Product merchandising system with enhanced security features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566451-B2
Application number	US-202017092804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2020
Priority date	Nov 8, 2019
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to product merchandising systems that and designed to prevent brute force attempts to steal a product on display. The merchandising systems include security features that enhances the strength of the connection between a puck assembly and a base assembly and between the base assembly and a display surface. The merchandising systems are suited for withstanding brute force pulling attacks on the puck assembly and the base assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for displaying a product, the system comprising:
a puck assembly having a surface on which the product is mountable;
a base assembly on which the puck assembly is restable, the base assembly including an interior metal frame, the metal frame including a first metal arm, a second metal arm, a metal cross-brace that connects the first metal arm to the second metal arm, and a metal crosspiece having a metal crosspiece aperture; and
a tether assembly having a tether, a reel and a tether connector, wherein the tether is connected at a first end to the reel located within a recess formed between the first metal arm and the second metal arm, extends through the metal crosspiece aperture, and is connected at a second end to the tether connector that is attached to the puck assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the base assembly comprises a metal base plate connected to a first flange of the first metal arm and a second flange of the second metal arm.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the metal crosspiece encloses a lock comprising:
a shuttle having a first aperture;
a rail having a second aperture;
a slidable collar located between the shuttle and the rail, the slidable collar having a third aperture, the first, second, and third apertures forming a common aperture for passage of the tether; and
a spring that connects the slidable collar to the rail and when released slides the slidable collar to lockdown the tether connector.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the metal crosspiece encloses a lock comprising:
a shuttle having a first aperture;
a rail having a second aperture;
a slidable collar located between the shuttle and the rail, the slidable collar having a third aperture, the first, second, and third apertures forming a common aperture for passage of the tether; and
a motor attached to a lever arm that drives the slidable collar to lockdown the tether.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the metal crosspiece encloses a lock comprising:
a shuttle having a first aperture;
a rail having a second aperture;
a slidable collar located between the shuttle and the rail, the slidable collar having a third aperture, the first, second, and third apertures forming a common aperture for passage of the tether;
an actuator having a tool interface, the actuator forces the slidable collar to unlock or lock the tether when operated by a tool that engages the tool interface.

6. A system for displaying a product, the system comprising:
a puck assembly having a surface on which the product is mountable;
a base assembly on which the puck assembly is restable, the base assembly including an interior metal frame, the metal frame including a first metal arm, a second metal arm, a metal cross-brace that connects the first metal arm to the second metal arm, and a metal crosspiece having a metal crosspiece aperture;
a tether assembly having a tether connected at a first end to a reel located within a recess formed between the first metal arm and the second metal arm and connected at a second end to a tether connector that is attached to the puck assembly, the tether passing through the metal crosspiece aperture; and
a lock located within the metal crosspiece, the first lock having a common aperture though which the tether passes and is able to lock and unlock the tether and the tether connector.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the base assembly comprises a riser cup located above the metal crosspiece, the riser cup including a riser cup aperture through which the tether is extendable and a riser cup recess in which a lower portion of the puck assembly is restable when in the rest position.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the lock switches between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to an operation of a key and/or a wireless signal received by the apparatus from a remote source.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the lock comprises:
a shuttle having a first aperture:
a rail having a second aperture;
a slidable collar located between the shuttle and the rail, the slidable collar having a third aperture, the first, second, and third apertures forming a common aperture for passage of the tether; and
a motor that slides the slidable collar into a locked position that locks down the tether or tether connector in response to a wireless signal received from a remote source.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the base assembly comprises a circuit board located above the metal crosspiece, the circuit board to cooperate with the lock to detect and track whether the lock is in a locked state, whether the lock is in an unlocked state, and whether the puck assembly is in a rest position.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the base assembly comprises a second circuit board, the second circuit board attached to an outer side of one of the first and second metal vertical arms.

12. The system of claim 6 wherein the lock comprises:
a spring that biases a slidable collar to a locked position that lockdown the tether of the tether connector; and
a shuttle that is moveable between a first position and a second position, the shuttle including a shuttle aperture through which the tether and the tether connector are extendable, wherein movement of the shuttle to the first position overcomes a bias force of the spring and causes movement of the slidable collar to an unlocked position, and wherein movement of the shuttle to the second position permits the spring to cause movement of the slidable collar to the locked position based on the bias force of the spring.

13. A system for displaying a product, the system comprising:
a puck assembly having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion including an upper surface for mounting the product;
a base assembly on which the puck assembly is restable, the base assembly including an interior metal frame, the metal frame including a first metal arm, a second metal arm, a metal cross-brace that connects the first metal arm to the second metal arm, and a metal crosspiece having a metal crosspiece aperture;
a tether assembly having a tether connected at a first end to a reel located within a recess formed between the first metal arm and the second metal arm and connected at a second end to a tether connector that is attached to the puck assembly, the tether passing through the metal crosspiece aperture; and
a lock located within the puck assembly and releasably engages the upper portion to restrict detachment of the upper portion from the lower portion.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the upper portion comprises a recess on a bottom surface of the upper portion; and wherein the lock includes a peg that is movable between an upward position and fits within the recess when the lock is in a locked state and a downward position when the lock is in an unlocked state, wherein the peg in the upward position blocks rotation of the upper portion and the peg permits rotations of the upper portion when the peg is in the downward position.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the upper portion comprises an aperture and wherein the lock includes a peg that is movable between an upward position and fits within the aperture when the lock is in a locked state and a downward position when the lock is in an unlocked state, wherein the peg in the upward position blocks rotation of the upper portion and the peg permits rotations of the upper portion when the peg is in the downward position.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the lock comprises a bias spring connected to a peg, wherein the bias spring applies a bias force that

Assignees

• Mobile Tech Inc

Inventors

• Hall Jude
• Pham Hoa
• Horner Rod
• Schuft Peter
• Fan Richard

Classifications

• G08B13/1463

  Physical arrangements, e.g. housings (devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags A45C13/18) · CPC title

• G08B13/1409

  for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector · CPC title

• A47F5/0081

  Show stands or display racks with movable parts (A47F5/0037, A47F5/02, A47F5/05, A47F5/12 take precedence; show cabinets with movable parts A47F3/06) · CPC title

• E05B73/0011

  with retraction of the flexible element for storage (E05B73/0029 takes precedence; for padlocks E05B67/006) · CPC title

• G08B13/1445

  with detection of interference with a cable tethering an article, e.g. alarm activated by detecting detachment of article, breaking or stretching of cable (furniture, e.g. shelves for displaying merchandise, incorporating tethers to prevent theft A47F7/024, A47F5/0861) · CPC title