Abstract:
A locking hook assembly is provided for securely displaying merchandise on a vertical support. The locking hook assembly generally comprises a mounting bracket structured for connection to the vertical support. A hook of generally circular cross-section has an inner end fixed to the mounting bracket and projects outwardly therefrom to an outer end. The hook&#39;s outer end has a reduced diameter portion of generally semi-circular cross-section, and the reduced diameter portion includes a notch. To prevent removal of merchandise at the outer end, a lock has a semi-circular opening shaped to receive the reduced diameter portion and selectively engage the notch.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to wire hangers or hooks for displaying merchandise, and more particularly relates to hooks which can be locked to secure merchandise displayed on the hook. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many types of merchandise are packaged and sold in containers hanging on display hooks at stores such as supermarkets, department stores, retail stores, etc. In many stores, pegboard is used in conjunction with the projecting arm or hook to support a series of such merchandise. These types of display hooks are provided with one or more rods or bars capable of hanging merchandise by inserting the free end of the hook through holes punched in the merchandise container. The containers, therefore, can easily be removed from the hooks by simply pulling the container off the end of the bar. Accordingly, conventional display hooks have a shortcoming in that shoplifting is easily conducted. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a lock and hook assembly for securely displaying merchandise on a vertical support. The lock and hook assembly comprises a mounting bracket structured for connection to the vertical support. A hook of generally circular cross-section has an inner end fixed to the mounting bracket and projects outwardly therefrom to an outer end. The hook&#39;s outer end has a reduced diameter portion of generally semi-circular cross-section, and the reduced diameter portion includes a notch. To prevent removal of merchandise at the outer end, a lock has a semi-circular opening shaped to receive the reduced diameter portion and selectively engage the notch. 
     Preferably, the lock and hook assembly further includes a screw and anchor, wherein the mounting bracket includes a hole sized to receive the screw. The screw and anchor cooperate to clamp the mounting bracket to the vertical support. Also, the reduced diameter portion of the hook may further include a second notch to be engaged by the lock. Preferably, the second notch is radially spaced from the notch by 90° and is smaller than the notch. Most preferably, the first notch is upwardly opening, and the second notch is laterally opening. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an axial facing stop surface is formed where the hook portion of circular cross-section meets the reduced diameter hook portion of semi-circular cross-section. The stop surface limits the inward movement of the lock, while the semi-circular shape of the reduced diameter portion cooperates with the semi-circular opening in the lock to radially position the lock on the hook. These features allow the lock to be reliably positioned on the hook to secure the merchandise thereon and prevent pilfering. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, the hook of the lock and hook assembly may comprise a stem hook or a scanning hook. The scanning hook typically includes an upper arm and a lower arm. According to the present invention, the lower arm includes the reduced diameter portion of generally semi-circular cross-section and having the first notch. 
     Other objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a locking hook assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the locking hook assembly of FIG. 1 mounted to a vertical support; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the locking hook assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the locking hook assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the portion of the locking hook assembly denoted by line  5  in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the portion of the locking hook assembly denoted by line  6  in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is an end view of the locking hook assembly denoted by lien  7  in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the locking hook assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the locking hook assembly of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the locking hook assembly of FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a locking hook assembly  20  constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The locking hook assembly  20  generally comprises a hook  30  supported at one end by a mounting bracket  60 , the other end adapted to receive a lock  90  to prevent pilfering and unauthorized removal of merchandise from the hook  30 . As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the mounting bracket  60  is constructed to be mounted to a pegboard  15  which supports the locking hook assembly  20  in a display position. The mounting bracket  60  may be constructed to mount to any known vertical support such as slatwall, crossbars, vertical tubes, channels, as is well known in the art. 
     The inner end  32  of the hook  30  is downwardly turned, angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the hook  30 , and is adapted to be fixed to the mounting bracket  60 . In the preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket  60  includes a pair of bosses  62  suitable for welding the downwardly turned end  33  of the hook  30  to the mounting bracket  60 . The mounting bracket  60  includes a pair of ears  61  for mounting the locking hook assembly  20  to the pegboard  15 . The mounting bracket  60  also preferably includes a slot  63  sized to receive a screw  64 . The screw  64  cooperates with an anchor  65  to mount the bracket to the pegboard or vertical support  15 , as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate side and bottom views, respectively, of the locking hook assembly  20  without the lock  90 . In the preferred embodiment, the hook  30  is of a generally circular cross-section, and defines a longitudinal axis between the inner end  32  and the outer end  31 . The inward end  32  includes a turned portion  33  fixed to the mounting bracket  60  for attachment to a vertical support. The outer end  31  is constructed to receive the lock  90  (FIG. 2) to prevent pilfering. The reduced diameter portion  40  is defined by a cut-away section  41  which leaves an axial facing stop surface  42  to limit the inward movement of the lock. The reduced diameter portion  40  further includes a first notch  50  which the lock can selectively engage to secure the hook  30 . Most preferably, the reduced diameter portion  40  further includes a second notch  51 . In the illustrated embodiment, the second notch  51  is radially spaced from the first notch  50  by 90°, wherein the first notch  50  is upwardly opening and the second notch  51  is laterally opening. The cut-away section  41  further defines a flat outer surface  43  (FIG.  4 ). The flat outer surface  43  meets the semi-annular outer surface  44  to define the outer surface of the free end  40 . 
