Lifting and Barrier Mechanism
A movable support surface supported arms may be moved when a driving mechanism including a motor that drives the arms. Guides guide the arms such that the movable support surface moves between extended and retracted positions. A movable barrier is pivotally attached to a flexible rack using a clip assembly. A motor drives the flexible rack such that the movable barrier moves between open and closed positions. When disposed in a display case, the movable support moves between storage and display positions such that the movable barrier moves between a closed position to protect items in storage and an open position to display items on the movable support. The movable support surface and movable barrier are controlled by a control mechanism that may include limit switches to facilitate automatic control. The control mechanism may be responsive to various outside signals, and a plurality of display cases may be simultaneously controlled.
This invention relates generally to mechanisms for lifting and lowering a load and for moving a movable barrier, and more particularly to the application of such mechanisms in display cases.
BACKGROUNDOften vendors display merchandise for sale within a glass covered display case, also known as a showcase, to entice purchasers and to keep the merchandise secure from potential theft. When an establishment is closed or when a display case is otherwise left unattended, however, a person may attempt to steal the contents of the display by smashing the glass and grabbing the displayed merchandise. To prevent such losses, it is desirable to have an easy to use mechanism for more securely storing the merchandise when not on display. For instance, it is desirable to secure the merchandise without having to remove the merchandise from the display on a daily basis to avoid the extra labor and wear on the items and their display props and to decrease inventory shrinkage. Additionally, it is desirable for the outer portions of the display case to be aesthetically pleasing so as to enhance the display of the merchandise or other items to be displayed.
Various security mechanisms for use within display cases are known in the art. For example, it is known to install a movable barrier to cover the display case when the items are not on display. Also, certain mechanisms are known for deploying a movable barrier within the display case for protecting merchandise while not on display. Such systems are often installed on the exterior of the display case, are not aesthetically pleasing, can restrict access to other storage areas of the case, and can require considerable physical effort to position. Additionally all existing systems that have the shutter stored external to the display case require a slot in the display case where the barrier is introduced or stored. This slot makes the structure of the case more vulnerable to breaking using a pry bar.
Further, it is desirable to place the displayed merchandise as close to the glass as possible for easy viewing by others. Therefore, the merchandise in such display cases with internal movable barrier security devices must be moved or otherwise situated to avoid contact with the barriers. Certain mechanisms for lowering a display shelf within a display case are known. These mechanisms vary from motorized linear lifts to scissor jack lift assemblies. Often, however, these devices are difficult to install in existing display cases or are difficult to use and/or unreliable over long term use. Further, the existing systems tend to operate very slowly and require the manual insertion of the barrier, which prevents the systems from being of any use during a daytime smash and grab raid.
The above needs are at least partially met through provision of the lifting and barrier mechanisms described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
The primary arms 108 and 110 each include a pivot shaft 130 and 132 between the first and second ends of the primary arms 108 and 110. The pivot shafts 130 and 132 are preferably run in a small needle roller bearing pressed into the primary arm 108 or 110. The cam slots 126 and 128 slidably receive the pivot shafts 130 and 132 such that when the motor 102 drives the racks 106 and 108 and the primary arms 108 and 110, the pivot shafts 130 and 132 move along the paths defined by the cam slots 126 and 128. In this way, the movement of the primary arm 108 is controlled by how the primary arm 108 is attached to the rack 104 and the path defined by the cam slot 126. The second ends of the secondary arms 112 and 114 are pivotally attached to a load 134, typically the under side of a movable support surface, preferably a shelf or platform. Therefore, when the motor 102 drives the primary arms 108 and 110 to the distal ends of the lifting mechanism 100, the cam slots 126 and 128, by sloping in a generally upwards direction toward the distal ends of the lifting mechanism 100, guide the primary arms 108 and 110 in an upwardly direction thereby lifting the load 134 along a path predetermined by the cam slots 126 and 128. Other embodiments of the primary arm guides may be contemplated such as structure secured to the base plate or the display case engaging the sides or tops and bottoms of the primary arms to guide their movement when driven by the motor.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in
So configured, the lift speed of the lifting mechanism is constant throughout the entire lifting distance, and thus the torque required of the motor 102 is constant throughout the entire lifting distance. Further, as shown in
Referring back to
Turning now to the shutter mechanism,
Conventional limit switches 215 and 217 may be placed on the rack guide rail 216 or otherwise located so as to detect the position of the flexible rack 214 and/or barrier. The limit switches 215 and 217 are operably connected to the motor 204 to signal when the barrier has reached a desired open or closed position. Preferably, the first limit switch 215 contacts the lower edge of the barrier 260 such that when the barrier is retracted, the limit switch 215 signals that the lower limit of the barrier was reached. The signaling of reaching the barrier's lower limit may also automatically trigger the raising of the movable shelf 172 as described above because the barrier is clear of the movable shelf's 172 path. Similarly, the second limit switch 217 contacts the flexible rack 214 such that when the barrier is raised, the limit switch 217 loses contact with the flexible rack 214 to signal that the upper limit of the barrier is reached.
One end of the flexible rack 214 attaches to the barrier through a clip assembly 220 illustrated in
The upper shutter clip 224 includes left 244 and right 246 flanges with apertures 248 and 250 that substantially align with the left 226 and right 228 flanges and apertures 230 and 232 of the lower shutter clip 222. A third aperture 251 is included between the apertures 248 and 250 of the left 226 and right 228 flanges. The upper shutter clip 224 also includes an L-shaped flange 252 initially extending substantially perpendicularly from the plane defined by the upper shutter clip 224 before bending substantially parallel to the plane. The portion of the L-shaped flange 252 lying substantially parallel to the plane of the upper shutter clip 224 defines a slot 254 that engages the tongue 238 of the lower shutter clip 222.
