NL9002851A - Device for the protected storage of objects. - Google Patents

Abstract

Wallet safe protected storage of objects, with a housing (2,80) closing element (20,82) and locking means controlled by an electric signalprocessing and control circuit (70) provided with an electrically conductive screening (14) for providing an actuation signal for destructing means (26,106) when the screening is acted upon, the closing element operates a contact (40,40e;86,88) which marks the closed position thereof, and an auxiliary contact (60,62;60',62') which is operated during the closing movement to deactivate the activation function of the signal processing circuit (70) and which reverts to the inoperative state after the locking means have become active. <IMAGE>

Description

Short designation: Device for the protected storage of objects.

The invention relates to a device for the protected storage of objects, comprising a receiving housing with a closing member cooperating with locking means controlled by an electrical signal processing and control circuit for the releasing locking means, which housing and closing member are provided with an electrically conducting shield cooperating with the electrical circuit, which the closed position is connected to the electrical circuit which provides an activation signal for a demolition element when the shield is acted upon while further operating the shutter to contact its marking its closed position.

Such a device, which can be regarded as a kind of "pocket safe", is known from EP-A-0 277 679 (= US-A-4,942,831) in the name of the applicant.

In such a "pocket safe", which is particularly intended for storing checks and / or credit cards, the closure member must cooperate with a contact that signals to the design processing and control chain that the closure member is in the closing position so that these chains are activated. Only by the use of such a contact operable by the closing member is it ensured that the activation chains are always switched on if necessary. Such a contact can also be used, for example, for connecting the electrically conductive shielding of the closing member to intended chains.

Closing this contact after the locking of the closing member has been effected is of course out of the question, because the intended purpose is then not achieved. Closing this contact exactly when the locking is effected is not technically feasible because it places particularly high demands on the accuracy and stability of the mechanical means used. The only option therefore remains with the application of a contact that closes shortly before the actual locking has been effected. In practice, such an implementation is therefore always chosen.

However, this is associated with considerable drawback when the user re-opens the shutter somewhat after the closing of the bag safe, with the signal processing and control circuits activated, the circuits interpret this opening as acting on the shield and in response to the destruction activate element. This inadvertently renders the entire contents of the bag safe unusable.

The object of the invention is to obviate this drawback and according to the invention this is achieved in that the closing member cooperates with an auxiliary contact which is operated during the closing movement in order to deactivate the activation function of the signal processing circuit and returns to the unoperated state after the locking means have become active.

With this measure it is achieved that during the whole closing operation the signal processing chain is inactive and is only reactivated when the bag safe has been closed effectively. The condition as outlined above cannot then occur.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the subclaims. With regard to the measure described in claim 2, it can be noted that this leads to a considerable limitation of the power absorbed from the batteries because the batteries only have to supply the holding current for the electromagnetic element and not the attracting current.

The embodiment according to claims 3 and 4 is particularly suitable for storing checks or banknotes with a relatively large surface area, while the embodiment according to claims 5 and 6 is particularly suitable for storing credit cards.

With the measure according to claim 9 an even further saving of the power absorbed from the battery is achieved, because by this measure the electromagnetic holding contact is only energized when the user does indeed perform the opening operation. Operating the keyboard "while playing" and entering the correct code without opening the pocket safe does not yet lead directly to energizing the electromagnetic holding member.

The invention is elucidated on the basis of the drawing. Herein: figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the bag safe according to the invention, in which it is enclosed and in particular intended for storing checks; Figure 2 shows this pocket safe with the drawer pulled out and the battery cover folded up; Figure 3 shows in exploded form the construction of the bag safe housing with the protective oil; Figure 4 shows the construction of the drawer with different components in exploded form; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the complete drawer, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the printed circuit board and battery holder that can be combined with the drawer; Figure 7 shows in perspective the locking mechanism according to the invention; Fig. 8 schematically shows the circuitry of the contacts, the keyboard and the processing electronics; Figures 9a-9d show the different positions of the locking mechanism; figure 10 shows in perspective and partly cut-away a second embodiment according to the invention; Figure 11 shows the locking mechanism used therein; Figures 12a-12d show the different positions of the locking mechanism.

