WO1998055724A1

WO1998055724A1 - Container for securing valuable goods provided with a device for supplying energy to a consumer element, in particular destruction means, and a device for use in a container

Info

Publication number: WO1998055724A1
Application number: PCT/NL1998/000331
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Vanhoutte; Mustafa Yavuz; Philippe Casterman; Philip Debaere; Christiaan Boidts; Harald Vyslouzil
Original assignee: Iq.Sec N.V./S.A.; Van Den Heuvel, Henricus, Theodorus
Priority date: 1997-06-04
Filing date: 1998-06-04
Publication date: 1998-12-10
Also published as: AU8040398A; NL1006217C2

Abstract

For transport of valuable goods such as securities, documents and banknotes, portable containers (1) are used which are provided with a compartment (3) for receiving the goods, a device (7) for supplying energy to a consumer element (5) and destruction means (5) for rendering the goods unusable if they fall into illegal hands during a robbery etc. The destruction means (5) have to be provided with energy by the device which is provided with a power supply unit (74). The portable container is usually carried from a secured vehicle to, for instance, a bank branch by a money courier wherein storage means (741) of the power supply unit provide the energy supply. If due to an internal or external cause, for instance in the case of a robbery, the container falls into illegal hands, the destruction means can be prevented from being able to render the goods unusable by providing a high voltage or by short-circuiting electrical inputs. The invention provides a container containing secondary storage means (77) which provide the energy supply to the destruction means in emergency situations.

Description

Container for securing valuable goods provided with a device for supplying energy to a consumer element, in particular destruction means, and a device for use in a container

The invention relates to a container for securing valuable goods, in particular securities and documents, which container is provided with a closable compartment for receiving goods therein, destruction means for destroying the goods in the case of irregular use of the container, and a device for supplying energy to a consumer element, in particular the destruction means, containing an input for receiving an input voltage and an output for generating an output voltage, and a power supply unit provided with primary storage means, which power supply unit is coupled between the input and the output of the device.

The invention also relates to a device for supplying energy to a consumer element.

Such a container is usually applied in security transports. The greatest risk in such transports is found to be the so-called pavement risk, wherein a money courier on foot carries a filled container with him outside the secured vehicle, for instance from the secured vehicle to a bank branch or vice versa. In order to reduce this pavement risk the money courier usually has at his disposal, in the case of a container of the type stated in the preamble, the option of setting into operation the destruction means thereof in the case of danger so that the content of the container is rendered unusable. Such destruction means provide for instance a cosmetic destruction, wherein coloured and indelible smoke or ink is poured over the goods present in the container or they bring about pyrolytic destruction of the transported goods, wherein the goods are perforated by means of a flame or otherwise damaged. In both cases the goods can later be identified as originating from theft and are thereby non-negotiable or even completely worthless, which should discourage potential thieves.

Despite the presence of such additional security means, security transports have nevertheless proved to be to an increasing extent the target of hold-ups, particularly in recent times. A thief herein sometimes manages to seize the container before the money courier has activated the destruction means. Since the container is not connected to the mains electricity during transport from the secured vehicle to for instance a bank branch, the container depends for error-free operation of particularly the destruction means on the storage means used. If in the unlikely event the storage means do not function properly as a result of for instance an internal short-circuit or for instance a deliberate short-circuit from outside resulting from sabotage or the like by for instance a thief, the destruction means of the container hereby no longer function as they should. As a result, the destruction means can then no longer render the valuable goods unusable.

A device for supplying energy to a consumer element is further known and is applied inter alia with consumer elements which, temporarily or otherwise, are not connected to the mains electricity.

The power supply unit usually serves to convert the supplied mains voltage into a voltage, which may or may not be direct voltage, suitable for the consumer element. The storage means are also charged by the power supply unit whereby the consumer element can still be provided with energy when the mains voltage is not connected. The storage means are usually embodied as a battery or accumulator. Such a device has already been in use for some time for diverse consumer elements.

The invention has for its object inter alia to obviate the above stated drawbacks. For this purpose a container according to the invention therefore has the feature that the device contains secondary storage means, a control unit and a switching unit, which switching unit is coupled with a first input to the power supply unit, is coupled with a second input to the secondary storage means, and is coupled with an output to the output of the device, and the control unit is adapted to control switching of the switching unit between the first input and the second input thereof subject to a condition of the power supply unit and wherein the secondary storage means are coupled to the power supply unit.

