EP0919167B1

EP0919167B1 - Protected insertion device, in particular a letterbox

Info

Publication number: EP0919167B1
Application number: EP98203941A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cornelis Boogaard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-26
Filing date: 1998-11-23
Publication date: 2002-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2018-11-23
Also published as: NL1007618C2; DE69805040D1; EP0919167A1; ATE216568T1; DE69805040T2; ES2176905T3

Abstract

Device for the insertion of objects, such as letters, packages en the like, said device also providing a safety against removing the objects that have been thrown in. The device comprising a collection container (1), which in the vicinity of the top edge, has an insertion member (2) with an insertion slot (7), which insertion member (2) is movable from a first position, in which the insertion slot (7) is closed, into a second position, in which the insertion slot (7) is open. A certain distance below the insertion member (2) a partition flap (8a,8b) is arranged, which is actuated by the movement of the insertion member (2) in such a way, that the flap (8a,8b) is in a closed position when the insertion member (2) is opened and in an open position when the insertion member (2) is closed. The partition flap is formed by one of more roller shutters (8a,8b), which are movable in a fixed guide (9), fixed scraper members (13a,13b) being arranged along the roller shutter (8a,8b). The roller shutters (8a,8b) are actuated by driver arms (10a,10b), which via a mechanism are optionally coupled with said insertion member (2). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a protected insertion device, in particular a letterbox, according to the preamble of Claim 1.
Particularly in banks, it is often attempted to fish payment orders and the like, which have been thrown into the letterbox out of the letterbox, in order to use them for fraudulent purposes. Criminal activities of this nature cause considerable loss and expense to the parties involved. Consequently, a need has arisen for protected letterboxes in which objects, which have been thrown in, can no longer be removed. Known letterboxes of this nature are often fitted with electronic protection equipment which detects irregular activities being carried out and/or completely locks the letterbox. However, these commercially available protected letterboxes are not entirely satisfactory, since they are expensive and are susceptible to faults.
French patent 1,044,814 has disclosed an insertion device, comprising a collection container which has an insertion slot which can be closed off by means of a moveable flap, a partition flap being arranged in the collection container at a certain distance below the insertion slot, in order to close off and open the bottom section of the collection container. The partition flap is actuated by the moveable flap of the insertion slot, via a transmission mechanism, in such a manner that the bottom section of the collection container is closed off when the flap of the insertion slot is opened, and the bottom section of the collection container is opened again when the flap of the insertion slot is closed again.
An insertion device of this nature, which forms the starting point of Claim 1, has the drawback that the flap mechanism takes up considerable amounts of space. Moreover, it is possible to apply adhesive to the partition flap, so that the objects thrown in stick to this flap and are unable to fall down into the collection container. These objects can then be removed from the letterbox via the insertion slot after the partition flap has been closed.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a letterbox, which includes a completely mechanical protection system, is of robust design and provides complete protection against the documents or objects, which have been thrown in being removed from the letterbox again via the insertion slot.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of the insertion device which has the characterizing features specified in Claim 1. Owing to the fact that the partition flap comprises a roller shutter which is able to move out of the way in the guide, it does not take up much space, while the scraper member ensures that during opening of the roller shutter all the objects which have been thrown in fall downwards into the bottom section of the collection container.
The remaining Claims 2-11 provide further expedient developments, variants and details of the invention.
Although the device according to the invention extends to cover an insertion device for letters, packages, videotapes, rolls of film, cash boxes and the like, the device will be referred to below merely as a letterbox in order to facilitate description.
The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a vertical section through the top part of the letterbox according to the invention, in a position in which the insertion slot is open and the roller shutter is closed;
Figure 2 diagrammatically shows a front view, partially in section, of the letterbox, with the roller shutters in the open position and the insertion slot closed;
Figure 3 diagrammatically shows the mechanism for bringing about and releasing the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm; and
Figure 4 diagrammatically shows the locking means for optionally locking the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm.
