NZ213276A - Tamper resistant enclosure - Google Patents

Description

213276 Priority Date(s): ... 3 <?C~ Complete Specification Filed: .... .... .. Class: 7)^/00 "ti2 NOV 1986 Publication Date: > ".O. Journal, No: f.?. .......

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No.: Date: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION TAMPER-RESISTANT EQUIPMENT HOUSING VJ We, AI R-VEN D, INC., a Minnesota Corporation of 2520 Pilot Knob Road, Suite 130, Mendota Heights, Minnesota, U.S.A. hereby declare the invention for which I / we pray that a patent may be granted to r#t«Aus, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- (fol1 owed by page la) IMPROVED TAMPER-RESISTANT EQUIPMENT HOUSING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to equipment housings and, in particular, to an improved sheet metal housing for service station or automotive related vending equipment, such as lor the delivery of air, water, self-service vacuum cleaning or the like.

Historically, the service station industry has offered free of charge, air, water and/or vacuum cleaning services to its customers. These services were typically offered as an inducement to obtain customers and the cost was typically made up lor in a higher mark-up for fuel and/or mechanic services. As the actual cost of fuel and mechanic services has risen, however, profit margins have shrunk to the point where individual station operators have been forced to elect to either continue doing business as a full service operation or to convert to a self service operation. With this change, then, each individual station operator has also been forced to elect whether or not to continue providing the foregoing services and also to decide as to how they best can be provided.

One solution to the foregoing problem has been to provide these services to the individual customer in a vending machine format. Specifically, the station operator can now purchase vending equipment, such as from the present assignee, that can be independently accessed by the customer and wherefrom air, water or vacuum cleaning is made available at a nominal fee. The operator may thus now recover his cost for making available these services, without having to dedicate the time of his personnel, and also make these services available to his customers on a 2V-hour basis, even when the station is closed.

As always, though, with any vending equipment that remains unattended for any length of time, a risk of vandalism exists. Accordingly, it is desirable to surround the equipment with a suitable tamper-proof housing that discourages vandalism. While such housings 21327 can become extremely elaborate in their deterrent mechanisms, the cost for the equipment can become prohibitive and thus it is desirable to design the housing in a fashion that will delay any attempted vandalism sufficiently Jong to either discourage the prospective vandal or permit detection by a station attendant, police, etc. Alternatively, the enclosure 5 may be made portable so as to permit the operator to make available the service only during business hours.

One example of such a portable device can be seen upon directing attention to the present assignee's U. S. Patent No. 2,371, entitled "Tamper-Resistant Equipment Housing". There, an equipment 10 housing is disclosed that cooperatively interacts with a padlocked draw bar to prevent access to an internally contained coin box and dispensing apparatus. The enclosure is particularly formed so as to contain a recess In its lower surface for receiving the draw bar and sheltering the padlock so as to prevent against access with bolt cutters, etc. It Is with respect 15 to this structure that the present invention is an improvement.

In spite of the deterent mechanisms of the foregoing enclosure, some more expert vandals have demonstrated an unanticipated flaw in the design of the locking assembly and, specifically, as to the non-padlocked end of the draw bar. Previously, it was thought that a case hardened draw 20 bar would serve the needs of most operators, but it has been discovered that the foregoing enclosure was deficient in that it exposed and permitted the bent or tanged end of the draw bar to be accessed by a variety of tools. While the draw bar configuration deters hacksaws and the like, it has not proved a sufficient deterrent to thieves having 25 portable grinders and who are permitted access to the tanged end. Accordingly, a need has arisen for redesigning the enclosure so as to protect not only the padlock, but also the draw bar and in which enclosure the door has also been made to flush mount. 2 2 1 It Is In this regard that the present Invention has been developed and which comprises the forming of a second inaccessible housing opposite to the recessed padlock receiving housing for receiving one end of the draw bar, while the other end is contained within the lower housing to a formed piece of angle stock via the padlock. Each recess, is also formed in the corner of the enclosure to obtain additional strength and, thus, the locking assembly is now completely sheltered from vandalism.

