Pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly

• US 5,597,150 A
• Filed: 03/22/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Display Technologies, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: Display Technologies, Inc. (Rhode Island)
• Inventors: Updegrave, William C., Stein, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERRY JR, WILLIE WENDELL
• Application Number:
  US08/408,726
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 248/551, 248/302, 248/303, 248/309.1, 211/59.1, 211/57.1, 211/106
• US Class Current: 248/551
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0861 Anti-theft means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/0869 Accessories for article-supporting brackets, e.g. price- indicating means, not covered by a single one of groups A47F5/08 pushing means therefor A47F1/128

Abstract

A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom is formed of a peg hook and a flipper. The peg hook has a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same. One of the hook ends is configured and dimensioned to maintain the hook body substantially horizontal when mounted on an appropriate surface, and the other of the hook ends is a free end. The hook body is configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and defines a vertically extending bump adjacent to but spaced from the free end. The flipper is pivotably secured adjacent the free end and is movable between an enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of an article along the book body and onto the flipper as the article moves towards the free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of an article onto the flipper as the article moves towards the free end. The flipper is cammed into the blocking orientation by an article passing over the bump.

Claims

1. A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed, comprising:

(A) a peg hook having a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same, one of said hook ends being configured and dimensioned to maintain said hook body in a first plane when mounted on an appropriate surface and the other of said hook ends being a free end, said hook body being configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and defining a transversely extending bump adjacent to but spaced from said free end; and

(B) a flipper pivotably secured to said hook adjacent said free end and being movable between an enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of a lead article along said hook body and onto said flipper as the lead article moves towards said free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of a second article onto said flipper as the fist article moves towards said free end, said flipper normally remaining in said enabling orientation under the influence of gravity and being cammed into said blocking orientation by said first article passing over said bump.

2. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said flipper defines a generally planar front end and a generally planar rear end, said front and rear ends being disposed at an obtuse angle.

3. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said front and rear ends of said flipper define an obtuse angle of 140°

-160°

.

4. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said free end of said hook and said front end of said flipper are in the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation.

5. The peg hook assembly of claim 4 wherein said rear end of said flipper and said body of said hook between said one end and said bump are in the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation.

6. The peg hook assembly of claim 2 wherein said rear end of said flipper and said body of said hook between said one end and said bump are in the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation.

7. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said flipper is cammed into said enabling orientation by an article passing over said free end.

8. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said flipper front end is pivotally secured to said free end and said flipper rear end extends generally towards said one end.

9. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said first plane is substantially horizontal and said bump extends vertically.

10. The peg hook assembly of claim 1 wherein said bump extends upwardly from said hook body.

11. A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom, comprising:

(A) a generally horizontal peg hook having a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same, one of said hook ends being configured and dimensioned to maintain said body substantially horizontal when mounted on an appropriate surface and the other of said hook ends being a free end, said hook body being configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and defining a vertically extending bump adjacent to but spaced apart from said free end; and

(B) a flipper pivotably secured adjacent said free end and extending partially towards said one end, said flipper defining a generally planar front end and a generally planar rear end, said front and rear ends being disposed at an obtuse angle of 140°

-160°

, said flipper being movable between a first enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of an article along said hook body and onto said flipper as the article moves towards said free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of a second article onto said flipper as the first article moves towards said free end, said flipper normally remaining in said enabling orientation under the influence of gravity and being cammed into said blocking orientation by the first article passing over said bump and being cammed into said enabling orientation by said first article passing over said free end, said flipper front end being pivotably secured to said free end and said flipper rear end extending generally towards said one end;

said free end of said hook and said front end of said flipper being in the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation, and

said rear end of said flipper and said body of said hook between said one end and said bump being in the same plane when said flipper is in said enabling orientation and in intersecting planes when said flipper is in said blocking orientation.