Abstract:
The invention provides removable plastic components that separate and organize merchandise protection supplies at register consoles in retail environments. The removable plastic components separate and organize the various merchandise protection devices and components utilized in any given retail establishment by providing interchangeable receptacles that can be filled at register consoles as security devices are removed from merchandise and then sealed and removed from the console for storage or transportation of the enclosed security components.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application for Patent Ser. No. 61/986,459, filed on Apr. 30, 2014, entitled “REMOVABLE PLASTIC COMPONENTS THAT SEPARATE AND ORGANIZE MERCHANDISE PROTECTION SUPPLIES,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       SEQUENCING LISTING 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Retail establishments, such as department stores, often use merchandise security devices to prevent theft. When a customer purchases merchandise, a store clerk removes the security device and usually places all components into a common receptacle, such as a cardboard box, near the register console. Merchandise protection devices at registers can, thus, be very messy and unorganized, resulting in maximum time and labor required to later organize and separate the security device components. Until now, there existed an unmet need for a better register console organization system. 
         [0005]    The new merchandise security device organizer offers an efficient and effective means for separating and organizing merchandise protection supplies. In use, the removable tube components are used to separate and organize various manufactured merchandise protection supplies. When full, a removable tube component can be removed and emptied or removed for storage and replaced by another tube component. 
         [0006]    In general, the removable tube components are slotted onto a mounting plate, which can be mounted to any vertical surface, such as the wall of a register console or in a store&#39;s receiving area. Each removable tube component has a lid to secure merchandise protection devices within. Since merchandise protection devices vary in their attachment means, a removable tube component may have a pin chamber attached thereto. Hard tags and ink tags, for example, each contain two components. 
         [0007]    The sum of these advantages unifies with the novel device for sorting and storing merchandise security devices, resulting in an invention that is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art support, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
         [0008]    These, together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty characterizing the invention, are described with particularity in the claims herewith. A more comprehensive understanding of the features, operation and uses of the invention may be gleaned from reference to the enclosed drawings and descriptive matter further illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention. 
         [0009]    The embodiments described herein are illustrative of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description and drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. It should be further understood that the phraseology and terminology applied herein merely serve the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  depict the top view of one embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer showing the tube system and the mounting plate apart from each other (not in use) and attached (in use), respectively. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates the perspective view of one embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer, showing the tube system as detached from the mounting plate. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts the top view of another embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer showing the tube system and the mounting plate set apart from each other. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A and 4B  depict the side view of one embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer showing the tube system and the mounting plate attached with the lid on and off, respectively. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    In accordance with this invention, it is now possible for merchandise protection devices to be sorted quickly at the register and stored according to their unique size and function. This replaces the former method of storing all devices in one box, which eliminates the need for sorting and, thus, maximizes employee efficiency with respect to attachment and removal of merchandise protection devices. 
         [0015]    The following example is submitted to illustrate but not to limit this invention. 
         [0016]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  collectively depict the top view of one embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer showing the tube system and the mounting plate apart from each other (not in use) and attached (in use), respectively.  FIG. 1A  shows distinctly the two primary components of the new merchandise security device organizer: the wall mount component  100  and the removable tube component  101 . The wall mount component  100  consists of a mounting plate  102 , which is attached to a vertical surface  103  on its backside and has slats  104  attached to the front side. The removable tube component  101  consists of a tube support  105  containing vertical slat slots  106  and tubes  107  attached generally perpendicularly thereto.  FIG. 1B  shows the new merchandise security device organizer components in their in-use positions. The mounting plate  102  is attached securely to the vertical surface  103 . The tube support  105  connects the tubes  107  to the wall mount component (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) by nesting its slat slots  106  over the slats  104  and resting on the mounting plate  102 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates the perspective view of one embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer, showing the tube system as detached from the mounting component. The mounting plate  201  is attached to a vertical surface  200 , such as a register console or in a store&#39;s receiving area, by three nails  202 . The means for mounting the mounting plate  201  can vary and should be selected to suit the use and location of the new merchandise security device organizer. For example, mounting can be accomplished by strong double-sided tape where it is undesirable to hammer nails into the vertical attachment surface. Attached to the front of the mounting plate  201  are slats  203 . Further shown is a series of tubes  204 , each of which has a lid  205  and is attached to a tube support  206 . Each tube support  206  has a series of slat slots  207 . In use, the tube support  206  connects the tube  204  to the mounting plate  201  by nesting the slat slots  207  over the slats  203 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  depicts the top view of another embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer showing the tube system and the mounting plate set apart from each other. Here, the mounting plate  300  has slats  301  attached to its front side and a means for attaching to a vertical surface  302  on its bask side. The removable tube component is comprised of a regular tube  303  for sorting and storing the main component of two-piece security devices and a pin chamber  304  for sorting and storing the pin component of the security device. The regular tube  303  and the pin chamber  304  each bear a lid  305  for securing the security device components within and are both connected to a common tube support  306 , which contains lid storage slots  307  and slat slots  308 . The lid storage slots  307  enable the lids  305  to rest vertically between the tubes and the mounting components when in use. The slat slots  308  enable the tube support  306  to fit over the slats  301  and rest on the mounting plate  300  when in use. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  collectively depict the side view of one embodiment of the merchandise protection device organizer showing the tube system and the mounting plate attached with the lid on and off, respectively.  FIG. 4A  shows the main body  400  of the removable tube component having a lid  401  in place on the top of the tube body, the lid being further attached to the tube body by a cord  402 , which connects to the backside of the tube body at one end and to the center of the lid at the other end. The lid  401  may be secured to the tube body  400  by any standard connection means, such as snap- or screw-on. The tube body  400  is fitted with a generally planar tube support  403 , which is attached perpendicularly to the tube body and contains rectangular slots (not shown). The tube support  403  positions and secures the tube body  400  to a vertical surface by fitting over vertical slats  404  attached to a mounting plate  404 , which attaches to the desired surface  406 , such as a cash register console or in a store&#39;s receiving area. In use, the slats  404  align with and fit into the slots of the tube support  403 , enabling the body of the tube support to rest on top of the mounting plate  405 . The tube body  400  is maintained in a generally vertical position with the assistance of the tube base  407 , which serves to seal the bottom of the tube body and spans the distance from the front of the tube body to the vertical surface  406 , providing horizontal support the tube&#39;s base. 
         [0020]      FIG. 4B  depicts the side view described in  FIG. 4A  but with the lid in the open position. Here, the lid  401  is removed from the top of the tube body  400  and set vertically into a lid slot (not shown) in the tube support  403 . This feature conveniently keeps the lid from dangling to the side of the tube and from potentially getting tangled with the cords of other lids. The lid  401  is further secured to the tube body  400  by a cord  402 , which ensures the lid is not separated (lost) from the removable tube component. 
         [0021]    As to further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum components of this invention, to include variations in technological enablement, size, dimensional relationships, and composition, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention, the use of which results in a method for conveniently sorting and storing merchandise security devices. 
         [0022]    Although the description presented heretofore contains specificities for the benefit of illustration, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but rather as illustrative examples of some of the several embodiments. Thus, the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples provided.