초록 ▼

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

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in which the locking member respectively prevents or permits the elongate member from being at least partially withdrawn from the first aperture.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.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing apertured articles to a forward-facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: an elongate member affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a housing disposed about and movable along said elongate m

1. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing apertured articles to a forward-facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: an elongate member affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a housing disposed about and movable along said elongate member between a locked position and a release position, said housing defining an internal chamber; anda locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the housing in its locked position along the elongate member, and release the housing for movement to its release position along the elongate member to, in turn, prevent and enable the removal of apertured articles from said article display panel, respectively;said locking member including a magnetic actuator, which moves the locking member between the housing locked position along the elongate member and the housing release position along the elongate member, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with a magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator from its housing locked position to its housing release position to, in turn, enable the longitudinal movement of said housing along the elongate member, to enable the removal of said apertured articles from said article display panel,said housing further comprising a key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key,said magnetic key, upon positioning within said key aperture, serving to repel said magnetic actuator from its housing locked position to its housing release position,the removal of said magnetic key from said key aperture removing the repelling force between said magnetic key and said magnetic actuator, permitting the magnetic actuator to return to its housing locked position, without any biasing force other than gravity. 2. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which said housing further comprises a key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key. 3. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 2, in which 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. 4. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 3, in which the planar surfaces of said magnetic portion of said magnetic key and said magnetic element of said magnetic actuator are matched in magnetic polarity. 5. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which the magnetic actuator of the locking member is repelled by the magnetic key when the magnetic key is positioned within the key aperture, thereby moving the locking member from the housing locked position to the housing release position. 6. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 5 in which the magnetic actuator causes the locking member to move from the housing release position to the housing locked position when the magnetic key is not in position within the key aperture. 7. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which the apertured articles are suspended upon the elongate member. 8. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which the locking member returns to its housing locked position in the absence of the magnetic key. 9. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 1, in which the internal chamber of said housing is securely sealed to prevent tampering therewith. 10. A theft deterrent system for securing apertured articles to a forward-facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: an upper elongate member having an attachment end and an operating end, the attachment end being affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a lower elongate member for supporting the apertured article, said lower elongate member having an attachment end and an operating end, the attachment end being affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a magnetic key; anda locking apparatus for selectively securing the apertured articles to the lower elongate member, the locking apparatus comprising: a housing disposed about and movable along said upper elongate member between a locked position and a release position, said housing defining an internal chamber, and said housing including: a first aperture passing from an outer surface of the housing into the internal chamber, said first aperture adapted to receive the upper elongate member;a second aperture passing from an outer surface of the housing into the internal chamber, said second aperture adapted to receive the lower elongate member; anda key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key;an upper engagement member encompassing the first aperture and extending outwardly from the housing, the upper engagement member adapted to engage the upper elongate member;a lower engagement member encompassing the second aperture and extending outwardly from the housing, the lower engagement member adapted to engage the lower elongate member;a locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the locking apparatus in its locked position along the upper elongate member and release the locking apparatus for movement to its release position along the upper elongate member to, in turn, prevent and enable the removal of articles from said article display panel, respectively,said locking member including a magnetic actuator, which moves the locking member between a locking apparatus locked position along the upper elongate member and a locking apparatus release position along the upper elongate member, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with the magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator from its locking apparatus locked position to its locking apparatus release position to, in turn, enable the longitudinal movement of said locking apparatus along the upper elongate member, to enable the removal of said apertured articles from the lower elongate member; anda magnetic shield disposed between the outer surface of the housing and the magnetic key when positioned within the key aperture, the magnetic shield substantially preventing a magnetic force that is external to the housing from interacting with the magnetic actuator. 11. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 10 in which the magnetic actuator of the locking member is repelled by the magnetic key when the magnetic key is positioned within the key aperture, thereby causing the locking member to move from the locking apparatus locked position to the locking apparatus release position. 12. