Patent Application
20120103031
The present invention relates generally to security systems for deterring the theft of items of merchandise displayed on a merchandise shelf in a retail store. More particularly, the invention is a security system for a merchandise shelf that is configured to be installed from above the shelf. In an exemplary embodiment, the security system includes an anchor rod for receiving a tether attached to an item of merchandise and a locking nose that engages the anchor rod in a locked position to secure the tether onto the anchor rod.
Retailers generally prefer to stock relatively high-value merchandise on a shelf in a retail store so that potential purchasers have an opportunity to view and examine the merchandise when making a decision whether to purchase the item. Unfortunately, providing potential purchasers with access to high-value merchandise necessarily increases losses due to theft, commonly referred to in the retail sales industry as “shrinkage.” In order to reduce shrinkage, some retailers have adopted a policy of displaying only one of the high-value items of merchandise on a shelf at a time, while storing the remaining items at a location that is inaccessible to the patrons, such as a back room or a locked cabinet behind a display counter, cash register or check-out stand. However, when the displayed item of merchandise is purchased there may be a significant period of time that another item of merchandise is not available on the shelf for a subsequent purchaser to view and examine. Furthermore, displaying only one item of merchandise on the shelf may discourage a potential purchaser from purchasing more than the one available item since they must wait for a store employee to retrieve another item or to stock the shelf with an additional item.
Other retailers place each item of merchandise inside a lockable transparent container (commonly referred to in the retail sales industry as a “keeper”) on the shelf. The keeper must be unlocked by an authorized store employee using a key device at a cash register or check-out stand to remove the merchandise. If the keeper is not unlocked and the item removed, an alarm will be activated when the keeper (and the merchandise) passes through a monitored exit of the store. In general, a keeper is a fairly effective deterrent to theft. However, a potential thief can obtain a stolen or duplicated key device to unlock the keeper and gain access to the merchandise. In certain instances, the relatively high value of the item of merchandise in the keeper justifies the consequences a potential thief may face in attempting to remove both the keeper and the merchandise from the store. Furthermore, resourceful thieves have developed means of disarming the keeper so that the keeper and the item of merchandise can be removed from the store without detection.
It is also known to lock an item of merchandise to the shelf itself or to a closed anchor bar secured to the shelf or to another fixed structure using a mechanical tether attached to the item of merchandise. However, installation of the anchor bar typically requires modification to the shelf, including forming holes through the shelf for receiving tamper-proof fasteners from above the shelf, or hidden fasteners from below the shelf. Thus, existing anchor bar and tether systems are typically time consuming and difficult to install, unattractive, and detract from the amount of display space available on the shelf for the items of merchandise. In addition, each tether must be provided with a separate lock mechanism for locking and unlocking the tether to and from the anchor bar.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a security system for deterring the theft of merchandise displayed on a shelf in a retail store that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. There exists a more particular need for a security system for a merchandise shelf that permits a retailer to securely display more than one item of merchandise on the shelf at the same time. There exists a further need for a security system for a merchandise shelf that can be used with or without a keeper. There exists a still further need for a security system for a merchandise shelf that does not require modification to the shelf or installation from below the shelf. There exists a still further need for a security system for a merchandise shelf that does not require a separate lock mechanism for each tether attached to an item of merchandise.
The accompanying drawing figures illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of a security system, indicated generally at 20, in accordance with the present invention for deterring the theft of items of merchandise displayed on a merchandise shelf, indicated generally at S, for example in a retail store. Broadly, the security system 20 comprises an anchor rod, indicated generally at 30, for receiving at least one tether 40 attached to an item of merchandise, and a locking nose, indicated generally at 50, for engaging the anchor rod in a locked position to secure the tether onto the anchor rod. The terms “anchor rod” and “locking nose” as used herein refer generically to any cooperating structures that are capable of receiving a tether on a first component and closing or locking the tether on the first component with a second component. Examples of a suitable “anchor rod” include a flexible wire and an arcuate bar, rod, elongate bracket, elongate clip or the like. Examples of a suitable “locking nose” include any housing containing a locking mechanism configured to engage the corresponding anchor rod. The anchor rod 30 and the locking nose 50 are each configured to be readily secured to the merchandise shelf S from above the shelf without the use of tamper-proof or hidden fasteners. The tether 40 may be coupled or attached to an item of merchandise, indicated generally at M, in any suitable manner. Alternatively, the item of merchandise M may be contained within a conventional keeper, indicated generally at K herein, and the tether 40 instead attached to the keeper in any suitable manner. In yet another embodiment, the item of merchandise M may be secured by an additional security device, for example a Spider Wrap™ available from Alpha High-Theft Solutions of Charlotte, N.C. and the tether 40 attached to the additional security device. Regardless, the tether 40 is further attached to the anchor rod 30 and the anchor rod is locked to the merchandise shelf M by the locking nose 50, as will be described.
