DISPLAY STAND FOR PORTABLE ARTICLE

• US 20150069201A1
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Se-Kure Controls Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Se-Kure Controls Incorporated
• Inventors: Leyden, Roger J., Pawelek, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,474,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/346.06
• 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

Abstract

A display stand for a portable article with a base having a bottom bearing portion and a support for a portable article. A retracting mechanism has a spool around which a flexible tether is wrapped. The spool has an axis around which the spool is turned as the tether is: a) paid out to allow a portable article to which the first end of the tether is connected to be moved away from the base; and b) retracted to shorten a paid out length of the tether. The retracting mechanism has a biasing assembly that urges the spool to turn around the spool axis so as to retract the tether. The tether is guided to be paid out from the spool generally in a straight path in a line, with the line of the straight path transverse to the spool axis.

Claims

1. A display stand for a portable article, the display stand comprising:

a base having a bottom bearing portion for placement against a subjacent support to maintain the display stand in an operative position, the base defining a support for a portable article;

an elongate flexible tether having a first end for connection to a portable article; and

a retracting mechanism comprising a spool around which the tether is wrapped,

the spool having an axis around which the spool is turned as the tether is;

a) paid out to allow a portable article to which the first end of the tether is connected to be moved away from the base; and

b) retracted to shorten a paid out length of the tether to situate a portable article to which the first end of the tether is connected closer to the base,

the retracting mechanism comprising a biasing assembly that urges the spool to turn around the spool axis so as to retract the tether, the tether guided to be paid out from the spool generally in a straight path in a line,

the line of the straight path transverse to the spool axis.

2. The display stand according to claim 1 wherein the base has a top and a bottom and the support on the base is an upwardly facing surface at the top of the base.

3. The display stand according to claim 1 wherein the retracting mechanism comprises a housing defining a space within which the spool resides.

4. The display stand according to claim 3 wherein the base defines a chamber within which the housing resides.

5. The display stand according to claim 4 wherein the base defines facing surfaces through which the spool axis extends and which confine movement of the housing within the space in opposite directions along the axis of the spool.

6. The display stand according to claim 5 wherein the housing has a width along the spool axis and a length transverse to, and greater than, the width.

7. The display stand according to claim 6 wherein the housing has first and second lengthwise ends and the housing has an opening at the first housing end through which the tether projects from within the housing space.

8. The display stand according to claim 7 wherein the biasing assembly comprises an elongate spring element that is wrapped around the spool axis and around a second axis that is generally parallel to the spool axis and spaced between the spool axis and the second end of the housing.

9. The display stand according to claim 7 wherein the opening is located so that the tether projects from the spool generally tangentially.

10. The display stand according to claim 7 wherein the base defines a receptacle for the housing into which the housing is press fit into an operative position, the housing in the operative position tending to pivot within the receptacle as the tether is paid out, wherein the base further comprises a bottom wall that abuts to the housing to confine pivoting movement of the housing.

11. The display stand according to claim 10 wherein the receptacle is bounded by a top wall and the housing is blocked in the receptacle cooperatively by the top and bottom walls and the facing surfaces and is not otherwise fixed to the base.

12. The display stand according to claim 11 wherein the top wall defines an exposed, upwardly facing surface on the base.

13. The display stand according to claim 12 wherein the tether extends from the housing through the upwardly facing surface on the base.

14. The display stand according to claim 6 wherein the housing has a height that is greater than the width but less than the length of the housing.

15. The display stand according to claim 10 wherein the receptacle has a volume that is substantially less than a volume of the chamber defined by the base.

16. The display stand according to claim 13 wherein the upwardly facing surface is substantially flat, the tether has an end fitting for connection to a portable article and there is a recess formed at the upwardly facing surface to receive a part of the end fitting.

17. The display stand according to claim 16 wherein the end fitting comprises a body with a post that blends into a pad with oppositely facing first and second flat surfaces, the first flat pad surface to engage a portable article, the post residing at least partially in the recess.

18. The display stand according to claim 17 wherein the recess has a stepped diameter with a larger diameter portion bounded by an upwardly facing seating surface and with the tether retracted the second flat pad surface facially abuts to the second flat pad surface.

19. The display stand according to claim 1 in combination with a portable article to which the first end of the tether is connected.

20. The display stand according to claim 19 wherein the base has a peripheral wall upon which information relating to the portable article is applied.