Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05G—SAFES OR STRONG-ROOMS FOR VALUABLES; BANK PROTECTION DEVICES; SAFETY TRANSACTION PARTITIONS
  • E05G1/00—Safes or strong-rooms for valuables
  • E05G1/14—Safes or strong-rooms for valuables with means for masking or destroying the valuables, e.g. in case of theft

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for the protected storage of objects, comprising a housing with a closing element interacting with locking means controlled by an electric signalprocessing and control circuit for releasing the locking means, which housing and closing element are provided with an electrically conductive screening which interacts with the electric circuit and which in the closed position is connected to the electric circuit which provides an actuation signal for a destructive component when the screening is acted upon, while furthermore the closing element operates a contact which marks the closed position thereof.
• the closing element In such a "pocket safe", which is intended parti ⁇ cularly for the storage of cheques and/or credit cards, the closing element must interact with a contact which signals to the signal processing and control circuit that the closing element is in the closed position in order for these circuits to be activated. Only by using such a contact that can be operated by the closing element can it be ensured that the activation circuits are always switched on when necessary. Such a contact can, for example, also be used to connect the electrically conductive screening of the closing element to the circuits in question.
• Closure of this contact after the closing element has been locked is, of course, totally unacceptable, because the intended aim is not achieved. Closure of this contact exactly at the instant when the locking is effected is not feasible technically, because this places particularly high demands on the accuracy and stability of the mechanical means used. The only possibility remaining is thus the use of a contact which closes shortly before the actual locking is effected. An embodiment of this kind is always selected in practice.
• the object of the invention is to avoid this disad ⁇ vantage, and this is achieved, according to the invention, in that the closing element interacts with an auxiliary contact which is operated during the closing movement to deactivate the activation function of the signal processing circuit and which reverts to the inoperative state after the locking means have become active.
• the embodiment according to Claims 3 and 4 is particularly suitable for storing cheques or bank notes with a relatively large surface area, whereas the embodiment to Claims 5 and 6 is particularly suitable for storing credit cards.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodi ⁇ ment of the pocket safe according to the invention in the closed state and in particular intended for storing cheques;
• Figure 2 shows said pocket safe with the drawer pulled out and the lid of the battery compartment folded up;
• Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the construction of the housing of the pocket safe with the protective film
• Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the construction of the drawer with different components
• Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the complete drawer
• Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the printed circuit board and the battery holder to be fitted in the drawer
• Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the locking mechanism according to the invention.
• Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic representation of the contact circuitry, the keypad and the processing electr- onics
• FIGS 9a-9d show the different positions of the locking mechanism
• Figure 10 shows a partially cut-away perspective view of 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 pocket safe comprises a housing 2 having a drawer 4, fitted displaceably therein, for the storage of valuables such as bank notes or cheques.
• the housing 2 has a keypad 8 on the front side 6; after a preset numerical code has been keyed in a specific order and the special keys 8a, 8b have been operated, the locking of the drawer 4 is released so that said drawer can be opened.
• Figure 2 shows the drawer 4 pulled out and also how the battery compartment 10 becomes accessible by removing the lid 12 thereof, so that the batteries 14 can be changed.
• FIG 3 shows how the housing 2 is constructed from the two housing halves 2a, 2b, between which an electric screen 14 is accommodated which consists of a film provided with electrically conductive tracks lying close to one another and which film interacts with a special electronic circuit of the kind described in EP-A-0,277,679 (US-A-4,942,831) which at every attempt to pierce through or destroy the housing - which would certainly affect the tracks - supplies an operation command to a damaging capsule which renders the contents of the drawer 4 useless.
• said film has a print 16 consisting of the symbols on the keypad 8.
• FIG. 4 shows the damaging or destructive capsule 26 accommodated in the drawer and the two compression springs 28 bearing against the drawer on the one hand and the rear inner wall of the housing on the other hand.
• Two projections 30 which interact with counterprojections (not shown) mounted on the inner side edges of the housing 2 ensure that after assembly the drawer can only be pulled out of the housing over a specific distance (cf.
• the locking blade 22 interacts with a locking projec ⁇ tion 42, mounted on the inner longitudinal side of the housing and visible in Figures 3, 7 and 9a-9e and provided with a run-on face 42a.
• This locking blade 22, shown in more detail in Figure 7, is securely clamped at its one end 22a while the other end 22b interacts with the magnetic cores 54a, 54b of the electromagnet 24.
• a locking recess 56 having a straight end 57 is formed in the blade 22, upstream of which recess seen in the direction of the end 22a there is a run-on projection 58 consisting of a part bent outwards from the plane of the blade.
• a similar second contact 62 is arranged with which the blade 22 makes contact when the end 22b is moved in the direction of the arrow 64. This is the case if the blade end 22b runs onto the run-on face 42 a of the locking projection 42 or if the run-on projection 58 runs onto the run-on face 42a of the projection 42.
