Abstract:
An apparatus for displaying mobile phones and other hand-held devices comprising a clamping system, a retracting system, and a positioning system. The clamping system holds a hand-held device between two parts, which are fastened together by a fitting and a security screw having a head with a slot requiring a special key. The retracting system includes a retractable tethering cable wound on a spool. The positioning system includes a male component, which anchors the tethering cable to the fitting, and a female component, which is mounted on the retracting system. The tethering cable passes through the female component of the positioning system so that when the hand-held device is retracted, the male component of the positioning system is received by the female component thus assuring proper orientation of the hand-held device on display.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a security device for display of electronic hand held items and, in particular, to a device for marketing mobile phones which allows a potential customer to hold a phone at a limited distance from a display stand while automatically retracting and correctly positioning the hand held device on the display stand after its release. 
     2. Prior Art 
     With the growth of electronic devices in general and the ability to miniaturize in particular, light weight hand held mobile phones and similar devices have become pervasive. Items, such as cell phones, and hand held computers are sold to the public in a wide range of stores. To properly market such devices, consumers need to assure themselves that they can comfortable be used and manipulated by his/her hands In other words the consumer must be free to hold the device. But by allowing a consumer to inspect the item, the retailer is subjecting themselves to substantial loss through theft and other forms of shrinkage and breakage. It is equally important for marketing of cell phones and hand held computers that they be displayed in an upright position. Various attempts have been made to make retail displays which allow manipulation of displayed items while attempting to prevent theft. 
     For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,183 issued on Sep. 21, 1993 to Leyden discloses a tethering device for use in locations such as motel rooms that allows a remote control to be used but prevents its removal from the room. A spring in combination with a spool and cable allows a user to pull a hand-held remote control from a fixed position and automatically returns a the hand-held remote control back to its original location. It is not a display device for marketing. It does not guide the displayed item after release into a desired upright display position. There is simply no mechanism for turning the hand held remote upright. 
     While there have been a number of holders for hand held telephone, hand held computers and the like, they have been for the purpose of facilitating carrying and using the device rather than for security in display and marketing. There has been no mechanism as such for securing a mobile phone on a display but rather various devices that achieve the reverse. Such devices come with a variety of quick release mechanisms. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,645 issued on May 11, 1999 to Tsay; U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,302 issued on Sep. 10, 1996 to Wang. 
     While U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,921 issued on Dec. 14, 1999 to Pfahlert and Philips discloses a lockable cradle for holding a radiotelephone for use in vehicles it is released by a radio signal. This vehicle mounted device must be of a special construction and size to mate with the security system having grooves. It is neither designed for use in display systems, with existing devices, nor with a retracting and positioning system of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention for displaying mobile phones and other hand-held devices is comprised of three major components: a clamping system, a retracting system and a positioning system. 
     The clamping system of the present invention comprises two parts which are fastened together around a fitting attached to the end of a cord. The fitting may have a hole drilled through it to allow such a fastening. A security screw or bolt holds the two parts together with a key required to turn the head of the bolt or screw. The clamping system is locked onto the fitting and cannot be removed without the proper key. The clamping system has a lip on two opposite sides which prevents a person from removing the hand held device when the clamping system is fastened to the fitting and the hand held device is within the lips of the clamping system and attaches to a cable with a device also having a positioning guide to assure proper orientation of the hand-held device on display. 
     The retracting system comprises a coil spring, a spool and a cord mounted in a common decorative housing on which the mobile phone or the like rests. One end of the coil spring connects to the spool and the other end is attached to the housing. The cord is wrapped around the spool with one end attached to the spool and the other end attached to the mobile phone. When the mobile phone is moved from the housing the spool is turned and the coil spring is placed in tension. When the phone is released, the coil spring returns the spool to its original position. 
