MX2007006962A - Theft deterrent system hook . - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus for dispensing products that includes a theft deterrent retail product dispensing hook. In certain embodiments, the hook prevents product "sweeping" (where a thief quickly empties a conventional retail hook of product) and also delivers a time-delayed delivery of product per hook. A specific embodiment of a time-delay display hook system comprises a two-prong system having an upper member and a lower member, with the upper member supporting g a dispensing system and the lower member supporting a product to be dispensed. Upon triggering of an activation member, the dispensing system releases a single product and provides a time-delay between dispending of further product.

Description

HOOK WITH ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM Field of the invention The invention relates generally to anti-theft devices for distributing products. More specifically, the invention relates to distribution devices that incorporate anti-theft measures, such as knobs or time delays.

Background of the Invention Theft of small items in retail stores is a very common problem. Items that are in high demand by thieves include Over the Counter (OTC) products such as painkillers and cough and cold medicines, razor blades, camera films, batteries, videos, DVDs, smoking cessation products and baby formula. Racking shelves is a particular problem for small items. It happens when someone removes all merchandise from the shelf (and in some cases, removes the hook on which the merchandise hangs), and leaves the store, similar to a "lightning theft" technique in stores. Racking shelves depends on the excessive amounts of product that are available on the shelf. However, retailers need to maintain substantial inventory in stash or incur replenishment expense constantly. In addition to avoiding theft, retail stores may wish to limit the purchase of certain items. For example, to make methamphetamines, large amounts of cold medicine are needed. Pseudoephedrine, the only active ingredient in many cold and decongestant medicines, is also the key ingredient in methamphetamine; a powerful and highly addictive stimulant. Retailers are constantly faced with balancing the access needs of legitimate consumers to highly stolen items with measures to minimize the incidence of theft. It has long been known to place items such as cigars, soft drinks and newspapers in vending machines. Such machines require full self-service by the consumer. The consumer places money inside the selling machine and the machine provides the desired item. However, vending machines can be inconsistent with the way people currently buy items; Many people prefer to use credit or debit cards instead of cash. Vending machines can also be inconvenient and take up a lot of space. Finally, the typical vending machines do not employ any time delay mechanism to prevent a buyer from being shipped Quickly all the items in the vending machine. Because theft has become so rampant in certain product categories, such as razor blades, infant formula, and cold medicine, many retail stores are removing the products from the shelves and placing them on the shelves. behind the counter or under lock. Customers must request the products to make a purchase. This requires additional labor costs to provide an individual service to customers who would not normally require it. This also makes it difficult for customers to compare the products. In addition, it may be impossible in cases where the space behind the counter is limited and needed for prescription medications. In some cases, some products simply are not available due to the high rates of theft. Therefore, a distribution device or apparatus is needed that minimizes the incidence of product theft, particularly sweep. The dispensing device or apparatus must also be capable of being adjusted within a common grocery store, pharmacy or other retail scope shelves. It is also desirable that the dispensing device or apparatus effectively display the products so that the consumers can easily identify the products. It is also preferable that the dispensing apparatus be easy to use. Additionally, studies have shown that in addition to avoiding sweep, another desirable way to prevent theft is to cause a time lag between the distribution of multiple products. It is less likely that would-be thieves steal products if there is a substantial time lag between the distribution of individual products. It is also desirable to achieve the delayed distribution of products in an effective cost manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In certain embodiments of the invention, the apparatus for distributing products includes an anti-theft hook for the distribution of retail product. In certain modalities, the hook avoids the "sweep" of products (in cases where a thief quickly empties a hook of conventional retail sale of product) and also provides a delayed delivery of product per hook. For example, a specific embodiment of a time-delayed display hook system, comprises a two-throw system having an upper member and a lower member, the upper member adapted to support a distribution system and the lower member adapted to support the product to be distributed; a distribution system associated with the upper member comprising a motor, a blocking member, and an activation member, wherein the activation member is adapted to actuate to release a product to be distributed from the lower member. Upon actuation of the activation member, the locking member is activated to prevent an additional product from being dispensed and the engine is activated to prevent further rotation of the activation member until the engine is turned off, providing a time delay between the distribution of individual products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 shows a side perspective view of one embodiment of an anti-theft hook system. FIGURE 2 shows an exemplary mounting system and a two-projection system for an anti-theft hook. FIGURES 3A and 3B show one embodiment of an activation member or knob for an anti-theft hook system. FIGURE 4 shows one embodiment of a locking member for an anti-theft hook system.

