WO1994015812A1

WO1994015812A1 - Safety system for the protection of goods against unauthorized access

Info

Publication number: WO1994015812A1
Application number: PCT/SE1994/000009
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars-Inge Stomberg; Elving Nilsson; Roy Eliasson
Original assignee: Ndc Netzler & Dahlgren Co Ab
Priority date: 1993-01-08
Filing date: 1994-01-07
Publication date: 1994-07-21
Also published as: SE502231C2; SE9300048D0; SE9300048L

Abstract

A safety system for protecting goods against unauthorized access during vehicle-driven transportation between different collection/delivery places. Said places are provided with stationary storages (1) protected against unauthorized access, for the goods which are contained in transport containers (10). The system incorporates vehicle-driven mobile storages (27) for the transport containers. A conduit system is provided with a stationary part (6, 7) at every collection/delivery place and a vehicle-driven mobile part. A drive system transfers the transport containers between the stationary storages and the mobile storages. A computerized control and surveillance system controls and supervises the transfers.

Description

SAFETY SYSTEM FOR THE PROTECTION OF GOODS AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a safety system for the protection of goods against unauthorized access according to claim 1.

As soon as valuables are moved, difficulties arise with protection against unauthorized appropriation, regardless if it concerns an internal or external movement.

Movement from a strong room or safe in for example post offices, banks, and larger shops to post offices, banks, and even to the National Bank, is done manually today with the help of security personnel, who carry the goods to a vehicle and then drive the vehicle and are therefore responsible for the completion of the movement of valuables. Valuables are normally moved in bags, brief¬ cases or the like, because of which the goods can be taken by theft as soon as the protective storage space is left. Because of this, there is a great risk of violence which creates a dangerous working environment. In addition appropriation has happened as a result of an insider offence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to create a safety system with which both the safety of the valuables and the the safety of the employees concerned is raised.

These objects are achieved by a safety system according to the present invention whose characteristics are depicted in the accompanied claim 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention shall be described in greater detail in the following by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment in perspective of the safety system,

Fig. 2 shows the principle of a transport container for valuables in perspective, Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the stationary part of the safety system which establishes a delivery/collection place for the valuables,

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the vehicle-driven mobile part incorporated in the safety system, Fig. 5 shows schematically the function of one of the storages in the mobile part, Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a delivery/collection place with a mobile part docked to the stationary part of the safety system, Fig. 7 and 8 show two different views of a docking device incorporated in the system,

Fig. 9,10 and 11 show different views of a second embodiment of the construction of the mobile part,

Fig. 12 and 13 show a third embodiment of the construction of the mobile part,

Fig 14 shows two vehicles docked to each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As can be seen in Fig. 1 the safety system consists of the following main parts, namely stationary parts 1,2, and 3 at every delivery/reception place for valuables and one or more mobile units 4 installed on a vehicle 5. The safety system is built as a closed transport and deposit system

with appropriation protected storages at the delivery/reception places and a mobile storage incorporated in every mobile unit 4. A closed transport system between the different storages is achieved by means of a conduit system established between the different storages and is divided into stationary parts 6,7, and 8 at every delivery/reception place and a mobile part 9 on every mobile unit. For connection between the different parts in the conduit system, appropriation protected docking devices are established in conjunction with the system's stationary parts and also the mobile unit 4.

