Patent Publication Number: US-8537012-B2

Title: Display assembly with cable stop

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/245,038 filed Sep. 23, 2009; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates generally to display stands for merchandise. More particularly, the invention relates to a display stand which allows the handling of an item of merchandise. Specifically, the invention relates to a display stand that tethers an item of merchandise to the display stand with a tether that will sound an alarm if the tether is cut. 
     2. Background Information 
     Retail stores have a difficult time protecting boxes containing various merchandise and other similarly structured packages, or protecting such containers from being opened and the contents thereof being removed without authorization from store personnel or from being damaged while on display. Consumers often want to visually inspect the packaged expensive articles before deciding to purchase them. The store is faced with the problem of how to protect these expensive articles from theft while displaying them for sale. 
     One method used to protect these packages and the articles contained therein is to enclose the article within a transparent glass display case which can only be accessed by an authorized clerk. The consumer can view the article through the glass but is not able to handle the article or read any of the information about the article that may be printed on the box, unless a store clerk removes the article from the case. However, in large retail stores, the problem then arises of getting the selected merchandise to the customer after the customer wishes to purchase the same without subjecting the merchandise to theft. One manner is to maintain a supply of the boxes containing the expensive articles or merchandise close at hand for delivery to or pick-up by the customer for subsequent taking to a check-out clerk. However, this makes the boxes susceptible to theft and requires additional sales personnel. 
     Another method used by retail stores is to list the article in a catalog and require consumers to place an order from the catalog. The article is delivered from a back storage area and the consumer must simultaneously pick up and pay for the merchandise at the same location to prevent unauthorized removal from the store. The consumer has no chance to inspect the merchandise before purchasing, and if they are not satisfied they must undergo the inconvenience of returning the merchandise for a refund. 
     Some locking devices have adequately solved this problem of securing packages or objects in a closed condition while being displayed in retail stores or shipped from one location to another. Some of these devices include a wire which wraps around an article and is secured by some type of locking mechanism. Cable wrap security devices may require a special tool to operate the latch mechanism, both for tightening the cable about the object to be protected and to retract the security cable into the device after the security device has been removed from the package. Also, some require a mechanism to enable the internal spool on which the cable is wound to be free-wheeling in order for the cable to be pulled outwardly to a larger size for placement around another package. 
     Also, these devices usually require that the cable be manually rewound onto the spool for storage once the security device has been removed from the package. This requires additional work by the retail personnel, and if the cables are not properly rewound these cables will become tangled with other cables creating a storage problem and requiring additional work for reuse and replacement on a different package. A better way of protecting merchandise may be desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One or more preferred embodiments that illustrate the best mode(s) are set forth in the drawings and in the following description. The appended claims particularly and distinctly point out and set forth the invention. 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a side view of a display assembly with a cable stop. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another side view of a display assembly with cable stop. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of a display assembly with a cable stop. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a top view of a cable stop. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of a cable stop. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cable stop. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display assembly with a cable stop. 
         FIG. 7A  illustrates an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of a cable stop in an open position. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a partial side view of a display assembly with a cable stop. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display assembly with a cable stop in closed position. 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a top view of a cable stop in a closed position. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a method associated with a display assembly with a cable stop. 
     
    
    
     Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Described herein are example methods and other embodiments associated with securely displaying consumer merchandise. Referring to  FIG. 1 , in the preferred embodiment, a display assembly  1  includes a base cover  4 , a tether  5 , a mounting member  7 , a base plate  9 , and a mounting adapter  20 . A display item  11  may be securely attached to the mounting member  7 . The display item  11  may be a consumer electronic device such as a digital camera or other electronic device. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a tether  5  is connected between the mounting member  7  allowing the mounting member  7  and display item  11  combination to be removed from the mounting adapter  20 . The other end of the tether  5  may be securely attached to a recoiler  15 . The recoiler  15  is in turn securely attached to a physical object such as a display case so that the tether  5  is not easily removed. The tether  5  allows a consumer to remove the display item  11  and mounting member  7  combination in order to view and touch the display item  11 . For example, the consumer may press buttons and explore different features of a calculator mounted to the mounting member  7  while moving the calculator in an area permitted by the tether  5 . 
     The tether  5  may provide both physical and electronic security. For example, in the preferred embodiment, physical security is provided by physically attaching one end of the tether  5  to the mounting member  7  and the other end of the tether  5  to a display case. Electrical wires in the other end of the tether  5  can be electrically connected through wire  17  to an alarm system  21  external to the display assembly  1 . 
