EP2525036B1 - Container for the secure storage of objects, in particular banknotes - Google Patents

Description

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to the general field of the protection of valuables by sprinkling objects with a liquid causing their alteration, or even their destruction, in case of attempted theft of the latter. It is more specifically a secure container (or chest) for storing and transporting valuables arranged in bulk or in bags.

The invention finds a preferred but non-limiting application in the protection of bank notes.

In known manner, the storage and secure transport of banknotes (loose or in bags) is via a container (or chest) that can be moved manually. This type of secure container most often includes an opening made at its top cover, this opening for depositing inside the container tickets to transport.

In case of attempted theft or break-in of the container, it is generally expected to alter the tickets by smearing. For this purpose, one or more smearing modules are arranged inside the container, each of these modules consisting of a chamber filled for example with ink and connected to a spray boom, and means for hunting the liner. ink from the chamber to the spray boom in case of fracturing of the enclosure of the container or following a remote control.

For greater efficiency, the spray ramps of these smudging modules are mounted vertically against the side walls of the container, each ramp comprising a plurality of orifices directed towards the center of the container. In this way, in case of attempted theft or forced opening of the container, the ink is driven from the chamber and diffuses through the spray booms on the notes, rendering them unusable. We can refer for example to the document WO 2009/060141 which describes such a secure enclosure.

Although effective, such a smearing system is not fully satisfied. In particular, given the relatively large internal volume of the secure container, the presence of spray booms mounted on the side walls of the container is not always sufficient to properly stain all the notes stored in the container.

FR 846698 discloses a spraying tower having at least two liquid spray booms whose respective axes are arranged in different directions.

Object and summary of the invention

The present invention therefore has the main purpose of overcoming such drawbacks by proposing a container for spraying correctly and efficiently all the tickets stored in the container.

This object is achieved by means of a container for the secure storage of objects, comprising an enclosure intended to receive objects, said enclosure having a substantially horizontal bottom, side walls, an upper wall and liquid spray nozzles, and at least one spray tower disposed within the enclosure without contact with the side walls of the enclosure and having at least two liquid spray nozzles whose respective axes are arranged in different directions. Said container is remarkable in that the spraying tower comprises at least two vertical branches integral with each other by one of their edges, each branch having a straight portion and an oblique portion in the form of a bevel extending the straight portion to top of the tower.

The presence of a spray tower positioned inside the enclosure with spray nozzles arranged in such a way as to spread liquid (for example ink) inside the enclosure in different directions makes it possible to ensure additional spraying of the objects to be secured (notably banknotes) in the event of attempted theft or forced opening of the container. This results in greater efficiency of alteration of these objects.

Moreover, the presence of these oblique portions in the shape of a bevel extending the right part makes it possible to prevent objects to be secured introduced by the upper opening of the enclosure from coming to rest in equilibrium on these branches and thus escape from the aspersion.

In this case, the spray nozzles of the spray tower can be arranged along ramps formed at the free edge of the right part and at the free edge of the oblique part of the branches. Alternatively, the spray nozzles of the spray tower may be arranged in ramps formed at the free edge of the right part.

Still in this case, the spray tower may comprise three equidistant vertical branches forming a Y or four equidistant vertical branches forming an X.

According to an alternative embodiment, the spray nozzles of the spray tower are arranged in a helical ramp.

The spray nozzles of the spray tower can also be arranged so that 360 ° liquid can be spilled.

The spray nozzles of the spray tower can extend vertically over a distance corresponding to at least half the distance separating the bottom of the enclosure from its upper wall. Such a height allows to reduce the size of the spray tower within the enclosure while ensuring a possibility of effectively spraying the objects to be secured.

The spraying tower can rise vertically from the bottom of the enclosure to its upper part. The spraying tower may be positioned substantially equidistant from the side walls of the enclosure. Such an arrangement has the advantage of making it possible to obtain good homogeneity of spraying of the objects to be secured throughout the internal volume of the enclosure.

Preferably, the enclosure comprises spray nozzles arranged in ramps mounted against walls of the enclosure.

One of the walls of the enclosure may include an opening for the introduction of objects within the enclosure and the enclosure may further include a pair of wheels and a handle making it movable manually.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique et en perspective d'un container pour le stockage sécurisé de billets conforme à l'invention ;
• les figures 2 et 3 sont des vues du container de la figure 1, respectivement de côté et de dessus ;
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessus d'un container selon une variante de réalisation de l'invention.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments having no limiting character. In the figures:

• the figure 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a container for the secure storage of notes according to the invention;
• the Figures 2 and 3 are views of the container from the figure 1 , respectively from the side and from above;
• the figure 4 is a top view of a container according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of embodiments

The Figures 1 to 3 represent a container 10 for the secure storage of valuables according to a first embodiment.