The valuables are kept and transported in special transport containers 10, an example of which is shown in Fig. 2. The transport containers can be formed as a cannister, as used in a pneumatic tube service, where the tube and the cannisters are so adapted to each other that the cannisters with seals 11, in a known manner associate with the tube walls, though with low friction, so that with known so called adjacent conduit fans in the safety systems stationary parts and in the mobile part 4, movement of the transport containers in the tube system can be assured by applying an overpressure behind the transport cannisters. During transport and storage, the transport containers are completely sealed, but are provided with an openable end wall, which is removed in Fig. 2 to show an example of the interior of the containers. In the shown example the container space 12 is formed with a rectangular cross section and is especially adapted in this case to bank notes that can be packed in bundles in the space. According to an advantageous embodiment, the surrounding space 13, i.e. an intermediate space between the container space's inside wall 14 and the transport container wall 15 formed as a cylinder jacket, can be provided with a colourant that can be brougt into contact with the container space 12 in case of appropriation or suspected appropriation. This can be done in several different ways, for example by having the fluid colourant encased in the container and released when there is an attempt at mechanical encroachment. Alternatively, the colourant can be released by remote control from a traffic control centre when there exists an erroneous authorization or an erroneous position indication of the vehicle.

The safety system also includes a computerized control and surviellance system which is established to both identify every transport container 10 and control and supervise its movement and position, as well as to supervise and possibly also control the movements of the mobile unit 4 from a traffic control centre 16, see Fig. 1. Surviellance of the mobile unit can be done by known means such as satellite navigation, whereby it can be ascertained that the position of the mobile units are supervised and controlled. The control system can also dispatch orders at short notice via for example radio from a commisioner and without the driver of the vehicle-driven mobile unit 4 having any previous knowledge thereof, thereby minimizing the risk of insider crime or other planned appropriation. The control and surviellance system includes an information system with sensors in different locations in the system, and data carriers 17, so called escort memories, in the transport container 10. The data carrier can contain information about the identity of the transport containers and also variable information about the status of the containers in the transport system. Information about the contents of the transport containers can also be included in the data carrier 17 , though it can also be transmitted along another path in the control and surviellance system, for example by conventional data networks with cable, optofiber or wireless.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a stationary part of the safety system at a delivery/reception place primarily consisting of the appropriation protected storage 1, the stationary part 6 of the conduit system and a docking device 18 which forms the input/output of the safety system to the mobile unit in the safety system. In the shown embodiment the stationary storage 1 is enlarged with an internal closed pneumatic tube system, for example directly to different p.o.ε. terminals in a supermarket or bank, where the transport container can be filled and inserted at a terminal 19, which can be established for both reception and delivery of transport containers. The terminal is also equipped with a dataterminal 20 for, for example, input of identification information, the contents of the transport containers etc. The stationary storage 1 is, according to the current embodiment, designed as a turret storage in the form of a rotatable cylinder with a plurality of storage spaces or compartments 21 that can be filled with transport containers, where every position has its own identity. The figures indicate that the turret storage consists of three units so that three transport containers can be kept in line. The number of units can be varied depending on the need. The storage also presents two connections for communication with the terminal and also the docking device.

The docking device according to the embodiment in fig. 3 consist of a device that resembles a valve with a docking entrance 22 in a wall 23 that can be a wall in a building facing a street or a wall in a closed space inside the building. Docking device 18 is established as a sleeve type valve with a sleeve that has a through passage 24 and a closed wall section 25, whose parts are alternatively brought in front of the docking opening 22 by means of a traversing gear 26 in the form of an elecrical motor with gears, controlled by the surviellance and control system. As is shown of the embodiment according to Fig. 4 showing the mobile unit 4, this also consists of a storage 27 which is mobile and a turret storage. Apart from the mobile storage 27, the vehicle 5 carries the mobile unit 9 of the conduit system with a mobile docking unit 28 and an input/output device 29 between storage and conduit system 9. The input/output device 29 in the shown embodiment is constructed as an elevator for vertical transport of the transport containers to the revolving axle of the storage, where an input/output opening exists for a subsequent radial movement to peripheral storage spaces 30.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, the mobile unit 4 contains a separate storage 31 for a so called test container or test cartridge that does not contain any valuables but in every other aspect corresponds to the other transport containers and it is used for evaluating the safety system in connection with every collection and delivery. This spare storage 31 then only needs to be able to contain a container next to the conduit system and presents a built in exchange mechanism whose movement is indicated with the aid of two arrows so that the test container can switch between a position in a storage next to the conduit system and a position in which the container is inserted in the current conduit. When the test container is in the offset position the conduit is open for feeding of the other transport containers between stationary and mobile storage.