FIGURE 5 shows an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an anti-theft system. FIGURE 6 shows the system of FIGURE 5 in a partially shaken position, with the activation member being put in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIGURE 1 and described in greater detail in the following, the embodiments of the invention provide a system of two projections with a distribution system on the upper member of the hook. The distribution system is a spring-loaded revolving door system, activated by a customer that rotates an activation member or knob, leaving a door (which may be a part of the knob or a separate element) to allow the The product that is later on is sold while the second door (which can be a blocking member) prevents a subsequent product from being sold until the spring-loaded time device is restored by itself. In this way, the time delay of the distribution system provides an anti-theft feature. In addition to the product distribution aspect of the device, a provision of key / lock on the activation member or knob that allows a retailer to reposition the front door (activation member or knob) and allow the product to be loaded onto the hook by a sales manager and then locked in position that allows the sale. The key / lock can also be used to completely close the device during periods of high theft. First, as shown in FIGURE 2, a system 90 of two projections is provided. The hook 90 includes a top member 92 and a bottom member 94. The members can join a mounting member 96, which in turn, can mount the member on a display board, a cross member 98, or any other structure. If provided, the cross member 98 may be attached to a shelf in a shelf base in existence by a hook or any other suitable attachment mechanism. An advantage of a cross-member mounting system is that it allows adjustment from left to right. Another advantage is that it ensures that the connection of the hook 90 to the crossbar 98 is solid. The devices present depend on the board support which can be easily broken. Another advantage is that incorporating a mounting member 96 to the hook can help connect the hook to a pre-existing retail fit in stock. Additionally, the assembly systems of According to several modalities, they help to provide resistance and reduce the risk that supposed thieves easily remove the system from a shelf. (An additional integrated anti-theft mechanism is a time delay between the distribution of products, discussed in the following). This system can be constructed of tubular steel or any other conventional materials. The mode of the anti-theft device 10 shown in FIGURE 1 includes a two-projection system 90 associated with a distribution system 60. The distribution system 60 can be associated with the upper member 92, so that the lower member 94 can support the product to be distributed. The distribution system 60 is a spring-loaded rotary door system that allocates only one product at a time, with a time lag between each product distribution action. Each of these elements will be discussed in greater detail in the following, but in a specific embodiment, the distribution system 60 is activated by activating an activation member 20 (which may be a knob, a lever, a button of pressure, an extraction button, or any other device that can be used to activate a motor), which releases the lower member 94 of the knob 20 and allows a single product is removed. That movement also rotates a locking or door disc 40 which prevents other products from being removed from the member. The turning movement also loads a spring 70 which will begin to rotate and activate the motor 62 once the activation member 20 (which is shown as a knob in the figures) is released. As the spring-loaded system begins to unwind (guided by a gear and resistance motor), there is a point at which the locking disk 40 will allow another product to be fed by gravity forward towards a position between the locking disk 40 and the activation member 20. This product, and only this product, is in a position that will be accessed by another rotation of the activation member 20. Turning now to the other specific components of the system, one embodiment of the activation member 20 is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B as a knob 20. FIGURE 3A shows the side of the knob 20 facing the consumer, which has a portion 22 that will be fastened. As shown in FIGURE 3B, the knob 20 also has a dispensing groove 24, which generally follows at least a portion of the circumference 26 of the knob 20. In use, the dispensing groove 24 releases the end of the member 94. lower, which allows the consumer to remove the product. The knob 20 also has a connection member 28, which allows it to be connected to the upper member 92 and / or the spring loaded system 60. The connecting member 28 is shown as a circular aperture, but it should be understood that any connecting mechanism of any shape and size will allow the knob to connect to the rest of the device 10 (eg, a coat rack, a toothed system, etc.). it is considered within the scope of this invention. Once the knob 20 is rotated, the locking member 40 moves to a position that prevents the product from sliding to the member 94. As shown in FIGURE 4, the locking member 40 has a similar shape to the shape of the knob 20. Its slot 42 moves to the position to release the