GB2148974A

GB2148974A - Safe with replaceable lock

Info

Publication number: GB2148974A
Application number: GB08427022A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Graham Russel Stevenson
Original assignee: HILLING ROBERT HARRY
Current assignee: HILLING ROBERT HARRY
Priority date: 1983-10-25
Filing date: 1984-10-25
Publication date: 1985-06-05
Also published as: GB8427022D0

Abstract

The invention provides a safe suitable for use in the hotel industry characterised in that a lock for the safe is removably mounted on the inside of the door. The lock 26 will preferably be slidingly receivable in a pocket-like bracket 24 in the door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A safe This invention relates to a safe for the storage of valuables and is suitable for use in hotel rooms and the like.

Conventionally, many hotels provide wallsafes in the rooms for use by guests who require their valuables to be stored in the room. Such wallsafes are permanent fixtures, and accordingly of suspect security after a period of time. In order to overcome this difficulty, it has been proposed to provide wallsafe of which the door is removable.

These doors are not subject to the disadvantage of being a permanent fixture in the room but will be rotated throughout the hotel or within a group of hotels. This arrangement minimizes the risk of theft in that the thief is unlikely to be able to predict which door is to be fitted to which hotel wallsafe. A disadvantage of the above system is that the process of removing and fitting the hinge of the door to the safe is relatively complicated.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to minimize the above disadvantage associated with the prior art.

According to the invention, a safe suitable for installation in hotel rooms and the like includes a robust container provided with a hinged door, a keyhole in the door and a bracket on the interior surface of the door adapted removably to mount a lock for the safe, a keyhole in the lock being located in register with the keyhole in the door when the lock is positioned on the bracket. Preferably the bracket will be in the nature of a pocket.

It is envisaged that the lock will define engagement formations such as tongues which will mate with corresponding formations such as grooves or vice versa to position the lock.

In a preferred safe according to the invention, the lock comprises a conventional seven lever lock.

The bracket may be formed to space the lock from the door thereby to allow the bolt of the lock to be received behind a projection or rebate to lock the door of the safe.

Preferably the door is flush with the mouth of a recess provided by the container and a recessed piano hinge may accordingly be provided for the door.

The invention will now be described by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a locked safe according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a top plan sectional view of a lock for the safe of Figure. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a safe includes a container 10 made from a robust material such as hardened steel. The container 10 is adapted to be located in a recess or cavity formed in a wall of, for example, a hotel room. The safe includes a door 1 2 hinged by way of a recessed piano hinge 1 4 so as to be capable of movement towards and away from a mouth of the container 1 0. The door also includes a keyhole aperture 1 6 to permit operation of a lock for the safe to be referred to in greater detail below.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the container 10 is located in a cavity formed in a wall 1 8 of, for example, a hotel room. A projection 20 in the nature of a band of tempered steel is welded to the interior surfaces of the robust material defining the container 10 and at a position slightly inwardly spaced from the mouth 22 thereof. The recessed piano hinge 14 permits the door 1 2 to lie flush with the mouth 22 of the container when it is in its closed position.

A bracket 24 in the form of a pocket is welded to the inner surface of the door 1 2.

Bracket 24 is shaped so slidingly receiving a lock 26 and bracket 24 includes opposed grooves 28 adapted to receive corresponding tongue formations 26a of the lock. The grooves 28 are arranged to space the lock 26 inwardly relative to the door 1 2 such that the bolt 30 is trapped behind the projection 20 when the safe is locked.

The Lock 26 is adapted to slide into bracket 24 from an upper position and includes a support (not shown) at lower level on the bracket to support the lock 26 in a position such that a keyhole in the lock 26 is in register with the keyhole 1 6 provided in the door so that a key 32 may be used to operate the safe.

Applicant believes that the arrangement of the invention will decrease the likelihood of breaches of security occurring as a result of the existance of duplicate keys.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a projection 20 provided at a position inwardly spaced relative to the mouth of the container 10, it would be possible to provide a recess of cavity or rebate in the material of the wall of the safe 10 and/or in the wall of the room 1 8 for receiving the bolt 30 of the lock, to lock the safe.

1. A safe suitable for installation in hotel rooms and the like including a container provided with a hinged door, a keyhole in the door and a bracket on the interior surface of the door adapted removable to mount a lock for the safe, a keyhole in the lock wherein the bracket is adapted to slidingly to receive the lock. 3. The safe according to claim 1 being located in register with the keyhole in the door when the lock is mounted by the bracket.

2. The safe according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the bracket defines a pair of opposed groove formations which are adapted

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

Claims

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

SPECIFICATION A safe This invention relates to a safe for the storage of valuables and is suitable for use in hotel rooms and the like.

Conventionally, many hotels provide wallsafes in the rooms for use by guests who require their valuables to be stored in the room. Such wallsafes are permanent fixtures, and accordingly of suspect security after a period of time. In order to overcome this difficulty, it has been proposed to provide wallsafe of which the door is removable.

