Security device for display of hand held items

• US 20030010859A1
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vira Insight, LLC
• Original Assignee: VIRA Manufacturing, Inc. (Vira Insight, LLC)
• Inventors: Ryczek, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 6,659,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/379
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/004 with an automatic spring reel
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/024 with provisions for preventing unauthorised removal show cases with devices for prevention of theft A47F3/002; devices for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal E05B73/0017
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/75 having a joining piece extending through aligned openings in plural members

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying mobile phones and other hand-held devices comprised of a clamping system, a retracting system and a positioning system is provided. The clamping system comprises two parts which are fastened together around a fitting attached to the end of a tethering cable. A security screw or bolt having a head with a non-conventional slot holds the two parts together with a special key required to turn the head of the bolt or screw. The clamping system is thus locked onto the hand-held device and cannot be removed without the proper key. A tethering cable is anchored to the fitting used to fasten the clamping device through the male component of a positioning guide. The retracting system comprising a constant force spring maintains a retracting force on a spool of tethering cable so that when the tethered hand-held device is removed from the display and released, it is drawn back to the display. The tethering cable passes through the female component of a positioning guide that is mounted on the retracting system so that when the clamped device is retracted to the display the male positioning component is received by the female positioning component thus assuring proper orientation of the hand-held device on display.

Claims

1. An apparatus for securely displaying a hand-held device on a display structure while allowing said hand-held device to be examined comprising:

a means to securely clamp said hand-held device and connect said clamp to a tether;

a means to extend and to retract said tether; and

positioning means to position said clamped device in a fixed orientation when said device is retracted.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means to securely clamp said hand-held device comprises:

an upper component and a lower component and a coupling fitting, with said coupling fitting situated between said upper and said lower component and with said coupling fitting securely connected to said upper and lower components with secure connecting means so that said upper and said lower component and said coupling fitting form a clamp to securely clamp a hand-held device, and with said coupling fitting further comprising a non-circular positioning element to mate with a complementary positioning element connected to said extending and retracting means, and with said tether comprising a tethering cable having a first end and a second end, with said first end connected to said positioning element and with said second end connected to said extending and retracting means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means to extend and retract said tethering cable comprises spring activated means, with said spring activated means mounted on a housing plate and with said housing plate having an opening for passage of said tethering cable and with said second end of said tethering cable connected to said spring activated means and with said spring activated means exerting a retracting force when said cable is extended.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said complementary positioning means comprises a non-circular positioning element disposed about said opening in said housing plate, and with said cable passing through said opening, and with said complementary positioning element connected to said housing plate by connecting means, and with said positioning element having a lumen to permit passage of said cable, so that said positioning element comprising said coupling fitting, and said complementary positioning element mate in a fixed orientation when said tethering cable is completely retracted.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein each of said upper component and said lower component comprising said secure clamping means has a bottom element with a first end and a second end, with said bottom element of each component having an inside that receives said hand-held device and an outside, and with each first end of said components having a bracket to confine said hand-held device within said bottom element, and with each second end comprising an edge, and with each edge having a tab and with each tab perpendicular to each edge and with each tab projecting from the outside of each bottom element, and with each tab having an opening, and with a one of said openings threaded to receive a screw having a threaded shaft and a head and an other of said openings unthreaded and able to receive only said threaded shaft of said screw, and with said coupling fitting comprising a base, with said base having at least two opposing flat faces for contact with said tabs of said clamping components, and with at least two opposing flat faces having opposing holes interconnected by a hollow passage through said base to receive said threaded shaft of said screw, and a non-circular positioning element connected to said base to mate with said complementary positioning element connected to said extending and retracting means, and with said tethering cable connected to said positioning element, and with said upper component and said lower component aligned with said coupling fitting so that said tabs are opposed, and each said tab is in contact with an opposed flat face of said coupling fitting, and with said holes of said coupling fitting aligned with said openings of said tabs to receive a screw, and with said edges of said components opposed, so that said bracket of said upper component and said bracket of said lower component are aligned to receive and confine said hand-held device so that a received hand-held device can be securely clamped by inserting said threaded screw through said unthreaded opening of said tab, and through said opposed holes of said coupling device and tightening said screw in said threaded opening of said tab.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said spring activated means to extend and retract said tether further comprises:

