Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05G—SAFES OR STRONG-ROOMS FOR VALUABLES; BANK PROTECTION DEVICES; SAFETY TRANSACTION PARTITIONS
  • E05G1/00—Safes or strong-rooms for valuables
  • E05G1/06—Safes or strong-rooms for valuables having provision for multiple compartments

Definitions

• the collection of safe deposit boxes comprises an array of individual rectangular safes.
• Each safe defines a compartment to which access can be obtained by means of a lockable door. After the insertion of a certain sum into a coin-operated machine, the door of the safe can be closed and locked by means of a unique key.
• operation by electronic means is centralized for a number of safes, and a safe door can be locked and unlocked from a control unit set up centrally for a number of safes. Instead of a key being used, the control unit produces a card with a magnetic strip containing a unique code, following which the card in question is used to open the door of the safe module again.
• EP-A-0 140 839 further discloses a safe, comprising a protective housing which is provided with a safe access opening which can give access to the inside of the housing, and a number of safe compartments formed inside the housing, which safe compartments are disposed in a row along a segment of a circle and are each provided with a safe compartment access opening which is situated at the side of the safe compartments facing the housing, in the case of which each safe compartment access opening can be brought into line with the safe access opening, and access can be obtained to the corresponding safe compartment by putting selective safe access control means into operation.
• the housing is provided with only one closable safe access opening for access to a compartment, and the safe compartments inside the housing can be moved towards and away from the safe access opening, in order to move the safe compartment access opening in front of the safe access opening of the housing by means of instructions to be fed to the safe access control means.
• a major disadvantage of this safe is the fact that the safe compartments filled with personal belongings have to be moved at least twice inside the housing: once after personal belongings have been left in a safe compartment, in order to move the safe compartment away from the safe access opening and make space for another safe compartment, and once in order to take the safe access opening of the safe compartment back in front of the safe access opening of the housing, so that the personal belongings can be removed from the safe compartment again.
• the personal belongings could be damaged as a result of the acceleration forces occurring, in particular if the safe compartment is subjected not only to a translation movement, but also to a rotational movement in addition to or combined with said translation movement.
• the object of the invention is to provide a safe with a large number of individually accessible compart ⁇ ments, which safe is simple in design and can be manufactured with a minimum of reinforced parts, and therefore at low cost.
• the object of the invention is also to provide a safe in which a large number of individually accessible safe compartments are available, and in which no damage can occur to personal belongings as the result of movements of safe compartments.
• the invention provides a safe of the type described above, which is characterized in that the safe compartments are set up in a fixed manner and the housing comprises a protective member which is rotatable about an axis at right angles to the plane through the abovementioned segment of a circle, and which extends over the safe compartment access openings and contains the safe access opening.
• the safe according to the invention is compact in construction, with the result that relatively little reinforcing material is required on the outside thereof. Moreover, the contents of a safe compartment cannot become damaged through movements of a safe compartment.
• the housing is essentially cylindrical or cylinder segment-shaped, and a number of partitions which run radially relative to the axis of the cylinder and form the safe compartments are provided therein.
• a lockable door is preferably provided in the safe compartment access openings, because in the first place this leads to additional security for the contents of a safe compartment and, secondly, prevents any risk of undesirable contact between the contents of a safe compartment, when the protective member is in motion.
• the access openings of the safe compartments lie in a flat plane running parallel to the plane through the abovementioned segment of a circle, and the protective member is essentially disc ⁇ shaped or disc sector-shaped.
• the accessibility of all safe compartments is optimal if in this case the axis of rotation of the protective member extends essentially horizontally.
• the protective member may consist of a single disc or disc sector which is provided with a free safe access opening or with a safe access opening in which a lockable door is provided.
• the protective member consists of a first rotatable disc or disc sector which is provided with a free safe access opening, and a second rotatable disc or disc sector extending over the first disc or disc sector at the side thereof facing away from the safe compartments, and with a free safe access opening, or with a safe access opening in which a lockable door is provided.