Fig. 5 shows schematically the function of the turret storage according to Fig. 4 with help of the control and surviellance system which keeps track of the position of every storage space 30 or compartment, i.e. the rotary position of the storage and the identity and position of every transport container. In the shown embodiment the compartments of the turret storage 12 are "black" where the compartments contain transport containers and the other compartments are empty. A transport container has arrived in compartment 32 in the centre, see Fig. 5a. The storage is provided with a radially directed inlet 35 and outlet 33 in a circular part 34 in the storage, which is rotatable by means of a turning arrangement. For the transfer of the transport container to the storage ring, this is turned clockwise until the first empty compartment ends up in front of the inlet 35. The central compartment 32 is provided with flaps 36 which are set up to open, whereby the container falls down into the empty compartment, see Fig. 5b, and the flaps close. The container is parked and the control and surviellance system memorises the identity and place in the storage of the containers. This position is shown in Fig. 5c. When the control and surviellance system has given instructions that a transport container with a certain identity is to be delivered, the storage ring 34 is rotated so that the dedicated container ends up in the outlet position, i.e. with its compartment opposite the outlet 33, after which the upper flaps of the central compartment open, see Fig. 5d, and the container drops down into the centre compartment and the flaps close, see Fig. 5e. After this, the container can be delivered from the storage into the conduit system.

Fig. 6 shows a practical example of the use of the safety system when delivering/receiving valuables in transport containers. The mobile unit 4 has by means of the vehicle been moved up to the docking device 18 next to the docking part 28. This can be done by constructing the docking part 28 as a telescopic unit, which for example the driver of the vehicle can guide by means of a joystick both vertically and horizontally for adjustment to the docking device of the stationary part so that the docking part is inserted into the docking opening 22, see also Fig. 3. In Fig. 6 an embodiment with a simpler type of stationary storage is shown, which simply consists of a safe 37 to which the stationary part 6 of the conduit system leads.

Fig. 7 and 8 show an alternative embodiment of the docking device 38 made as a ball valve or the like with a through flow conduit 39 which is switchable between two angular positions, one open horizontal position where the docking device is open to be connected to the mobile unit, and a closed position, where the through flow conduit is open to the stationary conduit system. The docking device is driven by means of an electrical motor by way of a gear unit. By means of a shunt conduit 40, the drive system for transport of the containers can be redirected for injection of containers from the docking device toward the stationary storage.

Fig. 9, 10, and 11 show an alternative embodiment of the storage 41 of the mobile units 4. In this embodiment the compartments 42 are arranged radially, which gives a simplified input/output handling. The storage is contained in an intrusion-protected safe, i.e. a closed unit made of reinforced steel or titanium plates into which the mobile conduit system 9 runs. At least one wall should be removable for service and held in place with protected bolts for example. The protection can consist of sensors that set an alarm and/or release a colourant in case of an unauthorized attack. The input/output mechanism consists of a number of direction changers 44, 45, 46, in the current embodiment three are used, which corresponds to the number of storage units in this embodiment. These are individually turnable in steps corresponding to the position of every compartment in the storage by means of motors. The direction changers 44, 45, 46 are arranged as mainly cylindrical units with conduit 47 dimensioned to receive a transport container in every direction changer. The direction changers are established to shift a quarter of a turn between a horizontal position, in which communication is kept with conduit 9 toward the docking unit, and a vertical position in which communication is kept with one of the compartments in the corresponding storage unit. As can be understood from Fig. 10, the two outer direction changers 45, 46 also work as a passage for containers that are to be transported to the innermost direction changer 44 and its corresponding storage unit. In principal the storage units can be filled one after the other, so that to start with, the inner storage unit is filled completely by changing the direction changer's position for every transport container by gradually turning the current storage unit, one step for every compartment that is fed. When the last compartment is filled, the direction changer 44 is kept in its vertical position, after which the next direction changer 45 is activated for change between its two positions and so on. In the control and surveillance system, the position and identity of every transport container is registered either centrally or in one of the computers in the mobile unit, so that it is possible to deliver a certain chosen transport container to a certain delivery place. The transport containers are not necessarily taken out in the same order that they were put in, but this can be done in a completely different order. For the function of the drive system it is necessary for the evacuation of air, this is done through air evacuation channels 48.

