Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
21~989~ ~
~ WO94/12752 ^ PCT~L93/00249
s~ . .
Compartmented safe
In many public places the need is felt for a facil-
ity where valua~le personal belongings can be locked away
and left safely for a short period up to a maximum of a few
days. Examples which could be mentioned are a swimminy
pool, sauna, sports place, libraryr restaurant, railway
station, airport, hotel and the like, where luggage, a car ~-
radio, a purse or the like can be temporarily deposited.
This need was met in the past by providing a collection of
individually accessible safe deposit boxes in many
different embodiments for rental. Since the safe deposit
boxes in this case are set up in a socially controlled
- environment, such safes need not be highly burglarproof,
but it is sufficient if they can withstand simple breaking ;
tools and if the safe deposit box which has been rented can
be opened again at the end of the ren~al period only by the
person with the ri~htfully obtained means of access. --
In a simple embodiment, the collection of safe
deposit boxes comprises an array of individual rectangular ,;
safes. Each safe defines a compartment to which access can
be obtained by means of a lockable door. After the
insertion of a certain sum into a coin-operated machine, ,~
the door of the safe can be closed and locked by means of a
unique key. In a more recent embodiment of this type of
safe, operation by electronic means is centralized for a
number of safes, and a safe door can be locked and unlocked
from a control unit set up centrally for a number of safes.
Instead o~ a key being used, the control unit produces a
card with a magnetic strip containing a unique code, -
following which the card in question is used to open the
door of the safe module again.
The mechanical construction of the collection of
safe deposit ~oxes is complex, and a relatively large
quantity of strong material is needed, since each
ind}vidual safe must afford sufficient protection to !`'
personal belongings accommodated in it.
EP-A-0 140 839 further discloses a safe, comprisin~
a protective housing which is provided with a safe access
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:.
~;~ 214989S ```:~
-- 2
opening ~hich can give access to the inside of the housing,
and a number of safe compartments formed inside the
housing, which safe compartments are disposed in a row
along a segment of a circle and are each provided with a
safe compartment access opening which is situated at the
side of the safe compartments facing the housing, in the
case of which each safe compartment access opening can be
brought into line with the safe access opening, and access
can be obtained to the corresponding safe compartment by
putting selective safe access control means into operation.
In this embodiment, the housing is provided with only one
closable safe access opening for access to a compartment,
and the safe compartments inside the housing can be moved :
towards and away from the safe access opening, in order to ~.
move the safe compartment access opening in front of the
safe access opening of the housing by means of instructions
to be fed to the safe access control means. A major ~:
disadvantage of this safe is the fact that the safe
compartments filled with personal belongings have to be
moved at least twice inside the housing: once after
personal belongings have been left in a safe compartment,
in order to move the safe compart~ent away from the safe .
access opening and make space for another safe compartment, -
and once in order to taX~ the safe access opening of the --:
safe compartment back in front of the safe accass opening
of the housing, so that the personal belongings can be
removed from the safe compartment again. During the
movement of the safe compartment, the personal belongings
could be damaged as a result of the acceleration forces -
occurring, in particular if the safa compartment is
subjected not only to a translation movement, but also to a
rotational movement in addition to or combined with said
translation movement.
FR-A-2 539 804 describes a safe, comprising a !':
35 protective housing which is provided with a protective :~
member containing a safe access opening which can give "
access to the inside of the housing, and a number of safe
compartments formed inside the housing, which safe
compartments are disposed in a row and are each provided
~AENDED SHEE;T
8 9 ~
-- 3
with a safe compartment access opening which is situated at
the side of the safe compartments facing the protective
member of the housing, which protective member extends over
the safe compartmen~ access openings, in which case each
5 ~afe compartment access opening can be brought into line ~:
with the safe access opening, and access can be obtained to
the appropriate safe compartment ~y putting selective safe
access control means into operation, the safe compartments
being set up in a fixed manner and the protective mPmber
being movable.
The safe according to FR-A-2 539 804 has a
rectangular con~iguration and the protective member
-accordingly consists of a plurality of interconnected
plates.
