Patent Application
20130133380
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus, system and method for the display of merchandise in a retail setting. More particularly, the apparatus, system and method relates to preventing a customer from returning a merchandise item after it has been purchased and used in a practice known as wardrobing. Specifically, the apparatus, system and method provides for attaching a flexible attachment to a merchandise item so that if the attachment is removed, use of the item is detected.
2. Description of Related Art
In the retail environment merchants desire displaying merchandise items so that consumers can view the items. In the case of clothing or jewelry, it is desirable to have a potential purchaser have the ability to try on the item before purchasing it in order to further increase the probability that the consumer will purchase that item. However, a problem exists that a consumer will purchase an item such as a dress, remove any labeling, then wear the dress one time, reattach the labeling and return the dress for a full refund.
A variety of security devices can be attached to merchandise items to prevent their theft. However, these security devices are generally removed at the time of purchase before the item leaves the store because they are of sufficient value and/or can be reused. For example, wrap type protection devices are often used to protect electronic products. Wrap protection devices have a housing with a ratchet mechanism that allows cables to be wrapped about a merchandise item and are tightened around the item. Alarms are generated by the housing if the item is brought near an entrance of the store. Wrap devices are of sufficient cost so they are removed at the time of the purchase of the item they are protecting. A better way is needed to protect merchandise items and to prevent their anti-wardrobing return after purchase.
The preferred embodiment of the invention includes an anti-wardrobing device for attachment to a merchandise item. The anti-wardrobing device includes a ribbon, a branding plate and a lock. The ribbon has a first end and a second end adapted to be placed through the merchandise item. The branding plate is adapted to display information about the merchandise item and branding of the merchandise item. The lock is located at one end of the branding plate. The lock is adapted to be locked to the ribbon so that the ribbon is looped through the merchandise item and the lock so that the ribbon cannot be removed from the merchandise item without cutting the ribbon.
One or more preferred embodiments that illustrate the best mode(s) are set forth in the drawings and in the following description. The appended claims particularly and distinctly point out and set forth the invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
Lock device 10 can be formed of a polymer or another material. In the preferred embodiment, device 10 will be rigid so that it cannot be deformed or it will be brittle so that if one does attempt to tamper with it, it will break apart and it will obvious that is has been tampered with. This would ensure that the security device 1 could not be taken apart and reassembled without its reassembly being detected. In the preferred embodiment, lock device 10 is formed with both a rigid material that significantly prevents deformation of the lock device 10 and somewhat easily breaks apart when tampered with.
Lock device 10 is formed adjacent a brand plate 2. Brand plate 2 has a left end 3, a right end 4, a front side 5, and a back side 6 as well as a top 8 and a bottom 9. In the preferred embodiment, a label 7 is imprinted onto the top 8 of the brand plate 2. In the Figures, brand plate 2 is shown as an elongated rectangle, however brand plate 2 can be any shape and of sufficient size to display the label 7. Label 7 can be any branding symbol, trademark information, information associated with the merchandise item 100 the security device 1 is adapted to be attached to or any other information a purchaser of merchandise item 100 may be interested in. Label 7, brand plate 2 and ribbon 50 can be different colors and have any color scheme that is desired. Additionally, a warning such as “cannot be returned if removed” or the like can also be marked on the top 8 and/or bottom 9 of the brand plate 2.
As best seen in
As best illustrated in
As best seen in
Lock insert 12 is attached to connector 21 at the connector's left end 22. Lock insert 12 is formed with a front side 31, a back side 32, a left side 33, a right side 34, a top 35 and a bottom 36. The lock insert 12 is generally rectangular in shape and its top is generally rounded. The lock insert 12 is sized so that it fits into the complementary chamber 18 of lock housing 11. A lock insert cavity 37 is formed in the top 35 of lock insert 12 for receiving the protrusion 25 of lock housing 11.
As best seen in
A second configuration of the preferred embodiment is shown in
Having described the components and characteristics of the security devices, its functionality will now be described with reference to a method of using the security device. Example methods may be better appreciated with reference to flow diagrams. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an example methodology. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and/or alternative methodologies can employ additional, not illustrated blocks.
Connector 21 acts as a living hinge and is best viewed in
With the security device 1 locked onto the merchandise item 100 it is now displayed for sale, at 1108. The brand plate 2, label 7 and ribbon, further brand the item 100, promote the manufacture of the item 100, display trademarks, information about the item 100 and the like. Eventually the merchandise item 100 will be sold, at 1110, to a customer with the security device 1 still attached to it.
If the item is returned, then the merchant can inspect the returned merchandise item before a refund is given to determine if the security device has been tampered with or if the ribbon has been cut, at 1112. First example, tampering may be evident when barb protrusion 225 of
However, if the ribbon has been cut or there is evidence of tampering, then a refund is not given, at 1114, and the item 100 is returned to the customer.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative embodiments, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. References to “the preferred embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in the preferred embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may.
