Patent Publication Number: US-7708153-B2

Title: Merchandise display hook

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/800,346 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,678, filed Mar. 12, 2004, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/493,211 filed Aug. 6, 2003; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   The present invention relates generally to merchandise display hooks that support items of merchandise for review by potential customers. These display hooks are designed to be cantilevered from a support structure such as a display board or a display rack. More particularly, the present invention relates to such display hooks that either prevent the rapid removal of items of merchandise from the display hooks or prevent removal of items of merchandise while the display hook is locked. The invention also relates to a display hook that may be locked to the support structure to prevent the removal of the display hook from the support structure while also preventing the removal of merchandise from the hook or preventing the rapid removal of the merchandise from the hook. 
   2. Background Information 
   Items of merchandise are commonly displayed for sale on long protruding rods supported from a support structure in the nature of a peg board, a slat board, or a wire rack. These protruding rods are commonly referred to in the art as display hooks, peg board hooks, or slat board hooks. Similar rods may also protrude from a wire display rack for the same purpose. Usually, the items of merchandise are relatively small but expensive, such as batteries, small tools, cosmetic products, or health care products. Such merchandise is an easy target for shoplifters because they can rapidly remove all the items from a display hook and leave the store without being detected. Alternately, the shoplifter can remove the entire display hook with the merchandise and leave the store. Therefore, it is desired in the art to provide display hooks that prevent both the removal of the display hooks from the support structure, the rapid removal of items of merchandise from the display hooks, or a combination of both features. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one embodiment, the invention provides a lockable display hook wherein a lock member interacts directly with the rod of the display hook without requiring notches or grooves to be formed in the rod of the display hook. The lock member prevents the display hook from being removed from its support structure until a key is used to move the lock member to an unlocked position. 
   In one embodiment, the invention provides a magnetically actuatable locking mechanism that interacts directly with the rod of the display hook. 
   A different embodiment of the invention provides an end assembly for the display hook that limits product sweeping wherein the entire contents of the display hook may not be swept rapidly from the display hook by a shoplifter. 
   In one embodiment, the invention provides an end assembly that limits product sweeping while allowing quick product loading. 
   In another embodiment, the invention provides an end assembly that accepts product identification and/or price tags. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a first embodiment of the merchandise display hook of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevation view of the base assembly. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the second lock member. 
       FIG. 4  is a side sectional view showing the base assembly in an unlocked position with the lock in the locked position. 
       FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  showing the base assembly in the locked position. 
       FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  showing the lock in the unlocked position. 
       FIG. 7  is a section view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 6  showing the base assembly moved to the unlocked position with the lock in the unlocked position. 
       FIG. 9  is a side elevation view similar to  FIG. 1  of a second embodiment of the merchandise display hook of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a section view of the base assembly of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is a side elevation view of a third embodiment of the merchandise display hook of the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a sectional side view of the end assembly shown in  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 13  is a view similar to  FIG. 12  showing the end assembly moved to a loading position. 
       FIG. 14  is a section view of the end assembly in the anti-sweeping position with the lock unlocked. 
       FIG. 15  is a view similar to  FIG. 14  with the lock unlocked and the end assembly moved to the loading position. 
       FIG. 16  is a side elevation view of a merchandise display hook having an alternative version of the end assembly wherein a product identification and/or price tag may be attached to the end assembly. 
       FIG. 17  is an exploded perspective view of the end assembly and tag. 
       FIG. 18  is a left side elevation view of the end assembly. 
       FIG. 19  is a top plan view of the end assembly. 
       FIG. 20  is a top plan view of the tag. 
       FIG. 21  is a rear elevation view of the tag. 
       FIG. 22  is a side elevation view of the tag. 
       FIGS. 23-31  show the steps of connecting the tag with the end assembly wherein the tag is pivoted onto the cross bar. 
       FIG. 27  is a section view taken along line  27 - 27  of  FIG. 26 . 
       FIG. 29  is a section view taken along line  29 - 29  of  FIG. 28 . 
       FIG. 30  is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of  FIG. 29 . 
       FIG. 31  is a section view taken along line  31 - 31  of  FIG. 29 . 
   

   Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   One embodiment of the merchandise display hook of the present invention is indicated generally by the numeral  10  in the accompanying drawings. Another embodiment of the display hook of the invention is indicated generally by the numeral  100 . Display hooks  10  and  100  are used with a support structure  12  to support items  14  of merchandise for display in a retail environment. Support structure  12  may be any of a variety of support structures used with display hooks  10  and  100  such as peg boards or slat boards, racks, shelves, and the like. Display hooks  10  and  100  are configured to be locked to support structure  12  so that a shoplifter may not simply remove the entire display hook  10  or  100  along with all of the merchandise carried by hook  10  or  100 . Display hook  10  or  100  may also be configured to prevent sweeping which is a term of art used to describe a shoplifter&#39;s action of rapidly removing all of the merchandise displayed on a display hook with a quick sweeping action. 
