US 12,137,819 B2
Anti-theft pusher with incremental distance detection
Brent O. Ewing, Roscoe, IL (US); and Chan Chor Man, Tai Po (HK)
Assigned to Fasteners for Retail, Inc., Twinsburg, OH (US)
Filed by Fasteners for Retail, Inc., Twinsburg, OH (US)
Filed on May 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/326,127.
Application 18/326,127 is a continuation of application No. 17/727,496, filed on Apr. 22, 2022, granted, now 11,707,141.
Application 17/727,496 is a continuation of application No. 16/839,667, filed on Apr. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,363,894, issued on Jun. 21, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/830,045, filed on Apr. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0301444 A1, Sep. 28, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47F 1/12 (2006.01); G07F 9/02 (2006.01); G08B 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC A47F 1/126 (2013.01) [G07F 9/02 (2013.01); G08B 21/182 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A retail merchandise pusher configured for sliding along a track of a pusher assembly, the pusher assembly mountable to a retail merchandise shelf, the pusher comprising:
a housing;
a spring drum rotatably mounted within the housing;
a coil spring mounted to the spring drum, the coil spring coilable and uncoilable upon rotation of the spring drum; and
a controller coupled to a sensor arrangement carried within the housing, the sensor arrangement comprising:
a spring drum sensor for detecting rotation of the spring drum;
a direction sensor for detecting a direction of rotation of the spring drum; and
an incremental distance sensor for detecting an incremental movement of the pusher;
wherein the controller is configured to calculate, based on data from the sensor arrangement, a total distance and direction of travel by the pusher, and to generate an alarm when the pusher travels more than a threshold distance within a predetermined period of time; and
wherein the direction sensor includes a first electrical contact, a common electrical contact, and a second electrical contact, the common electrical contact interposed between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.