     A sensor in the mounting member  7  may be configured to detect whether the display item  11  has been removed from the mounting member  7 . When this is detected, the sensor in combination with the tether  5  and wire  17  are configured to transmit a signal indicating this detection to the alarm system  21 . Additionally, when the tether  5  is cut, a signal may be transmitted (e.g., a loss of voltage in the tether  5 ) to the alarm indicating that the tether  5  has been cut. When the alarm system  21  detects the arrival of one of these signals, the alarm system  21  may be configured to sound alarms and/or to take other appropriate actions as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The base  3  may be formed with a round threaded portion  31 . A nut  23  may be threaded onto the threaded portion  31  to secure the base cover  4  to the base  3  as well as securing the base  3  to a display surface  13 . The base  3  may also be formed with a groove  33  and a cable opening  35 . A wire  19  may be connected to a sensor (not shown) that may be included in the mounting adaptor  20 . The wire  19  may be routed in the groove  33  in the base and through a cable opening  35 . 
     The recoiler  15  through springs or other biasing mechanisms provides a constant bias to the tether  5  that attempts to recoil the tether back into the recoiler  15 . When the tether  5  is disconnected from the mounting member  7 , the tether  5  can be recoiled back into the base  3 , through an opening  51  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) in the base plate  9 , and pulled beneath the surface  13  of a display case that the display assembly  1  is mounted to. It can be time consuming to find and re-thread the tether  5  back through the base  3  and reconnect the tether  5  to another mounting member  7  when the tether  7  has been recoiled all the way back through the base  3  and below the surface  13 . To prevent the tether  5  from recoiling below the surface  13  when the tether  5  is removed from the mounting member  7 , the base plate  9  includes a cable stop  25  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The cable stop  25  is moved to an open position as shown in  FIG. 8  when the tether  5  will not be disconnected from the mounting member  7 . The open position allows the tether  5  to recoil into the base  3  and the recoiler  15 . However, when the tether  5  needs to be disconnected from the mounting member  7 , the cable stop  25  is moved to a partially closed (e.g., blocking) position as shown in  FIG. 11 . In this position, the cable stop  25  prevents the tether  5  from being pulled past the cable stop  25 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the cable stop  25  is configured to slide within the base plate  9 . The cable stop  25  can be slid into the base plate  9  through an opening  26  in the base plate  9  as best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 10 . The cable stop  25  may be formed with an angular protrusion  57  as shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . The angular protrusion  57  will extend through an opening  45  in the base plate  9  when the cable stop  25  is slid far enough into the base plate  9 . The angular protrusion  57  may be configured to allow the cable stop  25  to be slid into the base plate  9  but not easily removed from the base plate  9 . This is because a substantially flat vertical portion of the angular protrusion  57  is blocked by a stop wall  48  as shown best in  FIG. 7A  to prevent the cable stop  25  from being pulled out of the base plate  9 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the cable stop  25  is generally planer in shape as shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . The cable stop  25  can be formed with a body portion  63 . The cable stop  25  can be formed with two adjacent planer lips  64  that are parallel to each other on opposite sides of the planer surface  61 . The lips  64  may appear as ledges of the body portion  63 . The adjacent planer lips  64  may slide in two opposite grooves  66  (see  FIGS. 9 and 10 ) or channels formed in the base plate  9 . The cable stop  25  also is formed with two stop tabs  53 . As best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 11 , the stop tabs  53  are blocked by stop ledges  54  to prevent the cable stop  25  from completely entering the opening  51 . 
     In addition to the angular protrusion  57  that ensures the cable stop  25  generally cannot be withdrawn from the base plate  9 , the cable stop  25  may include an additional protrusion  55 . This protrusion  55  can regulate how the cable stop is moved between an open (e.g., non-blocking) position and a closed position (e.g., blocking) position. For example, the cable stop  25  can be positioned in the base plate  9  so that the protrusion  55  on the cable stop extends within a first open portion  47  of the opening  45  of the base plate  9  as shown in  FIG. 8 . When the protrusion is in the first open portion  47 , the cable stop  25  is in the open position to allow the tether  5  to pass through the base plate  9 . The cable stop  25  can be slid so the protrusion  55  extends through a second open portion  49  of the opening  45  of the base plate  9  as shown in  FIG. 11 . In this position, the cable stop  25  is in the partially closed position to block the tether  5  from passing through the base plate  9 . A pair of adjacent blocking protrusions  43  (e.g., tabs) of the base plate  9  extend into the opening  45 . The protrusion  55  of the cable stop  25  is pushed under the adjacent blocking protrusions  43  of the base plate  9  when moving the protrusion  55  between the first open portion  47  and the second open portion  49 . The blocking protrusions  43  on the base plate  9  act to keep the cable stop  25  in one of the positions until a sufficient force is applied to push the protrusion  55  on the cable stop  25  under the blocking protrusions  43 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the cable stop  25  may include a linear protrusion  65  (e.g., lip) at the end of the cable stop  25  that extends below a central body portion  63  of cable stop  25  (outside the base plate  9 ) as shown in  FIGS. 5-7 . The linear protrusion  65  may assist a user in the pulling or pushing of the cable stop  25  within base plate  9 . 
