Patent ID: 7392673

Claim:
A lock mechanism for attaching to a pair of vertically spaced upper and lower rods extending outwardly from a support surface for displaying and supporting an item of merchandise on said lower rod, said lock mechanism comprising: a housing formed with an internal lock chamber and a pair of upper and lower slots, each slot adapted to receive a respective one of the rods therethrough, said lower slot having a side opening configured for allowing passage of the lower rod therethrough when the lock mechanism is in an open unlocked position and for enabling the housing to pivot on the upper rod out of engagement from the lower rod; a locking bayonet formed with an elongated slot adapted to receive both of the rods therethrough, said bayonet being slidably mounted in the lock chamber of the housing and moveable between a locked position and the unlocked open position; a locking device including at least one magnetically attractable tine located within the lock chamber of the housing for securing the housing and bayonet in the locked position on the pair of rods; and said bayonet blocking the side opening of the lower slot when in the locked position and exposing the side opening of said lower slot when in the unlocked open position to enable the lock mechanism to pivot about the upper rod and to enable the lower rod to move through the side opening of said lower slot to disengage the lock mechanism from the lower rod.