FR2730086A1 - Security device preventing removal and insertion of computer disc - Google Patents

Abstract

The security device blocks extraction of the CD-ROM in a computer which has the CD tray positioned immediately above or below the floppy disk drive. The device has a plate (1) which is introduced into the floppy disc slot, preventing access to the floppy drive. A lock (5) mounted at the end of the plate controls extension and retraction of lateral arms. The lateral arms engage behind the edges of the floppy disc slot to prevent withdrawal of the plate. Operation of the lock also controls rotation of an arm (27) which in the locked position is transverse to the disc slot and CD tray to block removal of the CD tray and preventing access to the CD-ROM.

Description

SECURITY DEVICE PREVENTING THE EXTRACTION AND INSERTION OF A DISC RELATIVE TO THE PLAYER OF SUCH A DISC ARRANGED IN
A TOWER ALSO INCLUDING A DISC DRIVE
The present invention relates to a security device preventing the extraction and introduction of a disc, for example of the type
CD-Rom or optical-digital, relative to the drive of such a disc arranged in a tower also comprising a floppy drive, for example of the so-called 3 "1/2 or 5" 1/4 type.

 By its simple extrapolation, said invention also applies to a security device preventing the extraction and introduction of n discs of the CD-Rom or optical-digital type relative to the n readers of such discs arranged in the same tower also comprising a floppy drive.

 It is already known to use a security device for a floppy drive, said device integrating into the slot of this floppy drive so as to lock access to it and thus prevent introduction and therefore use. a floppy disk. Such a security device simultaneously has the advantages of protecting the computer thus equipped against viruses, against the theft of information and against unauthorized access by the user of said computer.

 All the floppy drives fitted to computers have in common the fact that they have a U-shaped cutout made in the upper metal flange of the floppy drive, between the drive motor of the floppy disk and the read head.

 Given this construction common to floppy drives, a security device was then designed capable of cooperating with any floppy drive, by integration into the slot of this drive in order to lock access to it and prevent the introduction of a floppy disk, said safety device comprising: (a) a plate whose thickness is substantially equal to that of a floppy disk and which, along its longitudinal plane of symmetry, is crossed by an axis, (b) a lock mounted on the front transverse edge of the plate and the rotor of which, for example by controlling a key, causes the axis to rotate a quarter of a turn, said axis having at or in the vicinity from its rear end at least one lug which, overall, extends perpendicular to the axis and which is able to occupy two positions, a rest or inactive position, corresponding to the deactivation of the lock, in which the lug and plate are coplanair es, and a working or active position, corresponding to the commissioning of the lock, in which the lug, then perpendicular to the plate, comes to hang against the bottom of the U-shaped cutout made in the upper metal flange from the floppy drive.

 Some of such safety devices are in practice almost entirely embedded in the slots of the floppy drives which they protect, when they lock them, only the front end of the stators of the locks then emerging from the front face of the tower. Other of these security devices, and for example that marketed under the brand name "SECUDISK", provide that their lock is disposed inside a housing integral with the plate, housing the rear part of which forms a shoulder or two shoulders abutting against the front face of the tower when such a safety device is engaged in the slot of the floppy disk drive and locks access thereto.

 We also know that there is a strong demand from security users of CD-Roms or optical-digital discs still called DONs for security devices capable of preventing theft of such discs, or of deterring them. This demand appeared following the development of databases accessible to the general public and that of multimedia. In fact, these clienteles are increasingly demanding storage memories, for example in the form of encyclopedias or images, and they have found vectors of choice through CD-Roms and optical-digital discs.

 However, if these discs, CD-Roms and DONs, are relatively inexpensive, of the order of a hundred Francs when they are blank, they are on the other hand of a very high cost when they are burned, the information contained in the discs by making the price. An engraved CD-Rom costs indeed several thousand Francs.

