MERCHANDISE DISPENSING APPARATUS PROVIDING THEFT DETERRENCE

• US 20110017763A1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RTC Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Colelli, Robert P., Cleland, Keith, Cruz, Johnnie, Oberg, Eric E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,727,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/125 with an article-pushing device
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/002 Devices for protection against sunlight or theft
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/06 supported individually on pivotally-mounted flaps or shelves
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/38 in which the magazines are horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A box structure has a plurality of walls positioned and configured to prevent access to an interior space housing merchandise in a secure manner. A first movable wall permits manual access to a frontal portion of the interior space while at the same time moving a barrier strip to prevent manual access to other than said frontal portion of the interior space. A roll-out shelf mounts merchandise supporting modules with pushers to move merchandise toward the front of the structure where ejection mechanisms in each of the modules are able to direct selected items to the front of the structure where they can be accessed by consumers. The ejection process creates a characteristic noise to alert store personnel that products are being dispensed.

Claims

1. A merchandise dispensing apparatus providing theft deterrence comprising:

a box structure including a plurality of walls enclosing and defining an interior space within the box structure, the plurality of walls comprising a top panel including a front edge, side panels extending downwardly from opposite sides of the top panel, and a front panel extending between front edges of the side panels and including a top edge such that the plurality of walls define an opening between the front edge of the top panel and the top edge of the front panel;

a first movable wall joined to the box structure by a first hinge offset behind the top edge of the front panel, the first hinge enabling the first movable wall to move between a first closed position preventing access through the opening and a second open position permitting manual access to a frontal portion of the interior space through the opening; and

a barrier strip within the interior space and hingedly joined to the first movable wall by a second hinge, wherein the barrier strip is directed into a vertical attitude when the first movable wall is moved to the open position to prevent manual access to other than the frontal portion of the interior space, and the barrier strip is directed into a horizontal attitude when the first movable wall is moved to the closed position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first movable wall is transparent, enabling visual access to the interior space when the barrier strip is in the horizontal attitude.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first movable wall at least partly obscures visual access to the interior space when the barrier strip is in the vertical attitude.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of merchandise supporting modules fixed in adjacent positions within the box structure, each of the merchandise supporting modules including a merchandise ejector that operably raises an ejector plate when activated, thereby lifting merchandise off the merchandise supporting modules into the frontal portion of the interior space.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each merchandise ejector comprises a rotatably mounted knob, the knob enabled for transmitting manual rotational action to a crank, the crank operable within a slot of the ejector plate, thereby directing the ejector plate in linear vertical motion.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each rotatably mounted knob provides a noise making mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each merchandise supporting module includes a top panel with opposing side panels depending downwardly therefrom, at least one of the side panels engaging one of a plurality of slotted strips of the box structure, thereby fixing the merchandise supporting module in a selected position within the box structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises a transparent plate allowing merchandise within the box structure to be viewed therethrough.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the box structure comprises a movable shelf, the front panel extending upwardly from the shelf, the shelf being movable between a rearward closed position wherein side edges of the front panel are disposed adjacent the front edges of the side panels to prevent access to the interior space therebetween, and a forward open position wherein the front panel is spaced away from the side panels to allow access to the interior space.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the shelf comprises one or more locks for securing the shelf in the closed position.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of merchandise supporting modules fixed in adjacent positions on the shelf such that the merchandise supporting modules are disposed within the box structure when the shelf is in the closed position, and the merchandise supporting modules are accessible in the open position for loading merchandise thereon.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the merchandise supporting modules includes a merchandise ejector that operably raises an ejector plate when activated, thereby lifting merchandise off the merchandise supporting modules into the frontal portion of the interior space.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first movable wall comprises a first plate extending between the side walls of the box structure over the frontal portion, the first plate comprising a handle for moving the front plate between the closed position and the open position for permitting access to the frontal portion, the barrier strip hingedly joined to the first plate opposite the handle such that the barrier strip is lowered into the vertical attitude adjacent the frontal portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first plate is oriented generally horizontally in the closed attitude and is lifted about the first hinge to access the frontal portion.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the handle is located on a front edge of the first plate, the second hinge is located on a rear edge of the first plate and the first hinge is disposed on side edges of the first plate between the front and rear edges.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first plate contacts an upper edge of the front plate in the closed position.

