Patent Publication Number: US-10315819-B2

Title: Tool display device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tool display device, and more particularly, to an anti-theft tool display device. 
     2. Descriptions of Related Art 
     The conventional tool display device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,181,780 and comprises at least one socket having a shaft with at least one socket groove extending about at least a portion of the shaft radially beyond the shaft. A plurality of posts extend from a base, and each of said posts is connected to respective sockets and has a round cross-section and at least one arm outwardly extends from the base and a radially disposed bead cantileveredly connected thereto. The bead contacts the shaft of a first socket of the at least one socket when placed thereon and then resiliently extending into the socket groove radially beyond the shaft with the bead extending into and cooperating with the socket groove. 
     However, this disclosure only provide a storage feature and does not have anti-theft feature. 
     Another similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,555 which discloses a structure of a suspension device and comprises a suspension board having an upper portion formed with a horizontal elongated slot. The suspension board has a bottom edge having a connection plate which is connected to a plate edge of a U-shaped fixing element. The U-shaped fixing element has two lateral sides each provided with a position body configured to engage with a recess of an article. 
     It is noted that the fixing element is a U-shaped and a square element, when a workpiece is connected to the fixing member, the workpiece cannot be pivoted relative to the fixing element, such that the markings, brand-name, specifications or the like on the workpiece cannot be faced toward a fixed direction. Besides, when multiple workpieces are connected to a tool rack, the brand-name cannot be located in an organized manner. 
     The present invention intends to provide a tool display device which eliminates the shortcomings mentioned above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a tool display device and comprises a body having a top portion for being hanged on a wall. A mediate portion is connected to the top portion and includes a first face. A bottom portion is connected to the meditate portion and has a cylindrical connection portion. A slot is defined through the connection portion and includes an inclined section which extends from the mediate portion and extends an angle relative to the axis of the connection portion. A horizontal section extends from the lower end of the inclined section. An opening is defined in the top of the connection portion and communicates with the slot. The slot divides the connection portion into a left part and a right part. The right part has a protrusion extending from an outside thereof. A flange extends from each of the left part and the right part. A restriction member is connected between the mediate portion and the right part. 
     A socket is mounted to the connection portion which resiliently urges the socket. The restriction member has to be cut to squeeze the left and right part to remove the socket from the connection portion. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view to show the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows that a socket is rotatably mounted to the connection portion of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows that the restriction member is cut; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view to show the second embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view to show the third embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the third embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view to show the fourth embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view to show that multiple the fourth embodiments of the tool display device of the present invention are connected to a rack; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view to show the fifth embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view to show the sixth embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view to show the sixth embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view to show the seventh embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a top view to show the seventh embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention, and 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view to show the eighth embodiment of the tool display device of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the tool display device of the present invention comprises a body  10  having a top portion  100 , a mediate portion  101  and a bottom portion  102 . The top portion  100  is a display member  123  which includes a hole  122  so as to hand the tool display device on a wall. The mediate portion  101  has a first face  11 . The bottom portion  102  is a cylindrical connection portion  13  which has a slot  14  defined therethrough. The slot  14  has an inclined section  141  which has two opposite walls  1410 / 1411  extending from the mediate portion  101  and the two opposite walls  1410 / 1411  of the inclined section  141  respectively extending a first angle relative to the axis L 1  of the connection portion  13 . A horizontal section  142  with two opposite walls  1420 / 1421  horizontally extends from the lower end of the inclined section  141  and is located close to the distal end of the connection portion  13 . An opening  144  is defined in the top of the connection portion  13  and communicates with the slot  14 . The width of the slot  14  increases from the lower end thereof toward the opening  144 . The slot  14  divides the connection portion  13  into a left part  132  and a right part  131 , wherein the distal end of the connection member  13  is separated by the slot  14 . The right part  131  has a protrusion  15  with a longitudinal line L 2  curvedly extending from the outside thereof, and the protrusion  15  has a curved and convex outer surface. The top end  150  of the protrusion  15  curvedly extending relative to the axis L 1  of the cylindrical connection portion  13 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the connection portion  13  has a center  133  which is located corresponding to a peripheral arc  134  as shown, and an angle  151  is defined between two imaginary lines that pass through two ends of the protrusion  15  and the center  133  of the connection portion  13 . The angle  151  is in a range between 30 to 150 degrees, preferably, between 80 to 100 degrees, or between 50 to 120 degrees. 