 However, despite the demand, the realization of a security device of the type used to protect a floppy drive is not possible for a disc drive because, on the one hand, there are too many very different models of discs and, on the other hand, it is desirable in any event to prevent the extraction of a disc, whether or not it is being read, given its high price.

 The safety device used with a floppy drive in fact cooperates with that by replacing a floppy, with its locked plate, so that such a device is exclusively "anti-introduction" of a floppy and it is therefore not transferable to the protection of a disk drive.

 And, in its application to the protection of discs of the CD-ROM or DON type, it is essential that a security device cooperate with the reader of such discs so that it is "anti-extraction", and incidentally "anti -introduction ", and this in any event to prevent theft and incidentally to prevent the use of the disk drive thus protected.

 We also know that it is more and more common that certain computer hardware, for example PC type computers, have the distinction of having at least one floppy drive and at least one disc drive. In addition, most often, these two readers are close to each other so that their access slots are separated by a distance equal to, or even less, 5 cm.

 The object of the present invention is to provide a security device preventing the extraction and the insertion of a disc relative to the drive of a disc as soon as this drive is placed in a computer equipment, such as a tower, comprising also a floppy drive.

 Such a safety device consists essentially of the device already used to protect a floppy drive. It includes a single additional accessory, simple to manufacture and adapt, so that the security device according to the invention makes it possible, for a low price, to protect both a floppy drive and a disc drive, or even, in its variants, a floppy drive and several disk drives.

 The present invention thus relates to a security device, preventing the extraction and introduction of a disc, for example of the CD-Rom or optical-digital type, relative to the player of such a disc arranged in a tower comprising also a floppy drive, for example of the so-called 3 "1/2 or 5" 114 type, said device cooperating in a known manner with the floppy drive, by integration into the slot of this drive in order to lock access thereto and to prevent the introduction of a diskette, and comprising: (a) a plate whose thickness is substantially equal to that of a diskette and which, along its longitudinal plane of symmetry, is crossed by an axis, (b) a lock mounted on the front transverse edge of the plate and the rotor of which, for example by controlling a key, causes the axis to rotate a quarter of a turn, said axis having at or in the vicinity from its rear end at least one lug which, overall, extends perpen specifically to the axis and which is able to occupy two positions, a rest or inactive position, corresponding to the disabling of the lock, in which the lug and the plate are coplanar, and a working or active position, corresponding to the commissioning of the lock, in which the lug, then perpendicular to the plate, comes to hang against the bottom of a U-shaped cutout made in the upper metal flange of the floppy drive, between the motor d drive of the floppy disk and the read head, said device being characterized in that it also comprises a rigid tongue, the base of which is secured to the part of the device which emerges from the tower, when said device is engaged in the slot of the floppy drive and locks the access, and whose free end extends beyond the disc drive slot, crosswise and very slightly in front of it to constitute a barrage of natur e to prevent the extraction and insertion of a disc into said disc drive slot.

 In a first installation variant in which the slots, respectively of the floppy drive and of the disc drive, are parallel and superimposed (or side by side), the security device according to the invention is such that, overall, its tongue rigid extends orthogonally to the plate.

 In a second variant of installation in which the slots, respectively of the floppy drive and of the disc drive, are parallel and coplanar, the safety device according to the invention is such that, overall, its rigid tongue extends parallel to the plaque.

 When the security device employed with the floppy drive is of the type in practice almost entirely embedded in the slot when it locks the access thereto, the additional tab which it is provided for locking a disc drive is rectilinear so that its free end extends parallel to the front face of the tower, at most a few millimeters from that until at least partially obscuring the slot of the disk drive located nearby.

 When the security device used with the floppy disk drive is of the type in which the lock is disposed inside a box, the rear part of which forms a shoulder abutting against the front face of the tower, when said device is engaged in the slot of the floppy disk drive and locks the access thereto, said device is characterized in that the tongue comprises two folds at 90 "to present a general S-shaped configuration, the first fold being in the vicinity of the base and the second fold being separated from said first fold by a distance slightly less than the distance separating the base of the tongue from the plane of the shoulder (s) so that the free end of the tongue extends from said second fold parallel to the face before the tower, at most a few millimeters from that when the tab constitutes a barrier in front of the slot of the disc player located near the player isquette.

