FR2846026A1 - Lockable store has movable closure with control circuit actuating user display for locking condition - Google Patents

Abstract

The store has a fixed housing (2) and a movable section (3) with open and closed positions to control access to the interior. the store has a control circuit (10) to actuate a lock bolt (5) for locking or release when a detector (7) senses that the movable section is fully open or closed. The control circuit can actuate a user display for the lock operating condition.

Description

The present invention relates to

chests for the

storage of objects.

  More particularly, the invention relates among these safes, those which include a fixed part and a movable part mounted movable relative to the fixed part, between a maximum open position allowing access to the interior of the trunk and a closed position in which said movable part prevents access to the interior of the trunk. This type of trunk has many drawbacks, in particular when it is used to temporarily store an object placed in said trunk by an operator, this object normally having to be retrieved subsequently by a user. Indeed, when a user wishes to recover a determined object placed in the trunk by another person, the user must first of all enter a confidential code 20 or a key in a control device cooperating with closing means for opening the trunk and receive the object, then subsequently close the mobile part of the

trunk towards the fixed part.

  However, when the user or operator does not exactly return the movable part to its position

  closed relative to the fixed part, the closing means cannot then lock and fix the movable part in its closed position relative to the fixed part of said trunk thus leaving free access to the interior of said trunk.

  The object of the present invention is to overcome the

  disadvantages of the state of the art mentioned above.

  To this end, according to the invention, the storage chest in question is essentially characterized in that it comprises means for automatically returning the movable part from its maximum open position to its closed position, in that the fixed part comprises, a lock bolt capable of assuming at least one of the following positions: - a locking position in which the bolt cooperates with the movable part to fix said movable part 10 in its closed position or in its maximum open position relative to to the fixed part, and - an unlocking position in which the bolt no longer cooperates with the mobile part to allow said mobile part to take its maximum open position 15 or to be brought back to its closed position under the effect of the means automatic recall, in that the trunk comprises means for detecting the position of the movable part when the latter is in its maximum open position or in its pos ion closed, and in that the trunk further comprises a unit of

  control able to activate the bolt in its locked position or in its unlocked position when the detection means detect that the movable part is in its maximum open position or in its closed position.

  In preferred embodiments of the safe according to the invention, use is also made of one and / or the other of the following arrangements: the control unit is adapted to allow: * activation of the bolt in its unlocking position when said control unit receives instructions for opening the boot and the detection means detect that the movable part is in its closed position, * activation of the bolt in its locking position when the means of detection detect that the mobile part has arrived in its maximum open position, * activation of the bolt in its unlocked position when the detection means detect that the mobile part has been in its maximum open position for a first time interval , and * activation of the bolt in its locking position when the detection means detect that the movable part is returned to its closed position under the effect of the means automatic call back; - the control unit is adapted to activate communication means intended to emit a signal to the user before activating the bolt in its unlocked position when the detection means detect that the movable part is in its open position maximum from said first time interval - the movable part comprises: e a first stop element intended to be placed facing the bolt, and a first detectable element intended to be detected by the detection means when said movable part is in its position closed, and * a second stop element intended to be placed facing the bolt, and a second detectable element intended to be detected by the detection means when said movable part is in its maximum open position; - the bolt, when in the locking position, is adapted to be in at least one of the following positions: * a first locking position in which the bolt travels a first stroke to fix the movable part in its position closed relative to the fixed part, and * a second locking position in which the bolt travels a second stroke different from the first stroke to fix the movable part in its maximum open position relative to the fixed part, and in which * the fixed part comprises two-state detection means for detecting that the bolt is in a first state corresponding to its unlocking position or its second locking position or in a second state 10 corresponding to its first locking position, and * the means for detecting the position of the mobile part are formed two-state detection means adapted to detect that the mobile part e is in a first state corresponding to its maximum open or closed positions, or in a second state corresponding to an intermediate position between its maximum open positions

and closed.

  the control unit is adapted to emit an alert message when the bolt is in its unlocked position and the means for detecting the position of the movable part do not detect that the latter is

in the closed position.