These doors are not subject to the disadvantage of being a permanent fixture in the room but will be rotated throughout the hotel or within a group of hotels. This arrangement minimizes the risk of theft in that the thief is unlikely to be able to predict which door is to be fitted to which hotel wallsafe. A disadvantage of the above system is that the process of removing and fitting the hinge of the door to the safe is relatively complicated.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to minimize the above disadvantage associated with the prior art.

According to the invention, a safe suitable for installation in hotel rooms and the like includes a robust container provided with a hinged door, a keyhole in the door and a bracket on the interior surface of the door adapted removably to mount a lock for the safe, a keyhole in the lock being located in register with the keyhole in the door when the lock is positioned on the bracket. Preferably the bracket will be in the nature of a pocket.

It is envisaged that the lock will define engagement formations such as tongues which will mate with corresponding formations such as grooves or vice versa to position the lock.

In a preferred safe according to the invention, the lock comprises a conventional seven lever lock.

The bracket may be formed to space the lock from the door thereby to allow the bolt of the lock to be received behind a projection or rebate to lock the door of the safe.

Preferably the door is flush with the mouth of a recess provided by the container and a recessed piano hinge may accordingly be provided for the door.

The invention will now be described by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a locked safe according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a top plan sectional view of a lock for the safe of Figure. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a safe includes a container 10 made from a robust material such as hardened steel. The container 10 is adapted to be located in a recess or cavity formed in a wall of, for example, a hotel room. The safe includes a door 1 2 hinged by way of a recessed piano hinge 1 4 so as to be capable of movement towards and away from a mouth of the container 1 0. The door also includes a keyhole aperture 1 6 to permit operation of a lock for the safe to be referred to in greater detail below.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the container 10 is located in a cavity formed in a wall 1 8 of, for example, a hotel room. A projection 20 in the nature of a band of tempered steel is welded to the interior surfaces of the robust material defining the container 10 and at a position slightly inwardly spaced from the mouth 22 thereof. The recessed piano hinge 14 permits the door 1 2 to lie flush with the mouth 22 of the container when it is in its closed position.

A bracket 24 in the form of a pocket is welded to the inner surface of the door 1 2.

Bracket 24 is shaped so slidingly receiving a lock 26 and bracket 24 includes opposed grooves 28 adapted to receive corresponding tongue formations 26a of the lock. The grooves 28 are arranged to space the lock 26 inwardly relative to the door 1 2 such that the bolt 30 is trapped behind the projection 20 when the safe is locked.

The Lock 26 is adapted to slide into bracket 24 from an upper position and includes a support (not shown) at lower level on the bracket to support the lock 26 in a position such that a keyhole in the lock 26 is in register with the keyhole 1 6 provided in the door so that a key 32 may be used to operate the safe.

Applicant believes that the arrangement of the invention will decrease the likelihood of breaches of security occurring as a result of the existance of duplicate keys.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a projection 20 provided at a position inwardly spaced relative to the mouth of the container 10, it would be possible to provide a recess of cavity or rebate in the material of the wall of the safe 10 and/or in the wall of the room 1 8 for receiving the bolt 30 of the lock, to lock the safe.

1. A safe suitable for installation in hotel rooms and the like including a container provided with a hinged door, a keyhole in the door and a bracket on the interior surface of the door adapted removable to mount a lock for the safe, a keyhole in the lock wherein the bracket is adapted to slidingly to receive the lock. 3. The safe according to claim 1 being located in register with the keyhole in the door when the lock is mounted by the bracket.

2. The safe according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the bracket defines a pair of opposed groove formations which are adapted slidingly to receive corresponding tongue or wing formations on the lock of vice versa.

4. The safe according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the bracket is designed to receive the lock in a generally vertically downwardly direction, and includes a stop formation against which the lock abuts to align it vertically.

5. The safe according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the bracket is adapted to space the lock inwardly from the door so that the bolt of the lock is capable of engaging behind a bolt abutting formation such as a projection apperture, rebate or the like.

6. The safe according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the bracket is in the nature of the pocket designed to enclose the lock.

7. A safe substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A bracket suitable for use in the safe substantially as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and adapted to be secured to the interior of the safe door comprising engagement formations adapted slidingly to receive the lock.

9. The bracket according to claim 8 wherein the engagement formations are in the nature of opposed grooves which are adapted to receive mating tongue formations on the lock, or visa versa.

1 0. The bracket according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the engagement formations are adapted to space the lock inwardly from the door of the safe to permit the bolt of the lock to engage a bolt abutting formation.

11. A bracket substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 2. A lock suitable for use in the safe substantially as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 having engagement formations adapted slidingly to engage corresponding formations on the bracket.

1 3. A lock suitable for use in the safe claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings

14. A safe substantially as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, including the lock substantially as claimed in claim 1 2 or claim 13.