 In this design variant of the security device, the lock is most often fixed to the housing by means of a pin. In its application to the invention, the base of the tongue then advantageously constitutes said fixing pin.

 Still in this design variant of the safety device, the base of the tongue may advantageously have the shape of a fork, the two wings of this fork engaging on either side of the stator of the lock in a transverse groove practiced at the periphery of said stator. The two wings of the fork are then for example glued to the stator, so that the tongue is permanently secured to the safety device.

 In its extrapolation to the protection of n CD-Rom or optical-digital disc drives arranged in the same tower also comprising a floppy drive, for example of the so-called 3 "1/2 or 5" V4 type, said cooperating device in a known manner with the floppy drive, by integration into the slot of this drive in order to lock access to it and prevent the introduction of a floppy disk, and comprising: (a) a plate whose thickness is substantially equal to that of a floppy disk and which, along its longitudinal plane of symmetry, is crossed by an axis, (b) a lock mounted on the front transverse edge of the plate and the rotor of which, for example by the control of a key, causes the rotation of the axis by a quarter turn, said axis having at or near its rear end at least one lug which, overall, extends perpendicular to the axis and which is suitable to occupy two positions, a rest or inactive position, corresponds ant to the deactivation of the lock, in which the lug and the plate are coplanar, and a working or active position, corresponding to the activation of the lock, in which the lug, then perpendicular to the plate , is hooked against the bottom of a U-shaped cutout made in the upper metal flange of the floppy disk drive, between the drive motor of the floppy disk and the read head, the device according to the invention is then characterized in what it also includes one or more rigid tabs, the base of each of which is subject to the part of the device which emerges from the tower, when said device is engaged in the slot of the floppy drive and locks the access thereto, and of which the free end of each extends beyond the slot of at least one disk drive, crosswise and very slightly in front of that in order to constitute a barrier such as to prevent the extraction and introduction of a disc in said slot of the disc player, the tab (s) being in number such that it (s) constitutes (s) a barrier in front of each of the slots of the n disc players.

 In order to make it impossible for the tongue to be bent or bent in view of theft until it clears the slot in the disc player, said tongue is advantageously made of a material of extreme rigidity, for example carbon, fiberglass or titanium.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the additional description which follows of several preferred embodiments of the invention, and with reference to the appended drawings which form part of the description and in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the security device currently used to protect the floppy drives,
FIG. 2 is a top view of a slight variant of the security device of FIG. 1 diagramming its locking in the upper metal flange of the floppy drive,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the safety device according to the invention in the locked position of a floppy drive and of a disc drive barring,
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a variant tongue, in the form of an S, which can replace the straight pin used with the safety device shown in FIG. 3, and
- Figures 5 to 8 show schematically application variants of the security device according to the invention, depending on the number of disk drives to protect and the relative arrangement of these drives, between them on the one hand, and compared to the floppy drive on the other hand.

 Throughout this description, the general term "tower" will be adopted for simplification purposes for any computer equipment comprising at least one floppy drive and at least one disc drive whose slots appear on the same face. By this general term, however, it is clear that mini-towers and all other computer chassis and structures are also included.

 Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that a safety device of the known type has been designated by 1 as a whole, currently used for locking a floppy drive.