  Other features and benefits of the

  description will appear during the detailed description which follows of one of its embodiments,

  given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which - Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of the trunk according to the invention when the movable part 30 is in the closed position and locked relative to the fixed part of the trunk, - Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the trunk when the movable part is in an intermediate position relative to the fixed part of the trunk, and - Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the trunk when the movable part is in the maximum open position and locked relative to the fixed part of the boot. In the different figures, the same references

  denote identical or similar elements.

  The trunk 1 intended for the storage of objects and represented

  in FIGS. 1 to 3 mainly comprises a fixed part 2 and a movable part 3 mounted movable relative to the fixed part 2.

  The fixed part 2 of the trunk 1 has a volume

  substantially parallelepiped interior which is delimited by an upper wall (not shown) and a lower wall 21 connected to each other by side walls 15 22 and 23 as well as by a bottom 24.

  The movable part 3 is, in turn, in the form of a sliding curtain 3 which is guided in rails 25 (only one of which is shown in the figures) formed on the upper wall and the lower wall 21 of the part 20 fixed 2. These rails 25 of the fixed part 2 therefore allow the sliding curtain 3 to be placed in a closed position, shown in FIG. 1, in which the sliding curtain 3 prevents access to the interior of the boot, and a maximum open position, represented in FIG. 3, allowing a user to have access to the interior of the

trunk 1.

  The trunk also includes closing means adapted to allow the sliding curtain 3 to be fixed relative to the fixed part 2, when said sliding curtain 3 is in the closed position or in the fully open position. The closing means include * an electric lock 4 comprising a bolt 5 slidably mounted relative to the side wall 22 of the fixed part 2 of the boot, as well as stop means 6 integral, for their part, with the sliding curtain 3 These stop means 6 cooperate with the lock bolt 5 in order to allow said sliding curtain 3 to be fixed relative to the fixed part 2 either in the closed position (FIG. 1) or in the maximum open position (FIG. 3). . The sliding curtain 3 extends between a first end 31 and a second end 32 and it is for example made up of a plurality of rigid and unbreakable facets 33 connected together by articulated connecting means 10 which allow said sliding curtain 3 d 'be guided by the rails 25 between its closed and maximum open positions. The stop means 6 of the sliding curtain 3 comprise a through opening 61 produced in one of the facets 33 of the first end 31 of the curtain. This through opening 61 is intended to receive the lock bolt 5 of the fixed part 2 to block the sliding curtain in its closed position. The abutment means 6 also comprise a notch or a housing 62 produced on a facet 33 located at the second end 32 of said sliding curtain 3. This housing 62 has a shape substantially complementary to that of the bolt 5 to also allow locking sliding curtain

in its maximum open position.

  The fixed part 2 of the trunk 1 also comprises detection means 7 intended to allow the position of the sliding curtain 3 to be detected when the latter is in

  its maximum open position or in its closed position.

  To this end, the movable curtain 3 also comprises, at its first end 31, a detectable element 8, and, at its second end 32, a second detectable element 9. These two detectable elements 8 and 9 can by example be constituted by reflective elements intended to be detected by the detection means 7 which may be in the form of an optical sensor. In the embodiment considered here, the detection means 7 are formed by an optical detector with two 5 states intended to switch to a first state, called state 1, when it detects the presence of the reflecting element 8 or of the reflecting element 9, and in a second state, called state 0, when it does not detect the presence of the reflecting elements 8 and 9. This state O of the detector 7 10 therefore corresponds to an intermediate position of the curtain 3

  located between its maximum closed and open positions.

  The bolt 5 or more precisely the electric lock 4

  as well as the detector 7 are connected to a control unit 10 of the trunk 1. As will be seen in more detail in the following description, the control unit 10 is suitable for

  activate the bolt 5 in its locked position or in its unlocked position when the detector 7 detects that the sliding curtain 3 is in its open position

  maximum or in its closed position.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment considered here, the boot 1 also includes detection means 11 making it possible to detect the position of the bolt 5 relative to

to the fixed part 2.

