FI112001B - Anti-theft Device - Google Patents

Abstract

An anti-theft arrangement includes an alarm device (4) and an alarm-activating device (3). This latter device is controlled by a time-counting device (1) so as to activate the alarm device when the time-counting device has counted down a predetermined time period. In turn, the time-counting device (1) is controlled by a motion or vibration sensing detector (2), which is constructed to prevent the time-counting device (1) from counting down when no movement is sensed by the detector.

Description

112001

ANTI-ANTI-STÖLD ANORDNING

The present invention relates to an anti-theft system according to the preamble of claim 1.

One such relatively sophisticated anti-theft system is known from SE-B-447920 and US-A-4,725,823. In one of the uses of this system 10, which protects valuable documents against theft when being transported from one place to another in a cassette, the alarm device is activated after a specified time to destroy and render the cassette contents unusable. Replacing valuable document papers that have been destroyed or rendered unusable 15 is expensive, complicated and time consuming, including: necessary amendments. Thus, the destruction of valuable documents is a major drawback when exceeding a certain period of time is not due to theft or theft of the cassette, but to some legitimate reason leading to an unexpected delay, such as difficulties in arriving in time or a door lock malfunction, etc. On the other hand, if the alarm device is activated during a robbery, it can easily lead to desperate action from the robber or thief, which poses an additional risk to the safety of personnel.

• · · • t ·. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and advantageous anti-theft system which substantially eliminates said disadvantages of known anti-theft systems.

To this end, it has been proposed in the invention that an anti-theft device such as the one mentioned above is characterized by what is defined in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Thus, if the time it takes to transport a theft-protected object in a box or cassette is longer than planned and exceeds the time for which the time-measuring device is set, the 2 112001 can be stopped easily and simply for a short period of time, regardless of whether this delay for theft or for a legitimate reason, and correspondingly longer time, for example by placing the object 5 on a stationary platform. If the forces applied to the box and detected by the sensor as motion or vibration, for example due to drilling or other object breaking, are applied to a stationary theft-protected object, the time mechanism will begin to operate and the alarm device will activate when the acc.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and only from a specific part of the specification, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the invention; Figure 2 shows a box for carrying valuable objects or valuable documents.

The block diagram shown in Fig. 1 includes a timing device 1, a motion or vibration detecting sensor 2 and an alarm 25 activating device 3. This latter device is intended to: trigger an alarm device 4 from a timing device received by: a signal. The block diagram includes * ·: in addition, the power supply device 5 and the on-off switch 6. The time measuring device 2 preferably consists of an electric clock or electronic clock circuit of the known type which starts when * ;;; voltage is applied to its supply. After a certain time, it generates a signal to activate the alarm activating device 3. In order for the timing device to remain active, the sensor must detect a certain minimum movement or minimum oscillation. The sensor 2 may, for example, be an electrical switch that interrupts and prevents the supply voltage from being supplied to the timer if the sensor does not detect any vibration or movement. Thus, the sensor *; controls the timer device 1 so that it stops the timer »· 3 112001 for periods when motion is not detected. The periods of time when motion is detected and the time measuring device is thus in operation are added together and when the accumulated time corresponds to the aforementioned predetermined time period, the time measuring device sends a control signal to the alarm activating device 3.

As shown in dashed lines in Figure 1, the anti-theft device according to the invention may also include a device 7 which visually displays the elapsed time or the remaining time. Alternatively, or additionally, the anti-theft device may include a warning device 8 which emits an acoustic and / or visual warning that the activation of the alarm device 4 is approaching.

15 The alarm device may be of any suitable type. For example, it may be constructed to send one or more alarms in the form of an acoustic signal, a light signal, an odor signal and / or a smoky signal, or it may be constructed to transmit a substance which strongly discolor or corrode the contents of the box. Alternatively, the alarm device may be constructed to transmit, for example, electrical signals that trigger the alarm at a remote control center or to activate, for example, a computer on which the alarm device is installed.

The on-off switch 6 may consist of conventional mechanical ». ·. : a lock which is designed to break and provide an electrical • • · y · 'on-off connection, but may also comprise an electrically, electronically or electromagnetically • · * * ;;; rope on-of f-coupling or similar.

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The previously mentioned publications SE-B-447920 and US-A-4,725,823 disclose a cassette for carrying valuable documents, V 5 which operates to some extent according to the block diagram described above, albeit without a motion and vibration sensor. Thus, the specific objects of the present invention and the advantages achieved therefrom cannot be achieved with this known kit. However, it will be appreciated that, in accordance with the invention, a known system may advantageously be provided with a motion or vibration sensor which, for example, enables unwanted alarms to be avoided during legitimate unexpected delays 5 or during critical stages of robbery or theft.

Fig. 2 illustrates a box 9 for carrying valuable objects or valuable documents such as banknotes and checks according to the invention. The box can be advantageously used internally, for example, in a department store, for carrying valuable documents between individual cash registers and the central cash register. The shown patch 9 comprises an outer, bottom-open box 10, which 15 covers an open-top box 11 at its upper part. The bottom of the box 11 is provided with the anti-theft device 1-6 previously indicated with reference to Figure 1. The on-off switch member described above comprises a mechanical lock by means of which the boxes 10 and 11 can be locked together. The mechanical lock is intended to ac-20 activate an electrical on-off connection (not shown) which, when unlocked, sets the anti-theft system to zero and which, when the lock is unlocked, activates the anti-theft system to start measuring and counting the measured periods vibration-25 movements or other movements. The box 11 has a space above the anti-theft system 1-6, into which, for example, banknotes and checks can be inserted through the entry point 12, «»: arranged at the top of the box 10. On the other hand, banknotes and checks can be removed from box 9 only by opening the lock 6 already and lifting box 10 from box 11.