This system consists of:
a plate 2 whose thickness is substantially equal to that of a floppy disk, said plate being rectangular or square and being, for example, pierced with a window 3 which extends along its longitudinal plane of symmetry schematized by the mixed line 4,
a lock 5 mounted on the front transverse edge 6 of the plate 2, inside a box 12 secured to said plate,
- An axis 7 which crosses the plate 2 extending along the plane 4, in the center of the window 3, said axis being of a diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the plate 2; the axis 7 can be controlled in rotation by a quarter turn, for example by the control of a key 20 penetrating the orifice 8 of the rotor 9 of the lock 5 and rotating this rotor by 90 ", which then causes of the same rotational movement the axis 7 using a simple mechanical system, for example a projection 30 disposed on the rear face of the rotor 9 and cooperating with a groove 34 congruent with said projection, and formed at the end front of axis 7,
- A U-shaped pin 10 which penetrates a slot 11 formed in the upper part of the housing 12 of the lock 5, the wings 13 of this pin 10 engaging on either side of the stator 31 of the lock 5, each in a transverse groove 14 formed at the periphery of said stator.

For its attachment against the bottom 15 of the cut-out
U 16 made in the upper metal flange 17 of the floppy drive, between the drive motor of the floppy disk and the read head, when the safety device 1 is engaged in the slot of the floppy drive in order to lock it access, there is provided at the rear end of the axis 7 at least one lug which, overall, extends perpendicular to the axis.

 Thus, there has been shown in Figure 1 a single lug 18 and in Figure 2 a double lug, formed by two fingers 19 located in the extension of one another. In this Figure 2, the outline of the plate 2 has been shown in phantom for a better understanding of the drawing.

 It is understood that the lug, single 18 or double 19, which always extends perpendicular to the axis 7, is able to occupy two positions, a rest or inactive position illustrated in Figure 2, corresponding to the deactivation of the lock, in which the lug and the plate are coplanar, and a working or active position illustrated in Figure 1, corresponding to the commissioning of the lock, in which the lug, then perpendicular to the plate 2 , is hooked against the bottom 15 of the U-shaped cutout 16, thus preventing the withdrawal of the safety device 1 until, under the control of the key 20, the lug 18 - 19 is returned to the inactive position .

 As has been specified in the preamble to the present description, the housing 12 of the lock 5 fitted to the known security device 1 can, according to its design, be either almost entirely embedded in the slot 21 of the protected floppy drive 22 by said device 1, on the contrary, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, being completely outside the slot 21 and abutting against the front face 23 of the tower 35 by its shoulder 24 or by two shoulders 24.

 According to its essential characteristic, the security device according to the invention, also intended to prevent the extraction and introduction of a disc relative to the drive 25 of such a disc arranged in the tower 35 in the vicinity of the floppy drive 22 consists of the device 1 as described above, completed by a rigid tongue 26 whose free end 27 extends from the device 1 beyond the slot 28 of the disc player 25.

 For this, the base 29 of the rigid tongue 26 is subject to the part of the device 1 which emerges from the tower 35, when said device is engaged in the slot 21 of the floppy disk drive 22 and locks the access thereto, and the length of the tongue extends over several centimeters so that it exceeds the slot 28 of the disk drive 25 and that, very slightly in front of this slot 28, it masks it, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to constitute a barrier likely to prevent the extraction and the insertion of a CD-ROM or DON disc in this slot 28.

 When the safety device 1 emerges little relative to the front face 23 of the tower 35, once locked in the slot 21 of the reader 25, the tongue 26 is rectilinear and parallel to said front face 23, as shown in Figure 3. In this case, the base 29 of the tongue 26 is fixed by gluing or welding on the part of the device 1 which emerges, for example on the edge 6 of the plate 2, or is obtained from manufacture.

 When the safety device 1 emerges considerably relative to the front face 23 of the tower 35, once locked, coming to abut against said face 23 by its shoulder or by its shoulders 24, the rigid tongue 26 is then advantageously produced in accordance with the construction shown in Figure 4, know that it comprises two folds 32 and 33 to 90 to present an S-shaped configuration, the first fold 32 being formed in the vicinity of the base 29 and the second fold 33 being separated from the first fold 32 d 'a distance slightly less than the distance separating the base 29 of the tongue 26 from the plane of the shoulder (s) 24, so that the free end 27 of the tongue extends from said second fold 33 parallel to the front face 23 of the tower 35, at most a few millimeters from said face when the tongue constitutes a barrier in front of the slot 28 of the disc player 25.