During normal operation the energy required for the destruction means will be present at both the primary storage means and at the secondary storage means. Primary storage means are in this case coupled via the switching unit to the output of the device and thereby to the destruction means. If the control unit detects that the power supply unit is not functioning in accordance with determined preconditions as a result of an internal or external cause, the control unit provides for switching of the switching unit. The primary storage means are hereby disconnected from the output of the device and the secondary storage means are connected to this output. The energy supply to the destruction means is not endangered, whereby the destruction means can then continue to function in fail-safe manner. The destruction means can thus also continue to function properly in the "emergency situations", which is of great importance in ensuring that the valuable goods are actually rendered unusable in the case of unauthorized use of the container.

A preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention has the feature that the secondary storage means are coupled via switching means to the power supply unit, wherein during operation the control unit controls the switching means subject to an amount of stored energy at the secondary storage means.

Hereby is prevented that, in the case of for instance too high a voltage or a short- circuit of either the inputs of the device or internally in the power supply unit, this has no influence on the energy stored at the secondary storage means.

A preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention has the feature that the device is coupled with the output to the destruction means, wherein during operation the control unit controls the destruction means in the case of irregular use of the container.

If the control unit detects that the power supply unit is not operating as it should due to internal or external causes, the destruction means are activated whereby the valuable goods are rendered unusable before a possible thief can appropriate these goods. A preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention has the feature that the destruction means comprise at least one igniter for a destruction mechanism.

If it is detected that the power supply unit is not functioning as it should, which may be the consequence of sabotage, the igniter of the destruction mechanism of the destruction means is actuated under the control of the control unit, whereby the valuable goods are rendered unusable.

A preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention has the feature that during operation the power supply unit provides a plurality of consumer elements with energy, wherein separate secondary storage means are coupled to each consumer element.

By applying separate storage means for each consumer element an additional certainty is built in that the danger of all consumer elements, for instance a plurality of separate destruction means, being deprived of energy is reduced still further.

A preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention has the feature that the secondary storage means comprise at least one capacitor.

Use of a capacitor realizes in simple and inexpensive manner that the consumer element is also ensured of sufficient energy in an emergency situation.

The invention also relates to a device for providing a consumer element with energy.

The consumer element can be the destruction means of the container according to the invention, although the device can also be used for all kinds of other applications where it is essential that the consumer element can still be provided with energy when the power supply unit is not functioning properly. The power supply circuit according to the invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures. Herein:

Figure 1 shows a schematic embodiment of a container according to the invention; and Figure 2 shows a schematic embodiment of a device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows in cross-section a schematic embodiment of a portable container 1 according to the invention which can be applied in security transports for transporting valuable goods, such as securities, documents, banknotes and the like.

The container and the system in which this container can be applied are described in more detail in a Netherlands patent application NL-A- 1005598 filed by applicant, the content of which is deemed as interpolated herein by way of reference.

Container 1 contains a compartment 3 which is provided with an access door 31 for closing compartment 3. The compartment 3 is coupled to destruction means 5 which can be embodied for instance in the form of a number of pyrotechnic charges provided with igniters. The destruction means have to be provided with energy for activation thereof. A device 7 provides the supply of energy to a consumer element, in this case destruction means 5. An input 71 is coupled to an electrical input 1 1 of the container, which electrical input normally takes a multiple form, for instance for a mains voltage connection, and is coupled with an output 73 to the destruction means. The device will be discussed in more detail with reference to figure 2. During transport with a secured vehicle the container 1 is normally placed in a transport rack wherein the electrical input 11 of the container is coupled to electrical contacts of the transport rack in order to generate an input voltage to device 7.