product only after the motor shuts off. In one embodiment, the action of the motor can slowly rotate the locking portion 44 in order to allow the slot 42 to release the product once the motor has been turned off. In another embodiment, the locking portion 44 remains stationary during the action of the motor, and the slot 42 quickly returns to its place once the motor shuts off, allowing the product to be fed by gravity. The knob 20 and the locking member 40 are attached to a spring / motor combination. As shown in FIGURE 1, one end of the spring 70 is preferably attached to the motor support 62 (which provides resistance for the action of the spring) and the other end is joined to a resistance motor 62 and gear system 66. The rotation of the knob 20 taut and loads the spring 70, while the The motor and the gear system are allowed to move freely. Once the knob 20 is released, the tension of the spring activates the motor 62. In a certain embodiment, the motor 62 is of the type commonly used in toy cars, so that it can be wound and then unwound to create energy or movement. The resistance motor 62 can incorporate a series of gears 66 which prevents the locking member 40 and the knob 20 from returning to the dispensing mode until a period of time, such as about 15 or 30 seconds, has passed in this way, An advantage of the described devices is that in addition to avoiding the scanning of multiple products that perform the distribution of a single article, they also provide a time delay between each distribution stage. This time delay can be any desired time, for example from 5 to about 60 seconds. (Much more time can prevent legitimate consumers from buying the product, although any time limit is possible). As the spring-loaded distribution system 60 begins to unwind, it becomes a point wherein the locking member allows a product to be fed by gravity forward to a position between the locking member 40 and the knob 20. This is the only product that is allowed to move forward toward the position of stage division to be accessed by another rotation of the knob 20. FIGURE 5 shows an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the device 10. This embodiment includes the activation member 20, the locking member 40, the spring 70, the motor 62, and the gear 66. It also has a motor assembly 64, which covers the motor 62, prevents contaminants from entering the distribution system 60, and gives the device 10 a more refined appearance. This modality also has a busbar system 120 that can contain and support product, if desired. The system 120 includes a support bar 122 and a support pusher 124. In addition to providing a support base for the product, the support pusher 124 is spring loaded and helps push the product forward. In one embodiment, the upper member 92 has a spring-loaded member 91 in its lower portion and the support pusher 124 has a coupling system 126 cooperating with the upper member 92. The coupling system 126 may have outer arms 128 that are adapted to receive ends 93 of the upper member 92. Coupling system 126 may also have an inner guide 129 that engages a press against a spring loaded member 91 on the underside of upper member 92. As the product is allowed to move forward due to the action of the motor, the spring loaded member 91 forces the support pusher 124 forward. The support pusher 124 also has an opening 125 that receives the lower member 94 in use. The support pusher is particularly useful in systems that are not gravity-fed systems, although gravity-fed systems may also utilize the anti-theft hook features described herein. Also, in this embodiment, instead of being a circular bar, the upper member 92 is shown as a planar bar 112. The flat bar 112 can be integrally connected to a mounting member or it can be formed as a separate part, depending on the display requirements. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the flat bar 112 may have an opening 114 that receives the lower member 94, which can hold the elements more securely and conveniently together. Another beneficial feature of the device 10 is that the support bar 122 can be adjusted to receive variously sized products. As shown in the FIGURE 5, a support member 140 can be provided so that it is mounted on the flat bar 122. The support member 140 has adjustable openings on its underside which allow the projections 123 of the support bar 122 to be received in different locations to provide more or less space for the product in the area between the support push-piece 124 and the support. support bar 122 (This can be seen more clearly in FIGURE 6). An additional feature of the device 10 is that the distribution system 60 can be removed from the two-projection system 90 for resupply purposes. Once assembled, the distribution system 60 can be an autonomous unit having the activation member (shown as a knob) and a motor connected together. The system 60 may have a lock 150 that allows the system 60 to be removed and replaced on the two-projection system 90. The distribution system 60 can also be completely closed during periods of high theft or crowded. Alternatively, the lock 150 may be associated with the knob 20 to allow a retailer to reposition the front door (by turning the knob) and allow the product to be loaded onto the hook by a sales manager and then closed in the position that allows the sale.