     The present invention has a positioning system to bring the cell phone back to its desired display position. The cord attached to the spool and the telephone is made from a relatively stiff material such as braided steel wire or cable. Thus, if the cord is pulled from the display stand and the cell phone is twisted or turned, the cord will develop a counter force to return the cell phone, upon release, to the original, upright position. To guide the hand held device into the proper position, the cord has on the end that emerges from the housing a first half of a positioning system which connects to the clamping system. The positioning system comprises interlocking or complementary male and female fittings. The fitting attached to the end of the cord may be either male or female with a corresponding mating fitting mounted on the housing. The cross-section of the male-female fitting pair may be of any shape other than circular with ovoid shapes preferred and cross-sectional ovoid shapes having guiding ribs contained within the ovoid female cross-section or on the exterior of the male ovoid cross-section most preferred. A non-circular shape, such as an ovoid, along with the ribs will assure that when the male fitting enters its female counterpart, the orientation of the fitting at the end of the cord will be the same as when the fitting, clamping system, or any device held within the clamping system, was pulled. The ribs assist with the guidance of the male fitting into the female fitting and assure that the fitting will return to its intended display orientation. Thus, the security display device of the present invention meets the needs of consumers and merchants by enabling a potential purchaser to conveniently examine a hand-held item such as a cell phone, conventional phone, camera, personal organizer and the like while preventing its theft and guaranteeing its return to a suitable display position when released after examination. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a version of the cable retracting component of the present invention having a coupling to a clamping device or security claw and a security bolt to fasten the coupling to the clamping device. 
     FIG. 2 depicts a back view of a version of a clamping device or security claw of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 a  shows the lower section of a clamping device or security claw of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a reverse view of the clamping device of FIG. 2 showing the assembly of the clamping device to a connecting cable coupling having a version of a male component of the positioning fitting. 
     FIG. 4 is a back view of the fully assembled clamping device of FIG. 3 coupled to a connecting cable and secured with a security nut and bolt. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a version of a female component of the positioning fitting having ribs containing the male positioning component depicted in FIGS.  3  and  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG.  1 . shows a version of the retracting mechanism  100  of the present invention. A cord or security cable  101  is wrapped around a plastic double spool  102  having a channel  107  around which the cable  101  is wrapped and an adjacent channel  107   a  around which a constant force spring  106  is wrapped. The spool  102  is placed on an axle  110  which allows the spool  102  to rotate on its axis perpendicular to its circumference. The present invention contains a means for mounting the axle  110  to a housing plate  109 . A circular collar or ring  104  attached to one end of cable  101  is used to secure it to spool  102  while a non-circular collar  104   a,  preferably of ovoid cross-section is attached to the other end of the cable which is connected to coupling fitting  111  having male positioning component  112 . A channel  120  passes through positioning component  112  which contains cable  101 . Channel  120  has a generally circular cross-section in the general area at which cable  101  enters positioning component  112  but as it continues through, positioning component  112  has a non-circular cross-section  120   a  and altered dimensions to snugly retain non-circular collar  104   a  within channel  120  and prevent rotation of fitting  111  around cable  101 . The cable  101  is secured to the spool  102  by passing the cable  101  through an opening  103  in the spool  102  and inserting the cable  101  into a clip  105  located on the spool  102 . The clip secures to the cable so that when cable  101  is pulled ring  104  will not pass through clip  105  and will prevent any detachment of the cable  101  from the spool  102 . 
     A recoil or constant force spring  106  is connected to the spool  102  in spool channel  107   a  so as to not interfere with the cable  101  while the cable  101  is being released from or rewound onto the spool  102 . Constant force spring  106  is retained on spool  102  in channel  107   a  by means of a slot in the spool core. A length of the constant force spring  106  extends from the reel and coils around rod  122  which is connected to housing plate  109  The constant force spring  106  is arranged so that it is wound onto spool  102  as cable  101  is drawn off the spool, thus exerting a retracting force on cable  101 . The coil of constant force spring  106  is positioned between the walls of channel  107   a  of double spool  102  thereby holding spring  106  in place on rod  122 . The constant force spring  106  is arranged so that it is wound onto spool  102  from the coil on rod  122  as cable  101  is drawn off the spool, thus exerting a retracting force on cable  101 . When tension on cable  101  is released spring  106  retracts onto the coil on rod  122  thus rewinding cable  122  onto spool  102 . 