 In this latter construction, the tongue 26 then advantageously replaces the pin 10 shown in Figure 1 which serves to fix the lock 5 in its housing 12. The base 29 of the tongue 26 in Figure 4 therefore has the shape of a fork , the two wings 36 of this fork engaging on either side of the stator 31 of the lock 5 each in the transverse groove 14 formed at the periphery of said stator. The tongue 26 is then glued into these two grooves.

 Naturally, the device according to the invention can also be used by extrapolation for the protection of several disk drives 25 present by their access slots 28 alongside the slot 21 of a floppy drive 22 on the same front face 23 d '' a tower 35.

 Such devices, obtained by simple extrapolation, have been shown in Figures 5 to 8.

 In Figure 5 there is shown two disk drives whose slots 28 frame the slot 21 of a floppy drive; in this case, the safety device 1 additionally comprises two tongues 26, straight or S-shaped, the free ends 27 of which each extend beyond a slot 28.

 In Figure 6, there are shown three disk drives whose slots 28 are all located above the slot 21 of a floppy drive; in this case, the tongue 26, straight or S-shaped, has a length sufficient for its free end to extend until it forms a barrier in front of the highest slot 28.

 In these two construction arrangements, the tongues 26 are always orthogonal to the plate 2 of the device 1.

 In Figure 7, there is shown a disk drive and a floppy drive whose respective slots 28 and 21 are coplanar; in this case, the tongue 26 which completes the device 1 locking the access to the slot 21 extends generally parallel to the plate 2, so as to cover at least a substantial part of the slot 28, responding for example to the construction in S given in Figure 4, the grooves 14 receiving the wings 36 of the fork of said tongue being this time provided in the upper and lower parts of the stator instead of being on its sides.

 Finally, FIG. 8 shows two slots 28 for disk drives and one slot 21 for floppy drives arranged side by side vertically and no longer horizontally. The device shown in Figure 6 applies as is to protect the slots 28 of such disc drives.

Claims (9)