Figure 1 shows the top section of a collection container 1, which contains a cylindrical insertion member 2, which is mounted in the collection container so that it can rotate about a horizontal, central axis 3. The insertion member is formed by two circular discs 4a, 4b (see also Figure 2) which lie at a distance from one another and are connected to one another by a cap 5 which extends over part of the outer circumference of the discs and is provided with a grip part 5a which projects outside the circumference of the discs. A flat plate 6, which together with the cap 5 delimits an insertion slot 7, is also arranged between the discs 4a and 4b.
Two roller shutters 8a and 8b are arranged in the collection container at a certain distance below the insertion member 2. These roller shutters 8a and 8b are guided in guides 9 arranged along the walls of the collection container and can move into a closed position, in which the top section of the collection container is closed off from the bottom section thereof, and back into an open position, in which the roller shutters are retracted upwards along the side walls of the collection container. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the two roller shutters may overlap one another slightly in the closed position. In the embodiment shown here, the roller shutters comprise a number of lamellae which are hinged to one another, but may, of course, also be formed by a single sheet of suitably flexible material which is able to carry out the same movement.
The movement of the roller shutters 8a and 8b is effected by means of two driver arms 10a and 10b which are arranged on either side of the insertion member 2 and are each mounted by one end so as to be pivotable about the axis 3 of the insertion member 2, while the other end is connected to one of the said roller shutters. The connection between each driver arm and the associated roller shutter comprises a transverse pin 11 which is arranged at the end of the relevant arm and engages in a horizontally running slot hole 12 arranged in the relevant roller shutter.
Each roller shutter is provided with a scraper member 13a, 13b which is positioned fixedly in the vicinity of the side walls of the collection container, may be of any suitable shape and design and is intended to scrape the top surface of the roller shutter in question when this roller shutter moves from the closed position into the open position, in order to prevent objects which have been thrown into the device from continuing to rest on the roller shutters.
The driver arms 10a and 10b for actuating the roller shutters 8a and 8b are optionally coupled to the insertion member 2 by way of means which will be described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4, so that the roller shutters can be opened and/or closed in a manner which will be described below by rotating the insertion member 2. As can also be seen in Figure 1, the plate 6 of the insertion member has an extension piece 6a which projects beyond the discs 4a and 4b. This extension piece 6a is able to interact with a fixed rim 14a which is attached to the collection container and, in the embodiment illustrated, forms part of a fixed cap 14 which is connected to the collection container. The extension piece 6a and the rim 14a are designed in such a manner that any strings or cords and the like which have been thrown into the insertion slot are clamped between the extension piece 6a and the rim 14a and/or are cut through. This provides even more protection against inserted objects being illegally fished out of the letterbox.
In Figure 1, the letterbox is shown in the second position for inserting an object, in which position the insertion slot 7 is open and the roller shutters 8a, 8b are closed, while in Figure 2 the letterbox is in the first position, in which the insertion slot is closed and the roller shutters are retracted upwards. In the latter position, the driver arms are upright and are coupled to the insertion member 2.
Starting from the first position, the insertion member can be rotated in the clockwise direction into the second position. During this movement, the driver arms move downwards and close the roller shutters. In this second position, the insertion slot is open and the connection between the insertion member and the driver arms is interrupted, so that the latter are locked in the down position. An object can now be inserted, which object will therefore remain on the roller shutters. After the object has been inserted, the insertion member 2 automatically moves a certain distance in the anticlockwise direction, into a third position which lies between the second position and the first position and in which the insertion slot is closed again and the insertion member is coupled again to the driver arms, and the locking of the driver arms is eliminated. In this third position, the insertion member cannot rotate straight back in the clockwise direction into the second position, since this is prevented by locking means, which are to be described in more detail. From the third position, the insertion member is able to be rotated anticlockwise into the first position, during which movement the driver arms move upwards and retract the roller shutters into the open position.
