Patent Application
20200370344
This invention relates to point-of-purchase displays for portable consumer articles and, more particularly, to a security system configured to support a plurality of the portable consumer articles in a hanging, displayed position.
Many different types of security systems have been devised for supporting a plurality of portable consumer articles, each in a hanging display position. One such security system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,358 (the ‘358 patent).
In the ‘358 patent, an elongate arm is configured so that a plurality of garment hangers can be hung therefrom in spaced relationship along the length of the arm. An elongate cover is movable to captively overlie the hanger hooks on the arm. A captive force upon the hanger hooks causes them to be squeezed into a compressible layer on the arm, whereby the lengthwise position of each hanger hook is substantially fixed and the hanger hooks are prevented from shifting relative to each other and along the length of the arm.
The particular design depicted in the ‘358 patent has been commercially successful. However, this design is focused principally on securely fixing the hooked region of the hanger which, if movable relative to the arm, might be disengaged therefrom. By reason of this construction, the arrangement, and appearance, of the garments displayed are established and fixed once the cover is locked in place. Thus, if there is a large number of the garments displayed, it may be difficult for a potential consumer to resituate the garments to allow an appropriate inspection that may be desired before a purchasing decision is made. That is, the adjacent garments may interfere with access and obstruct viewing of the garment of interest.
Further, by reason of having to lift the front portion of the cover away from the arm through a pivoting action, the operator of the system may have to reach to a significant height. This may be inconvenient for relatively tall people and impossible for a shorter person without the use of a step or a ladder.
While the above system has been widely accepted, certain improvements in the basic design would be beneficial.
The invention is directed to the combination of a portable consumer article, having a U-shaped portion, and a security system. The security system includes: a frame having a top and bottom, a mounting end, an end opposite the mounting end, and laterally spaced sides; and a closure assembly having at least a portion mounted to the frame for guided movement relative to the frame between a loading position, wherein the security system is in a loading state, and a securing position, wherein the security system is in a secured stated. The frame, closure assembly, and portable consumer article are configured so that: i) with the security system in the loading state the U-shaped portion and the frame can be relatively moved to cause the opposite end of the frame to be directed through the U-shaped portion whereupon the portable consumer article assumes a display position wherein the U-shaped portion is inverted and straddles a part of the frame between the mounting and opposite frame ends; and ii) with the portable consumer article in the display position and the security system changed from the loading state into the secured state the frame and closure assembly cooperatively prevent the portable consumer article from being separated from the security system by causing the U-shaped portion to be advanced relative to the security system in a direction from the mounting end of the frame towards the opposite end of the frame. At least a part of the portion of the closure assembly moves in a generally side-to-side path relative to the frame into overlying relationship with the frame, as viewed from the top of the frame, as an incident of the portion of the closure assembly moving from the loading position into the securing position.
In one form, the frame has an elongate shape between the mounting end of the frame and the opposite end of the frame.
In one form, the portion of the closure assembly is pivotable around an axis between the loading and securing positions.
In one form, the axis extends in a vertical direction.
In one form, the frame has a mounting assembly at the mounting end of the frame. An elongate body projects in cantilever fashion from the mounting assembly.
In one form, the elongate body has a central axis and a convexly curved surface against which the U-shaped portion of the portable consumer article bears with the portable consumer article in the display position.
In one form, the portion of the closure assembly defines a receptacle into which a part of the elongate body extends as an incident of the portion of the closure assembly moving from the loading position into the securing position.
In one form, the part of the body has a cylindrical outer surface. The receptacle has a concave surface that is complementary to the outer surface of the part of the body.
In one form, there are cooperating surfaces on the frame and portion of the closure assembly that abut to limit movement of the portion of the closure assembly as the portion of the closure assembly is pivoted from the securing position into the loading position.
In one form, the cooperating surface on the frame is defined by an elongate post.
In one form, the frame has a mounting assembly at the mounting end of the frame. An elongate body projects in cantilever fashion from the mounting assembly. The elongate post projects from the elongate body.
In one form, the post projects in cantilever fashion from the elongate body.
In one form, the portion of the closure assembly consists of an elongate strip with an offset, depending end portion.
In one form, the elongate strip has a flat shape.
In one form, the elongate strip and offset, depending end portion are formed from a sheet of flat stock.
In one form, the flat shape has an edge. There are cooperating surfaces on the frame and portion of the closure assembly that abut to limit movement of the portion of the closure assembly as the portion of the closure assembly is pivoted from the securing position into the loading position. The cooperating surface on the portion of the closure assembly is on the edge of the flat shape.