The object of the invention is to provide a safe
with a large number of individually accessible compart-
ments, which safe is simple in design and can be
manufactured with a minimum of reinforced parts, and `~
therefore at low cost. :
The object of the invention is also to provide a ~`
safe in which a large number of individually accessible ~--
safe compartments are available, and in which no damage can
occur to personal belonglngs as the result of movements of
sa~e compartments. `
Z5 For this purpose, the invention pro~ides a safe of
the type described above in connection with FR-A-2 539 804,
which is characterized in that the housing is essentially
cylindxical~or cylinder segment-shaped, and a number of .
partitions extending radially relative to the axis of the
cylinder and forming the safe compartments are provided
therein, the safe compartment access openings lying in a ~::
flat plane at right angles to the axis of the cylinder, and
the protectlve member being essentially disc-shaped or disc
sector-shaped and rotatable about the axis of the cylinder.
The ~a~e according to the:invention is compact in construc-
tion, with the result that relatively little reinforcing
material is required on the outside thereof. Moreover, the
contents of a safe compartment cannot become damaged
th~ough movements of a safe compartment. A particularly
~: AMENl~ED SHEET
21~989~
- 4 -
compact design is obtained. The accessibility of all safe
compartments is optimal if in this case the axis of
rotation of the protective member extends essentially
horizontally.
In a preferred embodiment, the protective member
may consist of a single disc or disc sector which is
provided with a free safe access opening or with a safe
access opening in which a lockable door is provided. In
other advantageous emb3diments, the protective member
10 consists of a first rotatable disc or disc sector which is ~`
provided with a free safe access opening, and a second
rotatable disc or disG sector extending over the first disc ::-
or disc sector at the side thereof facing away from the ...
safe compartments, and with a free safe access opening, or .
with a safe access opening in which`a lockable door is
provided.
The invention further provides a safe of the type
described above in connection with FR-A-2 539 804, which is .-
characterized in that the housing i~ essentially
cylindrical or cylinder segment-shaped, and a number of
pa~titions extending radially relati~e to the axis of the
cylinder and forming the safe compartments are provided .
therein, the safe compartment access openings lying in a
cylindrical surface which is coaxial with the axis of the
25 cylinder, the protective member being essentially cylinder :
surface-shaped or cylinder surface sector-shaped, the safe -;
comprising a number of stacked rows of safe compartments,
each row having a separate protective member which can be
rotated independently from the other protective members,
the~axes of rotation of the protecti:ve members coinciding.
It is preferable here for the axis of rota~ion of the
protective member to e~tend~vertically, in order to ensure
. good acce sibility of the safe compar~ments.
: The protective member can consist of a single
35 cylinder or cylinder sector which is provided with a free :
safa access opening, or a safe access opening in which a
lockable door is fitted. In another embodiment, the
protective member consists of a first rotatable cylinder or
cylinder sector which is provided with a free safe access ~-
:
,NDED S~I~Er
214989~
~:~7
opening, and a second rotatable cylinder or cylinder sector
which extends over the first cylinder or cylinder sector at
the side thereof facing away from the safe compartments and
is provided with a free safe access opening or with a safe
access opening in which a lockable door is fitted.
A lockable door is preferably provided in the safe
compartment access openings, because in the first place
this leads to additional security for the contents of a
safe compartment and, secondly, prevents any risk of
undesirable contact between the contents of a safe
compartment, when the protective member is in motion. :-
The safe access control means preferably are
designed for blocking or releasing the safe access opening ;.
or the safe compartment access opening after a code ~
15 selected by a user of a safe compartment has been fed to ~;
the safe access control means. This means that when a user
of a safe compartment has deposited personal belongings in
the safe he can enter a code which is easy for him to :
remember, and when he is collecting:the p~rsonal belongings
again all he has to do is to enter the code again, without
having to use another means of access such as a key, ~`
magnetic strip card or the like, ~hich can be lost or
stolen. ,-
The invention is explained with reference to the ~.
drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a
first embodiment of the ~afe according to the invention, in
exploded view; -.:
Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a .
30 second embodiment of the safe according to the invention, ~:
in exploded view;
Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically and in perspective a
third ambodiment of the safe according to the invention, in -:
exploded view;
Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically and in perspec~ive a
fourth embodiment of the safe according to the invention,
in exploded view; :~
>, 5a
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AMENDE~ S~iEET
~.i, !~ 21 ~ 9 8 9 5
- 5a -
Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically and in perspective
another embodiment of a safe, in exploded view
Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically and in perspective
another embodiment of a safe, in exploded view;
S Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically and in perspective
another embodiment of a safe, in exploded view;
Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically and in perspective
another embodiment of a safe, in exploded view; . .
Fig. 9 shows a dstailed perspective view of the ::
embodiment according ~o Fig. 1, in e~ploded view and
partially cut-away form; and
Fig. 10 shows a view in perspective of a safe which
is made up of a number of units which are shown in Fig. 6.