The automatic movement of the insertion member from the second position into the third position can be effected by means of spring force or by an eccentric weight arranged on the insertion member, such as for example a weight 5b on the grip part 5a of the cap 5.
The mechanism which brings about the connection between the driver arm 10 and the insertion member 2 and is able to interrupt this connection again will be explained below with reference to Figure 3, which only shows the mechanism of one driver arm. It will be clear that both driver arms are provided with the same mechanism, so that the suffixes a and b are omitted here in order to facilitate matters.
Figure 3 shows part of the driver arm 10, which is mounted so that it can pivot about the axis 3. The driver arm has a curved slot hole 15, through which a pin 16 which is fixedly connected to a side wall 4 of the insertion member 2 projects. The slot 15 has as its centre of curvature the axis 3, so that the insertion member is able to carry out a relative rotation with respect to the driver arm, which rotation is limited by this slot 15. A tumbler member 17, which is able to rotate about a pivot pin 18, is also arranged on the driver arm. Moreover, the tumbler member is provided with a cam 19 which is guided in a curved slot 20 which is arranged in a plate 21 which is fixedly connected to the collection container 1. The slot 20 also has as its centre of curvature the axis 3 and is provided at the bottom end with a slot part 20' which runs radially outwards. The slot 20 and the plate 21 are in fact situated above the plane of the drawing and are therefore indicated by dot-dashed lines.
The position illustrated in Figure 3 corresponds to the first position of the insertion member, in which the pin 16 is fixed in the slot 15 by means of the tumbler member 17, so that the insertion member 2 is coupled to the driver arm 10. This means that when the insertion member is moved from the first position into the second position, the arms also rotate in the clockwise direction (arrow V), and draw the roller shutters downwards into the closed position. When the arms have reached the lowest position, the cam 19 of the tumbler member moves into the radial slot part 20' of the slot 20, with the result that the tumbler member rotates, thus releasing the pin 16. As a result, the insertion member is able to rotate a short distance further, until the pin 16 reaches the bottom end of the slot 15. The pin 16 is thus released when the insertion slot is still closed and before the second position is reached. The insertion member is then in the second position which is illustrated in Figure 1 and in which the insertion slot is open and the connection between the insertion member and the driver arms is interrupted. In this case, the tumbler member 17 is formed in such a manner that the face 17' of this member lies along virtually the entire side of the slot 15. Thus the tumbler member is unable to rotate as long as the pin 16 is moving through the slot 15. This means that the driver arm 10 is locked in this position, since the cam 19 of the tumbler member is situated in the radial slot part 20', and is enclosed therein.
After the object has been thrown into the insertion slot 7, the insertion member automatically rotates back until the pin 16 reaches the top end of the slot 15. When the pin reaches the top end of the slot 15, the tumbler member will automatically rotate, i.e. the cam 19 moves out of the slot part 20' and the pin 16 is enclosed by the tumbler member, so that the insertion member is again coupled to the driver arm.
The insertion member is then in the third position, in which the insertion slot is closed and the roller shutters are also closed. In this third position, the tumbler member is locked by way of locking means, which are to be described below with reference to Figure 4 and prevent the cam 19 from being able to move back into the slot part 20', thus ensuring that the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm is maintained. In this way, the insertion member is also prevented from being able to move back from the third position into the second position. The only way the insertion member can move is anticlockwise, from the third position into the first position, during which movement the driver arms are moved upwards and the roller shutters are retracted, so that the inserted objects fall downwards into the collection container. This movement of the insertion member and the driver arms also ensures that the action of the locking means is eliminated.
Figure 4 shows the fixed plate 21, which contains the curved slot 20 with the radial slot part 20'. This figure also shows the cam 19 of the tumbler member. The cam 19 is formed by a roll which has an axle 19' which projects perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The locking means are formed by three interacting peg members 23, 24 and 25 which are moveably attached to a fixed plate (not shown), which is at a slight distance from the plate 21, so that these peg members are also at a slight distance from the plate 21, so that the axle 19' is able to move upwards along the peg member 23.
