GB2264331A

GB2264331A - Security blind system

Info

Publication number: GB2264331A
Application number: GB9303227A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David SINGLETON
Original assignee: PEARCE SECURITY SYSTEMS LIMITE
Current assignee: PEARCE SECURITY SYSTEMS LIMITE
Priority date: 1992-02-20
Filing date: 1993-02-18
Publication date: 1993-08-25
Also published as: GB9203599D0; GB9303227D0

Abstract

A security blind system for location adjacent a transparent security screen or the like comprises a sheet (4) of opaque flexible material, preferably of pleated form, that can be moved between a compact inoperative position adjacent the upper regions of the screen and an extended operative position covering the screen. Remotely operable means (12) co-operate with the sheet (4) in such a manner that actuation of the control means (12) causes the sheet (4) to fall under gravity from its inoperative position to its operative position. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY BLIND SYSTEM This invention relates to security blind systems and more particularly to such systems for incorporation in banks, building societies and other financial establishments where large amounts of money are handled.

It is now well established practice to provide glazed, bullet resistant screens between staff and customers at such financial institutions primarily to protect the staff in the event of a raid.

However, even though they are protected from an attacker by a screen, many staff, in the event of an armed raid or the threat of such a raid, suffer from 'post attack' trauma, primarily as a result of the visual threat of a pistol or shotgun pointed at them and the fear induced thereby, and often require stress counselling before they can return to work.

Certain institutions, instead of providing glazed, bullet-resistant screens permanently positioned between the staff and the customer, and where a more personal approach to the customer is required, provide opaque, armoured-steel rising screens which can be activated in the event of an attack whereby the staff's view of the attacker is removed.

Such screens tend to serve a dual purpose in that the attacker, unable to see the staff, no longer feels in control of the situation, and the staff, no longer able to see the attacker, do not experience the same level of fear or 'post attack' stress.

However it will be appreciated that, until the screens are activated, the staff have no protection at all.

Although it would be possible to combine a bullet resistant screen with an armoured steel rising screen, this would prove an extremely costly exercise.

It has been proposed to provide motorised roller blinds fitted behind the glazed screens which can be actuated in the event of an attack visually to close off the security areas. However, these motorised blinds have, to date, achieved limited commercial success because they are of relatively complex design, expensive to manufacture and install, and require on-going regular maintenance.

It would be desirable to be able to provide a security blind system of simpler and more economical construction than heretofore.

According to the present invention there is provided a security blind system for location adjacent a transparent security screen or the like, the system comprising a sheet of opaque flexible material movable between a compacted, inoperative position adjacent the upper regions of the screen and an extended operative position substantially overlying the screen, and control means actuation of which releases the sheet from its inoperative position, characterised in that the control means are remotely operable, the sheet, on release from its inoperative position, falling under gravity to its operative position.

Thus it will be appreciated that, as soon as a raid is anticipated, a control button or the like can be pressed whereby a blind system according to the invention, or a series of interlinked blind systems, is remotely actuated, the or each sheet immediately falling under gravity to cover the associated glazed screen and visually to cut off the raider from the staff.

Preferably the control means is electro-mechanical in nature, conveniently a solenoid.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sheet material comprises a plurality of transverse pleats and is fitted between a header rail adapted to be fixed in position adjacent the upper regions of the associated glazed screen and a weighted base rail, the header rail and the base rail being interconnected by a closed cord loop whereby the sheet material can be moved manually between its operative and inoperative positions in conventional manner.

Such a security blind system further includes a locking mechanism reacting between the fixed header rail and the cord loop whereby the sheet material can be retained in any chosen position between its compacted and fully extended conditions, said locking mechanism conveniently comprising a pivotal cam frictionally engaging the cord loop and displaceable from a locking position to a release position on suitable movement of the cord loop.

Preferably the solenoid is mounted adjacent the header rail of the system and incorporates a plunger which, on remote actuation of the control means, engages the locking mechanism to pivot said mechanism from its locking position to its release position whereby the pleated sheet of material falls under gravity to its operative position.

The security blind system may further comprise a pair of opposed guide channels located to receive therein the side edge regions of the sheet whereby said channels guide the sheet during its fall under gravity from its inoperative position to its operative position.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections through a security blind system according to the invention in its inoperative and operative positions respectively, and Fig. 3 is a plan view from above of the system of Figs. 1 and 2 with the solenoid and securing brackets removed, and with guide channels to each side of the blind.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated security system incorporates a blind of relatively conventional construction, including a header rail 2 for securing by means of brackets adjacent the upper regions of the inside of a glazed, bullet resistant screen (not shown), a pleated sheet 4 of flexible opaque material substantially the length of the glazed screen, and a weighted base rail 6.