An exemplary preferred embodiment of a security system 20 according to the present invention is shown in
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In the exemplary embodiment shown herein, the housing bottom 52 of the locking nose 50 defines an elongate, generally hollow, tunnel-like rail 56 that is sized and shaped to receive the free end 31 of the rod 32 therein when the locking nose is in the locked position. Rail 56 has a notch 57 formed therein at a medial location of the rail that corresponds to the location of the notch 37 formed in rod 32 when the locking nose 50 is in the locked position. Notch 57 of rail 56 is sized and shaped to receive a lock bolt 58 therein that engages the notch 37 of rod 32 in the locked position. Preferably, but not essentially, the bolt 58 defines an angled leading edge 58A and is biased by a biasing member, for example by a linear coil spring (not shown), in the direction of notch 57. In this manner, bolt 58 will move away from notch 57 in rail 56 against the biasing force of the spring as leading edge 58A engages the taper 36 on the free end 31 of rod 32 when locking nose 50 is moved parallel to the merchandise shelf S relative to mounting plate 55 from the unlocked position to the locked position. Furthermore, the biasing force of the spring will cause bolt 58 to be disposed within notch 57 of rail 56 and within notch 37 of rod 32 in the locked position. As such, the locking nose 50 will remain in the locked position until the bolt 58 is withdrawn from notch 37 and notch 57 against the biasing force of the spring. Those of ordinary skill in the art will ready appreciate that the biasing force may be provided by any suitable biasing member that biases bolt 58 into notch 57 of rail 56, yet permits bolt 58 to move out of notch 57 as leading edge 58A engages taper 36 on rod 32 sufficiently for rod 32 to be received within rail 56. Furthermore, rod 32, taper 36, notch 37, rail 56, notch 57 and leading edge 58A of bolt 58 may be configured in any desirable manner that allows locking nose 50 to engage and retain anchor rod 30 in a locked position.
Together, housing bottom 52 and housing top 54 of locking nose 50 define a recessed keyway 60 sized and shaped to receive a key 70 that operates to unlock the locking mechanism of the locking nose, and thereby permit the locking nose to be moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. Key 70 may be any mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, magnetic or optical key suitable for unlocking the locking mechanism of the locking nose 50. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous such keys exist, and more particularly, many existing keys are capable with minimal modification to withdraw lock bolt 58 from notch 37 of rod 32 sufficiently to permit rail 56 to move clear of the free end 31 of rod 32. In the exemplary embodiment shown herein, keyway 60 is configured to receive a combination magnetic and electronic key 70 that is proprietary to the assignee of the present invention, and therefore, cannot be replicated easily by a potential thief. Keyway 60 comprises at least one, and preferably a plurality, of key magnets 61 and a key printed circuit board (PCB) 62. Key magnets 61 are made of an electrically conductive and magnetic material. Conversely, key 70 comprises an annular first electrical contact made of an electrically conducting and magnetically attractable material. The key magnets 61 function to attract, align and retain the first electrical contact of the key 70 in an electrically conductive engagement position with the key magnets. An electrically conductive post, or pin, 63 is provided on the key PCB 62 that cooperates with an annular second electrical contact of the key 70 in an electrically conductive engagement position. If desired, the pin 63 may be biased outwardly from the keyway 60 away from mounting plate 55 to ensure electrical contact with the annular second contact despite variations in the depth of the recessed keyway and the axial length of the key. As a result, the key magnets 61 and the first electrical contact of the key 70 define a ground, or negative, portion of an electrical circuit, while the pin 63 of the key PCB 62 and the second electrical contact of the key 70 define a positive portion of the electrical circuit. If desired, key PCB 62 and key 70 may each be provided with a transceiver for exchanging data, and in particular, a security code or “handshake” for authenticating the key 70. The exchange of data between the key PCB 62 and the key 70 may be accomplished in any known manner, for example electrically, optically or by inductance, including magnetic inductance. As such, the key 70 may provide electrical power, data, or both electrical power and data to the PCB 62 of the locking nose 50.