Figure 2 shows in more detail a schematic embodiment of the device 7 for supplying energy to a consumer element of figure 1. The schematically depicted input 71 is coupled to an input 742 of a power supply unit 74 to convert the incoming, usually mains, voltage to a voltage suitable for the consumer element, in particular the destruction means 5 (see figure 1). After conversion, the received voltage is stored at primary storage means 741, which in this embodiment form part of power supply unit 74. The primary storage means of the power supply unit are coupled via an output 744 of the power supply unit to a first input 751 of a switching unit 75. An output 753 of switching unit 75 is coupled to output 73 of device 7. At this output the device generates the output voltage required for the consumer element, in this embodiment the destruction means. At a second input 752 the switching unit 75 receives a voltage via an output 773 of secondary storage means 77 which are also provided with the voltage required for the destruction means 5 (see figure 1). Switching unit 75 is under the control of a control unit 76, which control unit receives information concerning the operation of the power supply unit, and in particular concerning the amount of energy stored at the storage means 741. The control unit further receives information concerning possible error conditions such as internal or external short-circuits of the power supply unit. This information exchange takes place via an output 743 of the power supply unit and an input 761 of the control unit. If an error condition occurs, control unit 76 generates a control signal via an output 763 to a control input 754 of switching unit 75, whereby the switching unit transmits the voltage at input 752 instead of the voltage at input 751 to output 753, and thereby to a consumer element, in particular the destruction means, to be connected to the device.

The secondary storage means 77 are coupled via an output 771 to an output of the power supply unit 74 for storing at these storage means the energy required for destruction means 5. At an input 765 the control unit also receives information via an output 772 of the secondary storage means concerning the energy stored at these means. On the basis of this information switching means 78 are operated which are coupled between an output 745 of power supply unit 74 and an input 771 of the secondary storage means 77 to an input 781 and an output 782. The secondary storage means are hereby disconnected from the power supply unit after they have stored sufficient energy, whereby an error condition in the power supply unit can no longer have any influence on the amount of energy available at the secondary storage means.

In this embodiment, after switching of the switching unit, the control unit 76 also generates a control signal to the destruction means via an output 72 of the device if the power supply unit does not function as it should as a result of a short-circuit or other error conditions.

Although the container and the device have been elucidated schematically above, it will be apparent to everyone that the invention is in no way limited to the shown example. On the contrary, many other variations and embodiments are possible for the skilled person within the scope of the invention.

The primary storage means will usually be embodied as either an accumulator or a battery. Storage capacitors can for instance be applied as secondary storage means.

It is further also possible to cause the energy provision to secondary storage means 77 to take place via control unit 76 instead of using separate switching means 78, whereby error conditions of the power supply unit can also be prevented from influencing the energy which must be stored at the secondary storage means.

It is also possible to provide the secondary storage means with energy directly from the input of the device instead of via the power supply unit. However, a conversion of the input voltage provided at the input to a supply voltage suitable for the consumer element must then take pace before the voltage is fed to the storage means.

Control unit 76 can, if desired, also control other elements of the container, such as for instance the door mechanism.

In addition, the device for supplying energy to a consumer element can also be used for other applications where it is of essential importance that a consumer element can still perform its function despite internal or external error conditions, malicious or otherwise.

Claims

claims

1. Container for securing valuable goods, in particular securities and documents, which container is provided with a closable compartment for receiving goods therein, destruction means for destroying the goods in the case of irregular use of the container, and a device for supplying energy to a consumer element, in particular the destruction means, containing an input for receiving an input voltage, an output for generating an output voltage, and a power supply unit provided with primary storage means, which power supply unit is coupled between the input and the output of the device, characterized in that the device contains secondary storage means, a control unit and a switching unit, which switching unit is coupled with a first input to the power supply unit, is coupled with a second input to the secondary storage means, and is coupled with an output to the output of the device, and the control unit is adapted to control switching of the switching unit between the first input and the second input thereof subject to a condition of the power supply unit and wherein the secondary storage means are coupled to the power supply unit.

2. Container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the secondary storage means are coupled via switching means to the power supply unit, wherein during operation the control unit controls the switching means subject to an amount of stored energy at the secondary storage means.

3. Container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the device is coupled with the output to the destruction means, wherein during operation the control unit controls the destruction means in the case of irregular use of the container.

4. Container as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the destruction means comprise at least one igniter for a destruction mechanism.

5. Container as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that during operation the device can provide a plurality of consumer elements with energy, wherein separate secondary storage means can be coupled to each consumer element.

6. Container as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the secondary storage means comprise at least one capacitor.

7. Device for application in a container as claimed in any of the claims 1-6.