Retail merchandise hook

• US 8,240,486 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southern Imperial Incorporated (FFR DSI Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Southern Imperial Incorporated (FFR DSI Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Niederhuefner, Joerg, Westberg, Todd C., Valiulis, Stanley C., Barkdoll, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODDEN, JOSHUA E
• Application Number:
  US12/718,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20110215061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 211/7, 211/51, 211/54.1, 211/57.1, 211/59.1, 211/59.2, 211/59.3, 211/106, 211/106.01, 248/220.22, 248/220.31, 248/220.41, 248/225.21, 248/301, 248/304
• US Class Current: 211/51
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/128 for article hangers or brackets

Abstract

A retail merchandise hook which includes a hook for hanging retail merchandise therefrom and a security frame including a front stop which is separate from and arranged in a spaced relation to the hook, wherein the security frame is designed to prevent the theft of the retail merchandise. The retail merchandise hook also includes a pusher moveable relative to the hook and operable to bias retail merchandise hanging from the hook into engagement with the front stop.

Claims

1. A retail merchandise hook, comprising:

a hook for hanging retail merchandise therefrom;

a front stop separate from and arranged in spaced relation to the hook; and

a pusher movable relative to the hook and operable to bias retail merchandise hanging from the hook into engagement with the front stop; and

a track arranged in spaced relation to the hook, the pusher slidable along the track to urge product when arranged on the hook forward toward the front stop;

wherein the track comprises a support in the form of a separately formed wire structure that is disposed above the hook, the track and the hook being commonly joined to a mounting bracket, and the separately formed wire structure forms a wire loop, and the track further including a housing surrounding the wire loop, the pusher housing a spring therein, the housing defining the track with a slide surface along which the pusher is linearly translatable, the pusher having a track retainer extending into a space defined by the track, the pusher acted upon by the spring to urge the pusher toward the front stop.

2. The retail merchandise hook of claim 1 wherein the front stop is disposed below the hook.

3. The retail merchandise hook of claim 2 further including the hook and the front stop being provided by separate wire structures that are commonly affixed to the mounting bracket, the hook extending from the mounting bracket and terminating in a first distal end, the front stop located a first distance from the mounting bracket, wherein the first distal end extends further than the first distance relative to the mounting bracket.

4. The retail merchandise hook of claim 3 wherein the wire structure for the front stop has laterally spaced product retainers, one on each opposed lateral side of the hook, the product retainers extending between the mounting bracket and the front stop, the product retainers arranged to prevent or limit lateral movement of product hanging on the hook while permitting forward and backward movement of product on the hook.

5. The retail merchandise hook of claim 4, wherein the laterally spaced product retainers include a top wire segment and a bottom wire segment extending between a back end and a front end of the respective product retainers, the front stop being a front wire segment extending laterally between the product retainers, and wherein the top and bottom segments generally converge and thereby diminish a span of the product retainers as the top and bottom segments extend from the back end toward the front end.

6. The retail merchandise hook of claim 2 wherein the front stop is provided by a bin extending from the mounting bracket, the hook and bin commonly affixed to the mounting bracket, the bin having a bottom and a pair of laterally spaced product retainers on opposed sides of the hook, the product retainers arranged to prevent or limit lateral movement of product hanging from the hook while permitting forward and backward movement of product hanging from the hook.

7. A retail merchandise hook, comprising:

a hook for hanging retail merchandise therefrom;

a front stop arranged to stop retail merchandise proximate a front end of the hook;

a pusher assembly comprising a support structure either above or below the hook, a housing surrounding the support structure, and a pusher housing a spring therein, the housing defining a track with a slide surface along which the pusher is linearly translatable, the pusher acted upon by the spring to urge the pusher toward the front stop; and

a mounting bracket, the hook and the support structure are commonly carried by the mounting bracket;

wherein the support structure comprises a wire support structure having a wire loop within the housing, and wherein the pusher includes a track retainer extending into a space defined by the track.

8. The retail merchandise hook of claim 7 wherein the front stop forms part of a security structure configured to restrict side removal of retail merchandise from the hook to removal from an end of the hook, the security structure commonly carried by the mounting bracket with the support structure and the hook.

9. The retail merchandise hook of claim 8 including the pusher movable relative to the hook and operable to bias retail merchandise hanging from the hook into engagement with the front stop.

10. The retail merchandise hook of claim 9 wherein the pusher has a paddle having an extension, the extension selectively positionable relative to the paddle to vary the length of the pusher, wherein one of the paddle and the extension includes a plurality of grooves formed therein, and the other one of the paddle and the extension includes a tab formed therein, the tab selectively positionable within each one of the plurality of grooves to selectively interlock the extension with the paddle.