As previously mentioned, locking nose 50 further comprises a locking mechanism for releasably locking the locking nose to the anchor rod 30. In the embodiment shown herein, locking nose 50 includes a lock motor 64 and a lock motor printed circuit board (PCB) 66 disposed within housing bottom 52. Lock motor 64 is electrically connected to and controlled by lock motor PCB 66 in a conventional manner to move leading edge 58A of lock bolt 58 out of engagement with notch 37 of rod 32, and thereby permit locking nose 50 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position. In the embodiment shown herein, lock motor 64 comprises a cam 65 that engages a corresponding cam surface on the lock bolt 58 to drive the lock bolt in the direction away from notch 57 of rail 56 against the biasing force exerted on the lock bolt by the biasing member. Once the locking nose 50 moves away from the locked position towards the unlocked position, the cam 65 releases the lock bolt 58 such that the lock bolt is once again biased in the direction of the notch 57 of rail 56. In this manner, the lock bolt 58 will automatically engage the notch 37 of rod 32 when the locking nose 50 is moved back from the unlocked position to the locked position. Lock motor 64 and lock motor PCB 66 may be powered by an internal battery (not shown) disposed within housing bottom 52. In a preferred embodiment, however, power for the lock motor 64 and the lock motor PCB 66 is provided by the key 70. For example, the key 70 may contain an internal power source, such as a conventional battery or rechargeable battery, or alternatively, may be electrically connected to an external power source. Regardless, the key 70 is configured to transfer electrical power from the power source to the lock motor 64 and the lock motor PCB 66 through the electrical circuit defined by key magnets 61, pin 63 and the first and second electrical contacts of the key 70. In this manner, the incremental cost of the source of power and the necessity to replace a battery source of power are limited to the key 70 and not included in the locking nose 50. It will be readily apparent that a single key 70 can be configured for use with the locking nose 50 of multiple security systems 20. Furthermore, the key 70 can be used with other similar security systems and devices at the same retail store location.
If desired, the housing bottom 52 (together with the housing top 54 in the assembled configuration) may be configured to move automatically from the locked position to the unlocked position. In particular, the housing bottom 52 may be biased in the direction away from the free end 31 of rod 32 of anchor rod 30 by a biasing member. In a preferred embodiment, at least one elastic biasing spring (not shown) is disposed between the mounting plate 55 and the housing bottom 52 such that the biasing spring is compressed when the locking nose 50 is moved from the unlocked position to the locked position. Consequently, the biasing force of the biasing spring will automatically move the locking nose 50 from the locked position towards the unlocked position when lock bolt 58 is moved out of engagement with notch 37 of rod 32 by lock motor 64. As previously mentioned, lock bolt 58 is similarly biased towards notch 57 of rail 56 so that the lock bolt will automatically engage notch 37 of rod 32 when locking nose 50 is moved from the unlocked position to the locked position. Preferably, the surface friction resistance between mounting plate 55 and the lower surface of housing bottom 52 is selected so that locking nose 50 is easily moved from unlocked position to the locked position and moves easily from the locked position to the unlocked position under the influence of the biasing force of the biasing spring. Also if desired, housing bottom 52 may be provided with an optional limit switch 68 and associated limit switch PCB 69 for activating an audible or visible alarm in the event that the housing bottom is separated from the merchandise shelf S. As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, limit switch PCB 69 could comprise a power source and an audible alarm or visible indicator (e.g. LED) in a known manner.
The foregoing has described one or more exemplary embodiments of a security system for a merchandise shelf including an anchor rod for receiving at least one tether thereon with the tether being attached to an item of merchandise, or alternatively, to a keeper containing an item of merchandise. The security system further includes a locking nose for locking the anchor rod to the merchandise shelf in a locked position with the at least one tether disposed on the anchor rod. In the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein, the security system engages a predetermined pattern of holes on the merchandise shelf and is configured to be installed without the use of tamper-proof fasteners or the need to access standard fasteners from below the shelf. Accordingly, the security system can be installed entirely from above the merchandise shelf. Furthermore, the anchor rod and the locking nose of the security system permit a retailer to display and protect more than one tethered item of merchandise on the shelf at the same time, with or without a keeper. Still further, the anchor rod and the locking nose of the security system do not require a separate lock mechanism for each tether attached to an item of merchandise. Exemplary and preferred embodiments of a security system for a merchandise shelf have been shown and described herein for purposes of illustrating and enabling the best mode of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art, however, will readily understand and appreciate that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the exemplary and preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are intended to be encompassed by the appended claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter regarded as the invention.
This non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/409,381 filed on Nov. 2, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61409381 | Nov 2010 | US |
