The present invention refers to an adjustable anti- theft device, particularly aimed to protect against thefts products contained inside bulky boxes or packages.

Anti-theft containers are known in the art, usually made of transparent polycarbonate, adapted to prevent the theft of compact-^discs , musicassettes , videocassettes , DVD, books or the like placed therein during their exhibition for sale. Such containers however have a fixed and reduced internal volume, and therefore are ill suited for protecting products contained inside big-sized packages, such as for example shoes, household appliances, etc., and are relatively scarcely standardised.

In order to solve the above problems, anti-theft devices are also known in the art eguipped with a safety coil, or. an adjusting and locking body, connected through a plurality of cables with adjustable length to an abutment plate, such cables being adapted to surround all sides of a box containing the product to be protected during its exhibition for sale, and that can be opened only by using a suitable and dedicated detaching device, generally of a magnetic type, or an uncoupling device available for the service personnel. Such devices can further be protected with safety systems that prevent their tampering, or warn about the breakage of cables or with adhesive labels of the radiofrequency (RF) , electromagnetic (EM) or acoustic-magnetic (AM) types, or their combinations cooperating with anti-theft detecting barriers. Examples of such known devices can be found in US 3,611,760, US 4,418,551, US 4,756,171, US 4,896,517, US 4,930,324, US 5,156,028, US 5,794,464, US 6,092,401, EP 0 862 677, WO 2006/040693 and US 2006/0169008.

Moreover, document WO-A-2008/143713 discloses a device equipped with a system for the automatic rewinding of cables.

These known devices however have still some inconveniences: the locking and adjusting devices contained in the adjusting and locking body are of a complicated (and therefore costly) arrangement or do not guarantee ah efficient holding; and there is the chance that cables get broken inside the device, and in particular inside the abutment plate, due to an excessive wear against the component parts.

Moreover, in known devices, each cable has both its ends fixed to the safety coil in such a way as to form a ring and a central portion thereof passing by the abutment plate: in such arrangement, the cables are made pass inside the plate in a substantially and mutually parallel way; this arrangement has the disadvantage of making the breakage or cutting of the plate potentially possible without incurring in cutting the cables, that can therefore be moved to remove the package protected by the device without any intervention from possible alarm systems.

Therefore, object of the present invention is providing an adjustable anti-theft device in which the locking and adjusting devices contained in the adjusting and locking body are of a reduced number, and with a simple, but very efficient arrangement, reducing assembling costs and the final product price.

Another obj ect of the present invention is providing an adjustable anti-theft device in which the protecting cables are arranged in such a way as to prevent, or at least strongly reduce, the chance of breakage due to wear.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an adjustable anti-theft device in which the safety systems or the adhesive labels of the radiofrequency (RF) , electromagnetic (EM) or acoustic- magnetic (AM) types are placed in such a way as not to be reached from, outside when the device is placed as protection of a product.

Another object of the present invention is providing an adjustable anti-theft device in which the protecting cables are mutually crossing at abutment plate level, making it impossible to remove the protected product even if the plate is cut or broken.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are reached with an anti-theft device as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part -of the present disclosure.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to the described device without departing from the scope of the invention, as appears from the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non- limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment - of the anti-theft device according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the anti-theft device of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the adjusting and locking body of the anti-theft device of Figure 1, in its closed position;

- Figure 4 shows a sectional view of the adjusting and locking body of the anti-theft device of

Figure 1, in its open position;

- Figure 5 shows, a sectional view of the adjusting and locking body of the anti-theft device, of Figure 1, in a closed position seen from a different position with respect to Figure 3, with its opening springs in a thrust position;

- Figure 6 shows a sectional view of the adjusting and locking body of the anti-theft device of Figure 1, in a closed position seen from a different position with respect to Figure 3, with its opening springs in a pressed position;

- Figure 7 shows a perspective view of some components of the adjusting and locking body in an assembling step;

- Figure 8 shows a perspective view of other components of the adjusting and locking body in a further assembling step;

- Figure 9 shows a perspective view of some components of the adjusting and locking body in the step of assembling the alarm printed circuit;

- Figure 10 shows an exploded perspective view of the abutment plate of the inventive anti-theft device 1, that better shows its interior;

- Figure 11 shows a top view of the interior of the abutment plate of Figure 10 with the details of the cable crossings;

- Figures 12 and 13 show detailed perspective views . of the locking device of the adjusting and locking body in its two locking and unlocking steps of the inventive adjusting body;

- Figures 14 to 16 show detailed perspective views of the locking device of the adjusting and locking body in some of its operating steps;

- Figure 17 shows a bottom perspective view of two components of the inventive adjusting and locking body; and

- Figure 18 shows a top perspective view of another component of the inventive adjusting and locking body .

