GB2042230A - Personal alarm - Google Patents

Abstract

A personal alarm has a housing 12 nesting in the palm of the hand, and a triggering lever 18 extending along one edge of the housing but projecting slightly therefrom. The natural squeeze reflex action of the hand under the stimulus of fright will cause the hand to close tightly on the housing, thus depressing the lever. By providing a relatively large lever rather than a small button or switch, the user need not be constantly aware of just how the alarm is held, since any squeeze action will depress the lever and set the alarm off. The alarm may be adapted for remote by means of a plug 44 connected to two elongated members 49, 50 biased into the Figure 4 position, the members in use being inserted in a narrow space (e.g. between a door and its frame) so that member 49 cannot contact a terminal 57 and complete an alarm circuit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mini-alarm -Il This invention relates to a hand-held arm box, for use by anyone running the risk of sudden attack at an expected time. For example, in certain cities criminals are known to lurk in underground garages of apartment buildings, preying upon women who park their cars in the garage and then walk to the elevator on their way up to their own apartments.

This invention takes advantage of the automatic "squeeze" reflex of the human hand under the stimulus of a sudden fright. The natural tendency for the hand to close or squeeze tight under such conditions of stress is utilized to sound an alarm, buzzer, siren or the like in a hand-held personal alarm unit.

There are conventional personal alarm units available which are triggered by a relatively small switch, button, or the like, but which present difficulties due to the necessity for the user to keep the finger or thumb on the activating member in preparation for use.

With conventional devices of this kind, the user may over a period of time begin to carry the device in such a way that it cannot be immediately activated due to the fact that the finger or thumb is not held "at the ready". For example, unless a woman regularly expects to be attacked each time she parks her car, a certain sense of security will build up, and she may well become inattentive to the way in which the alarm device is held in the hand.

It is object of one aspect of this invention to provide a hand-held personal alarm device which is constructed and designed in such a way that the natural "squeeze'reflex of the human hand under stress or fright will trigger the device into operation.

An object of a further aspect of this invention relates to the provision of a remote triggering accessory which can be attached to the main unit by wires, and which can be utilized with doors, drawers and the like, so that the unit will sound when some unauthorized person opens or tampers with a door, drawer or the like.

Accordingly, this invention provides, in combination; an alarm having a housing and including an electrical power source, a noise generating unit, and means for operating the noise generating unit from said source, two electrical terminals forming part of said means such that when electrical communication is established between said terminals, the noise generating unit will sound, and a remote triggering unit which includes two elongated members and means biasing the members apart from a close to a separated position, the members in the close position being adapted to be inserted into a narrow space, a contact supported by one of said members and touched by the other when the members are in the separated position, and wiring means which is such that when said other member touches the contact, electrical communication is established between said terminals.

Further, this invention provides a personal alarm device, comprising: a housing adapted to nest in the palm of the hand; a power source within the housing, a noise generating unit within the housing, means for operating said noise generating unit from the power in said source, said means including an elongated lever swingably attached adjacent one end to said housing and lying generally along an edge of said housing, but projecting slightly therefrom, the lever being biased outwardly, such that the natural squeeze relfex action of the hand under the stimulus of fright or shock will cause the hand to close tightly on said housing thus depressing the lever toward the housing, and instrumentalities whereby the depression of said lever connects said source to said unit.

One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view through the personal alarm unit, showing the general arrangement of the major components; Figure 2 is a partial view similar to Figure 1, showing two of the components in a different position; Figure 3 is a schematic view of a remote trigger accessory for the unit shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view of the same accessory in a different condition; and Figure 5 is a circuit diagram which can be utilized within the main unit shown in Figure 1.

In Figure ian alarm 10 includes a housing 12, an electrical power source 14 such as a 9 volt battery, a noise generating unit 16, and electrical circuitry adapted to operate the noise generating unit 16 from the source 14. A suitable circuit diagram is shown in Figure 5.

The personal alarm 10 also includes an elongated actuating lever 18 which is swingably attached adjacent one end 20 of the housing 12 and which lies generally along the edge 22 of the housing 12. More particularly, the lever 18 is pivoted about the axis 23 with respect to the housing 12. The lever 18, if it is squeezed inwardly toward the housing 12, encounters a cantilevered contact 24 of which the upper end (as seen in Figure 1) is fixed with respect to the housing 12. The contact 24 is of spring-like material, and thus can be considered to be biasing means which keeps the lever normally in the position shown in Figure 1, unless squeezing pressure is applied. Rightwardly adjacent the member 24 is a contact 26. The member 24 and the contact 26 constitute two electrical terminals within the circuit, which can be seen at the top left in Figure 5.Contact between these two terminal establishes electrical communication between the emitter and the collector of transistor Q1, thus leading to the base of Q1 being appropriately biased so that Qn turns on and stays on, even when the switch is released and opens. Thus, the circuit once actuated to produce a sound from the noise generating unit 16 cannot be simply turned off by releasing the switch (by release of the lever 18).

To accomplish the shutting down of the device, it is necessary to open the switch 28, thereby deactivating Q4.

The switch 28 is represented in Figure 2 as, in effect, two switches in parallel. The two switches have a common contact 30, and two separate, upwardly biased lever contacts 32 and 33. In order for the switch 28 to be open, both of the lever contacts 32 and 33 must be out of contact with the terminal 30.