  According to this embodiment, the bolt 5 of the lock is able to take the following three different positions, namely: - a first locking position, shown in FIG. 1, in which the bolt 5 travels a first stroke in being housed in the through opening 61 30 of the curtain 3 so as to fix it in its closed position relative to the fixed part 2, - a second locking position, shown in FIG. 3, in which the bolt 5 runs through a second stroke and abuts against the housing 62 of complementary shape of the movable curtain 3 so as to fix it in its maximum open position relative to the fixed part 2, and - an unlocking position, shown in FIG. 2, in which the bolt 5 no longer cooperates with the sliding curtain 3 to allow the latter to slide in the rails 25 between its maximum closed and open positions. In view of these three different possible positions of the bolt 5, the detection means 11 are formed for example by a measurement sensor capable of supplying the control unit with two states of positioning of the bolt relative to the fixed part 2. More precisely, the sensor 11 is adapted to detect that the bolt 5 is in a first state, known as state 0, corresponding to the unlocking position of the bolt or to its second locking position in which the bolt 5 traverses the second stroke, and the sliding curtain 3 is fixed in its maximum open position relative to the fixed part 2. The second state, called state 1, of the sensor 11 corresponds to the first bolt locking position 5 in which the sliding curtain 3 is fixed in its closed position relative to the fixed part 2 of the boot the bolt 5 having then traversed a first

  stroke greater than the second stroke.

  Furthermore, the trunk 1, or more precisely the fixed part 2 of the trunk, is provided with automatic return means 12 which make it possible to automatically return the sliding curtain 3 from its maximum open position to its closed position in which the through opening 61 of the 30 sliding curtain 3 is arranged opposite the bolt 5. These automatic return means 12 can, for example, be formed by one or two wires 12a housed in the rails 25 of the fixed part 2 and fixed on a reel 12b connected to the fixed part 2 of the trunk by means of a return spring allowing automatic rewinding of the wire 12a on the coil 12b thereby bringing the sliding curtain 3 back to its closed position, as shown in FIG. 1. The sliding curtain 3 may also include a handle 13 5 located at its second end 32 to allow a user or an operator to move the sliding curtain 3 from its closed position to its maximum open position when the bolt 5 is in its unlocked position. We will now describe the operation of the safe when a user comes to receive an object or a package previously placed in the safe by a

any operator.

  When a user wishes to receive an object or a package previously placed in the safe by any operator, the user can for example enter a confidential code corresponding to his object on a keyboard (not shown) connected to the control unit 10. This confidential code will then be compared with a code known from the control unit 10 to validate or not the unlocking.

of the bolt 5 of the lock.

  Prior to the entry of the confidential code by the user, the control unit 10 has in memory the state of the bolt as well as the state of the optical detector. Indeed, as shown in FIG. 1 when the detectable element 8 is facing the optical detector 7 and the bolt 5 is in its first locking position, the detection means 11 as well as the optical detector 7 then transmit to the control unit that the state of the bolt is in the state 30 1 while the state of the optical detector 7 is also at

state 1.

  In this case, if the user enters the correct confidential code, the control unit 10 activates the bolt 5 in its unlocked position so as to cause the

  the state of the bolt 5 from state 1 to state 0.

  Then the user, by means of the handle 13, moves the sliding curtain 3 in the guide rails 25 5 of the fixed part 2 thereby bringing it into an intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 2. In this configuration , the optical detector 7 detects neither the presence of the reflecting element 8 nor the presence of the reflecting element 9. The detector 7 then transmits to the control unit 10 the information that the state of the

  optical detector is in state 0.

  When the user still moves the sliding curtain 3 to its maximum open position shown in FIG. 3, the optical detector 7 then detects the presence of the reflective element 9 so that the optical detector 7 sends to the control unit a signal that its state changes from state O to

state 1.

  In this case, the control unit 10 activates the bolt 5 in its second locking position in which the bolt 5 is housed in the housing 62 of the sliding curtain 3 by traversing the second stroke so as to

  fix it in relation to the fixed part 2.

