Abstract:
Watch and jewelry boxes including pilfer-resistant arrangements for securing watches and jewelry items are disclosed. Various embodiments include a fastening member received within the watch or jewelry box and an anchor/retaining member arranged to engage the fastening member. The fastening member and anchor/retaining member cooperate to secure the loop of a ring or a loop portion of a jewelry item within the box in a manner that is resistant to pilfering.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/289,520, filed Nov. 30, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 60/656,400, filed Feb. 28, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Shoplifting is, in general, a big problem in the retail watch and jewelry industry. For example, a shoplifter will ask to be shown several watches or pieces of jewelry at the same time, and will remove one or more watches and/or pieces of jewelry from their box. The merchant, without realizing that any items are missing from the boxes, will then return the boxes to their display or storage position. The merchant will only realize items are missing from the boxes when he or she shows the boxes to another customer, which might be a few days later.  
         [0003]     As known in the industry, in order to reduce the above-described shoplifting problem, merchants often tie down watches and pieces of jewelry into their boxes using plastic ties. This deters a would-be-thief from removing items from the box. However, it is very easy for thieves to cut and remove the ties, thereby leaving the watches and/or jewelry unsecured in the box and easy to remove. Additionally, if a merchant wants to show a watch or piece of jewelry to a customer, the merchant must cut the tie and remove it from the box. Thus, the merchant has no way to re-secure the watch or jewelry item unless he or she has spare ties of the required size, which are usually not readily available.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The disclosure is directed to watch and jewelry boxes including pilfer-resistant arrangements for securing jewelry items, such as watches, rings and bracelets. In certain embodiments, a jewelry box comprises:  
         [0005]     a bottom member including a central cavity or channel arranged to accommodate a jewelry item;  
         [0006]     a fastening member arranged to extend through an opening in a first side of the bottom member, through a closed loop of the jewelry item and into a second side of the bottom member opposite the first side of the bottom member; and  
         [0007]     an retaining member disposed in the second side of the bottom member and arranged to engage the fastening member so as to secure the fastening member in the jewelry box.  
         [0008]     According to another embodiment, a jewelry box comprises:  
         [0009]     a bottom member including a central cavity or channel arranged to accommodate a jewelry item;  
         [0010]     a fastening member comprising a head portion and a pair of prongs extending from said head portion and terminating in hooked ends, wherein said prongs are arranged to extend downward into said central cavity or channel so as to entrap a loop portion of the jewelry item; and  
         [0011]     an retaining member disposed in the bottom member, said retaining member comprising a pair of longitudinally extending ledges bounding said central cavity or channel and arranged to engage said hooked ends.  
         [0012]     According to another embodiment, an arrangement for securing a watch or other piece of jewelry in a box includes:  
         [0013]     a bottom member formed from a U-shaped inner wall and a U-shaped outer wall that is spaced from and connected to said U-shaped inner wall so as to define a hollow, U-shaped cross-section comprising first and second interior side channels and an interior bottom channel extending between said first and second interior side channels, said bottom member including a central exterior cavity or channel arranged to accommodate a jewelry item; and  
         [0014]     a fastening member disposed within said first interior side channel and said interior bottom channel, wherein said fastening member is laterally movable between an open position and a closed position entrapping a loop portion of the jewelry item.  
         [0015]     According to another embodiment, a jewelry box comprises:  
         [0016]     an upper lid member;  
         [0017]     a bottom member connected to the upper lid member, said bottom member including a central cavity accommodating a jewelry item;  
         [0018]     a retaining member disposed in a hole in a first side of the bottom member, said retaining member including internal engagement arms defining an opening within the retaining member; and  
         [0019]     a screw, wherein: 
        when in a locked position, said screw extends through said opening within the retaining member and through said central cavity towards a second side of said bottom member so as to pass through a band of said jewelry item, thereby securing said jewelry item in said jewelry box;     said internal extension arms are angled and said opening within the retaining member is sized such that said screw is allowed to be placed in said locked position by pushing said screw through said opening within the retaining member; and     once said screw is in said locked position, said internal engagement arms engage threads of said screw such that said screw can be withdrawn from said locked position only by turning said screw to retract said screw out of said bottom member.        
