AU2005100070A4 - Outdoor Safe - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION Name of Applicant Address for Service: Earnst Antony Dart CULLEN CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street Brisbane Qld 4000 Australia Invention Title: Outdoor Safe OUTDOOR SAFE 0 oThe present invention relates to the secure storage of personal items on a beach or in a similar outdoor environment. In particular, the present invention relates to a safe for the secure storage of articles.

cMany outdoor activities require participants to leave personal items unattended, placing such items at risk of theft. For example, at the beach, whilst swimming or surfing many personal items cannot be taken into the water. For oexample keys, wallets, purses, mobile telephones and the like cannot be taken into the 0water without risking that they be damaged by the water or be lost in the surf.

o Leaving such items on the beach exposes them to potential theft as the unattended oitems may be readily removed from a hiding place such as underneath a beach towel.

Not only are the items themselves at risk but with the advent of central locking systems becoming commonplace for securing vehicles, stolen car keys can be used to readily identify the vehicle to which they belong. Therefore, the ease in which a vehicle may also be stolen makes it particularly important to secure car keys from theft.

When picnicking, participants often engage in activities whereby personal items are left substantially unattended. For example, when playing cricket, bocce or other picnic games personal items such as keys, wallets, purses and mobile phones are often left with the picnic basket and/or picnic rug exposing them to the risk of theft. It is not always convenient or practical to secure such personal items in a motor vehicle or other secure storage facility.

We have now found a secure storage arrangement particularly suited for use outdoors that provides security for personal items, overcoming at least one of the problems referred to above or at least provides the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable safe for storing articles wherein the safe comprises a container and a door, said safe further comprising an alarm, a trip switch and a motion sensor wherein said alarm in an activated condition is triggered by said trip switch on opening of the door and/or is triggered by the motion sensor on movement of the safe.

The safe of the present invention can be secured to the ground to provide a sound footing for the container. By securing the safe to the ground the potential for inadvertent activation of the motion sensor(s) is minimised. The removal o of the container from its position will cause the motion sensor to trigger the alarm as 0will opening of the door of the container. In this way, the owner or persons in the vicinity of the safe will be alerted to the potential theft of the contents of the safe.

The safe of the present invention includes a container and a door. In one embodiment, the container may be in the form of a crate with a lid, the lid being able to be lifted from the container or preferably hinged to the container.

In another embodiment of the present invention the door may be ohinged to one side of the container to allow access thereto.

oThe container and the door may be formed from any suitable materials.

o It is preferred that the container and door are formed from a weather-proof plastics omaterial so as to provide security from theft as well as protection from water and other contaminants such as sand, dirt and the like.

The safe of the present invention includes an alarm. The alarm may include audible and visual alarms. It is also within the scope of the present invention that the alarm is a remote alarm whereby once triggered an audible or visual warning is indicated remote of the safe. For example, the safe may utilise mobile phone technology to provide an alert that either the motion sensor or the trip switch has been set off.

Suitable audible alarms include peizo alarms. Preferably the safe of the present invention includes at least one peizo alarm. Peizo alarms are able to provide an audible warning at a variety of volumes. It is preferred in the present invention that the peizo alarms selected are 130 decibel peizo alarms. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other audible alarms may be used.

In a preferred form of the present invention the alarm includes a programmable logic controller whereby a predetermined combination of audible, visual and/or remote alarms are triggered by the respective sensors. The combination of alarms may be selected dependent upon the nature of the event that triggered the alarm. For example, in a preferred configuration an audible alarm once activated may be programmed to cease after a desired period whilst a visual alarm may continue to operate. The programmable logic controller resets the alarms so that the alarms cease operation unless the door remains open and the trip switch has been set off, or if further movement of the safe occurs setting off the motion sensor once more.

Suitable visual alarms may include continuous and flashing lights. It is preferred that the visual alarm be a flashing light such that the power consumption orequired to operate the visual alarm is reduced.

oIt will be appreciated that a portable power supply will be required to operate the alarms. Suitable power supplies may include one or more batteries that are preferably rechargeable either by connecting to a mains power supply, to a vehicle i power supply or by connecting to a solar panel. In one form of the present invention a solar panel may be included on an external panel of the container.

The trip switch is associated with the door such that upon opening of the door the trip switch triggers one or more of the alarms. In one form, the trip oswitch may be a simple electrical connection that is made when the door is in a closed ocondition and which electrical connection is broken once the door is opened. Other osuitable trip switches may include proximity sensors that are triggered by the door being shifted from the closed condition.

The motion sensors are triggered by the movement of the safe.