The above mentioned objects, advantages, distinctions and construction of the present invention as well as various others will, however, become more apparent upon a reading oi the following disclosure with respect to the appended drawings^ Before turning attention thereto, though, it is to be recognized that while the present Invention is described with respect to its presently preferred embodiment, various modifications and/or changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a partially cutaway perspective assembly view of a typical coin operated, portable air delivery vending unit.

Figure la shows a perspective view of the drawbar's lower end relative to its locking member.

Figure 2 shows a front view of the present Improved enclosure.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section view taken along section lines 3 -3 of Figure 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An improved tamper-resistant enclosure for vending equipment. The enclosure comprises a inulti-sectioned sheet metal housing having a flush mounting hinged front which is securable via a draw bar that Is insertable through the enclosure so as to engage a plurality of mating loops contained therein. The enclosure includes a pair of protected housings for receiving the draw bar that is insertable therethrough and a padlock that secures the one end thereof to the enclosure and a mating locking member. In combination, the housings protect the ends of the draw bar from vandalism and thereby the self-service equipment contents and coin container.

DESCRIPTION OP THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Figure I, a perspective view is shown of the present invention as it relates to automotive vending equipment and, in particular, to a tamper-resistant enclosure 2 for securing a self-service air compressor 4. Associated with the enclosure 2 is a tubular support stand 6 having a pair of base-mounted wheels 8 and a handle 10 which together permit the service station operator to portably convey the equipment to any desired location during business hours and return the equipment to a locked building during nonbusiness hours.

Because the assembly depicted in Figure 1 relates to air vending equipment, it has associated with it an air hose 12 that couples to the compressor 4 within the enclosure 2. The air hose 12 passes through a lower lying opening surrounded by a protective bushing 14 mounted therein and is coiled about a support hanger 16 extending from the bottom of the enclosure 2. As mentioned, though, in lieu of an air compressor 4, it is to be recognized that the enclosure might in other instances contain vacuum cleaning equipment, water dispensing equipment or the like.

Mounted to the backside of the hinged, flush mounting front panel 18 of the enclosure 2 is a coin meter 20 and which is contained HQ- within a separate enclosure 21, along with a coin box2t. In operation, a customer upon inserting an appropriate coin or coins Into the coin meter iff twists an associated thumb knob (not shown) on the front of the /Hp meter Jo so as to deposit the coin in the coin boxp£'and thereby activates the compressor 4 for a predetermined amount of time and which is set to be sufficient to enable the customer to fill the tires, fill the radiator, vacuum the vehicle, etc. / 4 2 Also mounted to one side of the backside of the front cover 12 are a pair of draw bar receiving loops 26 and which are mounted so as to upon closing the front panel 18 engage the draw bar 28 as it is inserted through a slotted opening in the recessed housing 32 in the bottom of the enclosure 2. Thus, the front panel 18 is contained to the enclosure 2 via 5 the draw bar 28 and the permanently mounted hinge 30 mounted along the opposite side of the front panel 18.

As mentioned in U. S. Patent No. 4,452,371 the padlock housing 32 is weldably secured to the housing 2 and forms a recessed opening in the bottom of the enclosure 2 for receiving the lower end of the draw bar 10 28 and the padlock 34 that mounts through the opening 36 in the lower end thereof. In spite of the believed tamper resistance of the assembly described in the above patent and the use of a case hardened metal for the draw bar 28, the draw bar 28 has, however, not proven impenetrable Col V<> iJbdt to vandals using portable grinders. Because the tang 38^ the draw bar 15 28 was left exposed, it proved possible to cut through the tang 38 with a portable grinder, release the draw bar 28 and expose the coin box 24 and its padlock (not shown).

