ANTI-SWEEP MECHANISM FOR MERCHANDISE DISPLAY HOOK

MECANISME D'ANTI-BALAYAGE POUR LES CROCHETS DE PRESENTOIR DE MARCHANDISES

English Abstract

An anti-sweep mechanism for controlling removal of merchandise items from a forward dispensing end of a merchandise display rod, the anti-sweep mechanism comprising a body having a first blocking portion and a second blocking portion, the body being rotatable between a first position and a second position wherein when the body is in the first position, the first blocking portion blocks forward movement towards the forward dispending end of merchandise items located on the merchandise display rod behind a first blocking location, and the second blocking portion is rotated away from the merchandise display rod to not interfere with movement of merchandise items along the merchandise display rod; and when the body is in the second position, the first blocking portion is rotated away from the merchandise display rod to not interfere with movement of merchandise items along the merchandise display rod, and the second blocking portion blocks forward movement of merchandize items located on the merchandise display rod behind a second blocking location that is spaced behind the first blocking location.

French Abstract

Il est décrit un mécanisme danti-balayage pour contrôler lenlèvement darticles de marchandises dune extrémité de distribution avant dune tige de présentoir de marchandises, le mécanisme danti-balayage comprenant un corps ayant une première partie bloquante et une deuxième partie bloquante, le corps étant rotatif entre une première position et une deuxième position, la première partie bloquante, lorsque le corps est dans la première position, bloquant un mouvement vers lavant en direction de lextrémité de distribution avant darticles de marchandises situés sur la tige de présentoir de marchandises derrière un premier emplacement bloquant, et la deuxième partie bloquante étant tournée dans le sens opposé de la tige de présentoir de marchandises pour ne pas interférer avec un mouvement darticles de marchandises le long de la tige de présentoir de marchandises; et la première partie bloquante, lorsque le corps est dans la deuxième position, est tourné dans le sens opposé de la tige de présentoir de marchandises pour ne pas interférer avec un mouvement darticles de marchandises le long de la tige de présentoir de marchandises, et la deuxième partie bloquante bloque un mouvement, vers lavant, des articles de marchandises situés sur la tige de présentoir de marchandises derrière un deuxième emplacement bloquant qui est espacé derrière le premier emplacement bloquant.

Claims

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CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. An anti-sweep mechanism for controlling removal of merchandise items
from a forward
dispensing end of a merchandise display rod, the anti-sweep mechanism
comprising a body
having a first blocking portion and a second blocking portion fixed in
position relative to
each other, the body being configured whereby when mounted to a support member
adjacent
the merchandise display rod the body is rotatable relative to an elongate axis
of the
merchandise display rod between a first position and a second position
wherein:
when the body is in the first position, the first blocking portion blocks
forward movement
towards the firward dispensing end of merchandi se items located on the
merchandise display
rod behind a first blocking location that is located behind the forward
dispensing end, and
the second blocking portion is rotated away from the merchandise display rod
to not interfere
with movement of merchandise items along the merchandise display rod;
when the body is in the second position, the first blocking portion is rotated
away from the
merchandise display rod to not interfere with movement of merchandise items
along the
merchandise display rod, and the second blocking portion blocks forward
movement of
merchandize items located on the merchandise display rod behind a second
blocking location
that is spaced behind the first blocking location.
2. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 1 wherein the body is configured so
that when the body
is mounted to the support member and rotating between the first position and
the second
position at least one of the first blocking portion and the second blocking
portion block
forward movement of merehandize items along the merchandise display rod.
3. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 1 comprising an anchor mechanism
configured to retain
the body at a desired location on the support member, the anchor mechanism
configured to
engage the support member to prevent axial sliding of the body relative to
merchandise
display rod.
Date recue/Date Received 2023-12-13

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4. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim I wherein the body defines an aperture
configured to
receive the support member and enable the body to rotate about the support
member, and the
body defmes an internal cavity for the anchor mechanism.
5. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 4 comprising a biasing mechanism
rotationally biasing
the body towards the first position.
6. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 5, wherein the biasing mechanism
comprises a spring
received within Ihe internal cavity and the anchor mechanism is configured to
anchor a first
portion of the spring to the support member.
7. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 4 wherein the body includes a first
body section and a
second body section that each defme respective portions of the aperture and
the internal
cavity, the first body section and the second body section configured to be
secured together
to mount the body on the support member.
8. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 7 wherein the first body section and
the second body
section include cooperating tabs and tab anchors for securing the first body
section and
second body section together.
9. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 4 wherein the anchor mechanism
comprises: a nut
having a slot for receiving a portion of the support member; and a set screw
configured to
engage threads of the nut and the support member to secure the anchor
mechanism to the
support member, wherein the nut is configured to restrain axial movement of
the body along
the support member by engaging walls of the body that define the internal
cavity.
Date recue/Date Received 2023- 12- 13

