Theft deterrent system

• US 8,376,150 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Se-Kure Controls Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Se-Kure Controls Incorporated
• Inventors: Surma, Terrance, Leyden, Roger J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAWN, PATRICK D
• Application Number:
  US13/339,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20120097622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 211/7, 211/85.2, 211/54.1, 211/57.1, 211/85.3, 211/59.1, 248/220.21, 24822031-22043, 704/05, 704/13, 703/45, 70/571, 702/76
• US Class Current: 211/7
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0861 Anti-theft means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/004 the magnets acting directly on the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0045 keys with permanent magnets E05B47/0043, E05B47/0044, E05B73/0052 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/22 Padlocks with sliding shackles, with or without rotary or pivotal movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/00 Devices for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal; Miscellaneous locking devices motorcycle helmets A42B3/0413; supporting arrangements specially adapted for fastening helmets B62J11/24; gun racks A47B81/005; showcases with theft protection A47F3/002; anti-theft means for peg-boards, grids or rods for hanging merchandise A47F5/0861; show stands, hangers, shelves with provision against unauthorised removal A47F7/024; for self-service hand-carts A47F10/04; locking skis A63C11/004; locking bolts, nuts or pins F16B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0035 for eyeglasses or spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/40 Portable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7904 Magnetic features

Abstract

Described herein is technology for, among other things, a theft deterrent apparatus for cooperation with an elongate member attached to and extending outwardly from a forward-facing side of an article display panel. The apparatus includes a housing defining an internal chamber. The housing includes a first aperture passing through the housing into the internal chamber for receiving the elongate member, a second aperture for receiving a magnetic key, and a locking member that has a magnetic portion and is movably disposed within the internal chamber. The locking member is adapted to selectively: maintain the apparatus in locked and unlocked configurations in which the locking member respectively prevents or permits the elongate member from being at least partially withdrawn from the first aperture. Whether the locking member maintains the apparatus in the locked or unlocked configuration depends on whether or not the magnetic key is inserted into the second aperture.

Claims

1. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing displayed articles to an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising:

a locking apparatus for mounting on the rear-facing side of the article display panel, the locking apparatus including a housing defining an internal chamber and an elongate member for suspending and alternatively securing and releasing said displayed articles, said elongate member having a first end from which the elongate member extends from said internal chamber, and a second end opposite said first end;

said elongate member including a restriction member positioned proximate said second end for securing said displayed articles;

said locking apparatus further including a locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the elongate member in a secure position, and release the elongate member for movement to a release position to, in turn, prevent and enable the removal of said displayed articles from said elongate member and, in turn, said article display panel, respectively;

said locking member including a magnetic actuator, for moving the locking member between its secure position for the elongate member and its release position for the elongate member, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with a magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator, and in turn the locking member, from their secure positions to their release positions to, in turn, enable the longitudinal movement and repositioning of at least a portion of the elongate member from the housing, to enable the removal of said displayed articles from said article display panel.

2. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key.

3. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 2, wherein said magnetic key, upon being positioned within said key aperture, serves to repel said magnetic actuator from its locked position to its release position.

4. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 3, wherein the removal of said magnetic key from said key aperture removes the repelling force between said magnetic key and said magnetic actuator, thereby permitting the magnetic actuator to return to its locked position, without a spring actuated biasing force.

5. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second end of said elongate member comprises a hooked end, which hooked end constitutes said restriction member, said hooked end extending backward towards said housing at a third end of said elongated member.

6. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 5, wherein the longitudinal movement and repositioning of said elongate member at its first end within said housing enables the removal of said displayed articles.

7. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 6, wherein said longitudinal movement and repositioning of said elongate member at its first end serves to reposition the third end of the elongate member, to create an opening thereat for releasing said displayed articles.

8. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a magnetic shield disposed between the outer surface of the housing and the key aperture, the magnetic shield substantially preventing a magnetic force that is external to the housing from interacting with the locking member.

9. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongate member comprises an elongate rod having an undercut, the undercut defining a shoulder on the elongate member, and wherein the locking member comprises a catch that cooperates with the shoulder of the elongate member to prevent the longitudinal movement and repositioning of the elongate member when the locking member is in its secure position.

10. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 9, wherein the catch disengages the shoulder of the elongate member to permit longitudinal movement and repositioning of the elongate member when the locking member is in its release position.

11. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 10, wherein the locking member includes an aperture passing therethrough, the aperture having a wide portion and a narrow portion, the wide portion being sized and shaped to permit the elongate member to be inserted therethrough, and the narrow portion defining the catch.

12. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic key includes a magnetic portion and said magnetic actuator includes a magnetic element, wherein said key aperture is oriented such that, upon positioning the magnetic key within said key aperture, said magnetic portion of said magnetic key and said magnetic element of said magnetic actuator are juxtaposed to one another.

13. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the planar surfaces of said magnetic portion of said magnetic key and said magnetic element of said magnetic actuator are matched in magnetic polarity.

14. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the locking member returns to its secure position in the absence of the magnetic key.

15. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the internal chamber of said housing is both positioned behind the forward-facing side of said article display panel and securely sealed to prevent tampering therewith.

16. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing displayed articles to the forward facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising

a housing defining an internal chamber;

an elongate member for suspending and alternatively securing and releasing said displayed articles in front of said article display panel,

said elongate member having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, and said elongate member extending from said article display panel at one of a first and second extending position, said first extending position being located behind the article display panel, proximate the rearward-facing surface of said article display panel, said second extending position being located in front of the article display panel, proximate the forward-facing surface of said article display panel;

a locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the displayed articles in a secure position, and release the displayed articles from said elongate member, respectively;

said locking member including a magnetic actuator for moving the locking member between its secure position and its release position, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with a magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator, and in turn the locking member, from their secure positions to their release positions to, in turn, enable the removal of said displayed articles from said elongate member;

said housing further comprising a key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key;

said magnetic key, upon being positioned within said key aperture, serving to repel said magnetic actuator from its secure position to its release position;

the removal of said magnetic key from said key aperture removing the repelling force between said magnetic key and said magnetic actuator, thereby permitting the magnetic actuator to return to its secure position, without a spring-actuated biasing force.