EP1228714A1

EP1228714A1 - Moneybox provided with timed opening

Info

Publication number: EP1228714A1
Application number: EP01830062A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuliano Massei
Original assignee: Invefin SA
Current assignee: Invefin SA
Priority date: 2001-01-31
Filing date: 2001-01-31
Publication date: 2002-08-07

Abstract

The present invention relates to a moneybox comprising a hollow body (2) with slots (4) used to insert coins and banknotes and provided with a lid (3) closed by means of an electrical lock, powered with batteries (7), with programmable timed opening.

Description

The present patent application relates to a moneybox with timed opening that can be reused without limitations once you have emptied it.
As it is known, the moneyboxes that are currently available on the market consist in closed containers, made of easily breakable material, such as terracotta, and are provided with one or more slots used to insert coins or banknotes.
The opening of these moneyboxes involves their inevitable breakage, resulting in the impossibility of reusing them. As a matter of fact, these moneyboxes belong to the category of products commonly defined as "disposable".
In reality, there are other models of moneybox, usually made of metal, which are provided with a lid closed with a lock with key.
Basically, they are small safes rather than moneyboxes, since the main characteristic of moneyboxes is that the child is "forced" not to spend the money he/she has saved, every time he/she wants to buy something.
The coercive action is not fulfilled by the moneyboxes provided with lid, since the owner may open the lid with the key at any time and take the money he/she has saved, thus anticipating the date that was initially set for saving.
It is true that traditional moneyboxes can be broken at any time to take the money out, but the fact that it is necessary to break the moneybox represents a psychological obstacle that often forces the child to abandon his/her sudden decision to spend the money he/she has saved to satisfy momentary desires.
In other words, the traditional moneyboxes without lid that must be broken in order to take the money out play an educational role with children, teaching them to think before spending the money that must be used to purchase important durable goods, without satisfying any sudden desire.
Based on these considerations, a new model of moneybox has been devised, which can be advantageously reused after opening it, just like small safes, but at the same time capable of conditioning the child with respect to the saving time that was initially planned.
To this end the moneybox with lid according to the present invention has been realised, being characterised by the fact that it has an electrical lock with timed opening, which must be set when closing the lid. In this way the child cannot use his/her savings until the time set for the automatic opening of the lid has elapsed.
For major clarity the description of the moneybox according to the present invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense, whereby:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing all the components of the moneybox according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a perspective of the moneybox according to the present invention in closed position.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the moneybox according to the present invention in partially open position.
Fig. 4 is a top view of the moneybox according to the present invention in closed position, with partially removed lid, in order to show the internal compartment housing the electrical lock with timed opening.
Fig. 5 is a section of the internal compartment that houses the electrical lock with the plane A-A shown in Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. 5 with the only difference that the lid is closed in the first figure and open in the second one.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the moneybox (1) according to the present invention comprises a hollow body (2) with hemispherical shape in this case, closed by a lid (3) that in this case consists in a hemisphere perfectly matching the hollow body (2).
The body (2) and the lid (3) feature through slots with different length (4) used to insert coins or banknotes of different size.
The body (2) houses a first seat (5) for a hinge of known type, not shown in the drawings, used to hinge the lid (3) to the body (2) that internally features a second seat (6) with lid (6a) housing the electrical lock, the power supply battery (7) and the electronic device used to set the timed opening of the lock. The electronic device is neither illustrated nor graphically shown, since it is already available on the market and it can be constructed by those expert of the art without any inventive effort.
In particular, the lock comprises a solenoid (8), whose core (8a) is constantly subjected to the action of a spring (8b) supported by a plate (8c).
The spring (8b) pushes and holds the core (8a) inside the hole (9) located on a separator (10) permanently fixed to the lid (3), which remains hooked to the body (2) until the excitation of the solenoid (8) does not cause the retrocession of the core (8a) under the contrast action of the spring (8b).
When the core (8a) exits the hole (9), the lid (3) is automatically pushed away from the body (2) due to the propulsive thrust of a spring (11) housed inside the seat (6), whose lid (6a) features a slot (6b) through which the separator (10) can penetrate inside the seat (6) and interfere both with the spring (11) and the core (8b).
Before closing the lid (3) the user must set the opening time of the lock, using the programming buttons of the timing device, which excites the solenoid (7) for a few seconds before starting the set timed opening cycle.
In those few seconds the core (8b) is held in rear position in order not to obstacle the complete insertion of the separator (10) in the seat (6), where the separator is automatically stopped as soon as the core (8b) returns to its extreme advanced position under the action of the spring (8c), while the core (8b) and the hole (9) match.

Claims

Moneybox with timed opening, of the type comprising a hollow body (2) with slots (4) used to insert coins and banknotes and provided with a lid (3) hinged to the body (2) and closed by means of a lock, characterised by the fact that the lock is of electrical type with programmable timed opening; it being provided that the power supply battery (7) of the lock is housed inside a suitable seat (5) located inside the moneybox (1).
Moneybox according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the electrical lock comprises a timer used to set the opening time of the lock and a solenoid (8), whose core (8a) is subjected to the constant action of a spring (8b) that pushes and holds it inside a hole (9) located on a separator (10) that is permanently fixed to the lid (3).
Moneybox according to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that once the opening time has been set, the programming device excites the solenoid (7) for a few seconds before starting the set timed opening cycle.
Moneybox according to the previous claims, characterised by the fact that both the hollow body (2) and the lid (3) have the shape of two hemispheres perfectly matching to form a spherical hollow container.