  In order to ensure that the housing 62 as well as the reflecting element 9 arrive respectively opposite the bolt 5 and the optical detector 7 when the sliding curtain 3 is brought into its maximum open position, the fixed part may also comprise at the level from its lower wall 21 a stop element 26 making it possible to stop the travel of the sliding curtain 3 to its maximum open position. When the bolt 5 is in its second locking position, as shown in FIG. 3, the means of detecting it of the position of the bolt then inform 11 the control unit 10 that the bolt is in a state corresponding to the state 0. In this case, the control unit 10 maintains the bolt 5 in its second locking position for a first configurable time interval Tl 5 which can, for example, be of the order of 30 seconds to allow the user to collect his package

the interior volume of the trunk 1.

  At the end of this first time interval T1, and when the bolt 5 is in the state O and the state of the optical detector 7 is in the state 1, the control unit 10 can then be adapted to activate communication means 14 intended to send a signal to the user during a second time interval T2. These communication means 14 can be in the form of a transmitter of 15 visible light signals or of an audible acoustic signal transmitter making it possible to emit an alert signal to the user during the second time interval T2 before that the control unit 10 does not activate the bolt 5 in its unlocked position. For example, the second configurable time interval T2 can, for example, be

on the order of 5 seconds.

  Thus, at the end of the second time interval T2, the control unit 10 activates the bolt 5 in its unlocked position, so that in normal and uneventful operating mode 25 the sliding curtain 3 is directly returned to its closed position (FIG. 1) under the effect of the automatic return means 12. Thus, when the sliding curtain 3 returns to its closed, unlocked position, the optical detector 7 indicates to the control unit that its state corresponds to state 1 while the bolt detection means 5 indicates to the control unit that the state of the bolt 5 is in state 0. In this case, the control unit 10 in view of the state of the bolt and the state of the optical detector 7, controls the activation of the bolt 5 which is placed in its first locking position in which the bolt 5 crosses the opening 61 while traversing the first stroke. The means of detecting it of the position of the bolt 5 then inform the control unit 10 that the state 5 of the bolt switches from state 0 to state 1, which means that the sliding curtain 3 is in a closed position

and locked.

  In this case, the control unit 10 can then be adapted to wait for a third interval of 10 times T3, for example of the order of 10 seconds, before checking in its own table of states that the states of the bolt 5 and of the optical detector 7 are equal to 1, which then means that the entire operation performed by

  the user to collect his package is correct.

  Thus, advantageously only the closed and locked position of the sliding curtain 3 corresponds to a state 1 of the bolt and to a state 1 of the optical detector, which automatically allows the control unit to check whether the entire delivery procedure of the package in the safe by the operator or the receipt of the package or

  the object by the user has been correctly carried out.

  In fact, in the case where the sliding curtain remains blocked in its maximum opening position, the state of the optical detector will then be in state 1 while the state of the bolt 5 will be in state 0 corresponding to at the second

  locked position is in the unlocked position.

  The control unit, by checking its status table, will then find that the procedure for removing the package or closing and automatically locking the sliding curtain 3 is not correctly carried out. In this case, the control unit 10 is adapted to send an alert message for example to a maintenance service to indicate that the sliding curtain relocking 3 in its closed and locked position has not been carried out correctly, which requires intervention to reset and return trunk 1 to its position

closed and locked.

  Similarly in the case where the sliding curtain 3 locks 5 in an intermediate position between its open positions

  maximum and closed, the state of the optical detector will be in state 0 and the state of the bolt 5 will also be in state 0, which will be automatically known to the control unit 10.

  More precisely, when the control unit 10 checks 10 in its state table that the state of the bolt and the state of the detector are equal to 0 during a time interval corresponding to the addition of the first time interval Tl mentioned above. , the aforementioned second time interval T2 and the aforementioned third time interval T3, the control unit 10 will then trigger an alert message requiring the intervention of an operator to remedy the problem. The embodiment described above uses a two-state optical detector as well as two-state detection means 11. However, it can also be provided, without departing from the scope of the invention, an optical detector 7 with for example three states, the first state of which would correspond to the detection of the reflecting element 8, the second state of which would correspond to the detection of the reflecting element 9, and the third state would correspond to a non-detection of the reflecting states 8 and 9. In this case, if the optical detector 7 has three different detection states, the position detector 11 of the bolt 5 can be deleted . Indeed, in this case the bolt 5 may have only one locking position and one locking position while allowing the control unit to know whether the sliding curtain 3 is in a closed and locked configuration or in a configuration requiring the intervention of an operator to

  reset and return the trunk 1 to its closed and locked position.