Fig. 10 shows an embodiment of a system for marking of, or the destruction of, the contents when unauthorized manipulation or suspected unauthorized manipulation is detected. In the shown embodiment every transport container 10 has somewhat pointed ends, of which one of the ends intrudes into a cup-like section 49 of the storage compartments 50. The cup-like sections 49 are located in a separate central part 51 of the storage. Normally the central part rotates together with the outer part of the storage, but when unauthorized manipulation occurs or after a command, a specific turning motor is activated for the rotation of the center part in the opposite direction. This will cause the transport containers 10 to be deformed so seriously that built-in pressurized gas ampules are crushed and colour the valuables.

The mobile unit 27 according to the third embodiment shown in Figs. 12 and 13 is established as a bucket chain unit with a conveyor 53 in the shape of a closed loop consisting of double conveyor belts 54, 55, each of which runs around its own set of drums 56, 57 which are rotatable around their shafts 58, 59. The conveyor belts are arranged as toothed belts with protruding ridges 60 that establish compartments 61 that are intended to receive the transport containers 10. These are held in place by being led through a duct that is outwardly restricted by a track 62 with a low friction surface, for example self-lubricating plastic, such as ROBALON^®. The drive of the conveyor is established by means of a stepper motor 63 with indexing, which is established to indicate the exact rotatational position of the motor in every circumstance, i.e. the conveyors position. The vehicles input/output conduit 64 is led into the safe, which is connected to the external docking tube of the vehicle. Inside the safe housing 27 the input/output tube 64 is established to communicate with the storage for input/output of transport containers 10. A pusher 65 is arranged for the purpose of either lifting up the transport container from the storage to the conduit 64 or alternatively lower down the transport container into the storage. The pusher can be arranged as a screw pusher driven by an electric motor 66. In addition a changer 67 is incorporated in a section of the tube in front of the conveyor in the form of half a casing which is turnable by means of a motor 68 between an open position, in which the half casing is open towards the storage, and a closed position in which the half casing is closed toward said storage. The safe can be provided with several storage units arranged in series with each other according to the same previous principle so that transport containers either can pass the changer to storage units beyond the current one or be stopped for lowering into the associated storage unit. For this purpose, a stopping device which is not shown is arranged to be activated for stopping transport containers which are to be deposited. The complete system is controlled by the computer-controlled identification system which, by means of sensors, in every changer for example, reads the escort memory on the transport unit and informs the memory in the computer system into which compartment a certain identified container is placed. Due to this, the requested container can be fed out of the storage for delivery from the mobile unit.

As is illustrated in Fig. 14, docking can also take place between vehicles by connecting both the docking tubes close together so that a closed transfer of the contents of the storage, or parts thereof, of one of the vehicles to the storage of the other vehicle can be done. That an authorized vehicle is connected can easily be done in several different ways, for example by sensors in the docking tubes' 9 front ends and by transmitting the test cartridge from one vehicle to the other and/or the other way around.

By means of the safety system according to the invention, the handling of valuables becomes a closed circuit because it is built around closed storages, partly the closed stationary storages and partly the closed mobile storage and partly the conduit system that extends between the storages that makes possible the transport of the transport containers with contents between the storages. Due to the normally closed docking devices, unauthorized access to the interior of the conduit system and the interior of the storage is impossible. The mobile unit forms a flexible link or section of the conduit system that extends the safety system geographically without the need for extensive permanent structures.

