Method and apparatus for securely displaying media products

• US 9,030,322 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Blake M., Splain, William Donald, Floersch, David Joseph, Bowser, Joseph H., Stafford, William Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/858,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.2, 340/572.1, 340/691.1, 340/687, 211/4, 211/49.1, 211/90.01
• US Class Current: 340/568.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/02 Shelves movable shelves coupled to doors A47B96/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/002 Devices for protection against sunlight or theft
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0246 for rectangular articles, e.g. books, cassettes on the article itself E05B73/0023
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling

Abstract

A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store is disclosed. The method includes arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, wherein each of the sample media content containers is anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable. The method further includes unlocking an access door of the security display fixture, in response to a consumer request, to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers, and retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of a same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers.

Claims

1. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers;

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers; and

arranging the one or more of the non-tethered media content containers in the internal space defined by the security display fixture, each of the one or more of the non-tethered media content containers being arranged in a row generally rearward of one of the sample media content containers having the same title.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the sample media content containers arranged in the side-by-side configuration is individually retained inside a generally transparent security case that is attached to the security cable extending from the security display fixture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the sample media content containers includes placing each of the sample media content containers against a front surface of the access door, and the front lip extends forwardly from the front surface of the access door.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein unlocking the access door of the security display fixture to provide access to the internal space includes pivoting the access door about a horizontal hinge axis along the front surface to expose the internal space previously covered by the access door.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

arranging sample media content containers includes attaching a different security cable to each of the sample media content containers, and

each of the different the security cables includes a retraction mechanism that biases the corresponding one of the sample media content containers toward the access door.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

unlocking the access door of the security display fixture to provide access to the internal space includes pivoting the access door about a horizontal hinge axis along the front surface, and

each of the different security cables maintains the corresponding one of the sample media content containers against the front surface of the access door as the access door is pivoted about the horizontal hinge axis.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising removably mounting a rear face of the security display apparatus to a rear support wall using a plurality of support connectors extending from the rear face.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sample media content containers is a first row of sample media content containers,

the method further comprises arranging a second row of sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a second front lip of the security display fixture,

each of the sample media content containers in the second row of sample media content containers is anchored to the security display fixture with a different one of a second group of security cables, and

the second row of sample media content containers is positioned below the first row of sample media content containers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the security cable allows each of the sample media content containers to be pulled away from a remainder of the security display fixture such that all sides of a selected one of the sample media content containers are readily viewable when the selected one of the sample media content containers is pulled away from the remainder of the security display fixture.

10. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers; and

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers;

wherein;

each of the sample media content containers arranged in the side-by-side configuration is individually retained inside a generally transparent security case that is attached to the security cable extending from the security display fixture,

the access door is positioned forward of the internal space defined by the security display fixture,

the access door is arranged between the sample media content containers and the one or more non-tethered media content containers inside the internal space, and

the operation of unlocking comprises adjusting the access door to an opened position exposing the inter internal space.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising locking the access door after removing a selected one of the one or more non-tethered media content containers from the security display fixture.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transferring the selected one of the one or more of the non-tethered media content containers to a consumer during a purchase transaction.

13. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers;

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers;

wherein;

arranging the sample media content containers includes placing each of the sample media content containers against a front surface of the access door,

the front lip extends forwardly from the front surface of the access door,

unlocking the access door of the security display fixture to provide access to the internal space includes pivoting the access door about a horizontal hinge axis along the front surface to expose the internal space previously covered by the access door, and

pivoting the access door about the horizontal hinge axis simultaneously moves all of the sample media content containers in the side-by-side configuration away from covering the internal space.

14. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers; and

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers;

wherein;

the access door is arranged between the sample media content containers and the internal space, and

unlocking the access door includes simultaneously moving the access door and all the sample media content containers away from a position covering the internal space.

15. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers; and

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers;

wherein;

the access door is initially in a locked position in which a lock mechanism retains the access door immediately adjacent to and covering the internal space, and

unlocking the access door includes transitioning the access door to an opened position to provide external access to the one or more non-tethered media content containers in the internal space.

16. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers; and

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers;

wherein;

the access door is substantially transparent, arranging the sample media content containers in the side-by-side configuration substantially hides the one or more non-tethered media content containers from view through the access door, and

each of the sample media content containers is configured to be selectively moved away from the access door to expose any corresponding ones of the one or more non-tethered media content containers positioned in the internal space behind the corresponding sample media content container.

17. The method of claim 16, including checking whether any corresponding one of the one or more non-tethered media content containers having the same title as a selected one of the sample media content containers is in stock by moving the selected one of the sample media content containers away from the access door to view the any corresponding one of the one or more non-tethered media content containers positioned in the internal space behind the selected one of the sample media content containers viewable through the access door.

18. A method of using a security display apparatus for media content products in a retail store, the method comprising:

arranging sample media content containers in a side-by-side configuration on a front lip of a security display fixture, each of the sample media content containers being anchored to the security display fixture with a security cable;

in response to a consumer request, unlocking an access door of the security display fixture to provide access to an internal space defined by the security display fixture rearward of the sample media content containers; and

retrieving one or more non-tethered media content containers from the internal space that are of the same title as one of the sample media content containers positioned immediately in front of the one or more non-tethered media content containers;

wherein;

the security cable is retractable and biased in a retracted position,

each of the sample media content containers arranged in the side-by-side configuration is individually retained inside a generally transparent security case that is attached to the security cable extending from the security display fixture such that each of the sample media content containers is selectively held against a front surface of the access door by the security cable,

the access door is positioned forward of the internal space defined by the security display fixture and between the sample media content containers and the one or more non-tethered media content containers inside the internal space,

the step of unlocking comprises adjusting the access door to an opened position exposing the internal space, and

adjusting the access door moves more than one of the sample media content containers with the access door.