WO1992006611A1

WO1992006611A1 - Security container

Info

Publication number: WO1992006611A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000699
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bo Gustavsson; Ingemar Karlsson; Jan ÅKERLIND
Original assignee: Colloc International Ab
Priority date: 1990-10-23
Filing date: 1991-10-17
Publication date: 1992-04-30
Also published as: SE9003384D0; SE468659B; AU8755491A; SE9003384L

Abstract

The invention relates to a security container for portable safe-keeping of valuables and data carriers, such as banknotes, cheque books, credit cards, flexible discs and the like. The security container (2) comprises a first container portion (4) and a second container portion (6), said portions being pivotally connected to each other by means of a hinge (8) and being locked to each other by means of a locking device (18). At least one of said container portions (4, 6) is provided with breakable ampoules (14) containing defacing substance (16) on the inside of an enclosing outer edge flange (11, 12). In the event of forcible opening of the locked security container (2), at least one of the ampoules (14) in the container will break in order to make the valuables in the container (2) useless.

Description

Security container

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to a lockable security container for portable safe-keeping of valuables and data carriers like bank-notes, cheque books, credit cards, flexible discs and the like. The security container is designed with the object to prevent unauthorized access by a construction where the valuables in the security container are rendered useless by an unauthorized intruder.

Background of the invention

Thefts of wallets and hand bags as well as other portable devices for keeping personal belongings constitute a permanent and increasing problem. Since it is difficult to safe-guard oneself against those thefts there is a need for remedies to prevent such thefts and to solve the problems involved.

Security devices for portable storage of valuables, are previously known, e.g. by British Patent No 787,510, which discloses a bag for transportation of bank-notes. The bag is provided with a glass ampoule containing a defacing substance in the vicinity of the handle. A cable is attached to the wrist of the carrier and led through a release mechanism. In the event of an unauthorized person trying unlawfully to take the bag, the cable will be withdrawn from the release mechanism and will cause the glass ampoule to break and spray its contents over the bank-notes.

A pocket-size security container, especially designed for safe¬ keeping of credit cards, is disclosed in British Patent No 2,006,322. A drawer for the credit cards is slidable and lockable in a container, which also comprises an ampoule with a defacing substance. In the event of forcible opening of the container, the spring loaded ampoule will move towards a rupturing device on the drawer in order to release the defacing substance in the ampoule and spread its contents over the cards.

Those previously known security containers are complicated and consequently expensive to manufacture. Further, the containers have proved to have defects like lacking reliability in the security systems.

Basic idea of the invention

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems by providing a security container having a simple design and which in the event of forcible opening of the container will make the valuables in the container useless. According to the invention these objects are achieved by means of a lockable security container which is constructed in accordance with the following claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows from above a security container according to the invention in a closed position,

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section along the line II-II in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the security container according to Fig. 1 in an open position. • Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 shows from above one embodiment of the security container 2, which is essentially rectangular with rounded corners in order to fit in a pocket or in a hand bag, a portfolio or some other portable device. The security container 2 is preferably made of a plastic material in order to keep the weight low and to make it economic to manufacture.

Figures 2 and 3 show the security container 2 which mainly comprises two portions, a first 4 and a second 6 container portion. The portions are pivotally connected to each other by means of a hinge 8 arranged in the vicinity of one of the short sides of the container. Each container portion comprises a plane bottom section 9,10, surrounded by a perpendicular edge flange 11,12. The insides of the bottom sections 9,10 are reinforced by metal inserts 13, e.g. of hardened sheet steel, which are fully covering the bottom and being continuously bent up along the edge flanges 11,12. Those linings constitute, together with a covering sheet section of the locking device, essentially fully-covering internal metal inserts on the inside of the two container portions, see figure 2.

The edge flange 12 of the lower container portion 6 is extended at the short hinge side in order to reach the bottom section 9 of the upper container portion 4, see figure 2. The hinge 8 is arranged between the extended edge flange 12 and the bottom section 9, at a short distance inwards from the short side of the security container. The upper container portion 4 has the function of a cap on the lower container portion 6 with the hinge arranged like this.