In one form, the security system further includes a locking assembly that has locked and unlocked states. The locking assembly in the locked state cooperates between the offset, depending end portion and the opposite end of the frame.
In one form, the locking assembly has a cylinder with an element that is projected into a receptacle at the opposite end of the frame with the locking assembly in the locked state.
In one form, the frame has a mounting assembly at the mounting end of the frame. An elongate body projects in cantilever fashion from the mounting assembly. The closure assembly is in the form of an elongate strip. The security system further includes a stepped diameter post with an axis and that guides pivoting movement of the portion of the closure assembly. The elongate strip is supported by the post in spaced relationship with the elongate body along the post axis. A vertical gap is maintained between the elongate strip and the elongate body within which the U-shaped portion of the portable consumer article resides with the portable consumer article in the display position and the security system in the secured state.
In one form, the portable consumer article is a handbag with a strap that defines the U-shaped portion.
As depicted schematically in
The security system 14 has a frame 16 with a top and bottom, a mounting end, an end opposite the mounting end, and laterally spaced sides. The security system 14 further has a closure assembly 18 having at least a portion mounted for guided movement relative to the frame 16 between a loading position, wherein the security system 14 is in a loading state, and a securing position, wherein the securing system 14 is in a secured state.
The frame 16, closure assembly 18, and portable consumer article 10 are configured so that: a) with the security system 14 in the loading state, the U-shaped portion 12 of the article 10 and the frame 16 can be relatively moved to cause the opposite end of the frame 16 to be directed through the U-shaped portion 12, whereupon the portable consumer article 10 assumes a display position wherein the U-shaped portion 12 is inverted and straddles a part of the frame 16 between the mounting and opposite frame ends; and b) with the portable consumer article 10 in the display position, and the security system 14 changed from the loading state into the secured state, the frame 16 and closure assembly 18 cooperatively prevent the portable consumer article 10 from being separated from the security system 14, as by causing the U-shaped portion 12 to be advanced relative to the security system 14, in a direction from the mounting end of the frame 16 towards the opposite end of the frame 16.
At least a part of the portion of the closure assembly 18 moves in a side-to-side path relative to the frame 16, into overlying relationship with the frame 16, as viewed from the top of the frame, as an incident of the portion of the closure assembly 18 moving from the loading position into the securing position. With the security system in one preferred orientation, with the top and bottom vertically spaced, this path is generally horizontal.
The schematic representation in
As just one example, the part of the portion of the closure assembly that moves side-to-side, horizontally, etc. may do so in translation, by pivoting, etc.
Further, the frame 16 has a mounting assembly 20 through which the frame 16 can be operatively supported in different ways. For example, the frame 16 may be part of a self-contained unit that is maintained in an elevated position by one or more uprights, supported as by a floor or shelf. Alternatively, the mounting assembly 20 may connect to a vertical structure, such as a wall.
A specific form of the invention is described hereinbelow and is exemplary in nature only.
Referring now to
As noted above, the invention is not limited to the depicted handbag construction, as any portable consumer article with a U-shaped portion that can be accommodated by the security system 14 is contemplated.
The frame 16 has a top 32, a bottom 34, a mounting end 36, an end 38 opposite the mounting end 36, and laterally spaced sides 40, 42.
In this embodiment, the mounting assembly 20 is configured to clamp to a vertical component 44, as in the form of a square tube. The mounting assembly 20 defines a receptacle 45 that is complementary in shape to the perimeter surface of the component 44. Separate thumbscrews 46 fix the mounting assembly 20 at a desired vertical location on the component 44.
The frame 16 consists of an elongate body 48 that projects in cantilever fashion from the mounting assembly 20. The body 48 has a central axis 50 that in the depicted embodiment extends substantially horizontally with the mounting assembly 20 connected to an appropriate support therefor.
In this embodiment, the body 48 has a cylindrical cross-sectional configuration. This is not a requirement, however it is desirable that at least the upper half of the body 48 have a convexly curved surface 52 against which the U-shaped portion 12 of the handbag 10 bears with the handbag 10 in a display position, as shown in
The closure assembly 18 is mounted for guided movement relative to the frame 16 between a loading position, as shown in
The closure assembly 18 consists of an elongate body 54 in the form of a flat strip with a mounting end 56 and an opposite end 58. As depicted, the end 58 has an offset, depending end portion 60. In the form depicted, the elongate body 54 has a flat shape whereby the elongate strip 54 and offset end portion 60 may be formed from a single sheet of flat stock.
The body 54 is connected to the frame 16 through a stepped diameter post 62 that guides relative pivoting movement between the closure assembly 18 and frame 16 about the post axis 64. The post axis 64 is oriented vertically in this embodiment.