 
         [0023]     According to yet another embodiment, a jewelry box comprises:  
         [0024]     an upper lid member;  
         [0025]     a bottom member connected to the upper lid member, said bottom member including a central cavity;  
         [0026]     a support having a jewelry item placed therearound, wherein said support is positioned in said central cavity;  
         [0027]     a retaining member disposed in a hole in a first side of the bottom member, said retaining member including internal engagement arms defining an opening within the retaining member; and  
         [0028]     a screw, wherein: 
        when in a locked position, said screw extends through said opening within the retaining member and through said central cavity and a hole in said support towards a second side of said bottom member, thereby securing said jewelry item in said jewelry box;     said internal extension arms are angled and said opening within the retaining member is sized such that said screw is allowed to be placed in said locked position by pushing said screw through said opening within the retaining member; and     once said screw is in said locked position, said internal engagement arms engage threads of said screw such that said screw can be withdrawn from said locked position only by turning said screw to retract said screw out of said bottom member.        
 
         [0032]     Additional features and advantages will become apparent from the following description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0033]      FIG. 1A  is a partially exploded perspective view of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to one embodiment.  
         [0034]      FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0035]      FIG. 2A  is a partially exploded perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.  
         [0036]      FIG. 2B  is a partial cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of  FIG. 2A .  
         [0037]      FIG. 3A  is a partially exploded perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.  
         [0038]      FIG. 3B  is a partial cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of  FIG. 3A .  
         [0039]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a ring box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to one embodiment.  
         [0040]      FIG. 4B  is a side view of the ring box of  FIG. 4A .  
         [0041]      FIG. 5A  is perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.  
         [0042]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the jewelry box of  FIG. 5A , wherein the pilfer-proof arrangement is in an open position.  
         [0043]      FIG. 5C  is a perspective view of the jewelry box of  FIG. 5A , wherein the pilfer-proof arrangement is in a closed position.  
         [0044]      FIG. 6A  shows an exploded perspective view of a jewelry box according to another embodiment, wherein a watch and watch holder are removed from the box to illustrate how a screw extends inside the box to secure the watch therein.  
         [0045]      FIG. 6B  shows a perspective view of the screw and retaining member of the embodiment of  FIG. 6A .  
         [0046]      FIG. 6C  is partial exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6A  with the tray insert removed from the bottom tray so as to illustrate the location of the retaining member in the bottom tray.  
         [0047]      FIG. 6D  is a cross-sectional view of the retaining member and screw shown in  FIGS. 6B and 6C . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0048]     According to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a jewelry box  100  including a novel pilfer-proof arrangement is shown. The box  100  includes a bottom member  104  and a top member  102  attached to the bottom member  104 . The bottom member  104  includes a central cavity or channel  105  for accommodating a jewelry item  130 . The pilfer-proof arrangement includes a screw  110  which is inserted into a hole  122  in a side  120  of the bottom member  104  of the box and extends through the cavity or channel  105  of the box  100 , through a closed loop of the jewelry item  130  and into an opposite side  150  of the bottom member  104 . Although the jewelry item  130  is shown to be a watch, other jewelry items such as bracelets may instead be placed in the box. An retaining member  140  located in the opposite side  150  of the bottom member  104  of the box engages the screw  110  so as to secure the screw  110  in the box. The retaining member  140  includes a flap  142  defining a hole  144  sized to engage threads  112  of the screw  110 . Thus, the screw  110  secures the jewelry item  130  in the box  100  and prevents the jewelry item from being removed from the box.  
         [0049]     The screw  110  may be inserted into the retaining member  140  by simply pushing the screw  110  through the hole  144 . However, the screw  110  can only be removed from the box  100  by turning the screw, because the flap  142  obstructs the threads  112  and prevents the screw  110  from moving backwards without being turned. Furthermore, the hole  122  may be recessed into the side  120  such that it is impossible to turn the screw  110  with a person&#39;s fingers. Thus, the box  100  can be designed such that the screw  110  can only be removed with a screwdriver, thereby making it difficult for a thief to steal the jewelry item  130 . A merchant who wishes to show the jewelry item  130  to a customer must remove the screw  110  with a screwdriver in order to remove the jewelry item  130  from the box  100 . After showing the jewelry item to the customer, the merchant can return the jewelry item  130  to the box  100  and secure the jewelry item by simply pushing the screw  110  into the box  100 .  