With reference to the Figures, the anti-theft device 1 is composed of an adjusting and locking body 3 and of an abutment plate 5, in which the adjusting and locking body 3 and the abutment plate 5 are mutually connected through at least two protecting cables 2, and are mutually approached and moved away by means of a unwinding or a winding of the cables 2 from or onto at least one winding coil 6 rotaing inside the adjusting and locking body 3. Each one of the cables 2 has both its ends fastened to the winding coil 6 and a central portion thereof passing inside the abutment plate 5.

The adjusting and locking body 3 is further equipped with means for locking and unlocking the rotation of the coil 6, that are adapted to allow the free rotation of the coil 6 in both directions when they are in the unlocking position, and are adapted to allow the rotation of the coil 6 only along the tightening direction of the cables 2 around an object (not shown) to be protected when they are in the locking position.

Innovatively, such locking and unlocking means are composed of:

- at least one elongated nail-shaped element.40;

- at least one dome-shaped element 41 substantially shaped as an inverted "U";

- at least one thrusting element 42 contained inside the dome-shaped element 41; at least one container 43 shaped as a "V", inserted in the open part of and operatively coupled with the dome-shaped element 41, the container 43 containing a plurality of balls 44, adapted to receive therein the nail-shaped element 40 in a first position of free sliding of the nail-shaped element 40 not in holding contact with the balls 44 when the balls 44 are in the wide part of the "V" of the container 43; and in a second locking position of the nail-shaped element 40 in unmovable holding contact with the balls 4 when the balls 44 are in the narrow part of the "V" of the container 43;

at least one holding element 46, in engagement with the dome-shaped element 41 and the container 43, adapted to keep the container 43 inside the dome-shaped element 41 and the body 3;

first elastic means 48 (commonly made with at least one spring, as shown) adapted to push the thrusting element 42 (contained inside the container 43), and consequently the balls 44, towards the narrow part of the "V" of the container 43 for locking the nail-shaped element 40; and

second elastic means 50 (commonly made with at least one spring, as shown) adapted to push the holding element 46 away from the nail-shaped element 40 when unlocking the body 3.

In order to contain the locking and unlocking means as described above, an innovative arrangement of the adjusting and ' locking body 3 is also provided, that is substantially composed of:

- an upper half-shell 3a equipped with at least two (and preferably four, as shown) thrusting elements 4 for rotating the upper half-^shell 3a in order to loosen or tighten the protecting cables 2 onto the object to be protected; the upper half-shell 3a is further equipped with the container 43, the holding element 46, the first elastic means 48 and the second elastic means 50; and

— a lower half-shell 3b equipped with the nail- shaped element 40 and inside which the following are arranged, from outside to inside with respect to its centre: an annular element 12 equipped with a toothed crown 13; the winding coil 6; an element 14 placed on the winding coil 6 (and preferably made in a single piece with the coil 6) and equipped with means 15 (commonly made as a wall arranged on half of the circumference of the element 14, as shown) for engaging the upper half-shell 3a to allow the simultaneous rotation of the winding coil 6 inside the lower half-shell 3b.

In order to allow the operation of the inventive anti-theft device 1, the upper half-shell 3a is equipped with at least one toothed element 20 integral with and adapted to engage the toothed crown 13 and to allow the rotation of the upper half-shell 3a with respect to the lower half-shell 3b only along one direction (given by the configuration as inclined plane of the tooth of the toothed crown 13, that allow the movement along one direction and prevent it along the opposite direction) , in order to tighten the cables 2 against . the object to be protected, when the locking and unlocking means are in their locking phase.

As shown, the lower half-shell 3b is further equipped with third elastic means 30 (commonly made with at least four springs, as shown) adapted to take the toothed crown 13 of the annular element 12 in engagement against the toothed element 20 at the end of the rotation of the upper half-shell 3a with respect to the lower half-shell 3b, and adapted to move away the upper half- shell 3a from the lower half-shell 3b when opening the device 1. For better clarity, reference number 32 in the Figures designates the cables 2 wound onto the coil 6.

Still more, the upper half-shell 3a can be equipped with an annular projection 60 adapted to engage a corresponding annular projection 62 of the lower half- shell 3b when ^' unlocking the body 3 in order to make the maximum opening end-of-stroke for the body 3 itself.