Apart from the closed mechanical system, the data carrier in the transport containers provides an important condition for the handling safety. The most important function of the electronic data carrier, the escort memory, is to carry an identification code, which can be made in at least two different ways, one way is a simple system with a number in a running number series for every transport container, in which all information about the owner and origin of the container is stored centrally in the control and surveillance system. A second alternativ is a structured identification where country, place, owner of the container, system code, and a running ID-number is provided. With the help of the identity code, the surveillance system can check in different sections of the safety system if the transport container has an identity that can be accepted, i.e. it is stored in the central system. Unidentified containers are handled according to special instructions. The data of the data carriers can be inputted and read at different places in the system. Input is done by means of a terminal at the stationary storage and reading is done both at the stationary storages and the mobile storages with associated changing devices.

The test container has a likewise important part to play in the safety system, and that is to verify that the transport path is ready, i.e. that the mobile storage in the vehicle, docking conduit system and the storage in the stationary part are free from blockages and are approved. The test container further verifies if the current mobile unit is authorized or unauthorized to collect certain containers at a certain place at a certain time. The invention is not limited to the above description and the embodiments shown in the drawings, but can be varied within the scope of the following claims. For example, the contents of the transport containers can be destroyed or marked by other means than colour, such as chemically, pyrotechnical or by mechanical destruction. The transport containers can be arranged to activate destruction or marking means independently of its position, when for example the transport containers are manipulated (deformed, dismantled, opened) . Activation can also be remotely controlled from, for example, a control centre.

The system can be applied to all sorts of transport of goods, such as money, shares, bonds, securities, secret documents, important drugs, contents of safety boxes. In that connection, it is conceivable that a safety box system consists of delivery/collection places and one or several central safes for the storage of the valuables and also several mobile units for the transport of the goods. It is conceivable that the transport containers are identified by the control and surveillance system without the data carriers.

Claims

1. A safety system for protecting goods against unauthorized access during storage and during transfer to/from different collection/delivery places provided with stationary storages (1) that are protected against unauthorized access, said goods being intended to be contained in one or more transport containers (10) , characterized by one or more vehicle-driven mobile storages (27) for said transport containers, a conduit system with a stationary part (6,7) at every collection/delivery place and a vehicle-driven mobile part, devices for selectable automatic connection between a preselected mobile storage (27) and a preselected stationary storage, a drive system for transfer of said transport container (10) between said stationary storage and mobile storage, and a computer-based control and surveillance system for control and supervision of at least said transfer, and that the computer-based control and surveillance system comprises a data carrier (17) on every transport container, said data carrier containing at least data for the identification of the transport containers.

2. A safety system for protecting goods against unauthorized access during storage and during transfer to/from different collection/delivery places provided with stationary storages (1) that are protected against unauthorized access, said goods being intended to be contained in one or more transport containers (10) , characterized by a conduit system with a stationary part (6,7) that at every collection/delivery place extends between said stationary storage (1) and an input/output (18) for said transport containers (10) , a drive system for transfer of said transport containers (10) between said stationary storage and said input/output, and a computer- based control and surveillance system for control and supervision of at least said transfer.

3. A safety system according to claim 1, characterized in that said data carrier (17) has a changeable memory that is suitable for recording and reading data by means of said information transfer units.

4. A safety system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least said storage (1) is divided into several compartments (30) for the transport containers (10) and that the mobile storage is established to place and take transport containers (10) with a certain identity out of the compartments.

5. A safety system according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport containers (10) are provided with a marking or destruction device, a colouring and activation means as an example.

6. A safety system according to claim 5, characterized in that said activation means is established to activate the marking or destruction device when the transport containers are unauthorizedly manipulated, such as by deformation or opening.

7. A safety system according to claim 5, characterized in that said activation means is established to be released by remote control from the control and surveillance system.