Such a container is perfectly suited for the storage and secure transportation of bank notes 12 arranged in bundles, these bundles of notes being stored as such in the container or packaged in bags deposited in the container.

In general, the container comprises an enclosure 14 of substantially parallelepipedal shape which consists of a bottom and horizontal bottom wall 16, vertical side walls 18 and a top and horizontal cover wall 20.

The different walls of the enclosure are made of materials that guarantee its strength and mechanical strength. For example, these walls can be made from a composition of fibers and resin or molded plastic or metal.

In the cover 20 of the chamber is an opening 22 for the introduction of notes. This opening is advantageously closable by a sliding door 24, the closure thereof being also secured.

Of course, it is possible to position the opening of the enclosure to a different location than in its cover. For example, this opening could be made in one of the side walls of the enclosure.

The container can be moved manually by means of a pair of rollers 26 integral with the bottom 16 of the enclosure and a retractable handle 28 in the cover 20 of the enclosure.

Moreover, to make unusable the tickets stored in the container in case of attempted theft of these Last, it is planned to have inside the enclosure one or more modules for spraying the notes.

In a manner known per se, each spray module comprises a plurality of ink spray nozzles 34 aligned along a ramp 32 and each connected to a chamber (not shown in the figures) filled with a liquid, for example the smudge ink. Means are also provided to drive said ink from the chamber and to direct it under pressure into the boom of the spray module in the event of fracturing of the container enclosure or following a remote control. For example, the ink can be expelled from the chamber by means of a piston moving in the chamber under the effect of a gas flow discharge triggered by a gas generator.

Of course, the liquid used to make the notes unusable may be different in nature from the smudge ink described herein. Thus, it will be possible to use a corrosive liquid, such as acid for example, to destroy at least part of the notes contained in the container according to the invention.

By spraying ink spraying nozzle is meant here an ink injector which is intended to diffuse ink in the form of a jet 34b centered on an axis 34a of the nozzle. Ramp means an alignment of a plurality of these ink sprays.

Note that each spray module may have its own ink chamber or the ink chamber may be common to all of the spray modules, that is to say be connected to all the ramps of sprinkler modules.

The ramps 32 of the container spray modules are positioned against the side walls 18 of the enclosure of the container. More precisely, in the example realization of Figures 1 to 3 , there are four ramps, two being positioned against one of the side walls 18 of the enclosure and the other two being positioned against the opposite side wall. In addition, these ramps each comprise a plurality of spray nozzles which are aligned vertically from the bottom 16 to the lid 20 of the enclosure.

According to the invention, the container further comprises a spraying tower 100 disposed inside the enclosure without having any contact with the side walls of the enclosure and comprising at least two ink spraying nozzles of which the respective axes are arranged in different directions.

In the exemplary embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 , this spray tower is more precisely positioned so as to rise vertically from the bottom 16 of the enclosure to its cover 20. However, it is possible to imagine that this tower is fixed on the enclosure cover and extends vertically from it towards the bottom of the enclosure.

Moreover, still in the embodiment of the Figures 1 to 3 , the spraying tower 100 comprises four vertical branches 102 equidistant and joined together by a common edge so as to form an X.

Each of these branches consists of a straight portion 102a extending vertically from the bottom of the enclosure and a oblique portion 102b shaped bevel extending the right to the top of the tower.

Given the beveled shape of the vertical branches of the spraying tower in their upper part, the bills introduced into the enclosure of the container through the opening 22 of the latter are thus not likely to remain stuck in balance on the top of the spraying tower.

The spraying tower 100 further comprises a spraying module 104 which is specific to it. This spray module comprises an ink filled chamber (not shown) which is connected to a plurality of ink spray nozzles 109 which are aligned along ramps 108. Means are also provided for flushing the ink from the chamber and directing it under pressure into the boom of the spray module in the event of fracturing of the enclosure of the container or following a remote control.

At least two of the spraying nozzles 109 of the spraying tower have their respective spraying axes 109a arranged in different directions so as to spread ink inside the enclosure in directions different.

As indicated above, these ink spray nozzles are arranged in ramps. Ramps 108 of spray nozzles can thus be arranged at the free edge of the straight portion 102a and at the free edge of the oblique portion 102b of the vertical branches 102.