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10. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 9 wherein the body defmes an opening
that
comrnunicates with the internal cavity and through which a portion of the set
screw extends,
enabling the location of the body on support member to be adjusted without
removing the
body from the support member.
11. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 9 wherein the body defmes a first
stop surface for
engaging the set screw to prevent the body from rotating in a first direction
beyond the first
position and a second stop surface for engaging the set screw to prevent the
body from
rotating beyond the second position in an opposite direction.
12. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 1 wherein the body includes a central
portion defining
an axial aperture configured to receive the support member, a first arm
extending rigidly in
a first radial direction from the central portion and forming the first
blocking portion, and a
second arm axially spaced from the first arm and extending rigidly in a
different. second
radial direction from the central portion and forming the second blocking
portion.
13. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 12 wherein the first arm has a hook-
like profile and
includes a section configured to extend under the merchandise display rod when
the body is
in the first position, and the second arm has a hook-like profile and includes
a section
configured to extend under the merchandise display rod when the body is in the
second
position.
14. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 1 wherein the second blocking
location is between 1/2
inch and 2 inches further from the dispensing end than the first blocking
location, and the
first and second blocking portions are each configured to radially extend to a
maximum of
between 1.5 and 3 inches from the support member.
15. A merchandise display hook system comprising:
Date revue/Date Received 2023-12-13

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a merchandise display rod having a forward dispensing end for dispensing
merchandise
items;
a support rod;
the merchandise display rod and support rod mounted to a display fialure with
the support
rod extending substantially parallel to and spaced a predetermined distance
from the
merchandise display rod: and
an anti-sweep mechanism for preventing sweeping of merchandise items from the
dispensing
end of the merchandise display rod, the anti-sweep mechanism comprising a body
with a
first blocking portion and a second blocking portion fixed relative to each
other, the body
being mounted to the support rod and rotatable about an elongate axis of the
support rod
between a first position and a second position, wherein:
the first blocking portion is configured to: (i) block forward movement of
merchandise items
suspended from the merchandise display rod behind a first blocking location
when the body
is in the first position or within a first angular range of the first
position, and (ii) not block
movement of merchandise items along the merchandise display rod when the body
is in the
second position or within a second angular range of the second position,
wherein the first
blocking position is located behind the forward dispensing end of the
merchandise display
rod;
the second blocking pcction is configured to: (i) block forward movement of
merchandise
items suspended from the merchandise display rod behind a second blocking
location that is
located further from the dispensing end than the first blocking location, when
the body is in
the second position or within the second angular range, and (ii) not block
movement of
merchandise items along the merchandise display rod when the body is in the
first position
or within the first angular range;
the body being configured so that one or both of the first blocking portion
and the second
blocking portion will, when the body is rotated within an angular range that
is between the
first angular range and the second angular range, block movement of
merchandise items
along the merchandise display rod towards the dispensing end.
Date recue/Date Received 2023- 12- 13

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16. An anti-sweep mechanism for controlling removal of merchandise items
from a merchandise
display rod when the anti-sweep mechanism is mounted adjacent the merchandise
display
rod, the anti-sweep mechanism comprising:
a body configured to be rotatable about an axis between a first position and a
second position,
the body comprising:
a central portion through which the axis extends;
a first arm extending in a first radial direction from the central portion and
forming a first
blocking member;
a second arm extending in a second radial direction from the central portion
and forming a
second blocking member, the first arm and the second arm being fixed relative
to each other;
the second arm being axially spaced apart on the central portion from the
first arm;
wherein the body is configured so that, when the anti-sweep mechanism is
mounted adjacent
the merchandise display rod:
the first blocking portion will: (i) when the body is in the first position,
block forward
movement of merchandise items located on the merchandise display rod behind a
first
blocking location that is behind the forward dispensing end of the merchandise
display rod,
and (ii) when the body is in the second position, allow a merchandise item
located forward
of the first blocking location to be removed from a dispensing end ofthe
merchandise display
rod; and
the second blocking portion will: (ii) when the body is in the second
position, block forward
movement of merchandise items located on the merchandise display rod behind a
second
blocking location that is located behind the first blocking location, and (ii)
when the body is
in the first position, allow a merchandise item to be moved along the
merchandise display
rod from behind the second blocking location to a position forward of the
second blocking
location.
17. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 16 wherein the central portion defmes
an axial aperture
for receiving a support rod to mount the anti-sweep mechanism adjacent the
merchandise
Date recue/Date Received 2023-12-13

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display rod, the anti-sweep mechanism comprising an anchor mechanism securable
to the
support rod to restrain axial movement of the body along the support rod.
18. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 17 wherein the body defines an
intemal cavity within
the central portion for the anchor mechanism.
19. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 18 wherein the anchor mechanism
comprises: a nut
having a slot for receiving a portion of the support member; and a set screw
configured to
engage threads of the nut, and the support member, to secure the anchor
mechanism to the
support member.
20. The anti-sweep mechanism of claim 19 comprising a spring located within
the internal cavity
and having an end secured to the anchor mechanism, the spring biasing the body
towards the
first position.
Date recue/Date Received 2023-12-13

Description

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Representative Drawing