 1) Security device, preventing the extraction and insertion of a disc, in particular of the CD-Rom or optical-digital type, relative to the reader (25) of such a disc arranged in a tower (35) also comprising a floppy drive (22), for example of the so-called 3 "1/2 or 5" 1/4 type, said device (1) cooperating in known manner with the floppy drive (22), by integration into the slot (21 ) of this reader in order to lock access to it and prevent the introduction of a floppy disk, and comprising: (a) a plate (2) whose thickness is substantially equal to that of a floppy disk and which , along its longitudinal plane of symmetry (4), is crossed by an axis (7), (b) a lock (5) mounted on the front transverse edge (6) of the plate (2) and whose rotor ( 9), for example by controlling a key (20), causes the axis (7) to rotate a quarter turn, said axis having at or near its rear end at least one lug (18 , 19) who , generally, extends perpendicular to the axis and which is able to occupy two positions, a rest or inactive position, corresponding to the disabling of the lock (5), in which the lug (18, 19) and the plate (2) are coplanar, and a working or active position, corresponding to the commissioning of the lock (5), in which the lug t ~ 3, 19), then perpendicular to the plate (2) , is hooked against the bottom (15) of a U-shaped cutout (16) formed in the upper metal flange (17) of the floppy disk drive (22), between the drive motor of the floppy disk and the head of reading, said device being characterized in that it also comprises a rigid tongue (26) whose base (29) is subject to the part (2, 6, 12) of the device which emerges from the tower (35), when said device is engaged in the slot (21) of the floppy drive (22) and locks access thereto, and the free end (27) of which extends beyond of the slot (28) of the disc player (25), across and very slightly in front of it so as to constitute a barrier such as to prevent the extraction and introduction of a disc into said slot (28 ) from the disc player (25).  2) Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the slots, respectively (21) of the floppy drive and (28) of the disc drive, are parallel and superimposed, characterized in that, overall, the rigid tongue (26) extends orthogonally to the plate (2).  3) Safety device according to claim 1, wherein the slots, respectively (21) of the floppy drive and (28) of the disc drive, are parallel and coplanar, characterized in that, overall, the rigid tongue (26) extends parallel to the plate (2).  4) Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lock (5) is arranged inside a housing (12) whose rear part forms at least one shoulder (24) coming in abutment against the front face (23) of the tower (35) when said device (1) is engaged in the slot (21) of the floppy disk drive (22) and locks the access thereto, characterized in that the tongue (26 ) comprises two folds (32, 33) at 90 "to present an S-shaped configuration, the first fold (32) being in the vicinity of the base (29) and the second fold (33) being separated from said first fold by a distance slightly less than the distance separating the base (29) of the tongue (26) from the plane of the shoulder (s) (24) so that the free end (27) of the tongue extends from said second fold (33) parallel to the front face (23) of the tower, at most a few millimeters from the latter when it constitutes a barrier in front of the slot (28) of the lect disc eur (25).  5) Safety device according to claim 4, wherein the lock (5) is fixed to the housing (12) by means of a pin (10), characterized in that the base (29) of the tongue (26 ) then constitutes said fixing pin.  6) Safety device according to claim 5, characterized in that the base (29) of the tongue (26) has the shape of a fork, the two wings (36) of this fork engaging on either side other of the stator (31) of the lock (5) each in a transverse groove (14) formed at the periphery of said stator.  7) Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein its plate (2) is in practice almost entirely embedded in the slot (21) of the floppy disk drive (22) when said device is engaged in said slot for locking access, characterized in that the tongue (26) is rectilinear and is fixed by its base (29) to the part of the device (1) which emerges from the slot (21), preferably by gluing or welding of said base on the front transverse edge (6) of the plate (2).  8) Security device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, pocketing the extraction and introduction of n discs, in particular of the CD-Rom or optical-digital type, relative to the n readers (25) of such discs arranged in a tower (35) also comprising a floppy drive (22), for example of the so-called 3 "1/2 or 5" 1/4 type, said device (1) cooperating in known manner with the floppy drive (22) , by integration into the slot (21) of this reader in order to lock access to it and prevent the introduction of a floppy disk, and comprising (a) a plate (2) whose thickness is substantially equal to that of a floppy disk and which, along its longitudinal plane of symmetry (4), is crossed by an axis (7), (b) a lock (5) mounted on the front transverse edge (6) of the plate ( 2) and whose rotor (9), for example by the control of a key (20), causes the rotation of the axis (7) by a quarter turn, said axis having at or in the vicinity of so n rear end at least one lug (18, 19) which, overall, extends perpendicular to the axis (7) and which is able to occupy two positions, a rest or inactive position, corresponding to the deactivation of the lock (5), in which the lug (18, 19) and the plate (2) are coplanar, and a working or active position, corresponding to the commissioning of the lock (5), in which the lug (18, 19), then perpendicular to the plate (2), hangs against the bottom (15) of a U-shaped cutout (16) made in the upper metal flange (17) of the floppy disk drive (22 ), between the drive motor of the floppy disk and the read head, said device being characterized in that it also comprises one or more rigid tongues (26), the base (29) of each of which is subject to the part ( 2, 6, 12) of the device (1) which emerges from the tower (35), when said device is engaged in the slot (21) of the floppy disk drive e (22) and locks the access thereto, and the free end (27) of each of which extends beyond the slot (28) of at least one disc player (25), transversely and very slightly in front of it in order to constitute a barrier such as to prevent the extraction and the introduction of a disc into said slot (28) of the disc player, the tab or tabs (26) being in number such that it (s) constitutes (s) a barrier in front of each of the slots (28) of the n disk drives (25).  9) Safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each tab (26) is made of a material of very high rigidity, for example carbon, fiberglass or titanium.