         [0050]     Although the screw  110  is shown with several threads, the screw can be molded with as many or as few threads as desired. For example, a screw  110   a  which includes two threads  112  may be used so that the screw  110   a  can be removed quickly by a merchant with fewer turns. However, using a greater number of threads makes theft more difficult.  
         [0051]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show a ring box  400  having a top member  402  and a bottom member  404  having a central cavity or channel  405  for accommodating a ring  430 . The box  400  includes a pilfer-proof arrangement similar to that of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , except that the screw  110  is inserted into a hole  422  in a back side  460  of the bottom  404  of the box and extends through the box  400 , through the cavity/channel  205  and through the loop of the ring  430 , and the retaining member  140  which engages the screw  110  is located on a front side  470  of the bottom  404  of the box. Naturally, the orientations of the hole  422  and the retaining member  140  may be reversed such that the hole  422  is located on the front side  470  and the retaining member  140  is located on the back side  460 .  
         [0052]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a bottom member  204  of a box  200  (top member not shown) including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment. The bottom member  204  includes a central cavity or channel  205  for accommodating a jewelry item  130 . The pilfer-proof arrangement  200  includes a fastening member  210  which is inserted into an opening  222  in a side  220  of the bottom member  204  of the box and extends through the central cavity or channel  205  of the box  200  and inside a closed loop of the jewelry item  130 . The fastening member  210  is a clip having a head portion  212  and a pair of prongs  214  extending from the head portion  212 . The clip  212  is secured in the box  200  by an retaining member  240  located in an opposite side  250  of the bottom member  204  of the box. The retaining member  250  includes a passage  242  having ledges  244  arranged to engage hooked ends  216  of the prongs  214 . To secure the jewelry item  130  in the box  200 , the clip is inserted through the opening  220  until the head portion  212  is flush with the outer surface of the side  220  and the hooked ends  216  pass the ledges  244 . In order for the hooked ends  216  to engage the ledges  244 , the inner diameter of the passage  242  must be somewhat smaller than the distance between the outer edges of the hooked ends  216 .  
         [0053]     In order to remove the clip  210  so that the jewelry item  130  can be removed from the box  200 , one must insert a pin  280 , or a similar item, through a pin hole  290  in the side  250  and push the pin  290  against the head portion  212  of the clip  210  until the clip  210  is backed out of the opening  222 .  
         [0054]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a bottom member  304  of a box  300  (top member not shown) including another embodiment of a pilfer-proof arrangement. In this embodiment, the box  300  includes an retaining member comprising a pair of longitudinal ledges  392  located inside the bottom member  304  of the box and bounding a central, jewelry-accommodating channel or cavity  305  of the bottom member  304  of the box. The clip  210  is arranged such that the prongs  214  extend vertically downward from the head portion  212  into a lower space  394  of the channel or cavity  305 . The hooked ends  216  of the prongs  214  engage the ledges  392 , and the prongs  214  entrap a portion (e.g., watch strap) of the jewelry item  130 . In order for the hooked ends  216  to engage the ledges  392 , distance between the ledges  392  must be somewhat smaller than the distance between the outer edges of the hooked ends  216 . In order to remove the clip  210  so that the jewelry item  130  can be removed from the box  300 , one must insert a pin (not shown), or a similar item, through a pin hole (not shown) in the bottom side of the box and push the pin upward against the head portion  212  of the clip  210  until the clip  210  is backed out of the bottom portion  394 .  
         [0055]      FIGS. 5A-5C  shows a bottom member  504  of a box  500  (top member not shown) according to yet another embodiment. The bottom member  504  of the box  500  includes a central exterior recessed channel  505  for accommodating a watch or jewelry item. The bottom member  504  is formed from a U-shaped inner wall  509  and a U-shaped outer wall  511  that are connected to each other and spaced apart so as to define therebetween a hollow, U-shaped interior cross-section including two interior side channels  504  and  506  and an interior bottom channel  508  extending between the channels  504  and  506 . A removable false base  502  closes the bottom of the channel  508 . A fastening member  510  is disposed within the channels  506  and  508  of the box. The fastening member  510  includes a vertically-extending segment  512 , a jewelry-trapping arm  514  extending laterally from a first end of the vertically-extending segment  512  towards the center of the box, and a sliding arm  516  extending laterally from a second end of the vertically-extending segment  512 . The sliding arm  516  is laterally slidable within the side channel  506  and the bottom channel  508 . The fastening member  510  is movable between an open position and a closed position entrapping the jewelry item  130  by removing the false base  502  (which hides the sliding arm  516  from sight) and sliding the sliding arm  516  laterally towards the center of the box such that the jewelry-trapping arm passes through an opening  507  the inner wall  509  at the side channel  506  and through a closed loop (e.g., watch band) of the jewelry item  130  in the channel  505 . The fastening member  510  may be moved back to the open position by sliding the sliding arm laterally away from the center of the box.  