In the variGus figures the same reference numbers `-
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---" 6
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.
"
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AMENI~ ;;;) ~ii~ r
~ WO 94/1275~ 21 ~ 9 895 PCT~L93/0024g
relate to the same part or parts with a similar functlon.
Arrows indicate possible directions of movement of parts.
Fig. l shows a safe with a cylindrical housing 2,
which has a cylinder surface-shaped outside wall 4, a
cylinder surface-shaped inside wall 6 and a disc-shaped
rear wall 8 which is not visible in the figure. The
diameter of the inside wall 6 is smaller than the diameter
of the outside wall ~. Provided between the outside wall 4
and the inside wall 6 are a number o~ partitions 12 - in
the present case ~welve - extending radially relative to
the axis lO of the housing 2 from the inside of the outside
wall 4 to the outside of the inside wall 6, thus forming -
twelve safe compartments in the housing Z. Such a safe
compartment is in principle cylinder sector-shaped, as ~;~
shown in Fig. l by means of dashed lines for one safe
compartment, but it will be clear that it is possible to
form a space of a different shape within the boundary faces
of a cylinder sector-shaped compartment by means of other
walls, for example a rectangular space. The safe -~
compartments are completely closed at the side where the
outside wall 4, the inside wall 6, the rear wall 8 and the
two partitions 12 are located, while a~ the side where the
front wall 14 of the housing 2 is located they have an
access opening. This access opening can be closed by means
25 of a lockable door, for example a door 16 which can pivot ~-
about an axis 18.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. l, the safe
compartments are set up in a fixed manner and the axis lO
extends horizontally. However, it is also possihle to set
up the housing 2 in such a way that the axis lO runs verti-
cally or its orientation is such that it lies between the
horizontal and the vertical. The same applies to the
embodiments shown in Figs. 2 - 4, which will be discussed -
later.
Fig. l shows a protective member in the form of a
protective disc 20, which extends at right angles to the
axis lO of the housing 2. For the sake of clarity, the
protective disc 20 is shown at a distance from the front
wall 14 of the hous1ng 2, but in reality the protective
~ WO94/12752 21~ 9 8 9 5 PCT~193/00249
disc 2a will extend over and virtually abut the front wall
14 of the housing 2. The protective disc 20 is provided -
with an opening 22 which is essentially the same shape as
the access opening to a safe compartment in the housing 2. ;
5 The protective disc 20 can be rotated relative to the axis ~-
lO by means of a suitable drive, which makes it possible to
bring the opening 22 into line with one of the access
openings of the safe compartments in the housing 2. During
the movement of the protective disc 20 the doors 16 of the
lO safe compartments are all closed and locked in a manner not
shown in any further detail. When the opening 22 of the
protective disc 20 has come to a standstill in front of a
preselected safe compartment, the door 16 thereof can be
unlocked and opened through the opening 22. The inside of
15 the safe compartment in question is then available for
inserting or removing personal belongings. The rotation of
the protective disc 20 and the unlocking of a door 16 of a
safe compartment are controlled by safe access control
means which are not shown in any further detail, and which
20 will be discussed in further detail below.