     Additionally, the cable stop  25  may include one end that is a curved end  59  on the end of the cable stop  25  configured to block the tether  5  from being pulled into the base  3 . The curved end  59  may be the same shape (diameter) as the inside of the base  3 , when the cable stop  25  is not in a position to block the tether  5  as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the base plate  9  is configured with other features. For example, the base plate  9  may be configured with a center “L” tab  39  and a pair of side “L” tabs  41 . These tabs can interlock with complementary components on the mounting adapter  20  when the mounting adapter  20  is mounted on the base plate  9 . The mounting adapter  20  is therefore, changeable to allow different combinations of mounting adaptors  20  and mounting members  7  to be used with the display assembly  1 . The base plate  9  may be formed with a flat surface  37  and may be configured to receive the mounting adapter  20  with the “L” tabs  39 ,  41  formed on the flat surface  37 . The mounting adaptor  20  may include a wall  69 , a cylindrical wall  70 , a top wall  73 , and a bottom wall  75  formed to create a cavity  77 . Other combinations of walls can be configured to implement additional cavities to shape the mounting adaptor  20  so that the mounting adaptor  20  is adapted to receive the required mounting member  7 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the mounting adaptor  20  may include a bias member  58  as best shown in  FIGS. 7 and 7A . The bias member  58  is in contact with the cable stop  25  in the open (e.g., retracted) position. This contact may create a bias on the cable stop  25  to ensure that the cable stop  25  remains in the open position until enough force is applied to overcome this bias. 
     The mounting member  7  may be connected to the tether  5  with a connector  27 . The connector  27  may provide electrical connections between the mounting member  7  and the tether  5 . The connector  27  may include one or more conical connector portions  29  (see  FIG. 7 ). These portions  29  may be arranged from smallest to largest, with the largest adjacent the connector  27 . This configuration may allow the cable stop  25  to stop the tether  5  at one of these portions  29  before reaching the connector  27 . 
     Example methods may be better appreciated with reference to flow diagrams. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the illustrated methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be appreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks can occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from that shown and described. Moreover, less than all the illustrated blocks may be required to implement an example methodology. Blocks may be combined or separated into multiple components. Furthermore, additional and/or alternative methodologies can employ additional, not illustrated blocks. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates an embodiment of a method  200  associated with mounting a merchandise display apparatus. The method  200  allows the merchandise display apparatus to display a merchandise item in a way that allows a customer to pick up the merchandise item from the merchandise display apparatus. The customer may view, rotate, and explore the merchandise item to determine if the customer wants to purchase the item. The method  200  allows for a tether that is connected to a mounting member that the merchandise item is connected to be removed from the mounting member without the tether being recoiled into the base head. 
     The method  200  begins by moving a tether stop to a first position at  202 . The tether stop may be part of a base. In the first position, the tether stop may be in an open position to allow the tether to pass through the base. The method  200  passes the tether through a hole in the base, at  204 , when the tether stop is in the first position. 
     In the preferred embodiment, after the tether is passed through the hole, a connector on the tether may be connected to a mounting member. A connector attached to a tether is adapted to be attached to a mounting member. The connector is permitted to pass through the base when the tether stop is in the first position. The mounting member is movable between a mounted position in contact with the base. The mounting member can be removed from the base to facilitate viewing and handling of a consumer item securely attached to the mounting member. 
     The method  200  moves the cable stop to a second position at  206 . The second position may correspond to a blocking position. The blocking position may be a partially closed position that at least partially closes the hole in the base, however, the tether can still be recoiled into the base. The tether is recoiled back into the base at  208 . A connector attached to the tether is prevented from passing into the base when the tether stop is in the second position. 
     In another embodiment, the method moves the tether stop by sliding the tether stop between two adjacent grooves in a surface mount at one end of the base. The surface mount is adapted for receiving the merchandise mount. 
     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. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative embodiments, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. 
     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. References to “the preferred embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in the preferred embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may.