Deactivator for theft-deterrent markers

Abstract

A deactivator for use in an electronic article surveillance system has a housing having a first receptacle containing a deactivator for deactivating a theft-deterrent marker carried on an object such as a compact disk case, an audio cassette case or a video cassette case. The first receptacle is made up of a base, a first wall and a second wall, the walls being spaced apart such that an object carrying the theft-deterrent marker can be placed between the walls. The first wall is slidable relative to the second wall. The housing also has a second receptacle with a deactivator for deactivating a theft-deterrent marker carried on a generally rectangular object such as an audio cassette box having a top and a bottom, first and second sides and first and second ends, the marker being carried by one of the sides or one of the ends. The device comprises a housing having a receptacle comprising first, second and third walls arranged so as to form three sides of a box. A plurality of deactivators is provided, such that each of at least two of the first, second and third walls carries a deactivator. The walls are oriented and dimensioned such that the object can be placed in the receptacle with the marker lying adjacent the wall carrying the deactivator so that the deactivator deactivates the marker, and such that the top and the bottom of the object cannot be placed in the receptacle opposite the first, second or third walls. The second receptacle is provided with an entry restricting mechanism for preventing an article from being inserted into the receptacle if the article has a height less than a specified minimum height.