Title: "AN ANTI-THEFT BASE"

The present invention relates to an anti-theft base, which is superposed over the bottom part of a package, especially a flask, so as to be joined thereto. The base incorporates a security device. Description of the prior art

The need to protect products against theft in commercial establishments is already known since long ago. A customary form of protection is to pack the product inside a container, usually made of rigid and transparent plastic, and after the product is purchased this container is opened at the cash desk of the store, and the product handed over to the customer. This solution has, as a disadvantage, the need for the establishments to acquire and store the containers, beside the need to handle them at the cash desks, which may lead to a delay in serving a customer. This solution also requires the products to be packed in the containers before they are exposed for sale, involving the need to employ labor for performing this task.

Another form of protection that is normally employed is the use of security devices fixed to the product body. These security devices may be acoustic-magnetic and/or actuated by radiofrequency and remain accommodated within appropriate tag holders, attached to the products, as shown in document US 6,754,939 B2. This kind of solution is indicated for larger products or pieces of clothing such as coats, since it requires fixation to the product by means of a cable or wire.

The security device may also be glued directly onto the product, but this solution has the disadvantage of easy visual identification of the device and the possibility of someone detaching it still inside the establishment.

It is also known to pack small products, such as watches, in rigid and transparent plastic showcase, which include in their base a cavity for receiving a security device, as shown in US 6,460,695 B2. Another similar example is shown in US 5,601 ,188 for protecting videocassettes or CD's. Such solutions have the disadvantage of still requiring the use of a container, which in this case will be discarded after the purchase of the product.

In the case of flasks or bottles, there is the solution, shown in EP 0810567 B1 , of incorporating an acoustic-magnetic security device into the film that seals the upper part and the cover cap of the flask or bottle. This solution has, as a disadvantage, the fact that the protecting film may be easily removed still inside the establishment, beside representing a limitation in the type of security device to be used. Brief description of the invention

The present invention solves the various problems of the prior art mentioned before, disclosing an anti-theft base to be superposed, which presents in its internal part the possibility to include a security device of the acoustic-magnetic and/or radiofrequency type. The anti-theft base of the present invention is preferably joined by adhesion to the flask to be protected, this joining being such that it prevents the base from being easily detached from the flask. The base then becomes an integral part of the flask and is only discarded together with it. It further has, as advantages, the low manufacture cost, since this is a piece of injection molded plastic or any other easy-to-manufacture material, beside accommodating the security device out of the visual field of the customer, thus preventing said security device from being detached inside the establishment. Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to an embodiment represented in the drawings. The figures show:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flask with the anti-theft base of the present invention superposed over its bottom; Figure 2 is a perspective top view of the anti-theft base with the security device at its internal part; and

Figure 3 is a perspective top side view of the anti-theft vase with the security device inside it. Detailed description of the invention As can be seen in figure 1 , the present invention deals with a base 2 to be superposed over the bottom of a packing flask 1. The base 2 is manufactured from an injection molded plastic material, or from any other

material with low manufacturing cost. Its shape is such that it fits perfectly to the base of the package 1. In the embodiment presented in figure 1 , the base 2 has the same internal elliptical cone-frustum shape of the bottom of the flask 1. In other embodiments, the base may have the same shape of the bottom part of the package, for example, cylindrical, square, rectangular, etc. The joining between the base 2 and the package 1 is effected in an example of embodiment by adhesion, more specifically by means of a double-faced adhesive tape with a high degree of adherence, which enables a strong joining between said base 2 and the package 1. The joining, which may be effected by means of a cold adhesive, hot melt adhesive, etc., should be such that it will not enable an easy separation of the base 2 by a consumer. Any of the mentioned types of adhesives, including the double- faced adhesive tape employed, are known per se and can be found commercially. The joining of the anti-theft base 2 to the body of the package 1 may further be made by mechanical fitting, which would require tongue- and-groove type fitting devices on the base and body of the package, respectively. The solution of joining the base 2 to the flask 1 by adhesion enables the base 2 to be used on existing flasks, without requiring modifications in package injection or blow molding molds to include, for instance, a mechanical-fitting device.

The internal part of the anti-theft base 2 of the present invention is plane and enables perfect stability for the package 1 , thus facilitating the exposure thereof on shelves of establishments.

As figure 2 makes clear, the anti-theft base 2 has an internal space for positioning a security device 3.

In figure 3, one can easily see that the anti-theft base 2 further has a recess 4 in its inner bottom, so as to accommodate an acoustic- magnetic type security device perfectly.

Both the configuration with the security device 3 presented in figure 2 and the one of figure 3 enable one to apply adhesive, be it a double- faced adhesive tape or any other type, to fix the base 2 to the flask 1.

A preferred embodiment having been described, one should

understand that the scope of the present invention embraces other possible variations, being limited only by the contents of the accompanying claims, which include the possible equivalents.