The bag safe according to the invention, shown in its entirety in perspective in figure 1, is based on the principles as described in EP-A-0 277 679 (= US-A-4,942,831), the contents of which are considered to be included herein. The pocket safe consists of a housing 2 with a drawer 4 slidably received therein for storing valuables, such as banknotes or checks. The housing 2 carries a keyboard 8 at the front 6; after entering a predetermined digit code in a certain order and operating the special keys 8a, 8b, the lock of the drawer 4 is released so that it can be opened.

Figure 2 shows the extended position of the drawer 4 and how the battery compartment 10 can then be reached by removing the lid 12 thereof so that the batteries 14 can be exchanged.

Figure 3 shows how the housing 2 is built up of the two housing halves 2a, 2b to be connected to each other, between which an electric screen 14 is included, which consists of a foil which is provided with electrically conducting tracks located close to each other and which interacts with a special electronic circuit of the kind such as described in EP-A-0 277 679 (US-A-4,942,831) which in every attempt to puncture or destroy the house - which inevitably causes the spores to be affected - provides a control command for a damage capsule rendering the contents of drawer 4 unusable. On the front side of this foil a printing 16 is applied, consisting of the characters of the keyboard 8.

Some details of the drawer 4 are visible in the exploded view of Figure 4. With the insertion of the protective film portion 18, the drawer carries the handle 20, and has the secured locking slat 22 secured with the end 22a on one side. The slat 22 works together with the electromagnet 24. Furthermore, figure 4 shows the damage or destruction capsule 26 incorporated in the drawer and the two compression springs 28 on the drawer on the one hand and on the rear inner wall of the housing on the other hand. Two cams 30 which cooperate with - not shown - the inner side edges of the housing 2 provided with counter-cams ensure that the drawer can only be pulled out of the housing a certain distance after assembly (cf. figure 2), while the cams 32 serve to hold a carrier 34 (separately inclined figure 6) which holds the battery compartment 36 and carries the printed circuit board 38 with the keyboard switches 8a. Contact springs 40 at the end of the printed circuit board 38 establish the necessary electrical connections to the remaining parts of the electronic circuit and to the conductive paths of the protective films 14 and 18 and interact with the rear inner edge of the housing 2 - not seen heatable - counter contacts 40a (see figures 9a-9e).

The locking slat 22 cooperates with a locking lug 42 mounted in the inner longitudinal side of the housing, visible in Figures 3, 7 and 9a-9e.

This locking slat 22, shown in more detail in figure 7, is tightly clamped at one end 22a while the other end 22b interacts with the magnet core parts 54a, 54b of the electromagnet 24. A locking recess 56 is formed in the slat 22 at a short distance from this end 52. straight end edge 57, in the direction towards the end 22a preceded by a run-on cam 58 formed by a portion bent out of the plane of the slat. Near the end 22a, the slat rests against a first contact 60 made of conductive elastomer; a second such contact 62 is arranged halfway between the ends 50 and 52, with which the slat 22 makes contact when the end 22b is moved in the direction of the arrow 64. This is the case when the slat end 22b runs up against the locking cam 42 or when the run-up cam 58 runs up against the cam 42. Contacts 60 and 62 are connected to the electronic processing circuit such that their operation to activate the destruction or damage capsule 26 is blocked when contacts 60 and 62 are connected.

Figure 8 schematically shows the chains of the type used as used in the device according to EP-A-0 277679 and US-A-4,942,831. The central electronics 70 are connected to the protection screen 14, the key switches 8a, the battery 14, the electromagnet 24 and both contacts 60, 62. When there is no connection between the contacts 60, 62 - so in the situation according to figure 8 - the central works electronics 70 normally so that any attempt to force the pocket safe - which inevitably involves influencing the electrical screen 14 - results in the activation of the damage or destruction capsule 26. Breaking any of the connections to this screen will also lead to this result. however, if the contacts 60, 62 are closed, electronics 70 are inoperative.

