The present invention refers to a multi-function anti-theft system, particularly aimed to protect against thefts the products exhibited for sale.

As known, the art proposes anti-theft mechanisms adapted to contain therein and protect objects such as, but not limited to, compact discs, DVD, musicassettes, videocassettes and the like, or for glasses, or to be attached to bottles, to clothes and the like. These mechanisms typically are activated on the product to be protected when this latter one is exhibited for sale, and are removed, generally through suitable detaching devices, upon paying the product itself. In particular, such mechanisms are substantially divided into:

anti-theft containers, usually made of transparent polycarbonate, suitable to prevent the theft of compact discs, musicassettes, videocassettes, DVD, books or the like placed therein during their exhibition for sale; examples of such containers are disclosed in EP-A-1 445 406, US-A-2005/087109, WO-A-2004 /033830 , US-A-

2002/046963, NL-A-1 003 965, WO-A-2008/136023; adjustable anti-theft devices, particularly aimed for protecting against theft the products contained inside bulky boxes or packages, equipped with a safety coil connected through a plurality of wires with adjustable length to an abutment plate, such wires being adapted to surround all sides of a box containing the product to be protected during its exhibition for sale: examples of such devices are disclosed in US-A-3, 611, 760, US-A-4, 418, 551, US-A-4 , 756, 171, US-A-4 , 896, 517 , US-A- 4, 930,324, US-A-5, 156, 028, US-A-5, 794 , 464 , US-A-

6,092,401, EP-A-0 862 677, WO-A-2006/040693 and US-A- 2006/0169008. In particular, the art also proposes an interchangeable closing device for an anti-theft container and an anti-theft container equipped with such device as disclosed in WO-A-2008/142713;

anti-theft and safety devices for bottles as disclosed in US-A-5, 957 , 313, US-A-5, 602, 530 and EP-A-1 794 060;

anti-theft pints, typically applied on clothes and the like, as disclosed in US-A-2009/0160644.

In general, the above mechanisms are equipped with safety systems or adhesive radiofrequency (RF) , electromagnetic (EM) or acoustic-magnetic (AM) tags or some combination thereof cooperating with the anti-theft detecting barriers: in particular, such safety systems can comprise:

a detecting system of a magnetic type with ferrite core cooperating with the anti-theft detecting barriers; an opening-preventing system that emits a sound alarm signal in case of forced opening of the anti-theft device;

a system composed of a cooperating combination of the two above systems in which the opening-preventing system emits the alarm signal both in case of forced opening and in case of illegal passage between the barriers detected by the ferrite core;

a recognition system of a code sent by an active detaching device so that the anti-theft mechanism can be disabled only by a certain and recognised detaching device.

The art instead does not propose an anti-theft system that simultaneously and cooperatingly comprises all the above safety systems.

Moreover, the art does not propose an anti-theft system that can be easily used in any anti-theft mechanism like those previously described.

Therefore, object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems by providing a multi-function anti-theft system that can be easily used in any prior known anti-theft mechanism. Another object of the present invention is providing a multi-function anti-theft system that comprises at least one detecting system of a magnetic type with ferrite core or an opening-preventing system, or such opening-preventing system cooperating with the ferrite core or an opening-preventing system cooperating with the ferrite core with a recognition system of a detaching device .

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an interchangeable closing device for anti- theft container equipped with the above multi-function anti-theft system.

Another object of the present invention is providing an anti-theft mechanism such as, for example, an anti- theft container, an adjustable anti-theft device with safety coil, an anti-theft and safety device for bottles or an anti-theft pin for clothes, equipped with the above multi-function anti-theft system.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will result from the following description, are obtained with a multi-function anti-theft system like the one disclosed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

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 what is described, 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:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an interchangeable closing device equipped with the anti-theft system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of the interchangeable closing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the interchangeable closing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the interchangeable closing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, 6 and 7 show bottom enlarged plan views of some operating steps of the interchangeable closing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 shows an electric diagram related to a preferred mode for making the system according to the present invention; and FIG. 9 shows an electric diagram related to a further preferred mode for making the system according to the present invention.

With reference to the Figures, it is possible to ^• note that a preferred embodiment of the multi-function anti-theft system 1 according to the present invention comprises:

a first anti-theft subsystem composed of at least one detecting system of a magnetic type comprising, for example, at least one ferrite core 19 cooperating with anti-theft detecting barriers of a substantially known type; or .

a second anti-theft subsystem composed of at least one opening-preventing system 2 comprising detecting means of a forced opening of an anti-theft mechanism on which such system 1 is installed, such system 2 being equipped with emitting means of a sound and/or lighting alarm signal 4 in case such forced opening occurs; or

a third anti-theft subsystem (such as the one, for example, shown in FIG. 8) composed of the above detecting system of a magnetic type comprising at least one ferrite core 19 cooperating with the above opening-preventing system 2, such opening-preventing system 2 being further equipped with receiving means 8 of a signal emitted by such anti-theft detecting barriers in case of illegal passage detected by such barriers through such detecting system of a magnetic type, such receiving means 8 cooperating with such emitting means of an alarm signal 4 also in case of such illegal passage to emit the alarm signal; or

a fourth anti-theft subsystem (such as the one, for example, shown in FIG. 9) composed of such third anti- theft subsystem and of at least one recognition system 10 of an active detaching device, such recognition system 10 comprising receiving and recognition means of at least one code signal, for example of the infrared type, emitted by such detaching device, such receiving and recognition means cooperating with such emitting means of an alarm signal 4 also in case of lack of recognition di such code signal to emit the alarm signal.

