ZA200808445B

ZA200808445B - Blasting panel for a safe

Info

Publication number: ZA200808445B
Application number: ZA200808445A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Malomgre Dirk; Antoon Alfons
Original assignee: Gunnebo Security S A Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-10-18
Filing date: 2008-10-03
Publication date: 2009-06-24

Description

BLASTING PANEL FOR A SAFE ' IE

INTRODUCTION oe

This invention relates to a blasting panel for a safe, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a blasting panel for use in a safe that houses an automatic teller machine.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Automatic teller machines are normally housed in secure enclosures or safes.

These safes normally include a front access point for dispensing money from the automatic teller machine, and a back access door to enable authorized persons to access the automatic teller for maintenance and to reload the automatic teller machine with cash.

The safe may be vulnerable to attack if a large amount of pressure and energy is generated inside the safe. Such large amounts of energy and pressure will be dissipated through the point of least resistance. The point of least resistance of the secure housing is usually the back access door, which may be forcibly blown outwards. If the back access door is forcibly opened the automatic teller machine and cash may then be accessed by unauthorized persons.

In practice excessive pressure and energy may be generated by inserting explosives into the safe via the front access point of the safe. The back door then acts as a blast panel and bears the full brunt of the pressure inside the safe, and may therefore become dislodged, in so doing providing unauthorized access to the ® interior of the safe.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a blasting panel inside a safe with which the aforesaid disadvantages may be overcome or at least minimized.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a safe incorporating a blasting panel, which will at least partially alleviate the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a blasting panel for use in a safe, the blasting panel including secure zones and weakened zones, the weakened zones being more easily displaceable under high pressure than the secure zones.

The blasting panel is in the form of a composite arrangement of secure zones and weakened zones located adjacent to one another.

The weakened zones and the secure zones may be in the form of alternating segments of sheet-like material that are secured to walls of the safe.

The weakened zones and secure zones may be parallel elongate segments.

The weakened zones may be tack welded to a wall of the safe. The weakened ® zones, being tack welded, may be relatively more easily removable than the secure zones.

The secure zones may be seam welded to a wall of the safe. The secure zones may also be welded to a back plate located adjacent to a front wall of the safe.

The weakened zones may be positioned so that when the weakened zones are removed, access to the automatic teller machine is not possible due to the secure zones still preventing access.

The blasting panel may be located in one of the walls of the safe, preferably one of the side walls, more preferably a front wall.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is also provided a safe including a blasting panel as described hereinbefore, the safe having a plurality of walls.

The plurality of walls of the safe may include a front wall and a back wall opposite the front wall.

The back wall may be in the form of an openable door, and the blasting panel may form part of the front wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described by way of a non-limiting example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

® Figure 1 is a rear plan view of a safe incorporating the blasting panel;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional side view of the safe of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a cross sectional perspective view of the safe of Figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like features, a safe, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, is generally designated by reference numeral 10.

The safe 10 includes two side walls 11, an upper wall 12, a lower wall 13, a back wall 14 and a front wall 15, which encloses an interior cavity of the safe 10. The back wall 14 typically includes a displaceable closure in the form of a door (not shown), or any other type of suitable closure, which is not shown in the drawings for the sake of clarity. It will be appreciated that the door may be of many configurations, which is not important insofar as this invention is concerned.

A blasting panel 20 is located adjacent the front wall 15, and in use is adapted at least partially to become perforated or dislodged when pressure is exerted on the blasting panel. The blasting panel 20 is in the form of a composite arrangement of secure zones 21 and weakened zones 22 located adjacent to one another, the secure zones 21 and the weakened zones 22 being in the form of sheet-like metal strips that are positioned adjacent one another in an alternating configuration so as to define a composite blasting panel 20. The front wall 15 in this embodiment is of

) : } B B \ aesthetical functionality, as it should also be easily destructible in order to give effect @ to the functionality of the blasting panel 20.

The weakened zones 22 of the blasting panel 20 are tack welded to the side walls 11, whereas edges of the secure zones 21 of the blasting panel 20 are seam welded to the side walls 11. The difference in the integrity of the attachment of the secure and weakened zones results in the weakened zones 22 being more easily displaceable under high pressure than the secure zones 21.

In use, when a force is applied, the weakened zones 21 will become dislodged at the tack welds between the weakened zones 22 and the side walls 11. The removed weakened zones 22 will leave gaps (not shown) in the blasting panel 20.

The secure zones 21 will not be displaced and access to the interior of the safe 10 will still not be possible due to the gaps left between the secure zones 21 being sufficiently small to prevent access into the interior of the safe. In this way the effect of a potential blast, and in particular the pressure generated thereby, is released through the blasting panel, and the door is not exposed to excessive pressure and thus forces that will otherwise be exerted thereon.

It will be appreciated that many variations in detail are possible with a blasting panel 20 according to the invention without departing from the spirit and/or scope of this disclosure.

For example, the blasting panel 20 may be adjacent to, or may form part of, the side walls 11. The blasting panel 20 may furthermore be of any shape and/or configuration, provided that it still prevents access to the interior of the safe 10 once the weakened zones 22 have been removed. For example, the weakened zones 22 v ' av ix, 2008 /08 4 45 may be in the form of circular bursting discs located in circular apertures provided in @® the secure zone 21 of the blasting panel 20.

The nature of the secure zones 21 and the weakened zones 22 may further be dependent on the type of material selected, or the material thickness used, rather than the type of welding used to secure the different zones to the safe.

Claims

CLAIMS | Il li I @ i.

1. A blasting panel for use in a safe, the blasting panel including secure zones and weakened zones, the weakened zones being more easily displaceable under S high pressure than the secure zones.

2. A blasting panel according to claim 1, wherein the blasting panel is in the form of a composite arrangement of secure zones and weakened zones located adjacent to one another.

3. A blasting panel according to claim 2, wherein the weakened zones and the secure zones are in the form of alternating segments of sheet-like material that are secured to walls of the safe.

4. A blasting panel according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the weakened zones and secure zones are parallel elongate segments.

5. A blasting panel according to any one of claims 2 {fo 4, wherein the weakened zones are tack welded to a wall of the safe.

6. A blasting panel according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the secure zones are seam welded to a wall of the safe.

7. A blasting panel according to claim 6, wherein the secure zones are welded to a back plate located adjacent to a front wall of the safe.

8. A blasting panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ® blasting panel is located in one of the walls of the safe.

9. A blasting panel according to claim 8, wherein the blasting panel is located in the front wall of the safe.

10. A safe having a blasting panel, the blasting panel including secure zones and weakened zones, the weakened zones being more easily displaceable under high pressure than the secure zones.

11. A safe according to claim 10, wherein the blasting panel is secured to a front wall opposite a back wall, the back wall being in the form of an openable door.

12. A safe according to claim 10, wherein the weakened zones and the secure zones are in the form of alternating segments of sheet-like material that are secured to walls of the safe.

13. A safe according to claim 10 or claim 12, wherein the weakened zones are tack welded to a wall of the safe.

14. A safe according to claim 10 or claim 12, wherein the secure zones are seam welded to a wall of the safe.

15. A blasting panel according to claim 1, substantially as herein described and exemplified and/or described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A safe according to claim 10, substantially as herein described and exemplified ® and/or described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Dated this 03 day of O Chobe, 20% Patent A / Agent for the Lpplicant