GB2050117A

GB2050117A - Alarm device

Info

Publication number: GB2050117A
Application number: GB7912542A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Standard Telephone and Cables PLC
Current assignee: STC PLC
Priority date: 1979-04-10
Filing date: 1979-04-10
Publication date: 1980-12-31

Abstract

An alarm device is desirable for persons subject to armed hold-up, which allows an alarm to be given in spite of the user being forced to remain immobile. The device consists of a link (3) for inclusion in a conventional waist-band or belt (1), which should be made of substantially non-extensible material. This link has a pair of contacts (4) which are urged by a spring (5) info an open-circuit position. To give the alarm, the wearer expands his waist-line by stomach-muscle operation, which closes the contacts (4) to operate an alarm transmitter (7). The transmitter is attached to the belt or otherwise concealed about the wearer. The strength of the spring (5) is adjustable by the wearer so as not to be susceptible to normal movements, but to respond only to deliberately induced over-expansion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Alarm device The present invention relates to an alarm device, especially for use in the case of armed robbery attempts.

In the case of armed robbery the robbers hold up the staff and customers (if any) with a view to preventing them from giving an alarm. Hence it would be desirable to provide an alarm device which is unobstrusive, so that it can be set off without attracting the unwelcome attention of the armed robbers.

In order to provide such a device, the present invention provides an alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the waist-band or belt so as to form a link therein, sensor means which is normally in an off condition but which assumes an on condition in response to an expansion of the user's waist-line induced by that user, and an alarm generator responsive to the sensor means assuming its on condition to give an alarm.

The present invention further provides an alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the wasit-band or belt so as to form a link therein, contact means which is springurged to a first or off condition, and an alarm signal generator such as a radio or ultrasonic transmitter adapted to be controlled by the contact set, wherein to give an alarm when the device is in use the user expands his or her stomach muscles so that the waist-line expansion thus induced expands the link to set the contact means to a second or on condition in which the generator is enabled and emits an alarm signal.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the device to be described, which is a waist-band or belt alarm for persons subject to armed hold-up, in which such persons are told to remain immobile, the alarm is given by a simple and unobtrusive expansion of the stomach. A conventional waist-band or belt made of a substantially non-extensible material, has included in it a link incorporating a pair of make and break contacts which are spring-loaded into an open circuit position.

Tension applied to the ends of the link, such as would result from an attempt to extend the circumference of the belt by deliberate operation of the wearer's stomach muscles, closes the contacts and thus initiates the alarm. To allow freedom of movement for the wearer, the alarm device is remotely controlled via a radio or ultrasonic transmitter attached to the belt or otherwise concealed about the wearer.

The spring loading for the contacts is adjustable by the wearer so as not to be susceptible to normal movements, but to be responsive only to deliberately-induced expansion of the waist-line.

The accompanying drawing is highly schematic, and it shows a belt 1 of conventional and substantially non-extensible material, with a conventional belt-length adjusting buckle 2.

Included in the belt is a link 3 with a contact set 4 the two contacts of which are connected, as can be seen, to different parts of the belt. The contact set 4 is maintained in its contact open condition by a spring 5, which has an adjusting screw 6. The wearer adjusts the spring loading to a level such that there is no discomfort and such that normal movements do not set the alarm off.

The contact set 4 is connected as an input for a radio or ultrasonic transmitter 7, which emits a signal when the contacts close. This transmitter is very small so that it can be concealed about the wearer's body. In fact, it may be preferred for the transmitter to be part of the link 3. When the transmitter 7 emits its signal, that signal is picked up by a radio or ultrasonic receiver 8, which in response to the signal operates a remote alarm device 9.

In one form of alarm device functioning on the above principle the link is a small buckle with a micro-switch to provide the contact set.

This buckle is preferably covered by material similar to that of the belt, so that its presence is not readily apparent. The maximum extension of the alarm buckle or other inserted link is limited by stops, so as to be just sufficient to allow the contacts to close.

a similar arrangement to that described above can be incorporated into the waist-band of a garment, in which case it may well be even more unobtrusive than when it forms part of a belt. Note that although in the device described above the normal condition of the contacts is open with the contacts closing to give the alarm, the reverse could be used.

The contact set could be replaced by some form of strain gauge, which would have the merit that there would be no mechanically moving parts in the alarm device. In ths case adjustment to suit the wearer's comfort would involve an electrical operation to set the condition of the strain gauge suitably.

