US 12,144,438 B2
Anti-theft retail merchandise pusher with remote alarm feature
Brent O. Ewing, Roscoe, IL (US); Chan Chor Man, Tai Po (HK); and Thomas O. Nagel, Rockford, IL (US)
Assigned to Fasteners for Retail, Inc., Twinsburg, OH (US)
Filed by Fasteners for Retail, Inc., Twinsburg, OH (US)
Filed on Jul. 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/347,209.
Application 18/347,209 is a continuation of application No. 17/697,538, filed on Mar. 17, 2022, granted, now 11,737,579.
Application 17/697,538 is a continuation of application No. 17/220,424, filed on Apr. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,317,738, issued on May 3, 2022.
Application 17/220,424 is a continuation of application No. 16/295,056, filed on Mar. 7, 2019, granted, now 10,993,550, issued on May 4, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/646,115, filed on Mar. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0337840 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47F 1/12 (2006.01); A47F 3/00 (2006.01); A47F 5/08 (2006.01); H01R 12/55 (2011.01); H05K 1/18 (2006.01); H05K 7/14 (2006.01); A47F 10/02 (2006.01); G08B 13/22 (2006.01)
CPC A47F 1/126 (2013.01) [A47F 1/125 (2013.01); A47F 3/002 (2013.01); A47F 5/0861 (2013.01); H01R 12/55 (2013.01); H05K 1/181 (2013.01); H05K 7/1422 (2013.01); A47F 2010/025 (2013.01); G08B 13/22 (2013.01); H05K 2201/10098 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A retail merchandise pusher comprising:
a housing;
a shaft rotatable in a first direction and a second direction about its axis, the shaft disposed within the housing;
a gear wheel coupled to the shaft such that the gear wheel is rotatable about the shaft in the second direction, wherein the gear wheel does not rotate in the second direction about the axis as the pusher moves along a first axial direction of the track;
a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact disposed within the housing;
wherein movement of the pusher along the track rotates the gear wheel, such that the gear wheel causes the first electrical contact to engage with the second electrical contact; and
a distance that the pusher has moved along the track can be measured by a number of engagements between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.