an axle connected to said housing plate, a spool mounted on said axle, a stiff cable comprising said tethering cable, with said second end of said stiff cable secured to said spool by securing means, with said stiff cable wrapped around said spool and with said spring activated retracting means connected to said spool.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said positioning means disposed about said opening in said housing plate is contained within a flange connected to said housing plate.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the head of said threaded screw has a non-conventional slot requiring a non-conventional key to turn said screw in order to prevent unauthorized loosening of said screw.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said means to extend and retract said tether comprises a spool having a first and a second channel with said cable wound on said second channel and with said retracting means comprising a coil of a constant force spring, with said spring coil mounted on said housing plate, and with an end of said spring secured to the first channel of said spool by securing means and with said spring arranged so that as said cable is pulled, said spring is wound from the coil onto the first channel of said spool, thereby exerting a retracting force on said cable.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said positioning element comprising said coupling fitting is a male component having an ovoid cross-section and said component contained within said flange is a female component comprising a tubular structure, with said tubular structure having a wall that encloses a lumen and with said lumen having an ovoid cross-section.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the wall of said tubular structure further comprises a multiplicity of rounded rails that longitudinally traverse said tubular structure within said lumen.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said head of said threaded screw has a non-conventional slot requiring a non-conventional key to turn said screw in order to prevent unauthorized loosening of said screw.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said spool comprises a spool having a first and a second channel with said cable wound on said second channel and with said retracting means comprising a coil of a constant force spring, with said spring coil mounted on said housing plate, and with an end of said spring secured to the first channel of said spool by securing means and with said spring arranged so that as said cable is pulled, said spring is wound from said coil onto the first channel of said spool, thereby exerting a retracting force on said cable.

17. The device according to claim 16 wherein said positioning element to which said tethering cable is anchored is a male element of said positioning device having an ovoid cross-section and said complementary positioning element is a female component comprising a tubular structure, with said tubular structure having a walls that encloses a lumen and with said lumen having an ovoid cross-section, and with said lumen having an entrance to receive said male element into said lumen.

18. The device according to claim 17 wherein said wall of said tubular structure further comprises a multiplicity of rounded rails that longitudinally traverse said tubular structure within said lumen.

19. The device according to claim 18 wherein said multiplicity of rounded rails are recessed from said entrance to said lumen.

12. An apparatus to securely clamp a hand-held device to a tether comprising:

an upper component and a lower component with each of said components having a bottom element with a first end and a second end, with said bottom element of each component having an inside that receives said hand-held device and an outside, and with each first end of said components having a bracket to confine said hand-held device within said bottom element, and with each second end comprising an edge, and with each edge having a tab and with each tab perpendicular to each edge and each tab projecting from the outside of each bottom element, and with each tab having an opening, and with a one of said openings threaded to receive a screw having a threaded shaft and a head and an other of said openings unthreaded and able to receive only said threaded shaft of said screw, and a coupling fitting, with said coupling fitting comprising a base, with said base having at least two opposing flat faces for contact with said tabs of said clamping components, and with at least two opposing flat faces having opposing holes interconnected by a hollow passage through said base to receive said threaded shaft of said screw, and a non-circular positioning element connected to said base to mate with a complementary positioning element connected to an extending and retracting means, and with a tethering cable connected to said positioning element, and with said upper component and said lower component aligned with said coupling fitting so that said tabs are opposed, and each said tab is in contact with an opposed flat face of said coupling fitting, and with said holes of said coupling fitting aligned with said openings of said tabs to receive a screw, and with said edges of said components opposed, so that said bracket of said upper component and said bracket of said lower component are aligned to receive said hand-held device so that a received hand-held device can be securely clamped by inserting said threaded screw through said unthreaded opening of said tab, and through said opposed holes of said coupling device and tightening said screw in said threaded opening of said tab.

14. An apparatus to extend and retract a tether comprising:

a housing plate, an axle connected to said housing plate, a spool mounted on said axle, a cable having an end secured to said spool by securing means, with said cable wrapped around said spool and with said cable passing from said spool through a segment of said housing plate having an opening, and retracting means connected to said spool with such retracting means exerting retracting force when said cable is extended.

16. A positioning device to ensure that a hand-held device secured in a clamp that is retractably tethered with a stiff tethering cable to a display structure is retained in a fixed orientation when said tether is retracted to said display structure comprising;

a non-circular positioning element connected to said clamp, with said positioning element shaped to mate with a positioning element having a complementary shape, with said complementary positioning element connected to a means for extending and retracting a stiff tethering cable, with said tethering cable passing through said complementary positioning element and anchored to said non-circular positioning element, so that when said cable is completely retracted said positioning elements mate in a fixed orientation.