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 claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 60/656,400, filed Feb. 28, 2005 and entitled PILFER-PROOF ATTACHMENTS FOR WATCH AND JEWELRY BOXES. 
     
    
     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 anchor 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 anchor member disposed in the bottom member, said anchor 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]     Additional features and advantages will become apparent from the following description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1A  is a partially exploded perspective view of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to one embodiment.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0018]      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.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2B  is a partial cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of  FIG. 2A .  
         [0020]      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.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3B  is a partial cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of  FIG. 3A .  
         [0022]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a ring box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to one embodiment.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4B  is a side view of the ring box of  FIG. 4A .  
         [0024]      FIG. 5A  is perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the jewelry box of  FIG. 5A , wherein the pilfer-proof arrangement is in an open position.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5C  is a perspective view of the jewelry box of  FIG. 5A , wherein the pilfer-proof arrangement is in a closed position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]     According to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1A and 11B , 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 anchor 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 anchor 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.  
         [0028]     The screw  110  may be inserted into the anchor 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 .  
         [0029]     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.  
         [0030]      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 anchor 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 anchor member  140  may be reversed such that the hole  422  is located on the front side  470  and the anchor member  140  is located on the back side  460 .  
         [0031]      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 anchor member  240  located in an opposite side  250  of the bottom member  204  of the box. The anchor 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 .  
         [0032]     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 .  
         [0033]      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 anchor 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 .  
         [0034]      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.  
         [0035]     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.