         [0056]     Each of the above embodiments provides arrangements which reduce the likelihood that jewelry will be stolen from display boxes while a merchant is showing the jewelry to a potential thief. Although the disclosure references specific embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, additional embodiments and variations within the scope of the invention are possible.  
         [0057]      FIG. 6A-6D  show a jewelry box  600  including a novel locking mechanism, according to another embodiment. The box  600  includes a lower tray  604  and an upper lid  602  pivotally attached to the lower tray  604 . A tray insert  604   a  is received in the lower tray  604  and includes a central recess  605  for receiving a watch  130 . The watch may be placed around a watch support  606  having a hole  607  therethrough. A pilfer-proof arrangement includes a screw  110 , a hole  622  in a first side  620  of the bottom tray  604 , an retaining member  640  received in the hole  622 , hole  607  and holes  624  and  626  in the interior side walls of the tray insert defining the central cavity  605 . The retaining member  640  includes an interior bore  642  and internal engagement arms  644  disposed in the interior bore  642 . The engagement arms  644  extend within the interior  642  and define an opening  648  between themselves. The engagement arms  644  are angled and the opening  648  is sized to engage the screw threads  112  so as to allow the screw  110  to be pushed through opening  648 , while requiring the screw  110  to be turned in order to be removed from the retaining member  640 . More specifically, due to their orientation, the engagement arms  644  are somewhat flexible in the direction of insertion of the screw  110  and substantially inflexible in the direction of removal of the screw  110 , thus allowing the screw to be pushed through the opening  648  but not pulled out of the opening  648 .  
         [0058]     To secure the watch  130  in the jewelry box, the watch  130  is placed around the support  606  and the support  606  is placed in the central recess  605  such that the hole  607  is aligned with holes  622 ,  624  and  626 . The screw  110  is then inserted into the hole  622  and thereafter pushed through opening  648  and holes  624 ,  607  and  626 . The arms  644  of the retaining member  640  engage the threads  112  of the screw  110  so as to prevent the screw  110  from being pulled out of the box  600 . Thus, the screw is in a locked position securing the watch  130  in the box  600 . It is noted that the screw  110  is easily pushed into the locked position using a person&#39;s thumb.  
         [0059]     In order to allow the watch  130  to be removed from the box,  600 , one can turn the screw using a screwdriver to thereby remove the screw  110  from the retaining member  640  and holes  622 ,  624 ,  607 . The number of turns required to remove the screw  110  can be varied depending on how secure one wishes to make the locking of the screw, simply by changing the number of threads  112  on the screw  110 . For example the number of threads  112  can be selected to require between 3 and 10 screwdriver turns to remove the screw  110  from the box  600 . The engagement arms  644  are angled and the opening  648  is sized such that the screw  110  cannot be removed from the box  600  by pulling action, either by hand or tool. The screw  110  must be turned in order to be removed. Furthermore, the opening  622  may be recessed in the side wall  620  to allow the head  114  of the screw to be recessed into the side wall  620 , so as to prevent the screw  110  from being turned by a person&#39;s fingers.  
         [0060]     Although the embodiment of  FIGS. 6A-6D  are shown and described with respect to a watch being secured in the jewelry box  600 , other jewelry items such as rings or bracelets may be secured in the box  600 . Additionally, the watch support  606  may be eliminated and the screw  110  may simply pass through the band of the watch/jewelry item in the recess  605 . It is also noted that, although the retaining member  640  is shown provided in the side of the tray  604  which is the side of initial entry for the screw  110 , the retaining member may alternately be provided in the opposite side  650  of the tray  604 .  
         [0061]     Each of the above embodiments provides arrangements which reduce the likelihood that jewelry will be stolen from display boxes while a merchant is showing the jewelry to a potential thief. Although the disclosure references specific embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, additional embodiments and variations within the scope of the invention are possible.