US4684930A — Method and apparatus for deactivating targets use…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 109 words

Apparatus for deactivating an electromagnetic article surveillance system target of the type comprising an elongated strip of magnetically soft, easily saturable magnetic material and an adjacent elongated strip of high coercivity, magnetically hard material, said apparatus comprising a solid element having a convexly curved outer surface and incorporating therein a plurality of permanent magnets arranged to produce in a plane adjacent said surface a pattern of variously directed magnetic fields such that along at least one given line in that plane, the magnetic fields are discontinuous, said curved outer surface of said solid element being rollable along a second surface and over a target affixed to said second surface.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 109 words

Apparatus for deactivating an electromagnetic article surveillance system target of the type comprising an elongated strip of magnetically soft, easily saturable magnetic material and an adjacent elongated strip of high coercivity, magnetically hard material, said apparatus comprising a solid element having a convexly curved outer surface and incorporating therein a plurality of permanent magnets arranged to produce in a plane adjacent said surface a pattern of variously directed magnetic fields such that along at least one given line in that plane, the magnetic fields are discontinuous, said curved outer surface of said solid element being rollable along a second surface and over a target affixed to said second surface.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 12 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said solid element is a cylinder.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 18 words

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said cylinder is mounted on a support to be freely rotatable thereon.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said support comprises a handle with a hand grip.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said support comprises a counter top having flat upper surface and a recess formed therein and brackets attached to the countertop and supporting said cylinder for free rotation in said recess.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said brackets are arranged such that the axis of rotation of said cylinder is below the upper surface of the counter top and the surface of said cylinder extends up through said recess.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 30 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of permanent magnets includes adjacent elongated magnets arranged to form parallel lines of alternate north and south poles along said curved surface.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of magnets comprises first and second adjacent layers of adjacent elongated permanent magnets polarized transversely to their length, and forming parallel lines of alternate north and south poles, the magnets of one layer extending in a different direction than the magnets of the other layer.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the magnets of one layer extend transversely to the magnets of the other layer.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the magnets of the layer farthest from said convexly curved outer surface are more strongly magnetized than the magnets of the other layer.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 136 words

A method for deactivating an electromagnetic article surveillance system target of the type comprising an elongated strip of magnetically soft, easily saturable magnetic material and an adjacent elongated strip of high coercivity, magnetically hard material, said method comprising the steps of positioning, on a surface which contains a target, a solid element having a convexly curved outer surface and incorporating therein a plurality of permanent magnets arranged to produce, in a plane adjacent said curved outer surface, a pattern of variously directed magnetic fields such that along at least one given line in that plane the magnetic fields are discontinuous, and rolling said element along its said convexly curved outer surface and over the first mentioned surface in a manner such that said curved surface comes into contract with and thereafter moves away from said target.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 136 words

A method for deactivating an electromagnetic article surveillance system target of the type comprising an elongated strip of magnetically soft, easily saturable magnetic material and an adjacent elongated strip of high coercivity, magnetically hard material, said method comprising the steps of positioning, on a surface which contains a target, a solid element having a convexly curved outer surface and incorporating therein a plurality of permanent magnets arranged to produce, in a plane adjacent said curved outer surface, a pattern of variously directed magnetic fields such that along at least one given line in that plane the magnetic fields are discontinuous, and rolling said element along its said convexly curved outer surface and over the first mentioned surface in a manner such that said curved surface comes into contract with and thereafter moves away from said target.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 72 words

A method according to claims 11 wherein said solid element is a cylinder mounted for free axial rotation about a support and wherein said rolling is carried out by placing said cylinder on the surface which contains the target and then moving the support in a direction parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder to cause said cylinder to roll along said surface and over said target.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 100 words

A method according to claim 11 wherein said solid element is a cylinder mounted for free axial rotation about a support and wherein said rolling is carried to by maintaining said support in a fixed position, placing said surface which contains the target against the surface of the cylinder and moving said surface which contains the target in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder while holding the surface which contains the target against the surface of the cylinder to cause the cylinder to turn and roll along the surface which contains the target and over the target.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 71 words

A target deactivator for deactivating an electromagnetic article surveillance system target used of the type comprising a thin elongated strip of magnetically soft, easily saturated magnetic material and an adjacent elongated strip of high coercivity, magnetically hard low material, said target deactivator comprising a plurality of permanent magnets arranged so as to form in a continuous plane a pattern of magnetic fields which are discontinuous in every direction along said plane.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 71 words

A target deactivator for deactivating an electromagnetic article surveillance system target used of the type comprising a thin elongated strip of magnetically soft, easily saturated magnetic material and an adjacent elongated strip of high coercivity, magnetically hard low material, said target deactivator comprising a plurality of permanent magnets arranged so as to form in a continuous plane a pattern of magnetic fields which are discontinuous in every direction along said plane.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 76 words

Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said permanent magnets comprise two groups of elongated magnets magnetized transversely to their length and arranged alongside each other to form parallel lines of alternate polarity, the magnets of each group forming a layer and the layers formed of the two groups being adjacent to each other and adjacent to said continuous plane, the magnets in one group extending in a different direction than the magnets in the other group.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 27 words

Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the magnets of the group farthest from said continuous plane are magnetized more strongly than the magnets of the other group.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-08-03	1991-02-02	1991-08-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-08-03	1995-02-02	1995-08-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-08-03	1999-02-02	1999-08-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for deactivating targets used in electromagnetic type article surveillance systems

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