     When cable  101  is retracted by spring  106  after having been extended, male positioning component  112  enters a female positioning component or fitting  108 , of a male/female positioning fitting couple, that is mounted within flange  121 . The ovoid male positioning component  112  fits into opening  113 , having an ovoid cross-section, on the female positioning component. Flange  121  is attached to housing plate  109  and surrounds an opening in housing plate  121  through which cable  101  passes. 
     The coupling fitting  111 , having male positioning component  112 , also has incorporated into it the security claw linkage  114 . The security claw linkage  114  has a hole  115  drilled through it so as to allow a security screw  116  to fit through the linkage  114 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a version of a security claw  201 . The top section  202  connects or locks to the lower section  203  with the use of a security screw  116  which can be opened and closed with security key  216 . The top section  202  has attached to it a tab  204  has an opening that is sufficiently large to allow passage of the shaft but not the head of security screw  116 . The lower section  203  has a threaded tab  205  to receive safety screw  116 . To facilitate opening the security claw to insert or remove display merchandise it is preferred that only one tab be threaded. The tabs themselves may be threaded or, as shown for tab  205 , a threaded nut  206  can be attached to the tab. Both tabs  204  and  205  must be wide enough to allow the security screw  116  to be placed through it so that the security claw  201  is securely fastened to the security claw linkage  114 . Security key  216  has ends  218  that are shaped to fit into a non-conventional opening or slot  220  in the head of security screw  116 . Non-conventional openings or slots  220  on security screw  116  which security key  216  is shaped to fit might for example have star, cruciform, circular or non-circular cross-sections and also have concavities and convexities within the opening  220 . Top section  202  and lower section  203  together comprise a cradle to contain a hand-held device such as a cell phone. Each section may be formed as a complete unit from metal, plastic or any other strong rigid material capable of securely containing a hand held device or as in the version depicted in FIG. 2 it may be formed from more than one piece. As shown in FIG. 2 the upper section has sides  202   a  and a bottom  202   b  to contain a device on three sides. In the version of the security claw depicted in FIG. 2 each of the two legs of a U-shaped brace  222  is connected to a separate side  202   a  of top section  202  to contain a device on a fourth side. Lower section  203  has sides  203   a  and a bottom  203   b  to contain a device on three sides. As seen in FIG. 2A bottom  203   b  extends to form a lip  224  to enclose a device on a fourth side. Lip  224  may extend to brace  223  and be connected to it if necessary to securely enclose a device. Each leg of U-shaped brace  223  is connected to a separate side  203   a  forming a bridge over bottom  203   b  to secure a device on a sixth side. 
     FIG. 3 is a back view of the clamping device of FIG. 2 showing the assembly of the clamping device to a version of a coupling fitting  111  having an ovoid version of a male component  112  of the male/female positioning fitting. Security screw  116  is inserted through the unthreaded opening in tab  204  on the back of security claw  201 , through the opening  115  in the security claw linkage  114  of coupling fitting  111 , and into the opening of threaded tab  205  and tightened with security key  218  shown in FIG.  2 . As shown in FIG. 3, coupling fitting  111  is generally arranged so that cable  101  extends from the back of security claw  201  although in other versions fitting  111  may be modified, by means known in the art, to permit security cable  101  to conveniently extend from the side of security claw  201 . 