Suitable motion sensors may include mercury switches which sense movement of the safe from a horizontal condition. In a preferred configuration, the safe includes at least three mercury switches that can sense movement in either horizontal direction or can sense if the safe is shifted more than a preset angle from its original position. For example, a mercury switch may be provided to trigger an alarm if the safe is moved by an amount greater than 50 in either direction. In a preferred form of the present invention at least one of the mercury switches may be mounted on a orientable mount so that no matter what the orientation of the safe, one or more of the trip switches may be set on a horizontal level.

The safe of the present invention may further comprise at least one stake for engaging the ground and providing stability to the safe. The at least one stake may be formed integrally with the container or maybe attachable thereto. In a preferred form of the present invention, the safe is configured for use on a beach and the stake is in the form of a sand peg or the like. A suitable sand peg may include a helical flight for screwing the stake into the sand. In such an embodiment where a stake was integrally formed with the container the safe would include a single stake.

Multiple stakes could be used by removably attaching the stakes to the container.

Alternatively, flanged stakes may be used with flanges that extend the length of the stake to provide increased stability in a friable substrate such as sand.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the safe is configured for use on more solid ground such as dirt. In such a configuration, it is preferred that o the container include three or more stakes that may be shorter and narrower than 0stakes selected for use on a beach.

The safe of the present invention may be provided with interchangeable stakes so that it can be used in a variety of applications. Preferably cthe stakes can be stored within the container when the safe is not in use.

The safe of the present invention may include a lock that retains the door in a closed condition. Suitable locks may include mechanical locks, padlocks or oelectronic locks such as those requiring keypad access. Suitably an electronic lock 0can be used to both secure the door to the container and also to activate the alarm.

o The safe of the present invention may include additional components 0and features to provide increased functionality. For example, the safe may include a stereo to enable a CD or a tape to be played, or to enable the user to listen to the radio.

The safe may further be formed of an insulating material such that the users drinks and food may be kept cool, or hot as the case may be.

In another form of the present invention there is provided a door for a safe for storing articles wherein the door comprises an alarm, a trip switch and a motion sensor wherein said alarm in an activated condition is triggered by said trip switch on opening of the door and/or is triggered by the motion sensor on movement of the door.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which have been provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a safe according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a top view of the safe shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a bottom view of the lid of the safe shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a bottom view of the safe shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a Beachguard safe 1. The Beachguard safe I consists of a container 2 having three removable legs 3, 4, 5 dependent therefrom. The container 2 also has shoulder strap attachments 6 for attaching a shoulder strap (not shown) thereto for ease of transportation. The removable legs 3, 4, 5 can be stored in the container 2 during transportation.

The Beachguard safe 1 has a lid 7 hinged to the container 2. The lid 7 includes a numeric keypad 8 for locking the lid 7 in a closed condition and activating the alarms 9, 10. The alarms 9, 10 are 130 decibel peizo alarms. The alarms 9 and

O

are recessed into the lid 7. A bubble level 11 is provided in the lid 7 to enable the user to stabilise the Beachguard safe 1 in a substantially horizontal position.

Figures 1 and 2 show an AM/FM radio is provided in the lid 7. Dials 12 and 13 allow the radio to be tuned and the volume controlled. The tuning of the radio is displayed on the indicator 14. The radio is audible via a speaker 15. A telescopic antenna 16 can be extended from the lid and is housed within recess 17 for storage.

oFigure 3 shows the underside of the lid 7 that includes the rear of 0alarms 9 and 10. A lid locking device 20 is electronically controlled by the membrane okeypad 8. Mercury switches 21, 22 and 23 are incorporated in the underside of the lid 7. A battery compartment 24 is'also accessible from the underside of lid 7 so that the batteries cannot be removed and the alarm disabled whilst the safe is in an activated condition.

Figure 4 shows the base of the Beachguard safe 1. Legs 3, 4 and screw into the base of the safe 1.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described above may be subject to improvements and modifications that will be apparent without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described herein.

Claims (4)

1. A portable safe for storing articles wherein the safe comprises a container and a door, said safe further comprising an alarm, a trip switch and a motion sensor wherein said alarm in an activated condition is triggered by said trip switch on N opening of the door and/or is triggered by the motion sensor on movement of the safe.

2. A portable safe according to claim 1 wherein the alarm includes a programmable logic controller whereby a predetermined combination of audible, ovisual and/or remote alarms are triggered by the respective sensors.

3. A portable safe according to claim 2 wherein The programmable logic ocontroller resets the alarms so that the alarms cease operation unless the door remains 0open and the trip switch has been set off, or if further movement of the safe occurs setting off the motion sensor once more.

4. A portable safe according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the alarm includes an audible peizo alarm. A portable safe substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 2 7 th day of January 2005 Earnst Antony Dart By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.