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 11 in which the magnetic actuator causes the locking member to move from the locking apparatus release position to the locking apparatus locked position when the magnetic key is not positioned within the key aperture. 13. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 11 in which insertion of the magnetic key into the key aperture creates a repellant magnetic force between the magnetic key and the magnetic actuator of the locking member that causes the locking member to move from the locking apparatus locked position to the locking apparatus release position. 14. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 10 in which the upper elongate member comprises an elongate rod having an undercut, the undercut defining a shoulder on the upper elongate member, and wherein the locking member comprises a catch that cooperates with the shoulder of the upper elongate member to prevent longitudinal movement of the locking apparatus along the upper elongate member when the locking member is in the locking apparatus locked position. 15. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 14 in which the catch disengages the shoulder of the upper elongate member to permit longitudinal movement of the locking apparatus along the upper elongate member when the locking member is in the locking apparatus release position. 16. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 14, in which the locking member includes a aperture passing therethrough, the aperture having a wide portion and a narrow portion, the wide portion being sized and shaped to permit the upper elongate member to be inserted therethrough, and the narrow portion defining the catch. 17. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 16 in which the presence of the magnetic key within the key aperture creates a repellant magnetic force between the magnetic key and the magnetic actuator of the locking member that causes the locking member to move from the locking apparatus locked position to the locking apparatus release position, wherein the narrow portion is substantially coaxial with the upper elongate member when the locking member is in the locking apparatus locked position and the wide portion is substantially coaxial with the upper elongate member when the locking member is in the locking apparatus release position. 18. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 10 in which the attachment end of the upper elongate member includes a first hook-like member and the attachment end of the lower elongate member includes a second hook-like member, each of the hook-like members for facilitating attachment to the display panel, and wherein further the first and second hook-like members are oriented in substantially different directions with respect to each other when first attached to the display panel. 19. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 18 in which the first and second hook-like members are oriented in substantially opposite directions with respect to each other when first attached to the display panel. 20. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 18 further comprising: a stabilizer for securing the upper and lower elongate members to each other after they have been first attached to the display panel. 21. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 20 in which the stabilizer comprises a first aperture sized and shaped to accommodate the upper elongate member and a second aperture sized and shaped to accommodate the lower elongate member, wherein the stabilizer is slidably attached to the upper and lower elongate members by passing the upper and lower elongate members through the first and second apertures of the stabilizer. 22. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 10 in which the upper elongate member includes a pin inserted radially through an aperture in the operating end of the upper elongate member, wherein the pin abuts a first internal surface of the locking apparatus to prevent complete removal of the locking apparatus from the upper elongate member when the housing is in the release position. 23. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 22 in which the pin abuts a second internal surface of the locking apparatus to prevent rotation of the locking apparatus about the upper elongate member when the housing is in the release position. 24. A theft deterrent system for deterring theft of an apertured article and for attachment to a forward-facing side of a display panel, the theft deterrent system comprising: an upper elongate member having an attachment end and an operating end, the attachment end attached to the forward-facing side of the display panel;a lower elongate member for supporting the apertured article and having an attachment end and an operating end, the attachment end attached to the forward-facing side of the display panel, wherein the attachment end of the upper elongate member includes a first hook-like member and the attachment end of the lower elongate member includes a second hook-like member, each of the hook-like members for facilitating attachment to the display panel, and wherein further the first and second hook-like members are oriented in substantially different directions with respect to each other when attached to the display panel;a magnetic key; anda locking apparatus for selectively securing the article to the lower elongate member, the locking apparatus comprising: a housing defining an internal chamber, the housing including: a first aperture passing from an outer surface of the housing into the internal chamber and adapted to receive the upper elongate member; anda second aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key;an upper engagement member encompassing the first aperture and extending outwardly from the housing, the upper engagement member adapted to engage the upper elongate member;a lower engagement member extending outwardly from the housing, the lower engagement member adapted to engage the lower elongate member;a locking member having a magnetic actuator, said locking member being movably disposed within the internal chamber, the locking member adapted to selectively: maintain the theft deterrent system in a locked configuration in which the locking member prevents longitudinal movement of the upper elongate member within the locking apparatus and the lower engagement member and the lower elongate member cooperate to prevent the article from being removed from the lower elongate member, andmaintain the theft deterrent system in an unlocked configuration in which the locking member permits a degree of longitudinal movement of the upper elongate member within the locking apparatus such that the lower elongate member becomes disengaged from the lower engagement member to permit removal of the article from the lower elongate member;a magnetic shield disposed between the outer surface of the housing and the magnetic key when inserted into the second aperture, the magnetic shield substantially preventing a magnetic force that is external to the housing from interacting with the locking member; anda stabilizer for securing the upper and lower elongate members to each other after they have been attached to the display panel, wherein neither of the upper and lower elongate members can be removed from the display panel when secured to the other by the stabilizer. 25. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing apertured articles to a forward-facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: an elongate member affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a housing disposed about and movable along said elongate member between a locked position and a release position, said housing defining an internal chamber;a locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the housing in its locked position along the elongate member, and release the housing for movement to its release position along the elongate member to, in turn, prevent and enable the removal of apertured articles from said article display panel, respectively;said locking member including a magnetic actuator, which moves the locking member between the housing locked position along the elongate member and the housing release position along the elongate member, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with a magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator from its housing locked position to its housing release position to, in turn, enable the longitudinal movement of said housing along the elongate member, to enable the removal of said apertured articles from said article display panel,said housing further comprising a key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key,said magnetic key including a magnetic portion and said magnetic actuator including 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; anda magnetic shield disposed between the outer surface of the housing and the magnetic key when inserted in the key aperture, the magnetic shield substantially preventing a magnetic force that is external to the housing from interacting with the locking member. 26. The theft deterrent system as recited in claim 25 in which said magnetic shield comprises a metal plate. 27. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing apertured articles to a forward-facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: an elongate member affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a housing disposed about and movable along said elongate member between a locked position and a release position, said housing defining an internal chamber; anda locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the housing in its locked position along the elongate member, and release the housing for movement to its release position along the elongate member to, in turn, prevent and enable the removal of apertured articles from said article display panel, respectively;said locking member including a magnetic actuator, which moves the locking member between the housing locked position along the elongate member and the housing release position along the elongate member, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with a magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator from its housing locked position to its housing release position to, in turn, enable the longitudinal movement of said housing along the elongate member, to enable the removal of said apertured articles from said article display panel,said housing further comprising a key aperture adapted to receive the magnetic key,said magnetic key including a magnetic portion and said magnetic actuator including 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,said locking member further comprising a catch that cooperates with a shoulder of the elongate member to prevent movement of the housing when the locking member is in the housing locked position, the shoulder of the elongate member being defined by an undercut in the elongate member. 28. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 27 in which the catch disengages the shoulder of the elongate member to permit movement of the housing when the locking member is in the housing release position. 29. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 27, in which the locking member includes a locking aperture passing therethrough, the locking 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. 30. The theft deterrent apparatus as recited in claim 29 in which the presence of the magnetic key within the key aperture creates a repellant magnetic force between the magnetic key and the magnetic actuator of the locking member that causes the locking member to move from the housing locked position to the housing release position, wherein the narrow portion of the locking aperture is substantially coaxial with the elongate member when the locking member is in the housing locked position and the wide portion of the locking aperture is substantially coaxial with the elongate member when the locking member is in the housing release position. 31. A theft deterrent apparatus for securing apertured articles to a forward-facing side of an article display panel, the theft deterrent apparatus comprising: an elongate member affixed to the forward-facing side of the article display panel;a housing disposed about and movable along said elongate member between a locked position and a release position, said housing defining an internal chamber; anda locking member movably disposed within the internal chamber to alternatively restrain the housing in its locked position along the elongate member, and release the housing for movement to its release position along the elongate member to, in turn, prevent and enable the removal of apertured articles from said article display panel, respectively;said locking member including a magnetic actuator, which moves the locking member between the housing locked position along the elongate member and the housing release position along the elongate member, said magnetic actuator adapted to interact with a magnetic key for repelling said magnetic actuator from, its housing locked position to its housing release position to, in turn, enable the longitudinal movement of said housing along the elongate member, to enable the removal of said apertured articles from said article display panel,said elongate member being a first elongate member;a second elongate member attached to and extending from the forward-facing side of the display panel, said apertured articles being suspended from the second elongate member;a first engagement member extending outwardly from the housing, the first engagement member adapted to engage the first elongate member;a second engagement member extending outwardly from the housing, the second engagement member adapted to engage the second elongate member,wherein the second engagement member and the second elongate member cooperate to prevent an article from being removed from the second elongate member when the housing is in the locked position, andwherein the second elongate member becomes disengaged from the second engagement member to permit the removal of the article from the second elongate member when the housing is in the release position.