FR2558205A1 - Security lock for the deposit of articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a security lock for the deposit of articles. The subject of the invention is a security lock for the deposit of articles, of the type comprising a containment incorporated in a wall 1, a panel and any separation and having, on either side of said wall, panel and separation, an access orifice equipped with a closing means 5, 6, characterised in that it comprises means 10, 11 for detecting the presence of articles inside said containment, which are connected to a means 13 capable of locking the closing means 5 of the access orifice in the closed position on the upstream or depositor side as soon as said closing means is actuated by the depositor. The invention is used for the safe deposit of any article.

Description

SECURITY SAS FOR THE DEPOSIT OF OBJECTS
The present invention relates to a device for depositing folds or various objects, of the type constituted by a box incorporated in a wall or wall and arranged to allow, on one side, the introduction of any ply or objects and, on the other side, the recovery, by a person authorized for this purpose, of folds or deposited objects.

 Such a problem of offset of folds or objects is encountered in various circumstances. This is particularly the case for the bulk deposit made at the offices of the PTT administration.

 For example, a user who arrives at a post office with a packet of letters must either put it on the shelf of the bulk depot and wait for the attendant, or leave and leave the packages at his discretion. disposal, with the risks of vandalism or theft that this entails.

 The same goes for packages which at times represent certain intrinsic values.

 As the numerous retail and deposit boxes are often isolated from the office, it is impossible to monitor them.

 Their access being free, it is certain that over time there may be incidents. This will create disputes between customers and suppliers and the Administration.

 This same problem of securely depositing folds or various objects arises in other circumstances, for example in the banking field, during the delivery of checks or bills of exchange and, in general, everywhere where one has to temporarily and securely entrust, to a reception system, any objects which must be taken care of subsequently by authorized persons.

 Currently this problem is not solved in a manner.

re simple, efficient and economical.

 It is precisely the aim of the invention to propose a particularly secure and reliable means for ensuring the delayed transfer over time of any objects by means of an airlock, between a person who deposits said objects in the airlock and another person authorized for this purpose who recovers, with a certain time lag, said objects, without the possibility for a third party to steal the deposits or to undermine their integrity.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is a security airlock for depositing objects, of the type comprising an enclosure incorporated in a wall, a wall, any separation, having on either side of said wall, wall, separation, an access orifice provided with a closing means, characterized in that it comprises means for detecting the presence of objects inside said enclosure, connected to a means capable of locking in the closed position the means for closing the access opening on the side, upstream or depositing, upon actuation by the depositor of said closing means.

 With such a device, the depositor is assured that the object or objects that he has just deposited in the enclosure will be safe due to the locking of the access on the public side, as soon as the access opening is closed by the depositor .

 I1 can therefore leave immediately without having to wait for the attendant responsible for recovering objects deposited in the airlock.

 As for the closure means on the downstream side or attendant, it is preferably permanently locked, independently of the depositor side, and is unlocked by the attendant while the deposit or deposits are being removed.

 Advantageously, said means for detecting the presence of an object inside the airlock control, in addition, any signaling means, for example light, located at the level of the access orifice, on the attendant side, or remotely , to prevent the airlock from being loaded and must be emptied before being put back into service.

 Furthermore, the absence of an object inside the airlock of course unlocks the means for closing the orifice on the public side.

 The means for detecting the presence of objects inside the airlock can be constituted in many ways and according to various technologies.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
- Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view
longitudinal vertical of a first mode of sheave
reading of the device according to the invention
- Figure 2 shows a bottom view (the base
removed) from the device in figure 1
- figure 3 schematically represents a second mo
of making the device according to the invention,
and,
- Figure 4 illustrates a third embodiment.

 FIGS. 1 and 2 show a parallelepiDedic metal box intended for example to be embedded in a wall 1. This box comprises a base 2, a ceiling 3, two vertical side walls 4 and two opposite orifices, on the side and across the wall 1.

 The access orifice, on the depositor or upstream side, is closed for example by a hinged door 5 with vertical lateral hinges.