Accordingly, it was conceived to add the second enclosed housing 40 to the top of the enclosure 2 and to eliminate the tang 38. Now, 20 therefore, the draw bar 28 is inserted through the slot in the lower housing 32 and is received in the slotted upper housing 40 that is also weldably mounted within the enclosure 2. The padlock 34 is secured through the draw bar 28 and a locking member 31 that is weldably secured within the housing 32. 25 The recessed housing 40, like the padlock housing 32, is formed from a separate piece of bent sheet metal that is welded to the inside of the enclosure 2 along its flanges 33 beneath the top of the enclosure 2. It thus forms an enclosed hollow cavity with a slot therein that aligns with the loops 26 for receiving the draw bar 28. In combination, the recessed 30 / 2 13276 housings 32 and 40 thus protect the draw bar 28 and the contents of the enclosure 2. In passing, it should be noted that the recessed housings 32 and 40 are each mounted in a corner of the enclosure 2 so as to obtain additional rigidity. Also, it is to be noted that the enclosure is not intended to be impregnable, but only to delay or frustrate a prospective 5 vandal for a sufficient amount of time to permit detection by a station attendant or another.

With further attention to Figure la, the details of the internal components of the housing 32 are shown and which includes the locking member 31 that is weldably mounted within the recessed housing 32. An 10 opening is formed through the member 31 such that upon inserting the draw bar 28, the padlock 34 is Insertable through the draw bar 28 and the locking member 31. Because, too, the locking member 31 is shielded by the recessed housing 32, the vandal is thwarted.

Directing attention now to Figure 3, a cross sectioned side view 15 taken along section lines 3-3 of Figure 1 is shown and wherein a number of formed air louvers 3 can also be seen relative to the recessed housings 40 and 32. Directing attention also to Figure 2, a front view is next shown and wherein the housings 32 and 40 can be seen, along with the compressor 4, shown in phantom. 20 From Figures 2 and 3, it is to be noted that the enclosure 2 is essentially formed in three sections that are stamped and bent to shape before being assembled and spot welded into the configuration shown. Specifically, the enclosure 2 comprises a first section which is bent to form the top and right and left sides. The bottom and back is then formed 25 from a second section and the front panel 18 is formed from a third. For the presently preferred embodiment, a 14 guage sheet metal is used and which has proven sufficient against most forms of vandalism, while being readily adaptable to permit forming without thinning or stretching in the regions of the various necessary bends. To lend additional structural 30 6 i mi i 'r M^tif " - 2 13276 support, a pair of stiffeners 42 are formed in the back of the enclosure 2 and to which the compressor 4 attaches. Finally and because of heat generated by the compressor, the plurality of louvers 3 are formed in each of the sides to provide air circulation about the compressor 4.

While the present invention has been described with respect to 5 its presently preferred embodiment, it is to be recognized that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It is thus contemplated that the following appended claims should be interpreted so a to include all those equivalent embodiments within the spirit and scope thereof. 10 What i« claimed la;

Claims (5)

yVHAT//Vv'E CLAIM IS: 2 13276 j—I |iiir CLA1BW"

1. A tamper-resistant enclosure comprising in combination! a formed sheet metal enclosure fabricated to have at least one hi Maeab/e r ■hingabie side for permitting access to the interior thereof; ' v r an elongated draw bar having an opening formed at one end for receiving a padlock; first and second housings mounted interiorly of said enclosure and axially displaced from said hinged side, each of said housings having a slot formed in one surface thereof, said first housing forming a concave recess and including a locking member that Is alignable with said draw bar, and said second housing being enclosed within said enclosure; a plurality of loops mounted to said hinged side and alignable with said first and second slots, upon closing said hinged side; and wherein said draw bar secures said hinged side to said enclosure upon inserting said draw bar through the slot in said first housing, said loops and the slot in said second housing, said first and second housings thereafter substantially protecting said draw bar and said padlock from vandalism.

2. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 1 wherein each of said first and second housings comprises a formed sheet metal member weldably secured to said enclosure.

3. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 1 wherein each of said first and second housings are formed in a corner of said opposed sides.

4. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said locking member comprises a right angled member weldably secured within said first housing.

5. A tamper-resistant enclosure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. .rxe*..,... Iy >te/thelr authorised AjcRts, A. J- PARK. & SON 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 V 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 /