The peg member 23 is able to move vertically owing to the slots 26 and 27 and is provided at the bottom edge with a lip 28 which is thicker, in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, and is thus able to interact with the axle 19'.
The position illustrated in Figure 4 occurs when the insertion member is in the third position. In this position, the lip 28 of the peg member 23 prevents the cam 19 from being able to move into the slot part 20', and the tumbler member is locked in the position in which the insertion member is connected to the driver arm. When the insertion member is rotated from the third position into the first position, the cam 19 moves upwards in the slot 20. During this movement, the axle 19' meets a projecting pin 29 of the peg member 23 and then moves this peg member up with it. During the upwards movement of the peg member 23, the side projection 30 of this peg member comes into contact with a projection 31 on the peg lever 24, with the result that this lever rotates about the axle 32, moving the peg slide 25 to the left. In this process, the peg slide moves under the lip 28, so that the peg member 23 is locked in the up position and the slot part 20' is therefore free.
When the insertion member moves from the first position into the second position, the cam 19 moves downwards in the slot 20 and moves into the slot part 20', with the result that the peg slide 25 is moved to the right and the lip 28 comes to rest against the axle 19'. When the insertion member is then moved into the third position, the cam 19 moves out of the slot part 20', during which movement the lip 28 comes free and the peg member 23 falls downwards and closes off the slot part again. The insertion member is then once again fixedly connected to the driver arm and is no longer able to move from the third position into the second position.
It will be clear that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described here, but rather that a large number of variants and modifications are possible for the person skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the roller shutter may be guided in various ways in the collection container. The roller shutters may also be connected to counterweights (not shown), facilitating actuation thereof. In the embodiment illustrated, each driver arm bears one tumbler member, and in this case it is sufficient to arrange locking means (23, 24, 25) on only one of these driver arms. Naturally, it is also possible to use only one driver arm, which drives one roller shutter, which one roller shutter drives the other roller shutter via a suitable transmission. Finally, it is also conceivable for the face of the roller shutter to be perpendicular to the driver arm and for the driver arm to be directly coupled to this roller shutter. Because in this embodiment the fixed guides extent from the rear wall of the collection container into the direction of the insertion member it is sufficient to use a single roller shutter (with scraper) in order to close the bottom section of the collection container.
In the embodiment described above, the insertion member rotates in the clockwise direction from the first position into the second position, in which case the driver arms correspondingly pivot downwards in order to close the roller shutter. Naturally, it is also conceivable for the structure to be designed in such a manner that the insertion member rotates in the anticlockwise direction from the first position into the second position, and for the driver arms to move upwards in order to close the roller shutter. In this second position, the object is passed through the insertion slot, so that it lands on the closed roller shutter. The insertion member is released, so that it rotates back, for example as a result of spring force, into the third position, in which the driver arms are again connected to the insertion member. The insertion member is then rotated back automatically into the first position as a result of the weight of the arms, during which movement the roller shutter opens again. This embodiment has the advantage that the insertion member always returns to the first position automatically after an object has been inserted.
Finally, it is also possible, of course, to drive the insertion member with the aid of an electric motor. The coupling between the driver arms and the insertion member, as well as the locking means of this coupling, may also be controlled electrically with the aid of suitable sensors.

Claims

Device for the insertion of objects, such as letters, packages and the like, comprising a collection container (1) which, in the vicinity of the top edge, has an insertion member (2) with an insertion slot (7), which insertion member can move from a first position, in which the insertion slot is closed, into a second position, in which the insertion slot is open, a partition flap (8a, 8b) being arranged in the collection container at a certain distance below the insertion member, which flap is able to close off the top section of the collection container from the remaining, bottom section of the collection container, which partition flap can be moved between a closed position and an open position with the aid of drive means (10a, 10b), which are actuated by the movement of the insertion member, in such a manner that the partition flap is in the closed position when the insertion slot is open, and is in the open position when the insertion member is closed, characterized in that the partition flap is formed by a roller shutter (8a, 8b) which can move in a fixed guide (9), fixed scraper members (13a, 13b) being arranged along the roller shutter, past which scraper members substantially the largest section of the top surface of the roller shutter slides when the roller shutter moves from the closed position to the open position.
Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the drive means are formed by at least one driver arm (10a, 10b) which is connected, on the one hand, to the insertion member (2) and, on the other hand, to the roller shutter (8a, 8b), a mechanism (17, 20, 21) which is able to bring about or interrupt the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm being arranged between the insertion member and the driver arm, which mechanism is designed in such a manner that the driver arm is locked when the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm is interrupted.
Device according to Claim 2, characterized in that, in the second position of the insertion member, the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm is interrupted, with the insertion member able to move freely back into a third position which lies between the second and first positions and in which the insertion slot is closed, and in which third position the insertion member is connected again to the driver arm, locking means (23, 24, 25) being present, which locking means act on the said mechanism (17, 19, 20, 21) in order optionally to lock the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm and which locking means lock the connection between the insertion member and the driver arm when the insertion member moves from the second position into the third position and remove this locking when the insertion member moves from the third position into the first position, so that in the third position the insertion member is prevented from moving back into the second position, and in that means (5b) are present for automatically guiding the insertion member from the second position into the third position.
Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the means for automatically moving the insertion member from the second position into the third position comprise a weight (5b) which is arranged eccentrically on the insertion member.
Device according to one or more of the preceding Claims 1-4, characterized in that two roller shutters (8a, 8b) which move in opposite directions are present, which shutters overlap one another slightly in the closed position and are each provided with their own scraper member (13a, 13b).
Device according to Claim 5, in which the insertion member is of cylindrical design and is able to rotate about a horizontal axis which runs in its longitudinal direction, characterized in that a driver arm (10a, 10b) is arranged on both sides of the insertion member, which driver arms each actuate a roller shutter (8a, 8b), are able to pivot about the axis (3) of the insertion member, and are provided, at their ends, with a transverse pin (11) which engages in a slot hole (12) arranged in the associated roller shutter.
Device according to one or more of Claims 2-5, characterized in that the insertion member is provided with a projecting pin (16) which is guided in a curved slot (15) which is arranged in the driver arm and has the axis (3) as its centre of curvature, and the mechanism for connecting the insertion member to the driver arm comprises a tumbler member (17) which is arranged rotably on the driver arm and bears a cam (19) which is guided in a curved slot (20) which has the axis (3) as its centre of curvature and is arranged in a fixed plate (21), which slot (20) has a radially lower slot part (20'), which tumbler member is able to fix the pin (16) in the said slot (15) when the cam (19) of the tumbler member lies in the curved slot (20), and releases the pin when the cam lies in the radial slot part (20').
Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the tumbler member is provided with a curved face (17') which, in the position of the tumbler member in which the pin (16) can move freely through the curved slot (15), adjoins the outer side of this slot, so that the cam (19) of the tumbler member is held in the radial slot part (20') during the said movement of the pin (16), with the result that the driver arm (10) is locked.
Device according to one or more of the preceding Claims 3-8, characterized in that the locking means are formed by a number of interacting peg members (23, 24, 25), which close off the radial slot part (20') for the cam (19) when the insertion member is in the third position and open this radial slot part when the insertion member is moved from the third position into the first position.
Device according to one or more of the preceding Claims 1-9, characterized in that the insertion member is provided with a projecting lip (6a) which interacts with a rim (14a), which is arranged fixedly inside the collection container, when the insertion member is moving from the second position to the first position.
Device according to Claim 10, characterized in that the projecting lip (6a) forms an extension of a plate (6) which forms the bottom of the insertion slot.