Alternatively, the ramps 108 of the spray tower can be arranged at a hollow formed between two adjacent branches of the spray tower, the presence of the branches to create a distance between the ink spray nozzles and the tickets to diffuse ink more broadly.

Of course, one can imagine an arrangement of the ramps both on the free edges of the branches of the spraying tower (straight parts and oblique parts) and in the hollows formed between these branches as shown in the drawings. Figures 1 to 3 .

Whatever the arrangement chosen, these ramps have a plurality of ink spray nozzles 109 which extend vertically over the entire height of the spray tower. The spraying axes 109a of each ramp are directed in different directions of the enclosure so as to cover a maximum of space around the spraying tower, and preferably on a space covering 360 ° around the tower. 'aspersion.

Advantageously, the branches 102 of the spray tower 100 extend vertically to a height corresponding to about half the vertical distance separating the bottom 16 of the cover 20 of the enclosure. Such a height reduces the size of the spray tower within the enclosure while ensuring a possibility of effectively spraying the notes.

As for the width of the vertical branches of the spray tower, it should be noted that it should not be too large to minimize the overall size of the tower relative to the interior volume of the remaining chamber for the storage of tickets.

Moreover, as represented on the figure 3 , the spray tower 100 may advantageously be positioned at the center of the bottom 16 of the enclosure (that is to say, be positioned substantially equidistant from the side walls of the enclosure). A central positioning of the spray tower has the advantage of homogenizing the spray throughout the volume inside the enclosure. Of course, depending on the centering of the opening 22 made in the enclosure cover to introduce the notes, this positioning of the spray tower may be different.

In connection with the figure 4 an alternative embodiment of the container according to the invention will be described.

Thus, the spraying tower 100a of the enclosure 10a of the variant embodiment of the figure 4 differs from that previously described in that it only includes three vertical branches 102 equidistant and integral with each other by a common edge so as to form a Y.

The ink sprays 109 of this tower are arranged to spread ink within the enclosure in different directions. They are more precisely arranged at the free edges of the straight and oblique portions of the branches and at the level of the hollows formed between the branches.

Of course, it is possible to imagine other embodiments of the spray tower according to the invention as defined by the claims. The form of this could vary from those presented in the Figures 1 to 4 . Similarly, the arrangement of the spray booms could be different.

For example, in another variant embodiment not shown, the spray nozzles of the spray tower can be arranged in a helical ramp.

Claims (13)

1. Container (10; 10a; 10b; 10c) for the secure storage of objects, comprising:

   - an enclosure (14) intended for receiving objects (12), said enclosure having a substantially horizontal bottom (16), side walls (18), an upper wall (20) and nozzles for spraying a liquid (34),

   - at least one spraying column (100; 100a; 100b; 100c arranged inside the enclosure without having contact with the side walls of the enclosure and having at least two nozzles for spraying a liquid (109) of which the respective axes (109a) are arranged in different directions; characterised in that the spraying column comprises at least two vertical branches secured to one another by one of their edges, with each branch having a straight portion (102a) and a bevel-shaped tilting portion (102b) extending the straight portion to the top of the column.
2. Container according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles for spraying of the spraying column are arranged according to ramps formed on the free edge of the straight portion and on the free edge of the tilting portion of the branches.
3. Container according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles for spraying of the spraying column are arranged according to ramps formed on a hollow formed between two adjacent branches of the spraying column.
4. Container according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the spraying column (100a) comprises three equally-distant vertical branches forming a Y.
5. Container according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the spraying column (100) comprises four equally-distant vertical branches forming an X.
6. Container according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles for spraying of the spraying column are arranged according to a helicoidal ramp.
7. Container according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nozzles for spraying of the spraying column are arranged in such a way as to be able to spread out the liquid over 360°.
8. Container according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the nozzles for spraying of the spraying column extend vertically over a distance corresponding to at least half of the distance separating the bottom of the enclosure from its upper wall.
9. Container according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the spraying column rises vertically from the bottom of the enclosure to its upper portion.
10. Container according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the spraying column is positioned substantially equally distant from the side walls of the enclosure.
11. Container according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the enclosure comprises nozzles for spraying arranged according to ramps mounted against walls of the enclosure.
12. Container according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein one of the walls of the enclosure comprises an opening (22) for the introduction of objects inside the enclosure.
13. Container according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the enclosure (14) further comprises a pair of castors (26) and a handle (28) which enables it to be displaced manually.

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