Security gate

1. A security gate for a retail store shelf having one or more products, the security gate comprising:

a header;

at least one hinge arranged in a horizontal alignment with the header;

a rigid frame connected to the header with the at least one hinge;

a guard positioned across the rigid frame, the guard preventing a user from removing the products; and

a latching mechanism connecting the rigid frame to the header, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a pin having a knob at an outer end and an engageable detent at an inner end wherein a spring is positioned between the knob and the detent to permit release of the latching mechanism.

2. The security gate of claim 1 wherein the guard comprises a grate.

3. The security gate of claim 1 wherein the guard comprises a transparent shield.

4. The security gate of claim 1 further comprising a sensor connected with respect to an alarm.

5. The security gate of claim 4 wherein the alarm is activated when the sensor determines that an alarming condition is met.

6. The security gate of claim 5 wherein the alarming condition is at least one of: release of the latching mechanism one time; release of the latching mechanism X times; and a time delta t between when the latching mechanism is released and relatched.

7. The security gate of claim 4 wherein the alarm is at least one of a strobe; an audible alarm; an alert directed to a personal electronic device; and a public address announcement.

8. The security gate of claim 7 wherein a format of the alarm changes based on an alarming condition of the security gate.

9. The security gate of claim 7 wherein a format of the alarm changes based on a number of security gates that are open simultaneously.

10. The security gate of claim 1 further comprising a central processor that collects security gate open/close events and sensor status for one or more security gates throughout a retail store.

11. The security gate of claim 10 further comprising a unique ID assigned to each security gate to identify and analyze separate plan-o-grams of retail store space.

12. The security gate of claim 1 further comprising a damper connected with respect to the hinge to permit at least one of a slowed closing or dampened opening of the rigid frame relative to the header.

13. The security gate of claim 1 further comprising a pull handle distinct from the latching mechanism.

14. The security gate of claim 13 wherein the pull handle is located at an opposite edge of the guard as the latching mechanism.

15. The security gate of claim 1 wherein for each header, a plurality of rigid frames and latching mechanism are connected.

16. The security gate of claim 1 wherein the latching mechanism is configured to require a user to use two hands to open the security gate, one hand on the latching mechanism and the other hand to pull the rigid frame and/or the guard upward relative to the shelf.

17. A method for theft prevention from a retail store shelf including a security gate, the method comprising:

providing a header along a top of the shelf;

providing at least one hinge arranged along the header;

providing a rigid frame on the header with the at least one hinge;

positioning a guard across the rigid frame, the guard preventing a user from removing the products; and

providing a latching mechanism connecting the rigid frame to the header, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a pin having a knob at an outer end and an engageable detent at an inner end wherein a spring is positioned between the knob and the detent to permit release of the latching mechanism.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the security gate requires two hands to open, one hand to release the latching mechanism and the other to pull the rigid frame open relative to the header.

19. A security gate for a retail store shelf having one or more products, the security gate comprising:

a header;

at least one hinge arranged in a horizontal alignment with the header;

a rigid frame connected to the header with the at least one hinge;

a guard positioned across the rigid frame, the guard preventing a user from removing the products;

a latching mechanism connecting the rigid frame to the header, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a pin having a knob at an outer end and wherein an engageable detent engages an inner end of the pin and a spring is positioned between the knob and the detent to permit release of the latching mechanism, and wherein the latching mechanism is configured to require a user to use two hands to open the security gate, one hand on the latching mechanism and the other hand to pull the rigid frame and/or the guard upward relative to the shelf;

a sensor positioned on at least one of the rigid frame and the header and further connected with respect to an alarm, wherein the alarm is activated when the sensor determines that an alarming condition is met.