During the use of the system shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, when the consumer rotates the knob 20, a single product is released from the lower member 92, and the slot 42 of the locking member engages the lower member 92 to prevent the release of the additional product. The rotation of the knob 20 also rotates the motor, which controls the movement of the locking member 40. As discussed in the foregoing, the locking member 40 can be slowly rotated by the movement of the motor (so that once the motor is turned off, the locking member allows another product to be released), or the locking member 40 it can remain in a locked position and then be released in a single sudden movement once the engine shuts down or reaches a predetermined point in its progress. Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it should be understood that alternative versions may be developed so that they fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, it may be possible to use two doors, instead of a knob and the locking member. The doors could retain products when they are in the closed position and could be opened by activating a push button or lever. The spring-loaded motor could still be coupled by a spring, although it could also be operated by a circuit, an electric motor, or any other appropriate device. In this case, when a consumer presses a distribution button or activates a distribution lever, an electric motor could cycle, opening a first door, allowing a product to be removed, although activating a second door to prevent it from being distributed more than once. product. Once the product has been removed, the spring can quickly return to its original position and push the doors closed. In the recovery mode, an actuator 152 can be provided which is adjusted and secured when the activation member 20 is rotated. When the motor is unrolled, it removes the actuator 152 from its secured position. Additionally, the time delay can be controlled by a circuit card or an integrated timer, instead of the motor and spring concept. To further prevent a theft, the device 10 may include a sound to alert store employees that a product is being distributed. For example, the device may include a button to provide an audible click sound. The push button can be incorporated within the spring 70 so that the sound is heard when the spring is retracted when the knob, button or lever is actuated. Additionally or alternatively, the device 10 may include a sound audible beep or an audible message when a product is distributed. These sounds can alert nearby people that a product is in the position of being removed, attracting the attention of a store employee and deterring thieves. Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to the described embodiments, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein.

Claims (9)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and therefore the property described in the following claims is claimed as property.
1. CLAIMS 1. A display hook system with time delay, characterized in that it comprises: (a) a two-throw system having an upper member and a lower member, the upper member adapted to support a distribution system and the lower member adapted to support the product to be distributed; (b) a distribution system associated with the upper member, the distribution system comprising a motor, a blocking member, and an activation member, wherein the activation member is adapted to actuate to release a product to be distributed from the lower member, where, upon actuation of the activation member (i) the blocking member is activated to prevent an additional product from being dispensed and (ii) the motor is activated to prevent further rotation of the activating member until that the motor shuts off, providing a time delay between the distribution of individual products.
2. 2. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking member comprises a retainer disk.
3. 3. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking member has a locked position and an open position, and wherein the activation of the motor rotates the locking member towards its locked position. and as the engine runs, the locking member begins to move slowly away from its locked position toward its open position, so that when the engine is shut off, the locking member is in its open position and allows the product to pass.
4. 4. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 1, characterized in that the activation member comprises a knob with a portion to be fastened and a distribution slot.
5. 5. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a busbar system.
6. 6. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 5, characterized in that the busbar system comprises a support bar and a support pusher.
7. 7. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 6, characterized in that the support pusher comprises a coupling system, wherein the upper member comprises a flat plate, and wherein the coupling system receives the flat plate.
8. 8. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a spring associated with the motor, wherein, when the activation member is rotated, the spring is wound.
9. 9. The display hook system with time delay according to claim 1, characterized in that the distribution system comprises a lock feature.