Obviously, all above means and systems can be made of an extremely wide variety of electric, electronic and mechanical components, like those shown as an example in FIG. 8 and 9, that are substantially known and that allow obtaining, through different but equivalent technical arrangements, that are obvious for any skilled person in the art, the innovative functionalities of the system 1 according to the present invention.

As described above, the system 1 according to the present invention allows implementing the following functionalities, highly increasing the anti-theft protection offered thereby:

preventing the illegal passage of the anti-theft detecting barriers, without having previously deactivated the system 1: if there is the first anti-theft subsystem only, the emission of an alarm signal is produced by the barriers themselves, while if there are the third or fourth anti-theft subsystem, also the system 1 itself emits an alarm signal, preventing the possible thief from hiding on himself the products illegally taken, even if he passed the alarmed barriers without being intercepted;

preventing the illegal opening of the anti-theft mechanism, without having previously de-activated the system 1: if there are the second, third or fourth anti- theft subsystem, an alarm signal is emitted if one attempts to force the anti-theft mechanism itself;

preventing the unabling of the anti-theft mechanism through any detaching device: in fact, if there is the fourth anti-theft subsystem, it is possible to disable the anti-theft mechanism only by using the active detaching device that emits the code signal recognised by the system 1: otherwise, the same system 1 emits an alarm signal .

Advantageously, the multi-function anti-theft system 1 according to the present invention can be built into any mechanism or anti-theft device according to the prior art such as, for example:

an anti-theft container; in this case, the means for detecting the forced opening of the opening-preventing system possibly present in the system 1 are made as at least one microswitch adapted to detect the mutual away movement of the half-cases composing the container without the previous regular disconnection of the system 1 itself;

an adjustable anti-theft device with safety coil; in this case, the means for detecting the forced opening of the opening-preventing system possibly present in the system 1 are made as means for detecting the cutting of at least one of the protecting wires of the safety coil; an anti-theft and safety device for bottles;

an anti-theft pin for clothes: in this case, the means for detecting the forced opening of the opening- preventing system possibly present in the system 1 can be made as at least one microswitch adapted to detect the mutual away movement of the half-cases composing the pin without the previous regular disconnection of the system 1 itself.

Moreover, with particular reference to Figures 1 to 4, it is possible to note that the multi-function anti- theft system 1 according to the present invention can be embedded into an interchangeable closing device as disclosed in WO-A-2008/142713 of the same Applicant. In particular, with reference to FIG. 2, 3 and 4, it is possible to note such device 3 equipped with the fourth anti-theft, subsystem of the system 1 according to the present invention. In this case, the means for detecting the forced opening of the related anti-theft container 5, also disclosed in WO-A-2008/142713, comprise two microswitches 7 arranged on the opposite sides of the external body 9, each one of which is kept in a pressed position by a respective half-case 6 when the container 5 is closed (as can be noted, in particular, in FIG. 6) . If the device 3 is regularly open (as can be noted, in particular, in FIG. 5) by acting on its own closing/opening system through any detaching device or uncoupling device dedicated thereto, the two microswitches 7 are kept, during the sliding of the device 3 necessary for opening the container 5, inside a respective seat 11 obtained on a corresponding half-case 6 allowing their simultaneous expansions, that reveals the correct use of the detaching device. If the container 5 is forcedly open (as can be noted, in particular, in FIG. 7), only one of the two microswitches 7 is subjected to expansion (obviously the one related to the open half- case 6) signalling to the detecting means of the system 1 the forced opening of the container 5, provoking the activation of the means for emitting the sound and/or lighting alarm signal. In this case, advantageously, the electronic card 13 that makes the opening-preventing system is housed in a suitable room 14 inside the external body 9 equipped with a door 15 that can be opened, by opening which it is possible to perform the replacement of the supply batteries 17 of such card 13.

With particular reference to FIG. 4, it is possible to note that the ferrite core 19 composing the detecting system of a magnetic type is operatively connected to the opening-preventing system so that, if the receiving means of the opening-preventing system receive the signal emitted by the anti-theft detecting barriers in case of illegal passage detected by such barriers through such detecting system of a magnetic type, the emitting means emit an alarm signal.

Moreover, in addition to what has been described previously, the device 3 is equipped with a closing/opening system 20, of the substantially known type in. the art, with operation, for example, with a locking pin 21 with coaxial or blade-type spring 23 for a magnetic active detaching device, cooperating with the recognition system of the active detaching device itself, and in particular with the receiving and recognition means of the code signal emitted by such detaching device: therefore, if one attempts to open the device 3 by using a detaching device different from the one dedicated to the recognition system, the receiving and recognition means control the emitting means of the alarm signal to emit such signal.

An interchangeable closing device has been previously described, which is equipped with a multifunction anti-theft system 1 aimed, in particular, to be used with an anti-theft container as disclosed in WO 2008/142713. Alternatively, it is obvious that, with few and suitable modifications, within the capability of any technician in the field, the same inventive idea about interchangeability can be applied to other embodiments of anti-theft mechanisms such as, for example, an adjustable anti-theft device with safety coil, an anti-theft and safety device for bottles or an anti-theft pin for clothes, equipped with the above multi-function anti- theft system, each one of which is equipped with a related receiving seat for the device 3 equipped with the multi-function anti-theft system 1 according to the present invention.