     FIGS. 5,  6  and  7  illustrate detailed views of the free or outer end  40  of the display hook  30 . The view of FIG. 5 is indicated by line  5 — 5  in FIG. 3, while the view of FIG. 6 is indicated by the line  6 — 6  in FIG.  4 . FIG. 7 represents an end view as indicated by line  7 — 7  in FIG.  5 . The reduced diameter portion  40  includes cut-away section  41  defining an axially facing stop surface  42  and flat surface  43 . The reduced diameter portion  40  includes a first notch  50  and a second notch  51 . The first notch  50  includes an angled guide surface  52  on the inward end of the notch  50  and an axially facing stop surface  54  at the outer end of the notch  50 . The second notch  51  includes an angled guide surface  53  at the inward end and an axially facing stop surface  55  at the outer end of the notch  51 . Generally, the second notch  51  is generally smaller than the first notch  50 , and is radially spaced 90° therefrom. The axially facing stop surfaces  54 ,  55  are both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hook  30 . Preferably, the angled guide surface  52  of the first notch  50  is disposed at a 30° angle relative to the longitudinal axis. Preferably, the angled guide surface  53  of the second notch  51  is disposed at a 15° angle relative to the longitudinal axis. Where the main portion of the hook  30  and the reduced diameter portion  40  meet defines an axially facing stop surface  42  for limiting the inward movement of the lock  90 . 
     FIG. 7 shows an end view of the hook  30  and its reduced diameter portion  40 . The cut-away section  41  reveals a flat surface  43  and an axially facing stop surface  42 . The first notch  50  is positioned opposite the cut-away section  41 . The second notch  51  is radially spaced from the first notch  50  by 90°. Therefore, the axially facing stop surfaces  54 ,  55  of the first and second notches  50 ,  51  independently interact with the lock  90  to securely affix the lock  90  to the hook  30 . Furthermore, the reduced diameter portion  40  generally includes a semi-circular cross-section, while the main portion of the hook  30  maintains a generally circular cross-section. Where the generally semi-circular cross-section of the reduced diameter portion  40  meets the generally circular cross-section of the hook  30 , defines the axially facing stop surface  42 . The shape of the reduced diameter portion  40  restricts the rotational movement of the lock  90  on the hook  30 , and locates the lock  90  at a specific radial position, determined by the cut-away section  41  and the notches  50 ,  51 . 
     FIGS. 8,  9  and  10  illustrate another embodiment of the locking hook assembly  120  constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The locking hook assembly  120  generally includes a hook  130 , a mounting bracket  160 , and a lock  190 . The mounting bracket  160  is the same as the mounting bracket  60  depicted in FIG. 1, and is adapted to be securely mounted to a vertical support such as a pegboard via the pair of the ears  161 . Further, the screw  164  and anchor  165  cooperate to clamp the mounting bracket  160  to the vertical support via the slots  163  in the mounting bracket  160 . The lock  190  includes a bore  191  sized to correspond with the reduced diameter portion  140  of the hook  130 . The lock  190  is selectively operated via a key, although a combination mechanism or other type of lock mechanism may be used. 
     Unlike the stem hook  30  of FIGS. 1 and 2, the hook  130  of the present embodiment is a scanning hook generally comprising an upper arm  131 , a lower arm  132 , and a connector  133  joining the inner ends of the upper and lower arms  131 ,  132 . The connector  133  is fixed to, preferably by welding, the mounting bracket  160 . The upper arm  131  includes an outer turned end  134  for receiving labels or label holders displaying a label to quickly show various information regarding the merchandise. The lower arm  132  includes an outer or free end  135  having the reduced diameter portion  140 . As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lower arm  132  and its reduced diameter portion  140  are constructed similarly to the hook  30  and its reduced diameter portion  40  depicted in FIGS. 1 through 7. It can therefore be seen that the present invention may be employed with a variety of types of display hooks, as taught by the stem and scanning hooks depicted herein. 
     The foregoing description of various preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.