In this embodiment, the post 62 is mounted to the body 48 near the frame end 36. A mounting sleeve 66 vertically spans the diameter of the body 48 and is fixed thereto. A first diameter portion 68 of the post 62 extends into the sleeve 66 and is dimensioned to turn guidingly therewithin about the post axis 64. A larger diameter portion 70 of the post 62 projects upwardly from the first portion 68 and bears downwardly against the top 72 of the mounting sleeve 66 and/or the body 48 and defines a support surface 74 for the mounting end of the body 54, which is fixed thereto. A reduced diameter portion 75 at the free end of the post 62 projects through the body 54 to facilitate rigid connection thereto.
With this arrangement, a gap G is maintained between a downwardly facing surface 76 on the closure assembly 18 and an upwardly facing surface 78 on the frame body 48, with the closure assembly 18 in its securing position. This gap G is continuously encircled cooperatively by the frame 16 and the closure assembly 18 with the security system in its secured state. The gap G is shown to be of substantially uniform dimension over the length of the body 48, though this is not a requirement.
A threaded fastener 80 is secured to the bottom of the post 62 so that the elongate body 48 and the mounting sleeve 66 are captively held between an enlarged head 81 on the fastener 80 and a downwardly facing annular surface 82 on the post 62 at a transition location between the parts 68, 70.
The closure assembly 18 has a wall 84 attached to the offset end portion 60 defining a receptacle 86 into which a part of the elongate body 48, adjacent its end 38, extends as an incident of the closure assembly 18 moving from its loading position into its securing position.
As depicted, the body 48 has a cylindrical outer surface and the receptacle 86 has a concave surface 88 that is complementary to the outer surface shape of the part of the body that nests therein.
Accordingly, with this arrangement, as the security system 14 is changed from its loading state into its securing state, the closure assembly 18 consistently assumes the same securing position as the body 48 moves into the receptacle 88 and its pivoting movement is thereby arrested. This consistently aligns a locking assembly 90 carried on the offset end portion 60 with the end 38 on the elongate body 48. In this embodiment, the locking assembly consists of a cylinder 92 from which an element 94 can be selectively projected into a receptacle 96 on the end 38 of the body 48. With the element 94 extended, the locking assembly 90 is in a locked state, wherein the closure assembly 18 is blocked from pivoting out of its securing position. By retracting the element 94 to the dotted line position, the locking assembly is placed in an unlocked state wherein the closure assembly 18 is free to pivot into and out of the securing position.
To control range of movement for the closure assembly 18, as it is moved from the securing position into the loading position, an additional elongate post 98 is mounted on the frame 16, and in the embodiment shown on the body 48.
The post 98 has a surface 100 that abuts to a surface 102 on the closure assembly 18. The surface 102 is defined by part of an edge 104 on the body 54. In this embodiment, there is a cutout that produces a V-shaped edge surface 106 into which the post 98 nests to positively arrest further pivoting of the body 54.
With the above-described security system 14, the handbags 10, or another type of article that has a U-shaped portion, preferably part of a closed loop shape, can be placed in a display state as follows. Initially, the closure assembly 18 is pivoted about the axis 64 from its securing position into its loading position, as shown in
The locking assembly may take many different forms. In one preferred form, the locking assembly 90 is configured so that by simply pressing a button 110, without the need for a key, the element 94 can be advanced to place the locking assembly 90 in the locked state. A key or other type of actuator is required to change the locking assembly 90 back into its unlocked state. This feature makes it simple for those setting up the security system 14 to lock the security system in its secured state and reduces the likelihood that shortcuts will be taken in setting up a display that may make the articles 10 vulnerable to theft.
In one preferred form, the straps 30 are slidable lengthwise along the elongate body 48 with the security system in the secured state. This facilitates separation of the displayed articles to make possible a better complete inspection thereof. The sliding range is dictated by the spacing between the post 70 and offset end portion 60 of the body 54 that depends into vertically overlapping relationship with the body 48 to bound one lengthwise end of the gap G.
It is also contemplated that the straddling portion of an object may be tightly held or compressed between the elongate body 48 and body/strip 54 as the closure assembly 18 is changed from the loading position into the securing position.
It should be understood that the characterization of the frame as having a top and bottom is not limited to a configuration wherein the top and bottom are vertically spaced. Rather, these characterizations provide a frame of reference to define the interaction of the components making up the security system. For example, the security system could be turned through 90° around the axis 50 and would function in substantially the same way. Unless expressly indicated otherwise, the description and claims are intended to encompass a frame with a “top” and “bottom” without limitation as to specific orientation.
The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the broad concepts comprehended by the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62850016 | May 2019 | US |