Moreover, the anti-theft device 1 according to the present invention can be equipped with an alarm detecting system, for example made as at least one detecting adhesive label of the radiofrequency (RF) , electromagnetic (EM) or acoustic-magnetic (AM) type or their combinations.

Still more, the anti-theft device 1 can be equipped with at least one electronic card 16 equipped with a sound alarm, possibly cooperating with the current detecting system.

Advantageously, the alarm detecting system and/or the electronic card 16 with sound alarm are arranged (by fastening them with suitable screws 64 like in the example of Figure 9) in a suitable housing obtained in the element 14 of the coil 6, whose single access is possible through the lower face of the lower half-shell 3b. Taking into account that the lower face of the lower half-shell 3b is strictly in contact with the package of the product to be protected, when the anti-theft device 1 is applied to the package itself, it is immediately clear that the alarm detecting system and/or the electronic card 16 with sound alarm cannot be tampered with, (for example by applying foams) without tampering with the package or the protecting cables 2, consequently making the alarm turn on.

Alternatively, it is possible to provide (not shown) that the alarm detecting system and/or the electronic card with sound alarm are arranged inside the abutment plate 5.

With reference in particular to Figures 10 and 11, it is possible to note that a preferred embodiment, of the abutment plate 5 is composed of at least two small plates 5a, 5b substantially equal one to the other, each small plate 5a, 5b being equipped with passage guides 29a, 29b of the central portions of the protecting cables 2. Advantageously, to prevent the overlapping and the possible rubbing between the cables 2 that could bring about their quick wear and tear, consequently impairing the characteristics of optimum operation of the device 1, each passage guide 29a, 29b has a curvilinear shape and is radially arranged with respect to the small plate 5a, 5b with a substantially helical behaviour.

Each passage guide 29a, 29b is equipped with an opening 31a towards outside through which the related protecting cable 2 is inserted. In particular, each opening 31a can have a semicircular shape corresponding to a similar semicircular opening 31b of the overlapped small plate 5b, the coupling of each pair of semicircular openings 31a, 31b forming a circular opening for passing a protecting cable 2. The abutment plate 5 is then formed by overlapping and joining, for example by engagement or gluing, the two small plates 5a, 5b mutually offset by an angle of 90°. In this way, the offset overlapping of the passage guides 29a, 29b of the respective small plates 5a, 5b substantially assumes the shape of a "χ" that allows, inside the abutment plate 5, mutually crossing the central portions of the protecting cables 2, thereby making it impossible to remove the product protected by the device 1 also in case of cutting or breaking the plate 5.

A further feature, not shown, of the device 1 of the present invention is that the electronic card 16 comprises a further control unit 17 adapted to receive an univocal identifying code of the detaching device (not shown) upon opening the device 1: if such identifying code corresponds to the one stored on the electronic card 16, the operation of opening the device 1 occurs without problems. Otherwise, if the identifying code sent by the detaching device does not correspond to the one stored on the electronic card 16, or if one attempts to use an unauthorised or not compatible detaching device, the control unit 17 of the electronic card 16 will activate all necessary alarms (inside and/or outside the device

As regards the operation of the inventive device 1, the annular element 12 is always in engagement with the lower half-shell 3b; when the upper half-shell 3a, in its closed position, is rotated in its single possible direction, the an ular element 12 translates downwards due to the inclined planes between the toothed crown 13 and the toothed element 20 of the upper half-shell 3a and returns into its lock position due to the thrust of the four springs 30.

Moreover, the thrusting element 42 moves the balls 44 inside the container 43, that is used to contain the mechanisms. The thrust of the spring 48 determines the positioning of the balls 44 in the narrowest area of the container 43 so that they press both against the walls of the container 43, and against the stem of the nail-shaped element 40, preventing the same nail-shaped element 40 from being moved for opening.

When the magnetic attraction of the detaching device attracts the thrusting element 42 (upwards in the Figures), the spring (first elastic means) 48 is compressed and the balls 44 are taken into a wider area of the container 43, allowing the nail-shaped element 40 to be freed. Simultaneously, the spring (second elastic means) 50 upwards pushes the whole upper structure, separating the upper half-shell 3a from the lower half- shell 3b by a few millimeters, till a maximum opening due to the contact between the annular projection 60 of the upper half-shell 3a and the annular projection 62 of the lower half-shell 3b, and consequently freeing from its engagement the toothed element 20 of the toothed crown 13 of the annular element 12, allowing to unwind the cables