Pivoting shelf guard

Abstract

A shelf guard comprises a guard pivotable about a pivot point and a support configured to secure the guard to a shelf. The guard rotates between a first and a second position. In the first position, the guard allows access to the shelf and is balanced in a stationary position. In the second position, the guard prevents items from falling off the shelf. The guard's pivot point can be offset from the back of the shelf. The guard can rotate through an arc of more than 90° between the first and second positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for preventing items from falling off a shelf comprising:
 a guard configured to pivot about a pivot point and rotate from a first position to a second position; and   a support comprising the pivot point and configured to secure the pivot point in a position relative to the shelf;   wherein the guard rotates through an arc of more than 90 degrees between the first position and the second position in response to a shaking motion of the shelf   
     
     
         2 . A device for retaining items on a shelf comprising:
 a guard comprising a portion that extends along a horizontal axis that is generally parallel to a width of the shelf, wherein the guard moves with respect to a vertical axis, which is generally perpendicular to the horizontal axis, between a first position and a second position, wherein the guard is at a selected angle from the vertical axis when in the first position; and   a support comprising a pivot point that the guard pivots about, wherein the pivot point is offset from a back of the shelf,   wherein the guard is configured to rotate from the first position to the second position in response to a shaking motion of the shelf.   
     
     
         3 . A device for restraining items on a shelf comprising:
 a guard pivotable about a pivot point and rotatable between a first resting position and a second deployed position, wherein the first resting position is in a position configured to balance the guard in a stationary position; and   a support comprising the pivot point; and   wherein the guard moves through an arc of more than 90° between the first position and the second position in response to a vibration.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a first surface and a second surface, the first surface comprising a hole for mounting and the second surface comprising a pivot hole configured to fit a portion of the guard and provide the pivot point. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the support is mounted to a shelf above the shelf being guarded. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot point is positioned in front of a front edge of the shelf. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein when in the first position, the guard is tilted towards the back of the shelf. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the guard comprises a first bend, the first bend having an inner bend angle and an inside bend radius. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the inner bend angle is less than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the inner bend radius is about 0.25 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a spacer positioned between the support and the first bend to prevent binding of the guard. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the first bend is configured to prevent binding of the guard. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the guard comprises four bends, each of the bends having an inner bend angle and an inside bend radius. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein in the first position, the guard is angled towards the back of the shelf. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the selected angle is less than 10 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the guard rotates through an arc of more than 90 degrees when moving from the first position to the second position.