• the access openings of the safe compartments lie in a cylindrical surface which is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the protective member, and the protective member is essentially cylinder surface-shaped or cylinder surface sector-shaped. It is preferable here for the axis of rotation of the protective member to extend vertically, in order to ensure good accessibility of the safe compartments.
• the safe can advantageously comprise a number of stacked rows of safe compartments, each row having a separate protective member which can be moved independently from the other protective members, and the axes of rotation of the protective members coincide.
• the protective member can consist of a single cylinder or cylinder sector which is provided with a free safe access opening, or a safe access opening in which a lockable door is fitted.
• the protective member consists of a first rotatable cylinder or cylinder sector which is provided with a free safe access opening, and a second rotatable cylinder or cylinder sector which extends over the first cylinder or cylinder sector at the side thereof facing away from the safe compartments and is provided with a free safe access opening or with a safe access opening in which a lockable door is fitted.
• the safe access control means preferably are designed for blocking or releasing the safe access opening or the safe compartment access opening after a code selected by a user of a safe compartment has been fed to the safe access control means.
• Fig. 1 shows diagra matically and in perspective a first embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view;
• Fig. 2 shows diagrainmatically and in perspective a second embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view;
• Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a third embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view
• Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a fourth embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view
• Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a fifth embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view
• Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a sixth embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view;
• Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a seventh embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view
• Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically and in perspective an eighth embodiment of the safe according to the invention, in exploded view
• Fig. 9 shows a detailed perspective view of the embodiment according to Fig. 1, in exploded view and partially cut-away form.
• Fig. 10 shows a view in perspective of a safe which is made up of a number of units which are shown in Fig. 6.
• Fig. 1 shows a safe with a cylindrical housing 2, which has a cylinder surface-shaped outside wall 4, a cylinder surface-shaped inside wall 6 and a disc-shaped rear wall 8 which is not visible in the figure.
• the diameter of the inside wall 6 is smaller than the diameter of the outside wall 4.
• a number of partitions 12 - in the present case twelve - extending radially relative to the axis 10 of the housing 2 from the inside of the outside wall 4 to the outside of the inside wall 6, thus forming twelve safe compartments in the housing 2.
• Such a safe compartment is in principle cylinder sector-shaped, as shown in Fig. 1 by means of dashed lines for one safe compartment, but it will be clear that it is possible to form a space of a different shape within the boundary faces of a cylinder sector-shaped compartment by means of other walls, for example a rectangular space.
• the safe compartments are completely closed at the side where the outside wall 4, the inside wall 6, the rear wall 8 and the two partitions 12 are located, while at the side where the front wall 14 of the housing 2 is located they have an access opening.
• This access opening can be closed by means of a lockable door, for example a door 16 which can pivot about an axis 18.
• Fig. 1 shows a protective member in the form of a protective disc 20, which extends at right angles to the axis 10 of the housing 2.
• the protective disc 20 is shown at a distance from the front wall 14 of the housing 2, but in reality the protective disc 20 will extend over and virtually abut the front wall 14 of the housing 2.
• the protective disc 20 is provided with an opening 22 which is essentially the same shape as the access opening to a safe compartment in the housing 2.
• the protective disc 20 can be rotated relative to the axis 10 by means of a suitable drive, which makes it possible to bring the opening 22 into line with one of the access openings of the safe compartments in the housing 2.
• the doors 16 of the safe compartments are all closed and locked in a manner not shown in any further detail.
• the opening 22 of the protective disc 20 has come to a standstill in front of a preselected safe compartment, the door 16 thereof can be unlocked and opened through the opening 22.
• the inside of the safe compartment in question is then available for inserting or removing personal belongings.
• the rotation of the protective disc 20 and the unlocking of a door 16 of a safe compartment are controlled by safe access control means which are not shown in any further detail, and which will be discussed in further detail below.
• a safe according to the invention shown in Fig. 2 corresponds essentially to the one shown in Fig. 1.
