Display Hook Locking Shell With Pivoting Member Against Shoplifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional display hooks and fixtures lack effective mechanisms to prevent unauthorized removal of small, expensive items from display hooks, showcases, cabinets, and sliding doors, making them vulnerable to shoplifting.
Innovation Solution
A locking device comprising an outer housing with a pivoting member and a cylindrical shell, which secures a wire by forming a channel and using a projection to lock the pivoting member in place, preventing removal of items, and can be actuated using a key to unlock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If display hooks and fixtures are left unlocked for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but security against shoplifting deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device is segmented into multiple functional components: an outer housing with a peg groove for wire insertion, a pivoting member that can rotate between locked and unlocked positions, and a projection mechanism that engages with the wire. This segmentation allows the device to provide security while maintaining ease of operation through simple key actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection acts as an intermediary element between the pivoting member and the wire. When the key is inserted and turned, the projection moves to engage with the wire, preventing the pivoting member from opening. This intermediary mechanism translates the rotational motion of the key into the locking action that secures the wire and prevents shoplifting.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a locking mechanism is added to display hooks, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is extracted from the display hook itself and implemented as a separate, attachable device. The outer housing contains the locking mechanism components, which can be independently manufactured and assembled. This extraction simplifies the overall system by separating the security function from the display function, reducing the complexity of each individual component.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the display hook itself complex with integrated locking features, the invention inverts the approach by adding a separate locking device that attaches to the simple wire hook. The complexity is contained within the optional locking device rather than being inherent in the basic display hook structure, allowing the hook to remain simple while providing security when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the pivoting member is designed to open easily for customer access, then ease of operation is improved, but security against unauthorized removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting member is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to rotate freely when unlocked for customer access and become fixed when locked for security. The hinge mechanism enables smooth rotation during normal operation, while the projection mechanism provides a dynamic locking action that prevents rotation when engaged. This dynamic design allows the same component to serve both accessibility and security functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection mechanism applies preliminary anti-action by engaging with the wire before the pivoting member can be opened. When the key is turned, the projection moves into position to block the wire, preventing the pivoting member from rotating open. This preliminary engagement ensures that unauthorized removal is prevented before it can occur, while still allowing easy access when the key is used by authorized personnel.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking device that may be used with display hooks is provided. The locking device includes a housing and a shell. A pivoting member is coupled to the housing. The pivoting member may be pivoted to grasp a peg or display hook in a cylindrical channel formed by the housing and the pivoting member. The shell includes a projection that is at least partially disposed within the interior of the housing and is movable in a longitudinal direction within the interior of the housing. In an unlocked position, the projection is biased away from the channel in the housing. In a locked position, the projection passes through an aperture in the pivoting member, holding the pivoting member in a stationary position relative to the housing. Further, in the locked position, the projection may secure the peg hook in the cylindrical channel formed by the housing and the pivoting member.