lower portion including a member being axially movable relative to the upper portion and having an outer cam surface tapered radially inwardly and away from the upper portion, radially inwardly directed force on said cam surface being effective to resiliently move said axially movable member towards said upper portion;
• and
• a resilient spring steel clip mounted within said body, said clip having a base axially fixed and freely rotatable relative to the upper portion and a generally dome shaped portion defining a generally concave inner surface and a generally convex outer surface arranged concave surface towards the opening to the bore, said dome shaped portion having an aperture therein generally coaxial with said bore and having a cross section having a least one dimension smaller than the cross section of the shaft, a plurality of generally radially extending slits in said dome shaped portion intersecting said aperture and dividing said dome shaped portion into a plurality of spring fingers adjacent said aperture, said fingers being resiliently radially outwardly deformable upon the application of an axial force to said concave surface to enlarge said aperture, said axially movable member being engageable with said concave surface to resiliently radially outwardly deform said spring fingers when said member is resiliently moved towards said upper portion.

A monitor actuating device attachment assembly comprising:

• a pin member having a headed portion and a shaft, the free end of the shaft portion being pointed for piercing a monitored article,
• a monitor actuating device comprising a shell encapsulating a monitor actuating means, said shell having a passage therethrough sized to receive said shaft, and
• a reusable fastener for selective attachment to the free end of the shaft to capture said monitor actuating device and said monitored article on said shaft inbetween said headed portion and said fastener, said fastener comprising:
• a generally hollow body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion defining a bore opening to the bottom of said lower portion for receipt of the shaft, said lower portion including a generally tubular member at least partially defining the bore adjacent the opening thereto axially movable relative to the upper portion, said tubular member having an outer cam surface tapered radially inwardly and towards the opening to the bore, radially inwardly directed force on said cam surface being effective to move said member towards said upper portion, the bottom of said lower portion of said body including a generally flat surface generally normal to the axis of said bore, a portion of said tubular member extending axially downwardly from said lower portion bottom surface of said cam surface located on that part of the tubular member extending downwardly from said lower portion bottom surface;
• and
• a resilient one-piece spring steel clip mounted within said body, said clip having a base axially fixed and freely rotatable relative to said upper portion and a generally dome shaped portion defining a generally concave inner surface and a generally convex outer surface arranged concave surface towards the opening to the bore, said dome shaped portion having an aperture therein generally coaxial with said bore and having a cross section having at least one dimension smaller than the cross section of the shaft, a plurality of generally radially extending slits in said dome shaped portion intersecting said aperture and dividing said dome shaped portion into a plurality of spring fingers adjacent said aperture, said fingers being resiliently radially outwardly deformable upon the application of an axial force to said concave surface to enlarge said aperture, said base being generally annular in cross section and the axis of rotation thereof being substantially coaxial with the axis of the bore and of said aperture, said axially movable tubular member being engageable with said concave surface to urge said fingers resiliently radially outwardly when said tubular member is moved axially upwardly toward said upper portion.

A monitoring system for detecting the unauthorized movement of an article out of a predetermined area, said system comprising:

• a monitor actuating device which will actuate a monitor if moved beyond the boundries of the predetermined area;
• a pin member attachable to the monitor actuating device having a shaft for piercing a monitored article;
• a reusable fastener for selective attachment to the free end of the shaft to capture the monitored article on the shaft;
• and
• a specialized tool mounted at a point within the predetermined area, said fastener designed for release from said shaft only upon the use of said tool;
• said fastener comprising:
• a generally hollow body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion defining a bore opening to the bottom of said lower portion for receipt of the shaft, said lower portion including a generally tubular member at least partially defining the bore adjacent the opening thereto, said tubular member being axially movable relative to the upper portion, said tubular member having an outer cam surface tapered radially inwardly and towards the opening to the bore, radially inwardly directed force on said cam surface being effective to move said member towards said upper portion, the bottom of said lower portion including a generally flat bottom surface extending generally normally to the axis of the bore, a portion of said tubular member extending axially downwardly from said generally flat bottom surface, said cam surface being located on that portion of the tubular member extending downwardly from said generally flat bottom surface;
• and
• a resilient one-piece spring steel clip mounted within said body, said clip having a base axially fixed and freely rotatable relative to said upper portion and a generally dome shaped portion defining a generally concave inner surface and a generally convex outer surface arranged concave surface towards the opening to the bore, said dome shaped portion having an aperture therein generally coaxial with said bore and having a cross section having at least one dimension smaller than the cross section of the shaft, a plurality of generally radially extending slits in said dome shaped portion intersecting said aperture and dividing said dome shaped portion into a plurality of spring fingers adjacent said aperture, said fingers being resiliently radially outwardly deformable upon the application of an axial force to said concave surface to enlarge said aperture, said base being generally annular in cross section and the axis of rotation thereof being substantially coaxial with the axis of the bore, said aperture being generally coaxial with the axis of rotation of said base, said axially movable tubular member being engageable with said concave surface to urge said spring fingers resiliently radially outwardly when said tubular member is moved axially towards said dome shaped portion,
• said tool comprising a first member engageable with the top of said upper portion to prevent axial movement thereof and a pair of jaws selectively movable towards one another for selectively applying a radially inwardly directed force on said cam surface.

A reusable fastener for attachment to the end of a shaft, said fastener comprising:

• a generally hollow body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion defining a bore opening to the bottom surface of said lower portion for receipt of the shaft, said lower portion including a generally tubular member at least partially defining the bore adjacent the opening thereto axially movable relative to the upper portion, said tubular member having an outer cam surface tapered radially inwardly and towards the opening to the bore, radially inwardly directed force on said cam surface being effective to move said member towards said upper portion, said lower portion of said body including a generlly flat bottom surface generally normal to the axis of the bore, a portion of said tubular member extending axially downwardly from said bottom surface, said cam surface being located on that portion of the tubular member extending axially downward from said bottom surface;
• and
• a resilient one-piece spring steel clip mounted within said body, said clip having a base axially fixed and freely rotatable relative to said upper portion and a generally dome shaped portion having a generally concave inner surface arranged concave surface towards the opening to the bore, said dome shaped portion having an aperture therein generally coaxial with said bore and having a cross section having at least one dimension smaller than the cross section of the shaft, a plurality of generally radially extending slits in said dome shaped portion intersecting said aperture and dividing said dome shaped portion into a plurality of spring fingers adjacent said aperture, said fingers being resiliently radially outwardly deformable upon the application of an axial force to said concave surface to enlarge said aperture, said axially movable tubular member being selectively engageable with said concave surface to radially outwardly resiliently deform said spring fingers.