GB2379715A

GB2379715A - Security or containment device

Info

Publication number: GB2379715A
Application number: GB0225962A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Huff
Original assignee: Integrated Design Ltd
Current assignee: Integrated Design Ltd
Priority date: 1998-07-16
Filing date: 1999-07-15
Publication date: 2003-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-15
Also published as: GB2379715B; GB0225962D0

Abstract

Apparatus for preventing or delaying access or ingress into a space or for filling a space, comprises an airbag (6) mounted in a position (2) where it is normally collapsed and adapted for mobilisation by an actuating mechanism (4) to at least partially block or fill a space.

Description

SECURITY OR CONTAINMENT DEVICE This invention relates to a security or containment device. In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a device for preventing or delaying unauthorised entry or intrusion into a space. The invention further relates to a device for filling or blocking an area to prevent or delay incursion into an area of humans or other bodies, or to prevent or delay the spread of fire, smoke or other conditions.

Environments such as banks or building societies have specific security needs which must be balanced against the psychological benefit of avoiding permanent screens of glass or other materials between staff and tills on the one hand and customers on the other hand.

Whilst glass security screens are effective, they provide a physical and psychological barrier between staff and customers and are disliked. There are occasions, however, when a physical barrier is necessary to protect staff and protect against theft. Fast acting barriers have begun to be installed, which barriers are normally retracted to enable customers and staff to converse over counters or desk tops but, when necessary, a staff member can press an emergency button which causes a rigid barrier to raise from the counter top (or lower from the ceiling) to provide a physical barrier between staff and customer or possible attacker. These barriers, although being fairly effective, are in themselves dangerous since they have to be extremely quick acting and thus there is significant risk of injury with their use. They are also expensive to install and maintain and are not universally acclaimed by staff and customers.

The present invention arose in an attempt to provide an improved barrier for such circumstances, but the present invention has been found to have a much greater application than this.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for preventing or delaying access or ingress into a space or for filling a space, comprising an airbag mounted in a position where it is normally collapsed and adapted for mobilisation by an actuating

mechanism to at least partially block or fill a space.

Whereas airbags are known as safety devices, the present invention proposes a completely different use; to prevent access to a space or to fill a space.

Preferably, the airbag is mounted on a floor, desk or counter top and actuated when desired to provide a screen between persons situated either side of it.

The airbag may be multi-cellular and may have separate actuation means for each respective cell.

A multi-cellular airbag structure has the benefit that if an assailant attacks one of the cells, with a knife or other sharp object, and bursts that cell, the remaining cells remain intact.

The airbag may alternatively or additionally be reinforced with, e. g. webbing strips or otherwise.

According to the invention, airbags can alternatively be used to smother, prevent the spread of, and/or to extinguish fire.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 shows schematically a counter and a chair mounted behind the counter; Figure 2 shows the counter with a security device according to the present invention in a raised position; Figure 3 shows schematically an actuating mechanism for the security device; Figure 4 shows a space substantially filled by an airbag type device; and Figure 5 shows an airbag with a weakened portion.

Referring to Figure 1, a counter 1 such as that commonly used in a premises such as a bank or building society, is provided with a collapsible/inflatable structure of the type commonly known as an airbag which, is normally kept within the counter out of sight within an accommodating part 2. The counter may alternatively be a desk or any other structure or indeed the airbag device may be mounted directly on to the floor or an extension of a floor or may be mounted on a ceiling, wall or other surface to extend downwards, outwards or otherwise as the case may be. In a normal position in Figure 1, a cashier can sit behind the counter at a chair 3 and converse or transact business with a customer positioned in front of the counter. The counter is provided with an emergency button 4.

Upon the occurrence of a threat or other undesirable situation, the cashier can depress the button 4 which causes actuation of the airbag. As is well known in the field of motor cars, etc, an airbag can be rapidly inflated by several known methods such as explosive devices, sources of compressed gas or air or other means and the airbag extends into a position such as shown in Figure 2 where it provides a security shield between the cashier and possible assailant.

For greatly enhanced security, the airbag is preferably designed such that it is to some degree resistant against attacks with knives or other objects. To this end, it may be formed of a multi-cellular structure, such as shown in Figure 2 in which the airbag comprises several cells separated from each other by longitudinal welds, stitched or adhered portions or other means. If one of the cells 5 for example is attacked with a knife and punctured then the remaining cells will remain intact and a device will still provide a functional shield. Of course an attacker may eventually be able to overcome the airbag but by this time the cashier should have been able to escape safely, secure money and valuables and alert security forces.

The airbag may be arranged to extend rapidly or a slower inflation may be appropriate. A slow inflation will provide less risk of injury to a person putting part of their

body above or in the path of the airbag when inflating and should still have the desired surprise effect to stall a would-be assailant. Alternatively, the airbag 6 may be arranged to extend very quickly under the action of high inflation gas pressures or percussive or explosive devices.

The airbag may be arranged to deflate immediately after full inflation, as is common with a vehicle airbag, although it will probably be designed to deflate much more slowly than the vehicle equivalent. Alternatively, the airbag may be arranged to stay inflated until released.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically how the airbag may be operated. Emergency button 5 is connected to a plurality of actuators, such as percussive devices or gas bottles for example 7. Each of these feeds a respective cell of the airbag structure to inflate that cell. Alternatively, a single actuator may be used to inflate all the cells.

