US 12,433,428 B2
Anti-sweeping hook with integrated inventory monitoring and/or loss prevention functionality
Brent O. Ewing, Roscoe, IL (US); Chan Chor Man, Hong Kong (HK); Yun Hua, Solon, OH (US); and Jeffrey A. Comstock, Edgerton, WI (US)
Assigned to Fasteners for Retail, Inc., Twinsburg, OH (US)
Filed by Fasteners for Retail, Inc., Twinsburg, OH (US)
Filed on Aug. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/887,655.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/236,097, filed on Aug. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0059326 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. A47F 1/12 (2006.01); A47F 5/08 (2006.01)
CPC A47F 1/128 (2013.01) [A47F 5/0861 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An anti-sweeping hook comprising:
a display hook for storing retail merchandise, the display hook being substantially straight and having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a helical coil disposed about the display hook and extending along a lengthwise portion of the display hook, the helical coil having a first coil end proximate the first end of the display hook, wherein rotation of the helical coil in a first direction of the helical coil loads the retail merchandise onto the display hook, and rotation of the helical coil in a second direction of the helical coil opposite the first direction of the helical coil removes the retail merchandise from the display hook;
a rotating handle attached to the first coil end and adjacent to the first end of the display hook, wherein the rotating handle is configured to determine a change in an amount of stored inventory based on the amount and direction of rotation of the rotating handle;
wherein the rotating handle includes a first circuit and a second circuit; and
a state change of the first circuit without a state change in the second circuit indicates rotation of the rotating handle in a first direction and a state change of both the first and second circuits indicates rotation of the rotating handle in a second direction, opposite the first direction.
 
9. A method of determining a change in an amount of stored inventory on an anti-sweeping hook comprising:
rotating a rotating handle of the anti-sweeping hook, the anti-sweeping hook including:
a display hook configured for storing retail merchandise, the display hook having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a helical coil disposed about the display hook and extending along a lengthwise portion of the display hook, the helical coil having a first coil end proximate the first end of the display hook, wherein rotation of the helical coil in a first direction of the helical coil loads the retail merchandise onto the display hook, and rotation of the helical coil in a second direction of the helical coil opposite the first direction of the helical coil removes the retail merchandise from the display hook, the rotating handle being attached to the first coil end and adjacent to the first end of the display hook;
determining a change in the amount of stored inventory by determining the amount of rotation of the rotating handle and direction of rotation of the rotating handle;
wherein determining the direction of rotation of the rotating handle includes:
determining that the direction of rotation is in a first direction of a main housing when a state change of a first circuit of the rotating handle without sensing a state change of a second circuit is sensed; and
determining that the direction of rotation is in a second direction, opposite the first direction of the main housing, when a state change of both the first and second circuits is sensed.