GB2225694A - Security container - Google Patents

Abstract

A security container, which may comprise a flower pot, consists of two parts 31, 37 which nest together to define a concealed storage chamber 33, the two parts when nested having the appearance of a one-piece pot. The two parts may be interlockable and the parts may have drainage means which permit drainage from the top to the bottom part without water getting inside the storage chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY CONTAINER This invention relates to a security container and in particular provides a container for the safe storage of small items in the home.

In domestic burglaries and robberies, particularly of the opportunist type, the would-be thief generally seeks valuables in "obvious" hiding places such as the backs of drawers and cupboards. It is generally assumed, in fact, that nothing of value, except for intrinsically-valuable items such as furniture, ornaments, cutlery and crockery or electronic equipment, would be stored or left lying around where it would be easy to find. From the point of view of the householder, a carefully-contrived storage site that is reasonably thief-proof is often inconvenient for access purposes.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a means for the storage of small domestic items which is reasonably thief-proof and yet is also convenient of access.

According to the invention, a security container comprises two or more interengageable parts, in which one or more of said parts nests together with the other of said parts to define a storage chamber therebetween, the interengagement being such that the container appears to consist essentially of only one part and simulates a unitary household receptacle.

In use, a receptacle which is generally expected to consist essentially of only one part in fact consists essentially of two or more parts but on visual inspection or movement of the receptacle the interengagement or nesting between the parts disguises the fact that they define a concealed storage chamber.

Preferably, the parts are interengageable by a snap action, screw-threaded or bayonet-fitting arrangement or some alternative interlocking arrangement that prevents ready separation of the parts but which conceals, at least to a superficial examination, the fact that the interengaged parts are separable.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, the receptacle comprises a flower or plant pot. In such an arrangement, the parts thereof may nest one inside the other with a concealed storage chamber therebetween, whereby the rim portion of one part appears in the nested position to be joined to the lower portion of the other part. Thus, the receptacle may comprise a frusto-conical plain-sided first or outer part with a closed narrow end provided with apertures, in known manner similar to the drainage apertures of standard flower or plant pots, and a second or inner part which is also frusto-conical but is provided at the wide end with a rim portion of enlarged diameter joined to the main wall by an overhanging intermediate section.The depth of the inner part from the bottom to the intermediate section is less than the depth of the outer part, and the two parts nest together with the main wall of the inner part engaged within the outer part and the rim portion of the inner part extending above the outer part and giving the appearance of being integral therewith. The rim of the outer part preferably extends to and is concealed by the overhanging intermediate section of the inner part and a concealed storage chamber is provided in the lower region of the outer part, beneath the bottom of the inner part. Preferably, the overhanging intermediate section of the inner part is provided with a shallow groove to receive the rim of the outer part.

To enable the second or inner part to be used for growing a plant or flower, and to provide for watering thereof, this part should preferably include means to prevent water entering the storage chamber.

Nevertheless, it is desirable to provide for the second part to be drained and accordingly a drainage duct may be provided which cooperates with a downpipe or gulley formed within the first or outer part for transferring drainage water from the second part to the bottom of the container without coming into contact with the interior of the storage chamber or anything stored therein.

It will be appreciated that a small amount of soil or other plant growing medium may be placed in the bottom of the storage chamber, to be visible through the apertures formed in the bottom of the outer part, to give the appearance that the container is none other than a standard flower or plant pot with soil or other plant growing medium extending throughout the usable depth of the pot. Alternatively, a synthetic inner liner may be provided for the interior of the outer part for simulating soil or other medium.

The inner part may be a press fit within the outer part or may otherwise be engaged therein by having corresponding screw or broken threads, or a bayonet-type fitting formed in the nesting surfaces of the respective parts, and the like.

In an alternative arrangement, the outer part may be provided with an inner upstanding annular wall extending from its bottom, the said wall defining exteriorly with the outer wall an annular channel preferably having drainage apertures formed in the bottom, and interiorly a storage chamber. The base of the inner part is formed with an annular channel-section skirt which is receivable within the channel and retainable therein, preferably by snap action between interengageable latch members. The skirt is also formed with drainage apertures so that the inner part is drainable around the periphery of the storage chamber, which is closed in use by the base of the inner part.