Instead of being multi-cellular, the airbag may comprise only a single cell or may be reinforced, with material such as webbing materials which are difficult to penetrate or cut with a sharp implement or may be otherwise reinforced.

In embodiments of the invention, the inflating bag is used to fill an available space and this is shown schematically in Figure 4 where an airbag 8 has been inflated to substantially fill a space between two walls 9, floor 10 and a ceiling 11. The bag is accommodated, before inflation, in a chamber 12. This can be useful to fill an available space to prevent movement of an intruder.

In alternative embodiments, areas of a building, corridor, etc may be blocked off by using an airbag to fill the whole or part of that area in the event of a fire, to reduce spread of fire and smoke damage. The bag itself is preferably then made of fire resistant materials and the gas which is used to fill it may be fire retardant or even include an extinguishing material. By filling the space with an inflated bag, spread of fire should be much reduced

and/or delayed, giving a better chance of the fire being put out before serious damage has been done and also improving the likelihood of survival and escape of persons.

The fire may also, of course, be extinguished by the'smothering'and oxygen starving effects of the airbag.

Airbags may be used to extinguish fires, delay the spread of fires, or contain fires in may other environments and situations. In one embodiment, the airbag is mounted in a vehicle's engine bay. Upon a fire being detected, the bag inflates, hopefully extinguishing the fire. In other embodiments, airbags may be deployed in roof or stair voids, or any other static or mobile environments.

An airbag may be arranged purposely to rupture, at one or more predetermined points. It may be provided with weakened sections for example, or be made from, or have panels made from, materials which rupture or disintegrated upon a specified condition, eg a specific temperature. This is particularly useful when the bag contains fire-retardant or extinguishing material so that in a fire, the bag inflates to delay the spread of the fire, then ruptures and actually extinguishes the fire. Figure 5 shows schematically an inflated airbag 20 having a weakened seam or other part 21. This may rupture easily, for example when the bag inflates to a certain size, or upon the pressure of gas or other substances inside increasing above a threshold level, to release the bag's contents. Other conditions or types of weakening may be appropriate within the scope of the invention. The bag may simply be made of a material which melts or disintegrates above a certain temperature or pressure.

In other embodiments'airbags'may be used in front of valuable objects, such as works of art, when a possible attacker has been identified to protect that work from attack.

There is a serious problem with defacing and damage of art works by attack with knives and other implements and so an airbag which can be inflated at will in front of an art work should normally be sufficient to deflect or deter a would-be attacker.

In further alternative embodiments, an airbag according to the present invention

may be mounted for deployment outside a window or door and thus to prevent or reduce the danger from'ram raiders'who drive a car directly at a window, to break the window and then steal goods behind the window. An airbag mounted in front of the window would reduce the likelihood of the vehicle being able to strike the window hard enough to break it.

In other embodiments, an airbag may be deployed inside or outside a door or in any exit route when an intruder has been noted, to prevent that intruder from escape and thereby aid his capture.

An airbag mechanism according to the present invention may be provided with pressure sensors which detect unwanted changes in pressure which may be caused by an assailant cutting or otherwise damaging part of the airbag and thus to indicate that this damage is being done. This would be particularly useful when an airbag is disposed in an unattended building. Indeed, in a further embodiment of the invention, airbags are deployed in a building when that building is empty, ie at night or during weekends or holidays, to make that building more secure. By providing pressure sensors or other sensors which detect possible attack on the airbags, and by arranging for the outputs of these sensors to be monitored, either by telephone links or otherwise, then the owners of the building, or the police or security forces can for example, can be made aware when that building is being attacked. The inflating gas, or part of it, may be noxious or generally unpleasant material so that if the bag is penetrated by an attacker, he is rewarded by a release of unpleasant or noxious gas or other material. This may be CS gas for example and/or may include a staining material.

The term'airbag'has been used in this specification for simplicity. Essentially the term is intended to mean an inflatable (or filable) bag or membrane and which may be filled or inflated with air or other gas or materials.

In some embodiments of the invention, an airbag may be inflated relatively slowly or gently. This may be advantageous where the bag fills a shopping aisle for example, as a

prevention measure or when triggered by an alarm event.

An airbag may be a mobile or portable device, and can be used for fire, crowd or riot control, for example. The airbag may be in the form of a portable device which can be thrown or placed into a space and expand (eg upon impact/to fill the space or part of the space). Airbags for such purposes may be made of silicon rubber for example. Airbags may be used in public disorder situations to block off areas and to protect people or property. Airbags may also be deployed in sporting events, such as motor sports to protect spectators, etc, or to cushion impacts.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a screen to prevent or delay access of a person into a space, comprising an airbag mounted on a floor, desk, counter-top, ceiling or wall in a position where it is normally collapsed and adapted for mobilisation by an actuating mechanism, to provide a screen to prevent or delay a person on one side of the screen passing into the space.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the airbag is multi-cellular.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein separate actuation means are provided for each respective cell.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the airbag is reinforced.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the airbag comprises or is inflated with material which is flame retardant and/or fire extinguishing.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, which is portable or mobile.

7. A method of providing a screen to prevent or delay access of a person into a space, comprising inflating an airbag at a position where it can at least partially block the space.