The box 9 can be used advantageously in the following manner in department stores with a central cash register and individual cash points. Before commencing a shift at the cash desk, each cashier fetches an empty, locked box from the central cashier and takes the box to his / her workstation where the box is placed on a stationary platform. The cashier does not have a key to open box 9, so he cannot access valuable documents that are placed inside the box. The timing device 1 is set so that its measuring time, by a certain margin, corresponds to the time a staff member walks from the central 5 cash desk to his workstation and back to the inventive cash desk where the cashier holding the lock 6 key can set the theft system to zero. During his shift, the cashier at his workstation puts checks and banknotes above a certain value in the box, 10 so that the cash desk only needs to be kept in a suitable exchange. Once the cashier has completed his shift, he returns the box to his central cashier. In the event of a robbery, the cashier simply places the box on a stationary surface or gives it to a thief. At the end of the timing-15 cycle, the alarm device 4 is activated, which device preferably comprises a dyeing device which dyes the precious documents in the box, rendering them unusable as a means of payment. This system creates a high level of security for staff while minimizing the chances of a large-scale robber or thief.

To prevent unnecessary and unnecessary discoloration of the contents of box 9, the box may be provided with a warning device 8 which provides a signal, for example in the form of a buzzer, immediately prior to the activation of the alarm device 4. This allows the staff member to avoid inadvertent destruction of the contents of the · · •.

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Boxes 10 and 11 may be made, for example, of suitable sheet material strong enough to withstand illegal attempts to open the box within a predetermined time. In order to prevent the box 9 from being subjected to coercive actions that cause only small movements or vibrations, the timer · /, the backing device 1 or the sensor 2 are preferably such that Y does not interrupt the timing for a predetermined time, e.g. 10 seconds, calculated from the time »» * »6 112001 when such movement or vibration can no longer be detected.

The anti-theft system of the invention can also be used in more or less stationary devices, such as safes, for the secure storage of valuable documents or valuable objects. In this case, it is particularly appropriate to provide the emergency storage device with a system 7 which visually displays the amount of time-elapsed or remaining time which allows it to be ascertained whether the storage device has at some point been treated outside the guard time. A device that looks like elapsed or remaining time can be made more or less advanced. For example, it can be configured to display the time periods during which attempts have been made to break the storage device and, together with sensor 2, can be constructed to distinguish between different movements or vibrations so that natural and permissible movements or vibrations can be distinguished.

20

The system of the invention is also suitable for use as a protection against theft of susceptible electronic devices such as computers, VCRs, printers, televisions, etc., whereby the anti-theft device may be an accessory attached to theft: V or may be built into a * · * - ί device. In this regard, the anti-theft device * * · «* ·: can be activated by disconnecting the device from its • power supply network, or the anti-theft device can be activated and deactivated with the code associated with the device. Again, the alarm device 4 may be a dyeing device or any other suitable device. For example, when the anti-theft system is activated, the alarm device 4 can destroy an important part of the device being protected, so that the device is no longer a scavenger of mind-5. When the alarm device 4 is fitted to the device authenticated by the display terminal, it can be constructed to produce non-11 · text to be deleted on the screen, or text that only the interlocutor can remove. which may indicate that the device has been stolen.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

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Claims (9)

An anti-theft system for transporting a valuable product 5 comprising an alarm device (4) and an alarm activating device (3) controlled by a timer device (1) such that the alarm device is activated at the end of a predetermined period, determined by the timer device; 10 is controlled by a sensor (2) which detects the movement of the product, characterized in that the sensor (2) is designed to cause the timing device (1) to interrupt the timing when the sensor does not detect movement. Anti-theft system according to claim 1, characterized in that the time measuring device (1) can be reset to the initial position with respect to the time that the device is to be measured. An anti-theft system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the system is mounted on a product formed by a lockable box (9) for carrying valuable document or valuable object book; and: Y: that the time measuring device (1) can be reset and 3 · 25 respectively operable by opening and locking the box Λ .; O) · Anti-theft system according to claim 1 or 2; a system characterized in that the system is connected to an electric device such as a computer, video device, television, etc. susceptible to theft; and that: the time measuring device (1) is reset and starts to operate when the device is disconnected from its power supply network. •. · * ·, 35 Anti-theft system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the system is connected to: 'a computer-generated product; and that the timing device (l) is disconnected by computer code. 9 112001 Anti-theft system according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the alarm device (4) is a dyeing device. 5 Anti-theft system according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the alarm device (4) is designed to destroy at least one important part of the device to be protected when the alarm device is activated. 10 Anti-theft system according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the system comprises a display device (7) which visually displays the elapsed or remaining time as measured by the time measuring device. Anti-theft system according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the system comprises a warning device (8) which provides a warning, acoustic 20 and / or visual warning that the activation of the alarm device (4) is approaching. * · II «• · · • f ·« · * · · • • t I »» · * 1 · * «1 · • 1» · 1 · «« »♦« «» »t • {· 112001 to