How this works is explained with reference to Figures 9a-9e, which represent the position of the locking mechanism during the different phases of closing and opening of the drawer 4, respectively. Figure 9a shows the situation as it is when the drawer is closed, starting from the opened position: the end edge 22b of the slat 22 runs up against the projection 42 which pushes the slat in the direction of the magnet 24 - in the direction of the arrow 64 figure. 7 - whereby the slat 22 moves to the left and establishes a conductive connection between the contacts 60 and 62. The contacts 40 are not yet in contact with the counter contact 40a and the processing electronics 70 are blocked by closing the contacts 60, 62.

Figure 9b shows the situation when the drawer 4 is pushed in a little further, against the action of the springs 28in. Each contact 40 has come into contact with the associated counter contact 40a, which means that the electrical screen 14 is connected to the electronics 70. The cam 42 still presses against the end 52 of the slat 22 and is thus not yet in the locking recess 56.

Now the importance of the contacts 60, 62 becomes clear. Normally, contacting the contacts 40 with the counter contacts 40a would mean activating the processing electronics 70 because after all, for safe operation, it must be ensured that the processing electronics 70 is switched on before the locking the drawer is a fact. Switching on after the locking has been effected is of course impossible, whereas deactivation at the same time as the locking occurs would make the whole particularly critical and sensitive. However, if the user then allows the drawer to bounce back a little, the enabled processing electronics will detect an interruption of the electrical screen and activate the destruction capsule 26. However, such "playful operation" is by no means excluded.

The measures according to the invention provide a solution to this problem. In the situation according to Fig. 9b, in which the contacts 40-40a do already cooperate with each other, the contacts 60, 62 are also connected and the processing electronics are blocked. Only when the drawer is pushed further into the position according to figure 9c, wherein the projection 42 falls into the locking recess 56, namely behind the edge 57 the slat springs back to the position shown in figure 9c, is the connection between the contacts 60, 62 broken and the electronics 70 is active.

To open the bag safe, first enter the correct code in the keyboard 8, whereby the electromagnet 24 is energized. According to the invention, in order to keep the absorbed electrical power as low as possible, a solution is chosen in which the magnet 24 is energized with a current such that the magnet can attract the position of the delamel 22 shown in Figure 9c and thus bring it out of the locking position, but the magnet 24 energized with such a low current that the slat 22 is not retained until it has been brought into contact with the core members 54a, 54b. This is done by the interaction of the run-on cam 58 with the locking cam 42 in pressing the handle 20 of the drawer 4 against the action of the springs 28; the run-up cam 58 then runs against the locking cam 42 and presses the end 52 against the anchor parts 54a, 54b. The slat 22 remains engaged, the cam 42 is free from the locking opening 56 and the drawer 4 can be fully opened via the intermediate position shown in Figure 9e.

The circuit to be closed by means of the contacts 60-62 can advantageously be used to achieve a certain saving of the power consumption and by arranging the processing electronics 70 in such a way that after the correct code has been entered the excitation current for the magnet 24 is only released when the contacts 60, 62 are closed, i.e. when the state shown in Figure 9d is reached. Indeed, it is conceivable that a user waits for a while after entering the correct code before pressing the drawer to open it, and the current used at that time is of course wasted. This is prevented with the measure described above.

The invention can also be advantageously applied in a small pocket safe which is particularly intended for the protected storage of credit cards. This application will be described with reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12at to 12d.

This embodiment includes a housing 80 that can be closed with a hingedly-connected lid 82 with a locking hook 84 at the end of the hinge remote from the hinge and a contact 86 that cooperates with the counter-contact 88 on the housing 80. The contacts 86 and 88 are operative to connect to the electronics - which is of the type as described above - signal that the lid 82 is closed. As regards the cooperation of the contacts 86, 88 on the one hand and the locking of the lid 82 on the other, the same applies as stated above with regard to the locking of the drawer. Of course there is also a - not drawn - screen here.

The locking is mechanical, which is done differently, but is based on the same principle. The star locking latch 90 rotates about the trunnions 92a, 92b and interacts with the flanged end 94 together with the core members 96a, 96b of the electromagnet 100. At the other end 98, there is the locking recess 102 with the locking edge 104 which cooperates with the locking hook 84 and an the face of the delamel 90 bent out lip 106. Furthermore, there are the contacts 60 ', 62' manufactured from the electrically conductive elastomer material, the function and function of which correspond to the contacts 60 and 62 of the embodiment described above, which contacts are connected to the processing electronics in the figure. 8indicated manner.

