Access management system for warehouse rack loss prevention

A merchandise access system for a retail merchandise display, the merchandise access system comprising:

• a product support structure that defines a product storage area for holding a plurality of product to be dispensed, the product storage area being formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure;
• a door proximate the front end, the door being transitionable between an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from the product storage area and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area;
• a brake configured to transition between a braking position in which the brake prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end the plurality of product towards the front end and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front after the selected product has been removed from the storage area;
• wherein:
• the product support structure defines a product support surface configured to support the plurality of product;
• the product support surface has a first portion extending parallel to a product dispensing axis extending between the front end and the rear end;
• the product support surface has a second portion extending parallel to the product dispensing axis;
• the first and second portions of the product support surface being laterally spaced apart from one another along a transverse axis being perpendicular to the product dispensing axis;
• and
• the brake being positioned between the first and second portions of the product support surface.

A retail merchandise display, the merchandise display comprising:

• a product support structure that defines a product storage area being formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure;
• a door proximate the front end, the door being transitionable between an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from the product storage area and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area;
• a brake configured to transition between a braking position in which the brake prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end the plurality of product towards the front end and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front after the selected product has been removed from the storage area;
• wherein:
• the product support structure defines a product support surface that supports the plurality of products;
• a product dispensing axis extends between the front end and rear end, the unselected product of the plurality of products moves towards the front end parallel to the dispensing axis after the selected product is removed from the product storage area;
• the door is pivotable about a pivot axis that is generally perpendicular to the product dispensing axis;
• the door includes a front wall against which the selected product is biased when the door is in the closed orientation;
• and
• the door includes a bottom foot extending rearward from the front wall toward the rear end, the bottom foot being positioned substantially even with or vertically below the product support surface when the door is in the closed orientation, the bottom foot extending upward and at least in part above the product support surface when the door is in the open orientation;
• a plurality of product positioned within the product storage area to be dispensed, each product of the plurality of product has a product depth measured parallel to the dispensing axis between a front and a rear of the product;
• and
• wherein the foot extends rearward from the front wall to a distal end a foot depth measured parallel to the dispensing axis, the foot depth being less than the product depth such that when the front of the product abuts the front wall, the rear of the product is spaced rearward from the front wall farther than the distal end of the foot such that the product extends rearward farther than the foot such that when the door transitions from the closed orientation to the open orientation the foot pivots clear of any product that is abutted against the rear of the product that is abutted against the front wall.

A retail merchandise display comprising:

• a merchandise access system comprising:
• a product support structure that defines a product storage area being formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure;
• a door proximate the front end, the door being transitionable between an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from the product storage area and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area;
• a brake configured to transition between a braking position in which the brake prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end the plurality of product towards the front end and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front after the selected product has been removed from the storage area;
• wherein:
• the product support structure defines a product support surface that supports the plurality of products;
• a product dispensing axis extends between the front end and rear end, the unselected product of the plurality of products moves towards the front end parallel to the dispensing axis after the selected product is removed from the product storage area;
• the door is pivotable about a pivot axis that is generally perpendicular to the product dispensing axis;
• the door includes a front wall against which the selected product is biased when the door is in the closed orientation;
• and
• the door includes a bottom foot extending rearward from the front wall toward the rear end, the bottom foot being positioned substantially even with or vertically below the product support surface when the door is in the closed orientation, the bottom foot extending upward and at least in part above the product support surface when the door is in the open orientation;
• a plurality of product positioned within the product storage area, each product of the plurality of product has a product depth measured parallel to the dispensing axis between a front of the product and a rear of the product;
• and
• wherein the foot extends rearward from the front wall to a distal end a foot depth measured parallel to the dispensing axis, the foot depth being less than the product depth such that only one product of the plurality of product may be located in a region of the product storage area vertically above the foot between the distal end and the front wall.

A method of removing selected product from a plurality of product stored within a merchandise access system, the method comprising:

• transitioning a door of the merchandise access system to an open orientation in which selected product of the plurality of product can be removed from a product storage area of the merchandise access system, the product storage configured for holding a plurality of product to be dispensed, the product storage area being defined by a product support structure and being defined formed between a front end and rear end of the product support structure, the door being door being transitionable between the open orientation and a closed orientation in which the plurality of product cannot be removed from the product storage area;
• removing the selected product from the product storage area;
• and
• preventing the unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end by transitioning a brake of the merchandise access system to a braking position in which the brake prevents unselected product of the plurality of product from being moved towards the front end the plurality of product towards the front end, the brake configured to transition between the braking position and a release position in which the unselected product can move towards the front after the selected product has been removed from the storage area
• biasing the plurality of product towards the front end with a biasing force;
• the brake preventing the unselected product from moving towards the front end due to the biasing force when the brake is in the braking position;
• transitioning the door from the open orientation to the closed orientation;
• and
• indexing the unselected product towards the front end due to the biasing force by transitioning the brake to the release position;
• wherein:
• the step of preventing the unselected product includes vertically lifting at least a portion of a bottom of at least one product of the unselected product off of the product support structure;
• and
• the step of indexing the unselected product to move towards the front end includes vertically releasing the vertically lifted product such that is disengaged from the brake.