• the opening 22 in the protective disc 20 is provided with a door 24, which - like the door 16 - can be locked in a manner not shown in any further detail.
• the door 24 can be pivoted about an axis 26 from a position in which the door 24 closes the opening 22, to a position in which the opening 22 is cleared completely, and back.
• the door 24 provides additional protection against unlawful opening of a door 16 of a safe compartment.
• account is taken in particular of the fact that the opening 22 of the protective disc 20 during its rotation will pass a number of doors 16 of safe compartments before the door 16 of the selected safe compartment is reached.
• this embodiment comprises a second protective disc 28 which, although it is shown at a distance from protective disc 20, in reality virtually directly abuts the side of the protective disc 20 facing away from the housing 2.
• the protective disc 28 is provided with a through opening 30, the shape of which corresponds essentially to that of the opening 22 in the protective disc 20.
• the protective disc 28, like the protective disc 20, is rotatable about the axis 10 of the housing 2. When all doors 16 of the safe compartments in the housing 2 are closed, the protective discs 20 and 28 can be rotated independently from each other in the same or opposite directions.
• the openings 22 and 30 will be brought into line with each other only above a door 16 of a predetermined compartment which is to be opened.
• the opening 22 of the protective disc 20 is first positioned above the door 16 in question, following which the opening 30 in the protective disc 28 is brought into line with the opening 22 in the protective disc 20.
• the door 16 of the selected safe compartment can then be unlocked and opened through the openings 22 and 30.
• Fig. 4 shows a variant of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 with both greater safety and a greater degree of protection.
• the greater degree of protection is obtained by providing a door 34 which pivots relative to an axis 32 and can close the opening 30 in the protective disc 28.
• the door 34 is normally locked, and this locking is not released until the openings 22 and 30 are in line with the door 16 of a selected safe compartment.
• Greater safety is achieved by designing the safe access control means in such a way that the drive of the protective discs 20 and 28 cannot be activated until after the door 34 has been closed and locked. This ensures that fingers or the like cannot become trapped in the openings 22 and 30 through the openings 22 and 30 being moved away from each other.
• Fig. 5 shows a safe with a cylindrical housing 2 comprising a cylinder surface-shaped inside wall 6, a disc- shaped bottom wall 40, a disc-shaped top wall 42 and a number of partitions 44 extending radially.
• the partitions 44 extend from the outside of the inside wall 6 to the outer perimeter of the bottom and top wall 40, 42, and thus define a number of safe compartments in the housing 2.
• These safe compartments are in principle cylinder sector- shaped, as indicated by dashed lines for one safe compartment in Fig. 5.
• the safe compartments are com ⁇ pletely closed at the sides where the inside wall 6, the bottom wall 40, the top wall 42 and the partitions 44 are located, while they have an access opening at the side where the outside wall 46 of the housing 2 is located.
• These access openings can be closed by means of a lockable door 48, which can pivot relative to an axis 50.
• the safe compartments are set up in a fixed manner and the axis 10 extends vertically.
• the axis 10 extends vertically.
• Fig. 5 shows a protective member in the form of a protective cylinder 52, which extends parallel to the axis 10 of the housing 2.
• protective cylinder 52 is shown at a distance from the top wall of the housing 2, but in reality the protective cylinder 52 will extend over and virtually abut the outside wall 46 of the housing 2.
• the protective cylinder 52 is provided with an opening 54 which is essentially the same shape as the access opening to a safe compartment in the housing 2.
• the protective cylinder 52 can be rotated relative to the axis 10 by means of a suitable drive, which makes it possible to bring the opening 54 into line with one of the access openings of the safe compartments in the housing 2.
• the doors 48 of the safe compartments are all closed and locked in a manner not shown in any further detail.
• the opening 54 of the protective cylinder 52 has come to a standstill in front of a preselected safe compartment, its door 48 can be unlocked and opened through the opening 54.
• the interior of the safe compartment in question is then available for the insertion or removal of personal belongings.
