NL1026845C1 - Security system for movable devices and movable devices provided with such a security system. - Google Patents

Description

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Security system for movable devices and movable devices provided with such a security system The present invention relates to a security system for movable devices, as well as to movable devices that are provided with such a security system. More in particular, this invention relates to an improved fastener suitable for use with portable items, in particular portable electronic devices, such as laptops, notebooks, plasma screens and TFT screens (flat sereens) with which these devices via a chain, cable or similar connecting element to a table or a wall and the like, can be fixed to protect it against unauthorized or undesired movement.

Fasteners for fixing or anchoring portable or easily displaceable devices via a connecting element are generally known. In this case the fastening member is connected on the one hand to the relevant device and on the other hand to a chain or cable, with which the device is finally fixed.

For the connection of a movable device with a fastening member, use is often made of a standardized opening or slot hole in the wall of the device, also referred to as "security slot" or "security slot". A known embodiment of such a slot hole is the so-called "Kensington lock" with portable computers and related equipment, such as plasma screens and flat sereens. In many cases, the wall is made of plastic, whether or not reinforced around the lock with a metal plate. The fastening member is arranged in this slot hole and subsequently releasably locked.

Various ways are known in which the locking can be performed. In one of two main forms, the fixing member is provided with a spindle, which comprises a T-shaped transverse element at the end. This spindle is inserted through the slotted hole, then turned a quarter turn and locked. See, for example, US 6,735,990, EP-A-0 791 123 and EP-A-1 028 212, and German Offenlegungsrift No. 199 15 959. In the other main form, the fastener is provided with one or more outer elements, which at the end comprise a transverse element or a pawl. When the fastening member is arranged, the outwardly extending elements are pushed through the slit hole and then manipulated in such a way that the transverse element or the transverse elements or the catch or catches fix the fastening element in the slotted hole through their projecting part or parts. 2, after which this can be locked. The outwardly projecting elements provided with a transverse element or pawl are often arranged in pairs, wherein the ends of these elements can be moved away from each other after insertion (for example in a scissor movement), so that the resp. transverse elements or catches prevent the fastening element from being pulled out of the slot. See, for example, WO 02/42586 and US 5,875,657; see also US 5,983,679.

In the cases described above, the lock in the slot hole in the blocked position usually only carries on a small part of the walls of the slot hole, in the case of a spindle on a part of the long sides and in the case of transverse elements usually the short sides, so that there is a chance that the slotted hole will tear even with a low tensile strength. Because the slotted hole is relatively small, the mechanical construction of the fastener is generally light and weak.

There is therefore a need for a fastening member for a slotted hole, which is of more robust and stronger construction than the previously known fastening members.

It has been found that this could be achieved by providing a fastening member suitable for use with a movable article, which article has a wall provided with a standardized, rectangular security lock, the fastening member substantially comprising - two substantially identical locking elements, which together can releasably lock the fastening member in the security lock, each locking element comprising: - a flat basic body, provided with a hole, - a base body extending from the basic body and lying in the same plane connecting part, which has such a width to be introduced into the security slot, and - a coupling part connected to the end of the connecting part remote from the basic body and having substantially the same width as the connecting part to insert into the security slot, which torque - part essentially perpendicular to the basic body and the joint s portion; • a locking member, which comprises two surfaces that run substantially parallel to each other and which are connected to each other at an intermediate distance, the two surfaces each being provided with a hole and the locking member being configured such that it fits snugly over the two 10268 × 5 3 can be arranged on superimposed base bodies, the openings of the locking member and the base bodies being aligned; wherein the respective connecting parts of the two locking elements have a common thickness, which is slightly smaller than the shortest side of the security slot; wherein after locking the two locking elements are positioned in the security slot, the resp. basic bodies and the resp. connecting parts are superimposed, the resp. holes of the two basic bodies are in one line, and that the resp. connecting sections and resp. insert coupling parts together into the security slot, the two connecting parts being substantially perpendicular to the wall of the security slot and the two coupling parts running in the opposite direction essentially parallel to the wall; and wherein after securing over the two basic bodies of the locking elements arranged in the security slot, the locking member ensures that the locking elements are locked in the security slot.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the two locking elements and the locking member are made of rigid and relatively thick material, preferably steel with a thickness of at least 1 to 1.5 mm. It is advantageous if the locking member 20 has a slightly larger thickness, for example 2 mm. The design of the fastening member according to the invention makes it possible to make maximum use of the mechanical strength of the security lock. Due to the above-mentioned thicknesses of the components of the fastening member, the chance of damage and / or bending of these components and in particular the connecting part and the coupling part is small and in any case smaller than in the systems known hitherto.