With continuing reference to
So configured, the upper L-shaped flange 252 of the upper shutter clip 224 and the upper L-shaped flange 234 of the lower shutter clip 222 form a pass through portion 268 that encloses the bar 270 of the lower shutter slat 258 at its opening 264 to allow rotation of the shutter slat 258 during movement. Additionally, the clip assembly 220 has a thin profile for traveling in a limited and narrow space within a display case 170. This clip assembly 220 provides the further benefit of being detachable from the shutter slat 258 for installation and servicing.
An alternative clip mechanism 400 is illustrated in
The alternative clip mechanism 400 has a thin profile for traveling in a limited and narrow space within a display case 170, is easily detachable for maintenance and installation of the shutter mechanism, and allows for the flexible rack 214 to have a rotatable connection with the shutter that allows for rotation of the lower shutter slat 258 relative to the flexible rack 214 during operation.
When installed in a display case 170 as illustrated in
An additional safety measure may be implemented through the provision of one or more magnet proximity switches 292, or other suitable switches, installed on the sliding glass panels 290 of the display case 170. The switches 292 are operably connected to the control mechanism 300 to disable the lifting mechanism 100 and drive mechanism 200 when the sliding glass panels 290 are open. Therefore, a person will not be injured by a moving movable shelf 172 or shutter 278, for example, by pinching a hand in the display case 170.
So configured, the shutter assembly is fully contained within the display case 170 thereby improving the aesthetic quality of the display case 170. Also, movement of the shutter 278 does not require any manual input.
Further, with reference to
Referring again to
With continuing reference to
As further illustrated in
The control mechanism 300 may also include fuses or circuit breakers 304 and 306 for the motors 102 and 204 and the control circuit contained within the control mechanism 300. The fuses 304 and 306 are operably connected to the motors 102 and 204 and control circuit such that in the event of a mechanical jam, short circuit, or other occurrence preventing the normal operation of one the motors 102 and 204 or control circuit, a fuse 304 or 306 will blow thereby preventing damage to the motor 102 or 204 or control circuit. In such an event, the fuse 304 or 306 may be replaced and operation of the motor 102 or 204 reversed to clear the jam. Preferably, the first fuse 304 has a 2-4 amp breakdown value to protect the control circuit, and the second fuse 306 has a 10-15 amp breakdown value to protect the motor power circuits.
The control mechanism 300 also includes operator relays 308. The operator relays 308 typically connect to the various limit switches to provide control between the switches and the motors 102 and 204. Additionally, the control mechanism 300 typically includes a battery 310 for providing power to the lifting mechanism 100 and the shutter drive mechanism 200. In this arrangement, the battery 310 will be used to operate the lifting mechanism 100 and/or the shutter drive mechanism 200 when the outside power fails. The battery 310 is preferably a 12 VDC of a conventional rechargeable type thereby having enough power for several cycles of the lifting mechanism 100 and/or the shutter drive mechanism 200 before needing recharging. Preferably, the battery charger (not shown) is connected to the same power supply as the display case lights (not shown) so that the battery 310 is charged whenever the display lights are illuminated. Alternatively, the control mechanism 300 may be connected to an outside power supply (not shown) where the display case 170 is located.
In a further embodiment, the control mechanism 300 can be programmed or otherwise configured to automatically lower the movable shelf 172 and close the shutter 278 when receiving a signal that an alarm is tripped, the house power is lost, emergency has occurred, or to close all. Such embodiments are readily configurable by one skilled in the art and provides increased security because it may operate without any need of human intervention. Further, the control mechanisms 300 of several display cases 120 may be linked to provide a single turn-key control of an entire room or store to provide additional ease of use and security. In such an embodiment, the control circuit for each case includes a quick connect junction that allows a harness to be installed to link the cases together. Alternatively, a separate single control mechanism 300 may control the operation of several display cases 170.
It is appreciated that securing items on display in a display case having the lifting mechanism and the shutter drive mechanism is made significantly easier by the turn-key operation of the mechanisms. An operator need not move, touch, or otherwise handle the items on display or the barrier to secure them. Instead, the operator need only turn the key switch to the closed position to lower the items and cover them with the shutter. Time is thereby saved and security increased by eliminating the need to handle the items to secure them. Further, the relatively simple design, using inexpensive and/or readily available components, renders the overall apparatus inexpensive to manufacture and simple to install.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a movable support surface;
- at least two support arms secured to the movable support surface;
- at least one primary arm connected to each support arm wherein each primary arm includes a first primary arm end and a second primary arm end wherein the second primary arm end of each primary arm connects to one of the at least two support arms;
- at least one primary arm guide operably engaging each primary arm such that the at least one primary arm guide guides the movement of the engaged primary arm; and
- a driving mechanism including a motor driving at least one driving member wherein each driving member is attached to the first primary arm end of one of the at least one primary arm.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 where the at least one primary arm guide further comprises at least one guide plate defining a cam slot that operably engages the primary arm such that the cam slot defines a movement path for a portion of the primary arm engaging the cam slot.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the driving mechanism drives the at least one driving member, the driving member moves the primary arm as guided by the primary arm guide thereby moving the support arms that in turn move the movable support surface.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor further comprises an electric motor operably coupled to a control mechanism.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 21, 2007
Publication Date: Aug 23, 2007
Inventor: Michael Salter (Willowdale)
Application Number: 11/677,314
International Classification: A47B 57/06 (20060101);