17. A merchandise dispensing apparatus providing theft deterrence comprising:

a box structure including a plurality of walls enclosing and defining an interior space within the box structure, the plurality of walls comprising a top panel including a front edge, side panels extending downwardly from opposite sides of the top panel, and a front panel extending between front edges of the side panels such that the plurality of walls define an opening between the top panel and the front panel;

a first movable wall joined to the box structure by a first hinge that enables the first movable wall to move between a first closed position preventing access through the opening and a second open position permitting manual access to a frontal portion of the interior space through the opening; and

a plurality of merchandise supporting modules fixed in adjacent positions within the box structure, each of the merchandise supporting modules including a merchandise ejector that operably raises an ejector plate when activated, thereby lifting merchandise off the merchandise supporting modules into the frontal portion of the interior space.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the merchandise ejector comprises an actuator disposed in front of the front panel and a noise making mechanism that makes a noise when the actuator is activated.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the actuator comprises a rotatable knob coupled to the ejector plate such that rotation of the knob causes the ejector plate to slide upwardly and directs the merchandise most forward on the respective merchandise supporting module to eject the merchandise into the frontal portion in front of the respective merchandise supporting module in position to be manually removed from the frontal portion when the first movable wall is in the open position.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the knob transmits manual rotational action to a crank, the crank operable within a slot of the respective ejector plate, thereby directing the ejector plate in linear vertical motion.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the merchandise supporting modules engage fixed slotted strips of the box structure thereby selectively positioning the modules in adjacent, aligned, removably fixed locations within the interior space.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each merchandise supporting module comprises a top panel for resting merchandise thereon, and a side wall movably secured to the merchandise supporting module;

each adjacent pair of said side walls establishing a merchandise guideway terminating at a merchandise ejector adjacent the front panel, whereby merchandise ejected from the merchandise supporting module is directed into the frontal portion in front of the respective merchandise supporting module.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a barrier strip within the interior space and joined to the first movable wall by a second hinge, the second hinge enabling the barrier strip to move between a first position allowing merchandise on the merchandise supporting module to be directed into the frontal portion when the first movable wall is in the closed position, and a second position when the first movable wall is in the open position, the second position of the barrier strip preventing manual access to other than the frontal portion of the interior space to prevent access to merchandise not already directed into the frontal portion.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first movable wall is transparent, enabling visual access to the merchandise supporting modules when the barrier strip is in the first position and at least partly obscuring visual access to the merchandise supporting modules when the barrier strip is in the second position.

25. A product display system for a shelf, comprising:

a shelf comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and a bottom portion;

a pusher member movable between the front portion and the rear portion;

a rotatable dispensing member located near the front portion;

a rotatable knob operably connected to the dispensing member such that rotation of the knob causes rotation of the dispensing member;

a trough portion located near the front portion; and

a hinged lid covering at least part of the trough portion;

wherein rotation of the dispensing member causes a product to be dispensed in the trough such that the product can be retrieved from the trough by moving the hinged lid to an open position; and

wherein access to products on the shelf is minimized when the hinged lid is in the open position.

26. The display system of claim 25, wherein the hinged lid further comprises a support and a product shield, wherein the support and the product shield further minimize access to merchandise on the shelf.

27. The display system of claim 25, wherein, when the hinged lid is in the open position, a back surface of the hinged lid minimizes access to the products on the shelf.

28. The display system of claim 25, further comprising a piano hinge operably connected to the hinged lid, wherein the piano hinge facilitates movement of the hinged lid from a closed position to the open position.

29. The display system of claim 25, wherein the rotation of the at least one knob causes a clicking noise that indicates product is being selected.

30. A method for retrieving product from a merchandise display system, comprising:

identifying a desired product on a shelf;

rotating a knob located generally in front of the product, causing a dispensing disc operably connected to the knob and contacting the product to rotate as the knob is rotated, lifting the product to a height such that the product extends over the dispensing disc, thereby creating a void, rotation of the knob further causing a pusher member to move forward so that the void remaining from the product being lifted is occupied, whereby the product falls over the dispensing disc into a trough adjacent to the dispensing disc;

opening a lid covering the trough;

reaching into the trough to retrieve the product; and

releasing the lid.