Display rod security device

Abstract

A security device is mounted on a merchandise display rod to prevent the removal of some items of merchandise from the rod and contains an alarm actuation device to sound the alarm at a security gate of a retail establishment is unlawfully passed through the gate. A pair of housing members are slidably joined and move between locked and unlocked positions. Each of the members is formed with a partial slot which align with each other when in the locked position to extend about the rod. A magnetically attractable lock member is mounted within one of the members and engages a locking projection formed in the other member to secure the members in a closed locked position on the rod. A magnetic key moves the lock member to an unlocked position to enable the members to move apart to an unlocked open position. The distal end of the rod is bent at an angle sufficient to prevent sliding removal of the security device from the rod when the members are in the locked position yet enables removal of several unprotected items of merchandise located forward of the lock mechanism from the rod.

1 . A security device for attaching to a rod extending outwardly from a merchandise display, said rod having a free end bent at an angle to an elongated portion of the rod; said lock mechanism comprising: 
 first and second members slidably joined for movement between locked and unlocked positions, at least one of said members being formed with an arcuate slot which is substantially complementary to and adapted to receive the elongated portion of the rod therethrough to secure the security device on the elongated portion of said rod, and wherein said bent free end prevents removal of the security device from the rod when in the locked position;    a lock mechanism for locking the first and second members in the locked position about the rod; and    an alarm actuation device for actuating a remote alarm when brought into the vicinity of said alarm.    
   
   
       2 . The security device defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second members is formed with a generally semicircular slot which form the arcuate slot; and in which said semicircular slots align with each other when the security device is in the locked position to form a generally circular opening for receiving the elongated portion of the rod therethrough.  
   
   
       3 . The security device defined in  claim 2  wherein the first and second members are elongated; and in which the semicircular slots are formed in said members generally adjacent an upper end thereof whereby said security device is suspended on the rod with a majority of the elongated members extending below the rod.  
   
   
       4 . The security device defined in  claim 1  wherein the first member is a generally rectangular-shaped housing having an internal lock compartment; and in which the second member includes a top closure portion and an elongated locking leg extending from said top closure portion, said locking leg being located in the lock compartment of said first member.  
   
   
       5 . The security device defined in  claim 4  wherein the lock mechanism includes a magnetically attractable lock member mounted in the lock compartment of the first member and is biased toward locking engagement with the locking leg of the second member.  
   
   
       6 . The security device defined in  claim 5  wherein lock member is a strip of metal having an at least one tine extending outwardly therefrom; and in which the locking leg is formed with a projection engageable with an end of the tine when in the locked position to prevent movement of the members toward the unlocked position.  
   
   
       7 . The security device defined in  claim 6  wherein the metal locking strip is a single piece member having a pair of metal tines formed integrally from said strip and projecting outwardly therefrom; and in which the locking leg of the second member is formed with a pair of projections, each engageable with a respective one of the locking tines.  
   
   
       8 . The security device defined in  claim 4  wherein the housing of the first member has an open top; and in which the top closure portion of the second member is complementary to the open top of the first member and encloses said open top when in the locked position.  
   
   
       9 . The security device defined in  claim 8  wherein the top closure portion of the second member forms an opening between the housing of the first member and said top closure portion of the second member which connects with the arcuate slot when in the unlocked position to enable passage of the elongated portion of the rod through said opening.  
   
   
       10 . The security device defined in  claim 4  wherein the lock compartment includes a wall having an offset portion; and in which the locking leg engages said offset portion of the wall to retain the second member within the first member when the first and second members are in the unlocked position.  
   
   
       11 . A method of displaying items of merchandise on a display rod extending outwardly from a support, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing the display rod with an elongated portion terminating in a bent end;    providing a security device having a pair of joinable members moveable between locked and unlocked positions, said bent end preventing removal of the security device from the rod when in the locked position thereon;    suspending a plurality of the items on the elongated portion of the rod;    placing the security device on the elongated portion of the rod and moving it to a closed locked position whereby at least one of the items is between the lock mechanism and bent end permitting removal of said at least one item beyond the bent end without interference from the security device and whereby a plurality of the items are located between the security device and support preventing their removal from the rod; and    providing the security device with an alarm actuator device for actuating a remote alarm when the security device is brought into proximity to said alarm.    
   
   
       12 . The method defined in  claim 11  including the step of unlocking the security device and repositioning it on the elongated portion of the rod between the plurality of items previously located between the lock mechanism and support thereby providing at least one other item of merchandise between the lock mechanism and bent end for subsequent removal from the rod without interference from the lock mechanism.  
   
   
       13 . The method defined in  claim 11  including the steps of providing the security device with a magnetically attractable locking mechanism; placing a magnet on at least one of the members; and moving the locking mechanism located within said one member to the unlocked position.  
   
   
       14 . The method defined in  claim 13  including the step of slidably moving the pair of members to an open position after the step of moving the locking mechanism to the unlocked position.  
   
   
       15 . In combination, a security device and a rod extending outwardly from a merchandise display, said rod having an elongated portion terminating in a distal end, and said security device being mounted on the elongated portion of the rod; 
 said security device comprising first and second members slidably joined for movement between locked and unlocked positions, each of said members being formed with a partial slot which align with each other when in the locked position to form an opening through which the elongated portion of the rod extends through to secure the security device on the elongated portion of said rod, said distal end of the rod having an irregular shape which prevents removal of the lock mechanism from the rod when in the locked position; a magnetically attractable locking member mounted within a hollow interior of one of the members for locking the members in the locked position about the rod; and    an alarm actuation device located within one of the members for actuating a remote alarm when brought into the vicinity of said alarm.    
   
   
       16 . The combination defined in  claim 15  wherein the first member has a hollow interior forming an internal locking chamber; in which the second member has an elongated locking leg slidably received within the locking chamber; in which the partial slots each have a semicircular configuration which form a generally circular opening for trapping the elongated portion of the rod therein when the members are in the locked position whereby said lock mechanism is suspended on the rod; and which the alarm actuation member is an RF coil contained within the hollow interior of the first member.  
   
   
       17 . The combination defined in  claim 15  wherein the locking member includes at least one spring biased tine mounted in the first member which lockingly engages a locking projection formed on the second member.  
   
   
       18 . The combination defined in  claim 15  wherein the second member has an elongated locking leg slidably received within the locking chamber, said leg having a stop formed thereon engageable with the first member to prevent removal of the second member from within the first member when in the unlocked position.  
   
   
       19 . The combination defined in  claim 15  wherein the first member has a hollow interior forming a locking chamber; in which the second member has an elongated leg slidably received within the locking chamber, said leg being formed with at least one locking projection; in which the locking member is a metal strip mounted within the locking chamber and extending along the locking leg when in the locked position, said metal strip having a spring biased tine adapted to engage the locking projection when in the locked position.  
   
   
       20 . The combination defined in  claim 15  including a key for moving the locking member to the unlocked position, said key containing at least one magnet for moving said locking member to the unlocked position.