A locking device 18 is arranged in the upper container portion or cap 4 inside the rounded outer bump 17 in close vicinity of the short side opposite to the hinge side. The locking device 18, preferably a code lock of a digit combination lock type, comprises lock clutches 19 interacting with lock catches 21, which are fastened to the bottom section 10 of the lower container portion 6.

The edge flange 12 of the lower container portion is extended, except for the hinge side, with an upright, thin, projecting edging 22. The edging 22 interacts with a mating outer groove 23 on the edge flange 11 of the cap 4 in the closed position of the security container 2, in order to fit in and enclose the cap inside the projecting edging.

The two inner corners 28 at the hinge side of the lower container portion 6 and the two outer corners 30 of the cap 4 are .provided with metal lugs 26, see figure 3. The two lugs in the outer corners 30 of the cap are adapted to interact with two mating holes arranged in the edge flange 12 of the lower container portion, said lugs being inserted into the holes when the cap 4 is closed. All four metal lugs, preferably made of hardened steel, are rotatively arranged in the container. In the event of an attempt to saw through the corners from the outside, the lugs will rotate in the container and in consequence follow the movements of the saw. In addition, the two outer lugs 26 are spring loaded and slidable in the container. When the cap is being closed, the lugs reach the bottom of the mating holes, just before the cap is completely closed. The final closing movement is completed by overcoming the spring force of the spring loaded lugs. Thus, when the security container is closed and not yet locked, the cap is not completely inserted into the lower container portion. This can easily be noticed by the owner, who consequently will become aware of not having locked the container.

Two additional metal lugs 31 are arranged in the inner corners 28, said lugs being arranged transversely to the inner metal lugs 26 described above. The transversely arranged lugs 31 are correspondingly arranged in order to follow the movement of the saw in the event of an attempt of forcible opening of the cap through the hinge. A number of clamp holders are arranged at predetermined locations along the inside of the four edge flange 11, 12 sides, see figure 3, on the upper and the lower container portion 4, 6. A number of elongated ampoules 14 are arranged in the resilient clamp holders 15, said ampoules 14 having an extension essentially along the whole edge flange 11,12. The ends of each ampoule 14 are movably clamped in the clamp holders 15. The ampoules 14 consist of rigid but fragile tubes, preferably made of glass, having an internal overpressure of about 2 bar and containing a liquid dye or some other suitable defacing substance 16. A number of drain holes 35 are arranged in the edge flange parts under the ampoules 14 in order to facilitate the distribution of the defacing substance in the - security container.

A hook device 20 is arranged, at the short hinge side of the cap, on the bottom section 9 on the inside of the cap 4, by means of two mounting legs 32, enclosing each side of the hinge side ampoule 14. The hook device 20 is designed and located such that the hook part engages around and under the hinge side ampoule 14 in the lower container portion 6, see figure 2, when the cap 4 is closed. A shoulder 33 is arranged on each side of the hook device 20 in order to engage with the interacting latches 34 on the inside of the extended edge flange in the lower container portion 6. This lock device constitutes an additional safety factor against an unauthorized opening of the container from the hinge side.

Internal holding devices, such as elastic straps and credit card holders, can be arranged in order to keep bank-notes, cheque books, credit cards and similar devices fixed when they are stored in the safety container 2. To close the security container 2, the lugs 26 in the outer corners 30 of the cap 4 are guided into the mating holes in the lower edge flange 12 and the external groove 23 on the edge flange 11 of the cap 4 is guided into the projecting edging 22 on the edge flange 12 of the lower container portion 6. The hook device 20 engages with the centre part of the hinge side ampoule 14 in the lower container portion 6 and the shoulders 33 engage with the latches 34. The cap 4 is pressed towards the lower container portion 6 to overcome the spring force and is locked by operation of the lock device 18 in order to bring the lock clutches 19 to engage with the lock catches 21.