   Display hook  10  generally includes a base assembly  20  that locks hook  10  to support structure  12 , a rod assembly  22  that supports items  14 , and optionally, an end assembly  24  configured to limit merchandise sweeping. Rod assembly  22  includes an inner end and an outer end with the inner end being disposed adjacent support structure  12  when hook  10  is installed. The outer end of rod assembly  22  is where items  14  are removed from hook  10 . In two of the exemplary embodiments ( FIGS. 1 and 9 ), end assembly  24  is in the form of curved rod sections that slow the removal of items  14  from rod assembly  22 . In this embodiment, end assembly  24  includes a curve or bend  32  that prevents sweeping by forcing the person removing item  14  to carefully manipulate item  14  around curve  32 . End assembly  24  may also include an upwardly extending hook  34  that forces each item  14  to be turned more than 90 degrees from its display position in order to remove item  14 . In another embodiment ( FIG. 11 ), end assembly  24  is in the form of a body that resiliently engages the end of rod assembly  22 . The  FIG. 11  embodiment of end assembly  24  may be moved to a loading and unloading position when unlocked with a key. 
   In the embodiments of the invention depicted in the drawings and used to provide examples of the invention, rod assembly  22  also functions to connect hook  10  to support structure  12  with a pair of hooks  26 . In other embodiments of the invention, hooks  26  may be separated from rod assembly  22 . Hooks  26  may be provided in any of a variety of configurations as required by support structure  12 . 
   Rod assembly  22  may be provided in a single rod configuration or a double rod configuration. When provided in a double rod configuration, rod assembly  22  includes an upper rod  28  and a lower rod  30  that each extend outwardly from support structure  12 . Upper rod  28  cooperates with the lock of hook  10  or  100  to lock hook  10  or  100  to support structure  12 . Upper rod  28  may be used to support end assembly  24  ( FIG. 11 ) or may be used to support product information such as the identification of items  14  or the price of items  14  (element  29  in  FIG. 9 ). Upper rod  28  may also be used to support items  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . When provided, lower rod  30  carries items  14  and has a length adapted to allow rod  30  to hold a plurality of items  14 . Rods  28  and  30  are typically fabricated from a metal material but may also be fabricated from a variety of other rigid materials such as any variety of suitable plastics. 
   Base assembly  20  selectively secures display hook  10  to display support structure  12  in a manner that prevents display hook  10  from being removed from support structure  12  without the use of a specific key  40 . As used in this application, the term “locking” is different than a simple “latched” connection. A “latched” connection may be unlatched without the use of a special key while a “locked” connection requires a special key in order to limit the unlocking capability to those who posses a key. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, key  40  includes a first magnet  42  or a plurality of magnets  42 . In another embodiment, key  40  may mechanically interact with the lock mechanism. 
   Base assembly  20  also includes a lock  44  that secures base assembly  20  directly to rod assembly  22 . Lock  44  is pivotally carried by the body  46  of base assembly  20  in a manner that allows lock  44  to move between locked and unlocked positions. The unlocked position of lock  44  allows base assembly  20  to be slid back and forth along rod assembly  22  with the locked position of lock  44  holding the position of base assembly  20  with respect to rod assembly  22 . 
   Lock  44  includes a first lock member  50  and a second lock member  52 . Second lock member  52  is movable between locked and unlocked positions by using key  40  which may use magnetic force. The locked position of second lock member  52  holds the position of first lock member  50  while the unlocked position of second lock member  52  allows first lock member  50  to pivot with respect to body  46 . Second lock member  52  may be in the form of a biased lock finger that extends from a lock frame  54  that supports second lock member  52  from body  46 . The biased finger may be a thin, metallic finger that can be pivoted to an unlocked position with magnetic force. The lock finger may also be pivoted by mechanically pulling upwardly on the finger. Lock frame  54  may be pinched between an inner body member  60  and an outer body member  62  of body  46 . Hook  10  may be configured to function without second lock member  52  when a holding force is not necessary to hold first lock member  50  in the locked position. 
   First lock member  50  includes first  64  and second  66  lock member legs that connect to each other at an angle that is greater than 45° and less than 135°. First lock member  50  is carried by rod assembly  22  and is movable between locked and unlocked positions. Pivot arms  68  extend from either side of first lock member  50  adjacent the location where lock member legs  64  and  66  join together. Body  46  engages arms  68  to force lock member  50  into the locked position when body  46  is pulled in a direction from the inner end of rod  28  toward the outer end of rod  28  without first unlocking lock  44 . In one embodiment of the invention, pivot arms  68  extend into openings defined by body  46  and support first lock member  50  in a pivoting condition wherein first lock member  50  may pivot between locked and unlocked positions. 
   Second lock member leg  66  defines an opening  70  that is slightly larger than the exterior diameter of upper rod  28 . Opening  70  allows second lock member leg  66  and thus base assembly  20  to slide along upper rod  28  when lock  44  is in the unlocked position. Opening  70  is sized to frictionally engage upper rod  28  when lock  44  is in the locked position to prevent base assembly  20  from moving in a direction from the inner end of rod  28  toward the outer end of rod  28 . Leg  66  and opening  70  may be configured to allow base assembly  20  to move back towards the inner end of rod  28  without use of key  40 . 
