Access management system for warehouse rack loss prevention

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12004664-B2
Application number	US-202117212948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2021
Priority date	Mar 25, 2021
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A merchandise access system for a retail merchandise display is provided. The system includes a product support structure, a door and a brake. The product support structure defines a product storage area. The product storage area is formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure. The door is transitionable between an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from the product storage area and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area. The brake transitions between a braking position that prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end due to a biasing force and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front end due to the biasing force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A merchandise access system for a retail merchandise display, the merchandise access system comprising:
a product support structure that defines a product storage area for holding a plurality of product to be dispensed, the product storage area being formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure;
a door proximate the front end, the door being transitionable between an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from the product storage area and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area;
a brake configured to transition between a braking position in which the brake prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end the plurality of product towards the front end and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front after the selected product has been removed from the storage area;
wherein the brake is operably coupled to the door such that as the door transitions from the closed orientation to the open orientation the brake transitions from the release position to the braking position;
wherein the brake is operably coupled to the door by a mechanical linkage such that a load applied to the door that transitions the door from the closed orientation to the open orientation is used to drive the brake from the release position to the braking position;
wherein:
the mechanical linkage has a base member fixed relative to the product support structure, the base member having at least one slot, the slot having a first end and a second end, the first end of the slot is closer to the product support surface than the second end;
the mechanical linkage has a cam follower that is driven within the slot in a direction extending from the second end toward the first end to transition the brake from the release position to the braking position; and
the brake has a brake plate that is operably coupled to the cam follower, the cam follower driving the brake plate from being positioned substantially at or below the product support surface when the brake is in the release position to being positioned at a higher position and above the product support surface when the brake is in the braking position.

2. The merchandise access system of claim 1 , wherein the product support structure defines a product support surface that supports the plurality of products within the product storage area, the product support surface is gravitationally higher proximate the rear end than proximate the front end of the storage area such that the plurality of product is biased towards the front end by gravity, the brake, when in the braking position, preventing the unselected product from being moved towards the front end due to the force of gravity, the unselected product being movable towards the front end due to gravity when the brake is in the release position.

3. The merchandise access system of claim 1 , wherein the brake extends into the product storage area in the braking position and is positioned out of the product storage area in the release position.

4. The merchandise access system of claim 1 , wherein:
the product support structure defines a product support surface that supports the plurality of products;
a product dispensing axis extends between the front end and rear end, the unselected product of the plurality of products moves towards the front end parallel to the dispensing axis after the selected product is removed from the product storage area;
the door is pivotable about a pivot axis that is generally perpendicular to the product dispensing axis;
the door includes a front wall against which the selected product is biased when the door is in the closed orientation; and
the door includes a bottom foot extending rearward from the front wall toward the rear end, the bottom foot being positioned substantially even with or vertically below the product support surface when the door is in the closed orientation, the bottom foot extending upward and at least in part above the product support surface when the door is in the open orientation.

5. The merchandise access system of claim 1 , wherein:
the product support structure defines a product support surface that supports the plurality of products;
a product dispensing axis extends between the front end and the rear end, the unselected product of the plurality of products moves towards the front end along the dispensing axis after selected product is removed from the product storage area;
the door is pivotable about a pivot axis that is generally perpendicular to the product dispensing axis;
the door includes a front wall against which the selected product is biased when the door is in the closed orientation; and
the door includes a bottom foot extending rearward from the front wall, the bottom foot being positioned relative to the product support surface when the front wall is in the closed orientation such that the foot does not prevent unselected product positioned rearward of the foot from sliding past the rear most extent of the foot toward the front wall when the door is pivoted from the open orientation to the closed orientation after selected product has been removed.

6. The merchandise access system of claim 1 , wherein:
the slot is angled relative to a product support surface of the product support structure such that the door is closer to the first end of the slot than the second end of the slot.

7. A merchandise access system for a retail merchandise display, the merchandise access system comprising:
a product support structure that defines a product storage area for holding a plurality of product to be dispensed, the product storage area being formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure;
a door proximate the front end, the door being transitionable between an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from the product storage area and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area;
a brake configured to transition between a braking position in which the brake prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end the plurality of product towards the front end and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front after the selected product has been removed from the storage area;
wherein:
the product support structure defines a product support surface configured to support the plurality of product;
the product support surface has a first portion extending parallel to a product dispensing axis extending between the front end and the rear end;
the product support surface has a second portion extending parallel to the product dispensing axis;
the first and second portions of the product support surface being laterally spaced apart from one another along a transverse axis being perpendicular to the product dispensing axis; and
the brake being positioned between the first and second portions of the product support surface.

8. The merchandise access system of claim 7 , wherein the brake is operably coupled to the door such that as the door transitions from the closed orientation to the open orientation the brake transitions from the release position to the braking position.

9. The merchandise access system of claim 8 , wherein the brake is operably coupled to the door by a mechanical linkage such that a load applied to the door that transitions the door from the closed orientation to the open orientation is used to drive the brake from the release position to the braking p

Assignees

• Campbell Justin J
• Comstock Jeffrey A
• Dahl Jeffery E
• Fasteners For Retail Inc

Inventors

• Campbell Justin J
• Comstock Jeffrey A
• Dahl Jeffery E

Classifications

• G06Q20/18

  involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals · CPC title

• G06K7/10297

  arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00) · CPC title

• G06Q20/208

  Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing · CPC title

• G07C9/00658

  operated by passive electrical keys · CPC title

• G07F11/60

  the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable · CPC title