 The attendant or downstream access port is closed, for example, by a second hinged door 6 also with vertical side hinges, locked by an electric strike lock symbolized at 7.

 Doors 5 and 6 are further provided with handles (not shown) to facilitate their handling and are advantageously designed to withstand bulletproof.

 Above the base 2 is disposed a horizontal floor 8 substantially in line with the lower edge of each door 5, 6.

 The floor 8 is pierced with a rectangular opening 9 allowing the passage of a rectangular plate 10 mounted on one of the arms (lia) of a beam 11 articulated on a tal tal axis 12 parallel to the planes of the access orifices at the airlock.

 The other arm (Ilb) of the beam is provided at its end facing the access orifice, on the depositor side, with a hook 13 retractable under the floor 8 when the plate 10 is in the high position as shown in dashed lines 10 ' in FIG. 1. The beam 11 is ballasted so that, in the absence of an object in the airlock, the plate 10 is in said high position.

 In the low position of the plate 10, when an object rests on the plate, the plate 10 is in the plane of the floor 8 and the hook 13 protrudes above the latter. The external face of the hook is bevelled so as to allow an additional hook 14 fixed on the internal face of the door 5, at the bottom, to snap into place and lock on said hook; - (in the extended position) during the closing-of the door 5. The front face-of the hook 14 is also inclined in correspondence with the bevelled face of the hook 13 to allow the snap-fastening.

 In addition, the front edge (downstream door side 6) of the rocker plate 10 is capable of cooperating with an electrical microswitch 15, the sensitive member of which is situated substantially in the plane of the floor 8, in the window 9.

 The microswitch 15 is connected to an electrical control box symbolized at 16 and providing various signals such as the lighting of two indicator lights 17 (one red and one green) for example on the front panel of the airlock, the ignition two indicators 18 (one red and one green) on the downstream facade of the airlock, or at a distance in a specific place, in order to warn the attendant for the removal of deposited objects and possibly a warning bell placed near or away from the airlock.

 If there is no object inside the airlock, the plate 10 is in the raised position 10 '.

 The microswitch 15 is not requested and the two green lights at 17 and 18 are on, signaling that the airlock is free to use.

 As soon as an object is placed on the tilting plate 10, the latter pivots around the axis 12 and comes to contact the microswitch 15 which causes, through the control unit 14, the lighting of the red lights in i7 and 18 if grailing, on either side of wall 1, the occupation of the airlock and, possibly, the triggering of a warning bell.

 Door 5 locks automatically as soon as it is closed by the depositor.

 The plate 10 is of course balanced so as to tilt even for an object of low weight.

 Inside the airlock, indications can be provided to invite the depositor to place his deposit on the plate 10 whose color (for example) will be different from that of the floor 8.

 On the downstream or attendant side, door 6 is permanently (whether the airlock is empty or not) locked, for example by the electric strike lock symbolized at 7.

 This strike can be ordered. from a push button 20 disposed on the downstream facade and associated with a time delay 21. Thus, the attendant for removing the deposit presses the button 20 which unlocks the door 6 for a determined period (adjustable) allowing time to open the door 6. After which the keeper 7 relocks. Such an arrangement is designed for security purposes and makes it possible to permanently close the downstream orifice of the airlock by a protective screen that cannot be controlled by the depositor.

 A special key for unlocking the door 6 can be provided for the attendant, by introduction into an appropriate orifice provided in the downstream facade of the airlock, in the event of a power failure, among others.

 The release of the plate 10 puts it in the raised position releasing the hook 14 and the micro-contact 15 so that in 17 and 18 the red lights go out and the green lights come on.

 The detection of the removal of the object and the locking of the door 5 when it is closed after the removal can be carried out by other means such as those illustrated in FIG. 3.

 In this variant embodiment, almost the entire floor consists of a rectangular plate 22 articulated on a horizontal axis 23 parallel to the threshold of the upstream access orifice and close to it. The plate 22 is connected, in its part opposite the axis 23, to the base 2 by means of a calibrated spring system 24 holding the plate 22 in the raised position as shown in FIG. 3, when no object rests on plate 22.