1. An alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the waist-band or belt so as to form a link therein, sensor means which is normally in an off condition but which assumes an on condition in response to an expansion of the user's waist-line induced by

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Alarm device The present invention relates to an alarm device, especially for use in the case of armed robbery attempts. In the case of armed robbery the robbers hold up the staff and customers (if any) with a view to preventing them from giving an alarm. Hence it would be desirable to provide an alarm device which is unobstrusive, so that it can be set off without attracting the unwelcome attention of the armed robbers. In order to provide such a device, the present invention provides an alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the waist-band or belt so as to form a link therein, sensor means which is normally in an off condition but which assumes an on condition in response to an expansion of the user's waist-line induced by that user, and an alarm generator responsive to the sensor means assuming its on condition to give an alarm. The present invention further provides an alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the wasit-band or belt so as to form a link therein, contact means which is springurged to a first or off condition, and an alarm signal generator such as a radio or ultrasonic transmitter adapted to be controlled by the contact set, wherein to give an alarm when the device is in use the user expands his or her stomach muscles so that the waist-line expansion thus induced expands the link to set the contact means to a second or on condition in which the generator is enabled and emits an alarm signal. An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the device to be described, which is a waist-band or belt alarm for persons subject to armed hold-up, in which such persons are told to remain immobile, the alarm is given by a simple and unobtrusive expansion of the stomach. A conventional waist-band or belt made of a substantially non-extensible material, has included in it a link incorporating a pair of make and break contacts which are spring-loaded into an open circuit position. Tension applied to the ends of the link, such as would result from an attempt to extend the circumference of the belt by deliberate operation of the wearer's stomach muscles, closes the contacts and thus initiates the alarm. To allow freedom of movement for the wearer, the alarm device is remotely controlled via a radio or ultrasonic transmitter attached to the belt or otherwise concealed about the wearer. The spring loading for the contacts is adjustable by the wearer so as not to be susceptible to normal movements, but to be responsive only to deliberately-induced expansion of the waist-line. The accompanying drawing is highly schematic, and it shows a belt 1 of conventional and substantially non-extensible material, with a conventional belt-length adjusting buckle 2. Included in the belt is a link 3 with a contact set 4 the two contacts of which are connected, as can be seen, to different parts of the belt. The contact set 4 is maintained in its contact open condition by a spring 5, which has an adjusting screw 6. The wearer adjusts the spring loading to a level such that there is no discomfort and such that normal movements do not set the alarm off. The contact set 4 is connected as an input for a radio or ultrasonic transmitter 7, which emits a signal when the contacts close. This transmitter is very small so that it can be concealed about the wearer's body. In fact, it may be preferred for the transmitter to be part of the link 3. When the transmitter 7 emits its signal, that signal is picked up by a radio or ultrasonic receiver 8, which in response to the signal operates a remote alarm device 9. In one form of alarm device functioning on the above principle the link is a small buckle with a micro-switch to provide the contact set. This buckle is preferably covered by material similar to that of the belt, so that its presence is not readily apparent. The maximum extension of the alarm buckle or other inserted link is limited by stops, so as to be just sufficient to allow the contacts to close. a similar arrangement to that described above can be incorporated into the waist-band of a garment, in which case it may well be even more unobtrusive than when it forms part of a belt. Note that although in the device described above the normal condition of the contacts is open with the contacts closing to give the alarm, the reverse could be used. The contact set could be replaced by some form of strain gauge, which would have the merit that there would be no mechanically moving parts in the alarm device. In ths case adjustment to suit the wearer's comfort would involve an electrical operation to set the condition of the strain gauge suitably. CLAIMS

1. An alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the waist-band or belt so as to form a link therein, sensor means which is normally in an off condition but which assumes an on condition in response to an expansion of the user's waist-line induced by that user, and an alarm generator responsive to the sensor means assuming its on condition to give an alarm.

2. An alarm device as claimed in claim 1, and in which the sensor means is a strain gauge responsive to the waist-line change to enable the alarm generator

3 An alarm device as claimed in claim 1, and in which the sensor means is an electromechanical contact set such as a microswitch.

4. An alarm device for inclusion in a substantially non-extensible waist-band or belt to be worn by an user, which includes a link the two ends of which are connected, when the device is in use, to the waist-band or belt so as to form a link therein, contact means which is spring-urged to a first or off condition, and an alarm signal generator such as a radio or ultrasonic transmitter adapted to be controlled by the contact set, wherein to give an alarm when the device is in use the user expands his or her stomach muscles so that the waistline expansion thus induced expands the link to set the contact means to a second or on condition in which the generator is enabled and emits an alarm signal.

5. An alarm device substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.