The header rail 2 and the base rail 6 are interconnected by a loop of nylon cord 8 or the like which passes through holes in each pleated section of the sheet 4, the cord 8 passing round a pivotal locking mechanism 10 fixed relative to the header rail 2. The mechanism 10 can be pivoted between the locking position shown in Fig. 1 in which it frictionally engages the cord 8 to prevent movement of the cord, and the release position shown in Fig. 2 permitting movement of the cord 8 and release of the pleated material from the compacted condition of Fig. 1 to the extended condition of Fig. 2.

The security blind system further incorporates an electric solenoid 12 which is mounted on a bracket 14 adjacent the header rail 2, the solenoid 12 including a plunger 16 movable on actuation of the solenoid between a retracted position shown in Fig. 1 and an extended position shown in Fig. 2.

More particularly, in its retracted position the free end of the plunger 16 is located adjacent, but out of contact with, the locking mechanism 10, said plunger 16, on movement thereof as a result of actuation of the solenoid 12, engaging the locking mechanism 10 and pivoting it from its locking position to its release position whereby the cord loop 8 is freed. Thus the base rail 6 is able to fall under gravity from its uppermost position to extend the pleated sheet 4 into an operative position covering the glazed screen.

The system includes a pair of opposed vertical guide channels 18 one to each side of the sheet 4 and in each of which is received an associated side edge region of the header rail 2, sheet 4 and base rail 6. The channels 18 are each of a length substantially equal to the extended length of the blind whereby, during falling of the blind between its inoperative and operative positions, the channels 18 guide the base rail 6 during its descent and prevent any fore and aft or side-to-side swinging movement of the blind.

Furthermore, where there are a series of aligned screens each protected by its own associated security system the blinds of which are actuated in unison in the event of an alarm, the presence of the channels can be arranged to fill any gaps that would otherwise be present between adjacent screens thereby totally eliminating any viewing between staff and an attacker.

The solenoid 12 is remotely operable whereby, with a security blind system according to the invention installed as described above in association with a glazed security screen, the system can be actuated as and when desired from a control button or the like. The solenoid 12 can be linked into any form of conventional alarm or raid camera activating device so that, in the event of an armed raid, any alarm operating device will automatically actuate the solenoid to allow the blind to drop down and totally impair vision between the attacker and staff.

Thus it will be appreciated that the electromechanical device 12 fitted at the header rail 2 of the blind system overrides the manual control locking mechanism 10 which, when operated, causes the or each blind in the system to fall down simultaneously under gravity. After the attack situation has ceased, the blinds can be raised either manually or by motorised mechanical means as required.

Clearly the device 12 can take any one of a number of different forms providing it is under remote control, while the blind itself can be other than pleated and can be provided with a variety of different locking mechanisms.

The speed of descent of the blinds can be controlled by adjusting the weight of the base rail 6 or by building additional friction into the system if a slower speed is required. By adopting remote control of the system, it is possible totally to enclose the secured glazed area against visual threat in fractions of a second - typically a 1.5 metre blind will fall into a completely extended condition in about 0.5 seconds.

Additional benefits of the described arrangement are that the extended sheets 4 prevent the passage of glass splinters (spalling) from the rear of the screens towards the staff in the event that the glass is attacked, and the blinds can still be used individually by manual operation to close off any individual position when trading situations dictate.

Thus the provision of such systems considerably reduces the amount of 'post attack' trauma experienced by staff, reduces the chances of successful hostage taking, gives additional protection against glass splinters and enables a 'position closed' facility to be readily achieved - all with a relatively cheap, simple-to-operate system that reacts extremely quickly to remote commands.

Claims

1. A security blind system for location adjacent a transparent security screen or the like, the system comprising a sheet of opaque flexible material movable between a compacted, inoperative position adjacent the upper regions of the screen and an extended operative position substantially overlying the screen, and control means actuation of which releases the sheet from its inoperative position, characterised in that the control means are remotely operable, the sheet, on release from its inoperative position, falling under gravity to its operative position.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the control means comprises a solenoid.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sheet material comprises a plurality of transverse pleats and is fitted between a header rail adapted to be fixed in position adjacent the upper regions of the associated glazed screen and a weighted base rail, the header rail and the base rail being interconnected by a closed cord loop whereby the sheet material can be moved manually between its operative and inoperative positions in conventional manner.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 and further comprising a locking mechanism reacting between the fixed header rail and the cord loop whereby the sheet material can be retained in any chosen position between its compacted and fully extended conditions.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 in which the locking mechanisms comprises a pivotal cam frictionally engaging the cord loop and displaceable from a locking position to a release position on suitable movement of the cord loop.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 together with claim 2 in which the solenoid is mounted adjacent the header rail of the system and incorporates a plunger which, on remote actuation of the control means, engages the locking mechanism to pivot said mechanism from its locking position to its release position whereby the pleated sheet of material falls under gravity to its operative position.

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 and further comprising a pair of opposed guide channels located to receive therein the side edge regions of the sheet whereby said channels guide the sheet during its fall under gravity from its inoperative position to its operative position.

8. A security blind system substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.