The em~odiment of a safe according to the invention
shown in Fig. 2 corresponds essentiall~ to the one shown in
Fig. l~ In Fig. 2 the opening 22 in the protective disc 20
is provided with a door 24, which - like the door 16 - can
25 be locked in a manner not shown in any further detail. The
door 24 ~an be pivoted about an axis 26 from a position in
which the door 24 closes the opening 22, to a position in
which the opening 22 is cleared completely, and back. The
door 24 provides additional protection against unlawful
30 opening of a door 16 of a safe compartment. Here, account
is taken in particuIar of the fact that the opening 22 of
the protective disc 20 during its rotation will pass a 3
number of doors 16 of safe compartments before the door 16 ~t
of the selected safe compartment is reached. Should the Y
35 protective disc 20 stop or be stopped in a position which
differs from the desired position, owing to a fault in the
drive system of the protective disc 20 or owing to external
influences, the door 16 is protected at the position of the
opening 22 by the door ~4, which would not be the case in `'
WO 94/12752 PCTn~L93/00249
the embodiment according to Fig. 1. -`
The degree of protection to be achieved with the ~
embodiment according to Fig. 2 is also given if the -
embodiment according ta r i~. 3 is selected. In additlcn to
that of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, this embodiment
comprises a second protective disc 2~ which,-although it is ~ `
shown at a distance from protective disc 20,--in reality -
virtually directly abuts the side of the protective disc 20
facing away from the housing 2. The protective disc 28 is
provided with a through opening 30, the shape of which
corresponds essentially to that of the opening 22 in the
protective disc 20. The protective disc 28, like the
protective disc 20, is rotatable about the axis 10 of the
housing 2. When all doors 16 of the safe compartments in
the housing 2 are closed, the protective discs 20 and 28
can be rotated independently from each other in the same or
opposite directions. For the highest possible degree of
protection, the openings 22 and 30 will be brought into
line with each other only above a door 16 of a
20 predetermined co~partment which is to be opened. For this ~-
purpose, the opening 22 of the protective disc 20 is first
positioned above the door 16 in questio~, following which
the opening 30 in the protective disc 28 is brought into
line with the opening~22 in the protective disc 20. The
door 16 of the selected safe compartment can then be
unlocked and opened through the openings 22 and 30. --;
Fig. 4 shows a variant of the embodiment shown in
Fig. 3 with both greater safety and a greater degree of
protection. The greater degree of protection is obtained by
providing a door 34 which plVots relative to an axis 32 and
can close the opening 30 in the protective disc 28. The
door 34 is normally locked, and this locking is not
released until the openlngs 22 and 30 are in line with the
door 16 of a selected safe compartment. Greater safety is
achieved by designing the safe access control means in such
a way that the drive of the protective discs 20 and 28
cannot be activated until after the door 34 has been closed
and locked. This ensures that fingers or the like cannot
:
~ become trapped in the openings 22 and 30 through the
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~ WO94/12752 2~ ~ 989 5 PCT~L93100249 ~
_ 9 _
openings 22 and 30 being moved away from each other.
Fig. 5 shows a safe with a cylindrical housing 2
comprising a cylinder surface-shaped inside wall 6, a disc-
shaped bottom wall 40, a disc-shaped tOp wall 42 and a
S number of partitions 44 extending radially. The partitions
44 extend from the outside of the inside wall 6 to the
outer perimeter of the bottom and top wall 40, 42, and thus
define a number of safe compartments in the housing 2. ;~
These safe compartments are `in principle cylinder sector-
shaped, as indicated by dashed lines for one safe
compartment in Fig. 5. The safe compartments are com-
pletely closed at the sides where the inside wall 6, the
bottom wall 40, the top wall 42 and the partitions 44 are
located, while they have an access opening at the side
where the outside wall 46 of the housing 2 is located.
These access openings can be closed by means of a lockable
door 48, which can pivot relative to an axis 50.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the safe ~-
compartments are set up in a fixed manner and the axis lO
extends vertically. The same applies to the embodiments
according to Figs. 6 - 8, which will be discussed below.
Fig. 5 shows a protective membe~r in the form of a
protective cylinder 52, which extends parallel to the axis
lO of the housing 2. For the sake of clarity, protective
25 cylinder 52 is shown at a distance from the top wall of the -
housing 2, but in reality the protective cylinder 52 will
extend over and virtually abut the outside wall 46 of the
housing 2. The protective cylinder 52 is provided with an
opening 54 which i5 essentially the same shape as the
30 access opening to a safe compartment in the housing 2. The ;~
protective cylinder 52 can be rotated relative to the axis
lO by means of a suitable drive, which makes it possible to
bring the opening 54 into line with one of the access
openings of the safe compartments in the housing 2. During
the movement of the protective cylinder 52 the doors 48 of
the safe compartments are alI closed and locked in a manner
not shown in any further detail. When the opening 54 of the
protective cylinder 52 has come to a standstill in front of
a preselected safe compartment, its door 48 can be unlocked !~
WO~41127~2 PCT ~ 93/00249 ~
21~9895 ^-
-- 10 --
and opened through the opening 54. The interior of the safe -~
compartment in question is then available for the insertion
or removal of personal belongings. The rotation of the
protecti~e cylinder 62 and th~ unlocking of a door 48 of a
5 safe compartment are controlled by safe access control -
means which are not shown in any further detail, and which
will be discussed in further detail below.