 The weight of an object resting on the plate 22 lowers the latter so that the free edge of the plate urges, as in the case of FIG. 1, the microswitch 15.

The latter controls the switching on and off of the green and red lights in 17 and 18 and also (in the lowered position of the plate 22) the electric strike of a lock 25 mounted on the upstream door 5.

 The removal by the attendant of the object deposited on the plate 22 raises the latter under the action of the calibrated spring 24 and unlocks the door 5. The door 6 is controlled independently as in FIG. 1.

 The device for detecting the presence of an object in the airlock can be produced in any other technology. For example, the scale plate (10 or 22) can be replaced by a photoelectric cell detection system, detection being ensured by the rupture of a light beam caused by the deposited object or the concealment of a sensitive cell by said object. In such a version (FIG. 4) the floor 8 is continuous and for example pierced with one or more orifices 26 at right angles and below which photosensitive cells 27 would be arranged. As soon as one or more of these orifices 26 are hidden by an object deposited in the airlock, the cell or cells 27 concerned detected a sudden variation in the light flux received and would then trigger the security and signaling functions analyzed above (for example, via the control unit 161 locking the the electric lock 25 and the light signaling 17, 18). Such an embodiment has the advantage of operating the airlock even with very light objects such as an ordinary letter, with total reliability.

 Finally, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiments shown and described above, but on the contrary covers all variants thereof, in particular as regards the nature and arrangement of the means for detecting the presence of objects. inside the airlock as well as the nature and arrangement of the means ensuring, under the control of said detection means, the locking functions of the battery on the depositor side, and signaling. Likewise, the means for closing (closing) the airlock access orifices can be constituted by any means, whatever its nature and arrangement, suitable for carrying out the function of prohibiting access and possibly protection.

Claims (7)

RESELL ICAT IONS  1. Security lock for the deposit of objects, of the type comprising an enclosure incorporated in a wall (1), a wall, any partition, having on either side of said wall, wall, partition, an orifice '' access provided with a closing means (5, 6), characterized in that it comprises means (10, 11) for detecting the presence of an object inside, inside said enclosure, connected to a means (13, 16) capable of locking in the closed position the closing means (5) of the access orifice, upstream side or depositor, upon actuation by the depositor of said closing means (5).  2. Security airlock according to claim 1 characterized in that said means (10, 11) for detecting the presence of object inside the airlock are connected to means (17, 18) of light signaling and / or sound located at the right of the airlock facades and / or distance,  3. Security airlock according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said detection means are constituted by a plate (10) pivotally mounted around a horizontal axis (12), said plate forming part of the floor (8 ) of the airlock and commanding-in the low position a member (15) acting on said means (17, 18) for light and / or sound signaling.  4. Security lock according to claim 3 charac terized in that said tilting plate (10) is carried by an arm (1 la) of a beam (11)! mounted oscillating around said horizontal axis (12) and provided at the end of its other arm (lob) with a hook (13) capable of cooperating with an additional hook (14) secured to the closure means (5), side upstream or depositing, when said hook (13) is in the high position following the depositing on said plate (10) of an object.  5. Security airlock according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said detection means consist of a plate (22) disposed in the plane of the floor of the enclosure, articulated around a horizontal axis (23) disposed at proximity of the threshold of the access hole on the depositing side and resting at its other end on a calibrated spring device (24), said plate acting in the lowered position on a sensitive member (15) controlling, on the one hand, the locking (25) of the closure means (5) on the upside or down, and, on the other hand, said means (17, 18) for light and / or sound signaling.  6. Security airlock according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said detection means are constituted by one or more photosensitive cells (27) 'arranged under the floor (8) opposite holes (26) made in the latter, in predetermined locations, said cells (27) being sensitive to ambient light or to light beams directed towards them and suitably arranged inside the airlock and connected by means (16, 25) capable of locking said closing means (5) on the upstream side or on the depositing side.  7. Security lock according to one of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that the closing means (6) of the access orifice on the downstream side or attendant is permanently locked and unlockable under the control of a push button (20) and a timer (21).