   Second lock member leg  66  is thin compared to the diameter of upper rod  28  (the thickness of leg  66  is less than half of the diameter) with opening  70  being slightly larger than the diameter of upper rod  28  so that locking teeth and notches are not required to be formed in upper rod  28 . The frictional and wedging engagement of second lock member leg  66  with upper rod  28  securely locks base assembly  20  in place without the need for such lock teeth or notches. Opening  70  may be generally oval-shaped or include a pair of semi-circular end portions connected by a straight portion. Each of the semi-circular end portions has a diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of rod  28 . 
   In operation, first lock member  50  is held in the locked position by second lock member  52 . In order to unlock display hook  10 , the user moves key  40  into the proper position causing second lock member  52  to pivot upwardly and out of engagement with first lock member  50 . When key  40  is magnetic, the magnetic force of key  40  may also pull first lock member leg  64  upwardly causing second lock member leg  66  to pivot with respect to upper rod  28  such that opening  70  becomes aligned with rod  28  to allow base assembly  20  to slide with respect to upper rod  28 . 
   As noted above, body  46  includes inner body member  60  and outer body member  62 . In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, inner body member  60  is fabricated from a metal while outer body member  62  is fabricated from a plastic. Body members  60  and  62  cooperate to hold lock  44  in position as well as securely holding rod assembly  22  in position. As such, outer body member  62  includes a barrel  72  that frictionally or snugly engages upper rod  28 . First lock member leg  64  is disposed above barrel  72  with second lock member leg  66  disposed behind barrel  72 . The outer surface of inner body member  60  snugly engages the inner surface of outer body member  62  so that a tight fit is formed between the two members. Outer body member  62  defines an opening  76  adapted to receive a screw  78  that holds body members  60  and  62  together to trap lock  44  in place. Inner body member  60  provides strength and rigidity to base assembly  20  and prevents the destruction of base assembly  20  if a shoplifter were to grab the end of rod assembly  22  and twist, pull upwardly, sideways, or downwardly in an attempt to break base assembly  20 . 
   As described above, end assembly  24  may include a body  110  designed to lock to upper rod  28  in an anti-sweeping position. This version of end assembly  24  is depicted in  FIGS. 11-15 . A lock  44  similar to the lock described above is used to lock the position of body  110  with respect to upper rod  28 . Lock  44  works in the same manner described above with respect to base assembly  20 . When lock  44  is in locked position and end assembly  24  is in the anti-sweeping position shown in  FIGS. 11 ,  12 , and  14 , end assembly  24  includes a biased member  112  that surrounds the outer end of lower rod  30  to prevent items  14  from being swept from lower rod  30 . In this embodiment, biased element  112  includes a cup  114  that receives the outer end of lower rod  30 . A spring  116  is used to bias cup  114  in the anti-sweeping position. A customer may remove item  14  as depicted in  FIG. 13  by pressing item  14  against cup  114  to compress spring  116 . The user then lowers item  14  away from end assembly  24  and purchases item  14 . 
   The outer end of upper rod  28  may be bent as indicated at numeral  120 . Bend  120  functions as a stop for end assembly so that the user does not pull end assembly  24  off of upper rod  28  when moving end assembly  24  to the loading position depicted in  FIG. 15 . Bend  120  contacts body  110  to stop the movement of end assembly  24  before rod  28  passes entirely out of lock  44 . The loading position of end assembly  24  depicted in  FIG. 15  allows a clerk loading merchandise  14  onto lower rod  30  to quickly and easily load items  14  without forcing the clerk to load items  14  one at a time. 
   Bend  120  may also be used to prevent end assembly  24  from rotating with respect to upper rod  28 . Portions of body  110  are disposed on either side of bend  120  to limit the rotation of body  110  with respect to rod  28 . 
   An alternative end assembly  24  is shown in  FIGS. 16-31  wherein a merchandise identification or merchandise price tag  200  may be mounted to the outer end of end assembly  24  on a mount  202 . Mount  202  includes a base bar  204  that extends outwardly from the outer end of end assembly  24 . Mount  202  also includes a cross bar  206  that is connected to the outer end of base bar  204  and is disposed substantially perpendicular to base bar  204 . Base bar  204  is connected to the center of cross bar  206  such that cross bar  206  extends equal distances from each side of base bar  204 . 
   Base bar  204  and cross bar  206  are configured to interact with a pair of flanges  210  that project from the rear of tag  200  to hold tag  200  in place on end assembly  24 . Flanges  210  cooperate to define a channel  212  sized to receive cross bar  206 . Flanges  210  may be sized to resiliently clamp against cross bar  206 . 
   Ribs  214  project towards each other from flanges  210  to further close channel  212 . The inner ends  216  of ribs  214  are grouped together to define an opening  218 . Opening  218  is used to snap tag  200  onto support  202  as shown in  FIGS. 23-31 . The ends of cross bar  206  may be rounded to help open flanges  210  and ribs  214  when cross bar  206  is being forced through opening  218  into channel  212 . Once bar  206  is snapped into channel  212 , the user slides tag  200  along bar  206  until base bar  204  snaps in between ends  216  as shown in  FIGS. 26-29 . 
   In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
   Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.