A comparison of Figs. 5 - 8 with Figs. l - 4 shows
that the first-mentioned figures differ from the last-
mentioned figures only as regards the position of theaccess openings to the safe compartments and the
corresponding position and shape of the protective member. ~-
The comments made with regard to the design and functioning
of the pro~ective member in respect of the embodiments
lS shown in Figs. l - 4 are therefore equally applicable to
the embodiments shown in Figs. 5 - 8. Protective disc 20
and o~ening 22 of Figs. l and 2 have the same functions as
the protective cylinder 52 and opening 54 of Figs. 5 and 6;
the protective discs 20 and 28 and openings 22 and 30 shown
in Figs. 3 and 4 have the same functions as protective
cylinders 52 and 56 and openings 54 and 57 of Figs. 7 and
8; door 24 of Fig. 2 has the same func~ion as door 58 of
Fig. 6; and door 34 of Fig. 4 has the same function as
door 60 of Fig. 8. It will be clear that the inner diameter
of the protective cylinder 52 of Figs. 5 - 8 is slightly
greater than the outer diameter of the housing 2, in order
to permit rotation of the protective cylinder 52 about the
housing 2. In a similar way, the inner diameter of
protective cylinder 56 is slightly greater than the outer
diameter of protective cylinder 52.
Fig. 9 shows details of a safe designed according
to the principle described with reference to Fig. l. A
number of safe compartments 70, which can be closed by
means of lockable doors 161 are formed in the cylindrical
housing 2. One of the safe compartments cannot be used for
storing personal belongings, because it contains a motor 72
in which a gear wheel 74 disposed on the drive shaft drives
a toothed belt 76. The teeth of the belt 76 can engage
grooves 78 which are provided along the outer perimeter of
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~ WO94/12752 PCT ~ 93/00249
.
a cylinder 80, which is fixed to protective disc 20 and has
such a diameter that it can be accommodated inside the
cylindrical inside wall 6 of the housing 2. A reinforcement ~.
ring 82 is provided around the housiny ~, in order to foii
5 attempts to break into it. At the place where the cylinder . ~:
80 merges into the protective disc 20, the opening of the
cylinder 80 is closed by means of a frame 84, in which the
electronic control elements of the safe can be
accommodated, and on which a con~rol panel 86 can be ~:
placed. The control panel 85 comprises a screen 88 on which
instructions, messages and the like for the user of ~he
sa~e can be displayed. A slot 90 for the insertion of money ::~
payable for the rental of a saf e compartment is disposed
near the screen 88. Rejected coins are returned into a tray
situated behind flap 92. The`control panel 86 is also
provided with a keyboard 94, by means of which alphanumeric -.-.
codes can be keyed in. The control of the safe is.
preferably designed in such a way that at the beginning of
the rental of a safe compartment the user keys in an
20 alphanumerical code which he has thought of himself, and at ~-
the end of the rental period this code has to be keyed in ~.
a~ain for the purpose of opening a safe~ compartment. A11
that the user therefore has to do is to remember his ~:~
personal code during the rental period; he does not have to
have a key, magnetic strip card or the like which are
necessary for the safes according to the prior art. A .~:-
radially inward projecting lip 96, which covers the opening
22 in the protective disc 20 in an initial position ~:
thereof, is fixed to the reinforcement ring 82. This .:
initial position is preferably selected in such a way that
th~ compartment 70 in which the motor 72 is situated, the -
opening 22 and the lip 96 lie in line with one another.
~ -:
Fig. 10 shows a safe of the type shown in Fig. 6,
accommodated in a wall 100. For an increase in the number
of safe compartments of the safe, a number of the units
shown in principle in:Fig. 6 are stac~ed in layers, i.e. a ,
: layer 2at a layer 2b, a layer 2c and a layer 2d, while
between the layer 2~ and the layer 2c there is a layer
which is not provided with safe compartments and has a : ~:
',
.:
8 9 ~ PCT~L93/00249 ~`J
- 12 ~
casing in which operating and control elements are
accommodated. ::
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, compartments
are fitted only over 180 cf` the housing. The pro~ective
cylinders 52 extend over 360, half of the protective
cylinder 52 extending behind the wall 100. The cylinders 52
can be driven independently of each other by means of
motors 104, on the output shaft of which a drive wheel 106
which acts upon the outer perimeter of the protective
cylinders 52 is provided. If no safe compartment need be
opened in a layer 2a, 2b, 2c or 2d, the protective
cylinders 52 are rota~ed by means of their drives in such a
way that the access openings 54 with the doors 58 are
situated behind the wall loo.
Within the scope of the invention it is easily
possible to select the design of the doors of the sa~e
compartments and the door of a protective disc or a
protective cylinder freely within the technical limits.
Instead of pivoting doors, sliding or folding doors can
thus also be used.
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