The safety container is now ready for safe-keeping and transportation of valuables without any risk for unauthorized access to the valuables which are locked up in the container. Preferably, the safety container is provided with a warning text which states that the contents of the container will be destroyed in the event of forcible opening of the container. Preferably, the text also includes the information of a reward for the finder of a security container according to the invention.

In the event of forcible opening of the container by means of forcing a tool into the slit between the container portions, at least one of the ampoules 14 located along the edge flanges 11,12 will be broken by 'the tool. The ampoules 14 are provided with an internal overpressure which actively contributes to an efficient spraying of the defacing substance from a broken ampoule onto the valuables, which subsequently will be useless for the unauthorized intruder. Another way to try to break through the security container 2 by force is to saw through the hinge 8. When you saw from above or from aside, the lugs 26,31 are obstructing by revolving and following the movements of the saw. If such a forcible opening still would be successful, the cap 4 must be opened from the released, hinge end of the container and be lifted out from the projecting edging 22, which in itself is prevented by the engagement between the shoulders 33 and the latches 34. If this opening still would be successful, the hook device 20 engaging the hinge side ampoule 14, will break the ampoule and destroy the contents of the security container. Thus, the contents of the container will be destroyed in the event of forcible opening of the security container according to the present invention. Knowing this, it seems useless to try to open the security container according to the invention by force.

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiment of the invention described above and several modifications of the invention are conceivable within the scope of the claims. For example, the security container can have an external form other than rectangular. The ampoules can be differently arranged in the container, e.g. in one container portion only or alternatively in the upper and lower portion of the container. The hinge part and the locking device can be differently arranged on the container, e.g. the locking device can be arranged on the outer short side of the container.

Claims

1. Security container for portable safe-keeping of valuables and data carriers, such as bank-notes, cheque books, credit cardι-f,^~f_Lexϊble discs and the like, comprising at least two container portions controllably locked to each other and defacing substance contained in breakable ampoules inside the container, said ampoules being adapted to break in the event of forcible opening of the container.

2. Security container according to claim 1, characterized in that the security container comprises a first (4) and a second (6) container portion, said portions being pivotally connected to each other by means of a hinge (8) and being locked to each other by means of a locking device (18) , and defacing substance contained in breakable ampoules (14) , said ampoules being arranged along essentially the whole circumference of the container.

3. Security container according to claim 2, characterized in that a hook device (20) is arranged in said first container portion (4) adjacent to the hinge (8) , that an elongated breakable ampoule (14) is arranged in said second container portion (6)

the hinge (8), and that the bo6k^~device (20) is engaged with the ampoule (14) in the closed position of the container portions.

4. Security container according to claim 3, characterized in that the container is essentially rectangular, that each container portion (4, 6) comprises a bottom section (9, 10) and an enclosing edge flange (11, 12), and that the hinge (8) is arranged in the bottom section (9) plane of said first container portion (4) between said bottom section (9) and an extended section of the edge flange (12) of said second container portion (6) .

5. Security container according to claim 4, characterized in that breakable ampoules (14) are arranged along the edge flanges (11, 12) of the first (4) and the second (6) container portion. 6. Security container according to claim 4, characterized in that the container portions (4,

6) are provided with resilient clamp holders (15) along the inner side of the edge flanges (11, 12) in order to resiliently hold the ampoules (14) .

7. Security container according to claim 4, characterized in that each container portion (4, 6) is provided with internal reinforcements by means of metal inserts (13) on the bottom section (9, 10) and the edge flange (11, 12), preferably of hardened sheet steel.

8. Security container according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking device (18) comprises a code lock, preferably a digit combination lock.

9. Security container according to claim 7, characterized in that each corner (30; 30; 28; 28) of the security container is provided with a rotary mounted metal lug (26), the metal lugs (26) in the hinge (8) side opposing corners (30) of the first container portion (4) being adapted to interact' with two mating holes in the edge flange (12) of the second container portion (6) in the closed position of the container portions.

10. Security container according to claim 9, characterized in that, perpendicular to said first metal lugs (26) , rotary mounted, second metal lugs (31) are arranged in the inner corners (28) in the extended edge flange (12) of the second container portion (6) .