On the fastening element according to the invention, after the locking elements have been fitted in the security lock and subsequently the locking element has been arranged over the two basic elements, a cable, chain or padlock is preferably connected through the aligned holes of the locking elements and the locking element 30, with which the fastening member is on the one hand locked with the movable article and on the other hand is coupled by the fitted cable, chain and / or padlock to a fixed point in the environment, such as a table leg, an eye fixed to a wall or wall, etc.

It is very advantageous if the cable, chain or padlock is fitted in a tight-fitting manner through the aligned holes of the locking elements and the securing member of the fastening member, because it forces the structure to be forced. becomes more difficult. According to the invention, it is possible to design the fastening member in a relatively robust format, so that the hole in the basic body of the two locking elements, as well as the two holes of the locking member, have a cross-section of the order of 6-12 mm and even more. can have.

This makes it possible to attach a thick cable or heavy padlock to the fastening member, as a result of which the resistance to destruction is considerably greater than in systems known up to now.

For the same reason, it is preferable that the two locking elements have dimensions such that they can be arranged close to the circumference of the security lock. This applies to both the width of the resp. connecting parts and coupling parts of the two locking elements, as well as for the common thickness of, in particular, the two connecting parts. It is also advantageous if the connecting parts of the locking elements are short, for example just slightly longer than the thickness of the wall of the security lock.

The invention can in principle be applied to any movable article, which is equipped with a wall in which a security slot is included. However, the application is particularly preferred for movable and in particular portable electronic devices with a relatively high value, such as laptops, notebooks, plasma screens, TFT screens and flat screen TVs.

According to another aspect of the present invention, this relates to any security system for movable devices, said security system comprising a fastener as defined above.

The invention further relates to any movable article, which is provided with a security system, as above.

The invention will now be further illustrated with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figs. 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sections of a mounting member according to the invention in mounted form, respectively provided with a connecting cable and a padlock; Figure 2 represents a wall of a (movable) device with a "security slot" therein;

Figure 3 is a locking element of a fastening element according to the invention, Figs. 4 to 7 schematically show different stages of the mounting of a fastening element according to the invention on a wall with a security lock.

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In the various figures, the same reference numerals always have the same meanings.

Figs. 1A and 1B show a fastening member according to the invention, which is mounted in a wall 3 with a security lock 9 (see also Fig. 2). The fastening member comprises two substantially identical locking elements 10 (see also Fig. 3), each of which is composed of a basic body 1, 2 provided with a hole 6, a connecting part 11 and a coupling part 12, 13 (respectively. basic bodies and coupling parts are, although in principle identical, represented with different numbers in order to be able to distinguish them in the description), as well as a locking member 5. The locking member 5 is always shown in the figures as a U-shaped member, with the two parallel, spaced-apart main surfaces have a hole 7. The distance between the two main surfaces is preferably chosen such that the U-shaped member 5 is fitted tightly on both sides over the superimposed basic bodies 1, 2, the four holes 6, 7 are brought into line with each other, so that, for example, a cable 4 or a padlock 8 can be provided through which the securing member 5 is fixedly connected to the two basic bodies 1, 2 n and the locking elements are locked in the wall 3 via the security slot 9.

The cable 4 can be continuous or non-continuous or be provided with a thickened end piece 9, which is designed such that it cannot be pulled through the holes 6,7. Furthermore, a chain or a cable loop can be attached to the padlock 8, which can be arranged through the holes 6, 7 on the one hand (see Fig. 13), here schematically indicated by reference numeral 15, by means of which the movable article locked in accordance with the invention can be further recorded.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the locking member 5 can also have a different shape than the U-shape shown. Such modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

Figures 4 to 7 show diagrammatically how the fixing element according to the invention can be mounted in a simple manner in a wall with a security lock. First of all, a locking element 10 with the connecting part 11 and the coupling part 13 is introduced obliquely into the security slot 9 (see Fig. 4), the coupling part 13 being directed downwards. After the coupling part 13 has been inserted through the security lock 9, the basic body 2 is brought into a position perpendicular to the wall (see Fig. 5), this locking member resting on the underside of the security lock 9.