Two centrally mounted pivotal disc-like wheels 34 and 35 are provided to control contact between the terminals 30,32 and 33. Each wheel 34 and 35 has an eccentrically mounted, axially projecting pin 37,38, and the pins 37,38 are affixed in such a way that when they are in the six o'clock position with respect to the Figures 1 and 2, they press downwardly on the respective terminals 32 and 33, thus moving them out of contact with terminal 30.

Since the two switches represented by the terminals 32 and 33 are in parallel, it will be understood that it requires the proper adjustment of both wheels 34 and 35 to open the switch 28 seen in Figure 5, and thus stop the device from sounding.

Each of the wheels has a plurality of numbers around its edge, which the operator can see one at a time, because the discs are partly enclosed within the housing and project outwardly over a minor portion of their surface. Well known registry means would be utilized to cause the discs to "seek" a plurality of positions corresponding with the numbers being outwardly, in only one of which the particular switch controlled by the terminals 32 and 33 would be opened. The idea is that only the owner of the alarm would know the correct combination to which the wheels 34 and 35 must be turned in order simultaneously to open both switches represented by terminals 32 and 33.

A further option, which makes it even more difficult for someone other than the owner to turn off the device is the provision of a time delay for the shutting down of Q4. When switch 28 is opened, the capacitor connected to the base of Q4 starts charging through the 470 K resistance. When it reaches half the supply voltage, 04 goes on and emits a pulse which turns Q3 on, shorting the base of Q2. Q2 goes off and turns off Q1, thus turning off the alarm.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the terminals 24 and 26 are connected electrically (shown by broken lines) to two projecting prongs 41 and 42. These prongs 41 and 42 constitute a receptor on the housing 12 adapted to receive a plug 44 from which a double wire 46 extends to a remote triggering unit shown generally at the numeral 47. As can be seen in Figure 3, the remote triggering unit 47 includes two elongated members 49 and 50 which in the preferred embodiment are of spring-metal and are integrally connected together at an apex 52. the members 49 and 50 are provided in such a way as to seek a separated position in which they have moved apart from each other with respect to figure 3. Thus, it can be considered that the members 49 and 50 are biased apart from each other, i.e. from the close position shown in Figure 3 to a separated position as shown in Figure 4.As can be seen in Figure 3, the members 49 and 50 when in the close position are adapted to be inserted into a narrow space, such as that between a door 54 and a door frame 56.

As further seen in both Figures 3 and 4, the member 50 is bent at the leftward end around two right-angles, and supports, directly adjacent the member 49 a contact 57. The contact 57 is connected with one terminal of the plug 44 while the main body of both members 49 and 50 (since they are integrally connected together and are of metal) is connected to the other terminal of the plug 44. Naturally, the contact 57 is insulated electrically from the member 50. Upon release of the members 49 and 50 (from any constraint such as that provided by the narrow slit between the door 54 and the door frame 56), the member 49 springs upwardly away from the member 50 and touches the contact 57, thereby electrically joining the terminals in the plug 44. If the plug 44 is at that time received upon the prongs 41 and 42, then the latter two are brought into electrical communication, and the device is activated.

It can thus be seen that the auxiliary remote triggering unit 47 can be utilized to turn the main body of the alarm into a "tamper-alarm", or one which will go off when a door etc., is opened.

If it is desired to leave the plug 44 inserted over the prongs 41 and 42 while the remote triggering unit is not inserted in an appropriate slit, a sleeve 59, which may be cylindrical or any other appropriate shape, may be provided to slip over the apex 52 between the members 49 and 50, thus keeping them toward the closed position, and preventing the member 49 from touching the contact 57.

Claims (8)

1. In combination: an alarm having a housing and including an electrical power source, a noise generating unit, and means for operating the noise generating unit from said source, two electrical terminals forming part of said means such that when electrical communication is established between said terminals, the noise generating unit will sound, and a remote triggering unit which includes two elongated members and means biasing the members apart from a close to a separated position, the members in the close position being adapted to be inserted into a narrow space, a contact supported by one of said members and touched by the other when the members are in the separated position, and wiring means which is such that when said other member touches the contact, electrical communication is established between said terminals.

2. the combination claimed in claim 1,which further includes removable means for maintaining the members in the close position.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said wiring means includes a receptor on the alarm housing and a plug for engagement with said receptor, whereby the remote triggering unit can be detached from the alarm.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, in which there is a manual trigger mounted on the housing which when operated closes a switch in parallel with the connection of the said contact and said other member, whereby the noise generating unit can be sounded by the use of said manual trigger.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1, in which said members are of spring-metal and are integrally connected together at an apex which is insertable into a narrow space, the members being flat and tending to spring apart.

6. The combination claimed in claim 2, in which said removable means is a hollow sleeve.

7. A personal alarm device, comprising: a housing adapted to nest in the palm of the hand; a power source within the housing, a noise generating unit within the housing, means for operating said noise generating unit from the power in said source, said means including an elongated lever swing ably attached adjacent one end to said housing and lying generally along an edge of said housing, but projecting slightly therefrom, the lever being biased outwardly, such that the natural squeeze relfex action of the hand under the stimulus of fright or shock will cause the hand to close tightly on said housing thus depressing the lever toward the hous ing, and instrumentalities whereby the depression of said lever connects said source to said unit.

8. The alarm device claimed in claim 7, in which the source is electrical and in which the elongated lever is mounted in a recess in the housing edge.