• the contacts 60 and 62 are connected to the electronic processing circuit in such a way that the operation thereof for the activation of the destructive or damaging capsule 26 is blocked if the contacts 60 and 62 are connected.
• FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically the circuits used, of the kind as used in the device according to EP-A-277,679 and US-A-4.942,831.
• the central electronics 70 are connected to the protective screen 14, the keypad switches 8a, the battery 14, the electromagnet 24 and the two contacts 60, 62.
• the central electronics 70 function normally so that any attempt to force the pocket safe - which would certainly affect the electric screen 14 - results in the activation of the damaging or destructive capsule 26. An interruption in one of the connections to said screen will likewise lead to this result.
• the contacts 60, 62 are closed, the electronics 70 are inactive.
• Figure 9a shows the situation when the drawer which is in the open position is closed: the end edge 22b of the blade 22 runs onto the run-on face 42a which presses the blade in the direction of the magnet 24 - and thus in the direction of the arrow 64 in Figure 7 - whereby the bar 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 countercontact 40a and because the contacts 60, 62 are closed, the processing electronics 70 are blocked.
• Figure 9b shows the situation when the drawer 4 is pushed in a little further, against the action of the springs 28. Every contact 40 has come into contact with the corresponding countercontact 40a, which means that the electronic screen 14 is connected to the electronics 70.
• the face 42a still presses against the end 22b of the blade 22 and thus is not yet in the locking recess 56.
• the electromagnet 24 is energised.
• the invention does not choose for a solution whereby the magnet 24 is energised with such a current that the magnet in the position shown in Figure 9c can attract the blade 22 and therefore move it out of its locking position but adopts a solution whereby the magnet 24 is energised with a current which is so small that the blade 22 is only held in position when it has made contact with the cores 54a, 54b.
• the circuit to be completed by means of the contacts 60-62 can be used with advantage to achieve a further specific saving in the power consumption by arranging the processing electronics 70 in such a way that after the correct code has been keyed in, the energising current for the magnet 24 is only released when the contacts 60, 62 have been closed, i.e. when the position shown in Figure 9d is reached. It is conceivable that a user, having keyed in the correct code, takes some time before he pushes the drawer in to initiate the opening and of course the current used during that time is wasted. This is prevented by the abovementioned measure.
• the invention may also be used to advantage in a small pocket safe which is intended particularly for safe storage of credit cards.
• This application will be described with reference to the Figures 10, 11 and 12a to 12d inclusive.
• This embodiment comprises a housing 80 which can be locked by means of a hinged lid 82 connected thereto and having, at the end facing away from the hinge, a locking bolt 84 and a contact 86 which interacts with the countercontact 88 on the housing 80.
• the contacts 86 and 88 are active for signalling to the electronics - which are of the kind as described above - that the lid 82 is closed.
• the remarks made above in connection with the locking of the drawer apply likewise to the interaction of the contacts 86, 88 on the one hand and the locking of the lid 82 on the other hand.
• a screen (not shown) is also present in this case.
• the locking although of slightly different design mechanically, is based on the same principle.
• the rigid locking bar 90 can be turned around the pivots 92a, 92b and with the flanged end 94 interacts with the cores 96a, 96b of the electromagnet 100.
• At the opposite end 90a there is the locking recess 102 with the locking edge 104 which interacts with the locking catch 84 and with a run-on lip 106, bent outwards from the plane of the bar 90.
• the contacts 60', 62' made of electrically conductive elastomer material, the function and operation of which corresponds to the contacts 60 and 62 of the embodiment described above, which contacts are connected to the processing electronics in the manner shown in Figure 8. Said embodiment operates as follows:
• the correct code is keyed into the keypad 80, whereby the electromagnet 100 is energised.
• this energising is effected by means of a weak current which suffices to hold the bar in its position pressed against the armature but is insufficient to attract the bar from the position shown in Figure 12b.
• the catch 84 via the run-on lip 106, runs onto the body of the bar 9 " ) , as a result of which the bar 90 which tilts to the right and the flanged end 94 is pressed against the armature parts 96a, 96b.
• the contacts 60 ' , 62' can be used to switch on the energising current for the magnet 100 only when said contacts have been closed, as has been described above, which leads to an additional saving in power consumption.

Landscapes

• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
• Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
• Polymers With Sulfur, Phosphorus Or Metals In The Main Chain (AREA)
• Developing Agents For Electrophotography (AREA)
• Telephone Function (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19858198

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (1)

• 1990
  • 1990-12-21 NL NL9002851A patent/NL9002851A/nl not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1991
  • 1991-12-17 DE DE91203332T patent/DE69100281T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1991-12-17 EP EP91203332A patent/EP0492717B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-12-17 AT AT91203332T patent/ATE93298T1/de active
  • 1991-12-17 ES ES91203332T patent/ES2046010T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-12-18 CA CA002076528A patent/CA2076528A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-12-18 JP JP92502184A patent/JPH05505006A/ja active Pending
  • 1991-12-18 WO PCT/NL1991/000265 patent/WO1992011433A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (1)

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