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Subsequently, the second locking element 10 with the connecting part 11 and the coupling part 12 is slanted into the security slot 9 (see Fig. 6), the coupling part 12 facing upwards. In view of the preference for making the entire construction as close-fitting as possible, it may be necessary to place the second locking element in a slightly winding position. However, this is not objectionable to the practice of the present invention. After the coupling part 12 has been inserted through the security lock 9, the basic body 1 is brought into a position perpendicular to the wall (see Fig. 7), said second locking member as regards the basic body and the connecting part on the one hand being substantially locked on the first 10, and on the other hand, preferably also against the top of the security lock 9. Finally, on both sides over the superimposed base bodies 1, 2 the locking member 5 is slid, whereby the holes 6, 7 are aligned to thereby provide a cable 4 or to install a padlock 8 etc. The mounting of the fixing member according to the invention is hereby completed.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that modifications and adaptations can be made to the security system described in this application, without departing from the essence of the invention. It is for example conceivable that the dimensions of the parts of the locking element be adjusted such that the resp. connecting parts and connecting parts use the short sides of the security slot instead of the long sides, as described and shown. It is also conceivable that the basic body and the connecting part of the locking element do not lie in the same plane, so that the basic body may, for example, be rotated 90 ° with respect to the described and shown embodiment. Furthermore, a security slot with a larger width, or locking elements 25 with a smaller thickness, can be provided, the extra space being filled with an additional filling hole, which essentially comprises, just like the locking elements, a basic body and a connecting part, but has no coupling part . Such and similar modifications and further modifications are therefore also included in this invention.

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Claims (9)

CLAIMS 1. Fastening means suitable for use with a movable article, which article has a wall which is provided with a standardized, rectangular security lock, the fixing means essentially comprising: 5. two substantially identical locking elements, which together fastening member can be releasably locked in the security slot, wherein each locking element comprises: - a flat basic body, provided with a hole, - a connecting portion extending from the basic body and lying in the same plane, which has such a width to be able to enter the security lock and - a coupling part connected to the end of the connecting part remote from the basic body and having substantially the same width as the connecting part for inserting into the security slot, which coupling part is essentially perpendicular to the basic body and the connecting part part state; - a locking member which comprises two surfaces that run essentially parallel to each other and which are connected to each other at an intermediate distance, the two surfaces each being provided with a hole and the locking member being configured such that it fits snugly over the two superimposed base bodies can be arranged, the openings of the locking member and the base bodies being aligned; wherein the respective connecting parts of the two locking elements have a common thickness, which is slightly smaller than the shortest side of the security slot; wherein after locking the two locking elements are positioned in the security slot, the resp. basic bodies and the resp. connecting parts are superimposed, the resp. holes of the two basic bodies are in one line, and that the resp. connecting sections and resp. insert coupling parts together into the security slot, the two connecting parts being substantially perpendicular to the wall of the security slot and the two coupling parts running in the opposite direction essentially parallel to the wall; and wherein after securing over the two basic bodies of the locking elements arranged in the security slot, the locking member ensures that the locking elements are locked in the security slot. 10268 ^ 5 Fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the two locking elements and the locking member are made of rigid and relatively thick material. 3. Fastening member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cable, chain or padlock is arranged through the aligned holes of the locking elements and the locking member. 4. Fastening member according to claim 3, wherein a cable, chain or padlock is fitted tightly through the aligned holes of the locking elements and the locking member. 5. Fixing member according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two locking elements have dimensions such that they are arranged close to the circumference of the security lock. 15 · A fastener according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable article is an electronic device. The fastener of claim 6, wherein the electronic device 20 is a laptop, notebook, plasma screen, TFT screen or flat screen TV. A security system for movable devices, characterized in that it comprises a fastener, as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7. 9. A movable article, characterized in that it is provided with a security system as defined in claim 8. 1026845