• the rotation of the protective cylinder 6 and the unlocking of a door 48 of a safe compartment are controlled by safe access control means which are not shown in any further detail, and which will be discussed in further detail below.
• FIG. 5 - 8 A comparison of Figs. 5 - 8 with Figs. 1 - 4 shows that the first-mentioned figures differ from the last- mentioned figures only as regards the position of the access openings to the safe compartments and the corresponding position and shape of the protective member.
• the comments made with regard to the design and functioning of the protective member in respect of the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 - 4 are therefore equally applicable to the embodiments shown in Figs. 5 - 8.
• Protective disc 20 and opening 22 of Figs. 1 and 2 have the same functions as the protective cylinder 52 and opening 54 of Figs. 5 and 6; the protective discs 20 and 28 and openings 22 and 30 shown in Figs.
• Fig. 9 shows details of a safe designed according to the principle described with reference to Fig. 1.
• a number of safe compartments 70 which can be closed by means of lockable doors 16, are formed in the cylindrical housing 2.
• One of the safe compartments cannot be used for storing personal belongings, because it contains a motor 72 in which a gear wheel 74 disposed on the drive shaft drives a toothed belt 76.
• the teeth of the belt 76 can engage grooves 78 which are provided along the outer perimeter of a cylinder 80, which is fixed to protective disc 20 and has such a diameter that it can be accommodated inside the cylindrical inside wall 6 of the housing 2.
• a reinforcement ring 82 is provided around the housing 2, in order to foil attempts to break into it.
• the opening of the cylinder 80 is closed by means of a frame 84, in which the electronic control elements of the safe can be accommodated, and on which a control panel 86 can be placed.
• the control panel 86 comprises a screen 88 on which instructions, messages and the like for the user of the safe can be displayed.
• a slot 90 for the insertion of money payable for the rental of a safe compartment is disposed near the screen 88. Rejected coins are returned into a tray situated behind flap 92.
• the control panel 86 is also provided with a keyboard 94, by means of which alphanumeric codes can be keyed in.
• the control of the safe is preferably designed in such a way that at the beginning of the rental of a safe compartment the user keys in an alphanumerical code which he has thought of himself, and at the end of the rental period this code has to be keyed in again for the purpose of opening a safe compartment. All that the user therefore has to do is to remember his personal code during the rental period; he does not have to have a key, magnetic strip card or the like which are necessary for the safes according to the prior art.
• a radially inward projecting lip 96 which covers the opening 22 in the protective disc 20 in an initial position thereof, is fixed to the reinforcement ring 82. This initial position is preferably selected in such a way that the compartment 70 in which the motor 72 is situated, the opening 22 and the lip 96 lie in line with one another.
• Fig. 10 shows a safe of the type shown in Fig. 6, accommodated in a wall 100.
• a number of the units shown in principle in Fig. 6 are stacked in layers, i.e. a layer 2a, a layer 2b, a layer 2c and a layer 2d, while between the layer 2b and the layer 2c there is a layer which is not provided with safe compartments and has a casing in which operating and control elements are accommodated.
• compartments are fitted only over 180° cf the housing.
• the protective cylinders 52 extend over 360°, half of the protective cylinder 52 extending behind the wall 100.
• the cylinders 52 can be driven independently of each other by means of motors 104, on the output shaft of which a drive wheel 106 which acts upon the outer perimeter of the protective cylinders 52 is provided. If no safe compartment need be opened in a layer 2a, 2b, 2c or 2d, the protective cylinders 52 are rotated by means of their drives in such a way that the access openings 54 with the doors 58 are situated behind the wall 100.

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• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=19861549

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

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• 1992
  • 1992-11-23 NL NL9202032A patent/NL9202032A/nl not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1993
  • 1993-11-23 WO PCT/NL1993/000249 patent/WO1994012752A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1993-11-23 CA CA002149895A patent/CA2149895A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1993-11-23 DE DE69311910T patent/DE69311910D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-11-23 AU AU57190/94A patent/AU5719094A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1993-11-23 EP EP94903127A patent/EP0670007B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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