     A flange  16 / 160  extends horizontally from the top of each of the left part  132  and the right part  131 , and the two flanges  16 ,  160  share a common horizontal plane. A restriction member  17  is connected between the mediate portion  101  and the right part  131 . The thickness of the restriction member  17  is smaller that of the mediate portion  101 . Two V-shaped notches  171  are defined in the outside of the restriction member  17 . The display member  123 , the first face  11 , the connection portion  13 , the protrusion  15 , the flanges  16 ,  160  and the restriction member  17  are an integral piece and made by plastic or rubber. 
     The display member  123  is a board  12  which has a second face  121 . The direction that the second face  121  faces and the direction that the first face  11  faces are the same. Besides, the direction that the slot  14  is formed through the connection portion  13  and the direction that the first face  11  faces are perpendicular to each other. The brand name, the specifications of the socket or other information are located corresponding to the second face  121 , this makes the sockets  20  and the boards  12  look organized. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the socket  20  is forced to be mounted to the connection portion  13 , and the socket  20  is rotatable relative to the connection portion  13 . The top of the socket  20  contacts the flanges  16 ,  160 , and the protrusion  15  urges the inside of the socket  20 . The restriction member  17  is exposed beyond the top of the socket  20  and is restricted by the first face  11 , so that the socket  20  cannot be removed from the connection portion  13 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when removing the socket  20  from the connection portion  13 , the restriction member  17  is cut from the notches  171 , so that the right part  131  is allowed to be moved toward the left part  132 , so that the protrusion  15  is moved inward and away from an engaging slot in the inside of the socket  20 . The socket  20  can be removed from the connection portion  13 . After the restriction member  17  is cut, the connection portion  13  is still connected with the display member  123 , and the protrusion  15  is still able to be engaged with the engaging slot in the inside of the socket  20 , so that the socket  20  may still be connected to the connection portion  13  when needed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the connection portion  13  has an axial recess  135  defined axially in the underside thereof so that the connection portion  13  is a hollow portion and includes a thin wall to reduce weight and cost. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  show that the direction that the slot  14  is formed through the connection portion  13  is parallel to the first face  11 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the display member  123  has a T-shaped first rail  18 , and a rack  30  has a T-shaped second rail  31  with which the first rail  31  is slidably engaged. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the rack  30  has a Y-shaped second rail  31 , and the T-shaped first rail  18  is slidably engaged with the second rail  31 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the slot  14  has a recessed area  145  defined in one of two insides thereof, and the restriction member  17  is perpendicularly connected to the top of the flange  16 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the slot  14  has a rib  143  formed axially therein, and two ends of the rib  143  are respectively connected to the mediate portion  101  and the lower end of the slot  14 . 
       FIG. 16  shows that multiple bodies  10  are connected to the rack  30  by the first rails  18  and the second rail  31 . 
     The advantages of the present invention are that the cross section of the connection portion  13  is a circular area so that the socket  20  can be rotatable relative to the connection portion  13 . The brand name, the specifications of the socket or other information are located corresponding to the second face  121 , this makes the sockets  20  and the boards  12  look organized. 
     When multiple bodies  10  are connected to the rack  30 , because the sockets  20  can be rotated, so that all of the brand name, the specifications of the socket or other information are arranged to face the same direction. 
     The restriction member  17  is exposed beyond the top of the socket  20  and is restricted by the first face  11 , so that the socket  20  cannot be removed from the connection portion  13 . 
     The flange  16  are exposed beyond the socket  20  so that when pushing the flange  16  downward, the protrusion  15  is moved inward to easily remove the socket  20  from the connection portion  13 . 
     The restriction member  17  is cut to allow the protrusion  15  to be moved inward to assist the removal of the socket  20  from the connection portion  13 . 
     The present invention can be re-used because after the restriction member  17  is cut, the connection portion  13  is still connected with the display member  123 , and the protrusion  15  is still able to be engaged with the engaging slot in the inside of the socket  20 , so that the socket  20  may still be connected to the connection portion  13  when needed. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.