This embodiment works as follows:

When closing the lid 82 starting from the open position - the situation according to figure 12a - the bevel 84a of the locking hook 84 runs up against the end edge 90a of the slat 90 and pushes it aside; the other end 94 rotates clockwise until it contacts the core members 96a, 96b while the slat connects the contacts 60 ', 62'. Thereby, the processing electronics 70 is blocked and when the user springs back the lid 82, the processing electronics will not be able to activate the damage capsule 106.

When the lid 82 is pressed further, the situation according to figure 12b arises: the hook 84 is located in the locking recess 102 and the lid 82 is locked. Contacts 84 and 88 are closed, processing electronics are activated and are no longer blocked because contacts 60 ', 62' are no longer connected.

To open the cover 82, the correct code is entered into the keyboard 80, whereby the electromagnet 100 is energized. Here again this is done with a weak current which is sufficient to hold the slat in the position pressed against the anchor, but insufficient to attract the slat from the position shown in Figure 12b. By further pressing the cover 82, the hook 84 runs via the run-up lip 106 against the body of the slat 90, whereby the slat 90 tilts clockwise and the bent end 94 is pressed against the anchor parts 96a, 96b. This is the situation according to Figure 12c and in this situation the anchor 94 remains tightened so that the cover 82 can be opened to the position shown in Figure 12d.

Here again, the contacts 60 ', 62' can be used to turn on the energizing current for the magnet 100 only when these contacts are closed, another as described above, thereby providing additional power savings.

It is noted that the embodiments described above are only given by way of example and that in particular the housing may be designed differently than indicated in the exemplary embodiments.

Claims (9)

Device for the protected storage of objects, comprising a receiving housing with a closing member cooperating with locking means controlled by an electrical signal processing and control circuit for the releasing locking means, which housing and closing member are provided with an electrically conducting shield, which cooperates with the electrical chain, position is connected to the electrical circuit which provides an activation signal for a demolition element when the shield is acted upon while the shutter actuates a contact marking its closed position, characterized in that the shutter interacts with an auxiliary contact operated during the closing movement inactivating the activation function of the design processing chain and returning to the unattended state after the locking means have become operative. 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the closing member can be resiliently moved past the closing position, wherein the locking means are brought into the unlocking position and in cooperation with an electromagnetic holding member which can be actuated under the control of the electric chain and thereby keeps the locking means unlocked. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking means comprise an elongated, clamped with the shutter member, clamped at a first end, which, when brought into the closed position, performs a longitudinal movement and has a recess cooperating with a recess near the second end. at an acute angle to the slat, the contact surface connected to the housing and a transverse surface to the slat, cooperating with an edge of the recess and connected to the housing, the second end cooperating with the armature of an electromagnet and with the auxiliary contact, such that this contact operated when the slat end is approached against the contact surface and is released when the edge of the recess falls behind the locking surface. Device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the lamella carries an overrun cam located in the closing direction of movement behind the recess, cooperating with the overrun surface recess falling behind the locking surface. 5. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking means comprise a hinge lever which is pivotally supported between its ends transversely to its longitudinal axis, with a locking recess cooperating at the first end with a locking hook carried by the closing member and with the second end cooperating with, on the one hand, the armature of an electromagnet, on the other hand, the auxiliary contact, such that this contact is operated when the locking hook approaches the lever end and is released in the locking position. 6. Device as claimed in claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the hinge lever behind the locking recess has a contact surface co-acting with the locking hook, cooperating with the locking hook. Device according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the contact parts of the auxiliary contact are formed of an electrically conductive, resilient polymer. 8. Device as claimed in claims 1-7, characterized by a switching keyboard acting on the signal processing and control means. 9. Device as claimed in claims 3-8, characterized in that the auxiliary contact cooperates with the control circuit such that the energizing current for the electromagnetic holding member can only be supplied in the actuated state of this contact.