     FIG. 4 depicts the version of security claw  201  and coupling fitting  111  shown in FIG. 3 as fully assembled and secured with security screw  116 . In practice, a hand-held device such as a cell phone is inserted into the claw  201  before it is fully assembled and coupled to security cable  101 . For example an appropriately shaped cell phone is inserted into lower section  203  so that the lower part of the phone fits under brace  223  with the face of the phone facing away from bottom  203   b . As shown in FIG. 3 coupling fitting  111  is inserted between top section  202  and bottom section  203 . Top section  202  is then slipped over the top of the cell phone and coupled to bottom section  203  through coupling fitting  111  by means of security screw  116  which is securely tightened into threaded tab  205 . As will be apparent to those skilled in the art the form of upper component  202  and lower component  203  of security claw  201  may be varied depending on the shape and dimensions of the cell phone or other hand-held device to be securely held therein. Regardless of form each security claw will comprise an upper and a lower component having tabs  204  and  205  so that the upper and lower component of the security claw can be coupled by means of coupling fitting  111  and securely held by security screw  116  as illustrated by the example depicted in FIG.  4 . 
     The retracting system to which cable  101  is attached is typically securely mounted on a display unit. When the displayed cell phone is examined it is pulled away from the retracting unit  100 , but securely held by cable  101  attached to security claw  201 . Upon release the retracting force developed by constant force spring  106  draws the cable back onto spool  102  causing the cell phone to be pulled towards its initial display position. Due to non-circular collar  104   a  held in non-circular channel  120   a  and the stiffness the cell phone coupled with fitting  111  cannot freely rotate around tethering cable  101  and will also tend to return to its initial rotational orientation upon release. A non-circular, male positioning component such as component  112  of FIG. 1 having an ovoid cross-section is used since it must be properly oriented to enter a corresponding non-circular, female positioning component such as component  108  having an opening  113  with an ovoid cross-section thus insuring that the cell phone returns to its original display position. 
     Another version of a female positioning component to receive an ovoid cross-section male positioning component is seen in FIG.  5 . Female positioning component  500  generally comprises a tubular structure having walls  501  and  502  enclosing a lumen  513 . Rounded rails  503 ,  504 ,  505 ,  506 ,  507  and  508  traverse the length of the interior surface of walls  501  and  502  facing lumen  513  and are substantially parallel and guide male ovoid cross-section positioning component into lumen  513 . Generally, the rounded rails are arranged along the length of lumen  513  so that their rounded surfaces come into generally tangential contact with the sides of the male positioning component having an ovoid cross-section. Female positioning components having rails are preferred as this arrangement reduces friction relative to the female positioning component  108  that has a completely ovoid cross-section thereby facilitating the rapid return of the secured hand-held unit to its initial display position. In another preferred version of female positioning component  500  the rounded rails are slightly recessed from the entrance to lumen  513  to facilitate slight rotation to the initial display position in the event that cable  101  is slightly twisted. Female positioning component  500  is generally formed from two identical segments  501  and  502 , that are joined at seams  511  and  512  generally by press fitting into flange  121  of FIG.  1 . Notches  509  and  510  facilitate press fitting into flange  121 . The positioning and coupling fittings of the present invention may be formed or processed from any rigid material known in the art that may be machined, molded or otherwise formed into a desired shape by means commonly known and practiced in the art. Relatively tough, rigid plastics that may be machined and press fit such as machinable grades of polyvinylchloride (PVC) and other machinable plastics are preferred. Each positioning component may be formed as a single unit or in two or more units that are joined by press fitting, welding and adhesive means as commonly known and practiced in the art. Combinations of materials such as metal and plastic, different metals and different plastics may be used for the female and male positioning components of the present invention. 
     The apparatus for secure display of hand held items of the present invention may be used singly or in multiple arrays on display structures to securely and attractively display such items for examination by consumers. 
     It is understood that the present embodiments described above are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to make various changes, alterations and modifications to the invention described herein. To the extent that these variations, modifications and alterations depart from the scope and spirit of the appended claims, they are intended to be encompassed therein.