When a security container according to the invention is in the form of a flower or plant pot, it may conveniently be made from a pigmented plastics material by known production techniques such as injection moulding. However, other materials and appropriate production techniques may be employed such as pottery, ceramics, metals and the like, according to the nature of the security container or the household receptacle which it is intended to simulate.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 illustrates a side exploded elevation of a security container simulating a flower pot, and Figure 2 illustrates the container of Figure 1 in the nested or interengaged position, and Figure 3 illustrates a cross section of an alternative embodiment.

Referring to Figure 1, a simulated flower pot consists of an outer part 11 and an inner part 12. Each part is frusto-conical in shape and is closed at the bottom (narrow) end and open to the upper (wide) end. The closed end of the outer part is provided with dummy drainage holes and plinth portions 13, so that the pot may be stood on a saucer or tray in the usual way. The inner part is provided with a rim portion 14 which, as shown in Figure 2, extends above the rim of the outer part when the parts are nested to simulate a unitary flower pot of known type. The overhanging intermediate portion 15 conceals the join between the two parts. A drainage spout 16 is formed in the bottom of the inner part for locating within internal drainage gulley 17 formed integrally in the outer part.

As shown in Figure 2, a storage chamber 21 is defined between the two parts when in the nested position.

Although the two parts are preferably interlocked together in the nested position, details of the interlocking arrangement are excluded from the figures for clarity although broken threads are illustrated in dashed outline on the inner part in Figure 1 at 18 for interlocking engagement with corresponding threads (not shown) formed on the internal surface of the outer part.

Referring to Figure 3, the outer part 31 of the pot has an inner upstanding annular wall 32 defining an inner storage chamber 33 and, together with the outer wall 34, an outer annular channel 35 to receive the depending annular skirt 36 of the inner part 37. The bottoms of the channel and skirt are provided with drainage holes or slits 38, 39 respectively. The parts are held in engagement by means of hooks 40 which grip lugs 41 by a bayonet-type twist action; the hooks and -lugs have sloping engaging surfaces which cause a progressive tightening or releasing effect on twisting in one direction or the other

Claims (12)

1. A security container comprising two or more interengageable parts, in which one or more of said parts nests together with the other of said parts to define a storage chamber, the container in the interengaged condition having the appearance of consisting of a single part and comprising a unitary household receptacle.

2. A container according to Claim 1 in which the receptacle comprises a flower or plant pot.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the parts are interlockable to prevent their ready separation.

4. A container according to Claim 3, in which the interlockable parts comprise a snap-action, screw-threaded, broken-threaded or bayonet-fitting arrangement.

5. A container according to any of Claims 2 to 4, in which one part has a rim portion which in the interengaged condition appears to be joined to the other part which forms the lower portion of the container.

6. A container according to Claim 5, comprising a frusto-conical plain-sided first or outer part with a closed narrow end provided with apertures and a frust-conical second or inner part provided at its wide end with a rim portion of enlarged diameter and an overhanging intermediate section, the depth of the inner part from the bottom to the intermediate section being less than the depth of the outer part, whereby with the two parts interengaged a concealed storage chamber is defined between the bottom of the inner part and the closed end of the outer part.

7. A container according to Claim 6, in which the rim of the outer part in the interengaged condition extends to and is concealed by the overhanging intermediate part.

8. A container according to any of Claims 2 to 7, further including means to prevent water from entering the storage chamber.

9. A container according Claim 8 including a first or outer part and a second or inner part, in which the second part includes water drainage means comprising a drainage duct which communicates with a downpipe or gulley formed within the first or outer part.

10. A container according to Claim 8 including a first or outer part and a second or inner part, in which the outer part includes an inner upstanding annular wall defining exteriorly with the outer wall an annular channel and interiorly a storage chamber and the base of the inner part includes an annular channel-section skirt receivable within the channel of the outer part, at least the skirt being formed with drainage apertures.

11. A security container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A security container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.