Claims (6)

  1. Safe for storing objects, comprising a fixed part (2) and a movable part (3) mounted to be moved, 5 relative to the fixed part (2), between a maximum open position allowing access to the interior of the trunk (1) and a closed position in which said movable part (3) prevents access to the interior of the trunk (1), characterized in that said trunk comprises means for automatic recall (12) of the movable part (3) from its maximum open position to its closed position, in that the fixed part (2) comprises, a lock bolt (5) able to take at least one of the following positions: - a locking position in which the bolt 15 (5) cooperates with the movable part (3) to fix said movable part (3) in its closed position or in its maximum open position relative to the fixed part (2), and - an unlocking position in which the bolt 20 (5) no longer cooperates with the movable part (3) to allow said e mobile part (3) to take its maximum open position or to be brought back to its closed position under the effect of the automatic return means (12), in that the trunk comprises means of detection (7) of the position of the movable part (3) when the latter is in its maximum open position or in its closed position, and in that the boot further comprises a control unit (10) capable of activating the bolt (5) in its locking position or in its unlocking position when the detection means (7) detect that the movable part (3) is in its maximum open position or in its closed position.   2. Safe according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (10) is adapted to allow: - the activation of the bolt (5) in its unlocked position when said control unit (10) receives 5 instructions d opening of the trunk (1) and that the detection means (7) detect that the movable part (3) is in its closed position, the activation of the bolt (5) in its locking position when the detection means (7 ) detect that the mobile part (3) has arrived in its maximum open position, - the activation of the bolt (5) in its unlocked position when the detection means (7) detect that the mobile part (3) is in its maximum open position 15 from a first time interval (Ti), and - the activation of the bolt (5) in its locking position when the detection means (7) detect that the movable part (3) is brought back into its closed position   under the effect of the automatic recall means (12).   3. Safe according to claim 2, wherein in which the control unit (10) is adapted to activate communication means (14) intended to emit a signal to the user before activating the bolt (5) in its unlocking position when the detection means (7) detect that the movable part (3) is in its maximum open position from said first time interval (T1).   4. Safe according to any one of the claims   above, in which the movable part (3) comprises: - a first stop element (61) intended to be placed opposite the bolt (5), and a first detectable element (8) intended to be detected by the detection means (7) when said movable part is in its closed position, and - a second stop element (62) intended to be disposed opposite the bolt (5), and a second detectable element (9) intended to be detected by the means detection (7) when said movable part (3) is in its maximum open position.   5. Safe according to any one of the claims   previous, in which the bolt (5), when in the locking position, is adapted to be in at least one of the following positions: - a first locking position in which the bolt (5) travels a first stroke for fixing the movable part (3) in its closed position relative to the fixed part (2), and - a second locking position in which the bolt (5) travels a second stroke different from the first stroke for fixing the part movable (3) in its maximum open position relative to the fixed part (2), and in which - the fixed part (2) comprises two-state detection means 20 (11) for detecting that the bolt (5) is in a first state corresponding to its unlocking position or its second locking position or in a second state corresponding to its first locking position, and - the means (7) for detecting the position of the movable part (3) are formed means s two-state detection (7) adapted to detect that the movable part (3) is in a first state corresponding to its maximum open or closed positions, or in a second state corresponding to an intermediate position between its open positions maximum and closed.   6. Safe according to any one of the claims   previous, in which the control unit (10) is adapted to emit an alert message when the bolt (5)   is in its unlocking position and that the means (7) for detecting the position of the movable part (3) do not detect that the latter is in the closed position.