Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02334057 2001-02-02
SECURITY CONTAINER
The present invention relates to a security container and is particularly,
although not exclusively, applicable to a portable security box.
Small, valuable items are often at risk of theft unless they are left in a
place with constant, direct supervision or in a secure, lockable vault. While
portable
alarms have been proposed in the past, these are generally for use with
briefcases or
large boxes. They are generally complex and expensive devices with multiple
sensors and control switches. Such devices frequently reset after a
predetermined
alarm period. In many cases they include elaborate systems for disarming the
alarm
before the case is moved or opened.
The present invention is concerned with a simple and easily used
security container that provides a deterrent to theft of either the container
or its
contents.
According to the present invention there is provided a portable security
container with an internal cavity for storing objects, said container
comprising:
a container housing with:
a base, and
a cover mounted on the base for movement between an open
position in which the cavity is accessible from outside the housing and a
closed
position in which the cavity is inaccessible from outside the housing;
a lock for securing the cover in the closed position; and
an alarm mounted in the cavity, the alarm including:
an audible alarm generator with an inactive state and an active
state for generating an audible alarm,
an electric circuit connected to the audible alarm generator and
including:
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manually operated switch means for selectively arming
and disarming the alarm,
a motion sensor for detecting movement of the housing
and generating a motion signal in response thereto,
means for placing the audible alarm generator in the active
state in response to the momentary generation of the motion signal, and
a latch for maintaining the audible alarm generator in the
active state and for switching the audible alarm generator from the active
state to the
inactive state solely in response to disarming of the alarm by the manually
operated
switch means.
When the container is locked, the contents are not accessible.
Movement of the container activates the alarm to inhibit either opening of the
container or theft of the container itself for subsequent opening. The
latching function
of the circuitry keeps the alarm sounding until it is either shut off after
opening the
container or the power supply runs down.
The container may be a relatively small, portable box that is easily
transported when away from the home or office for holding jewellery, cash and
valuable papers.
In preferred embodiments, the control circuit includes a timer actuated
when the alarm is turned on. The timer delays actuation of the alarm for a
short
period, for example ten seconds, allowing the user to close and lock the
container
without generating an alarm.
It is also preferred to include a second timer that delays actuation of the
alarm for another short period after activation of the motion sensor, allowing
an
authorized user to unlock and open the container and turn off the alarm before
the
alarm generator is activated.
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In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a portable lock box according to the
present invention in a closed condition;
Figure 2 is an isometric view of the lock box in an open condition;
Figure 3 is an isometric view of the box cover from the bottom;
Figure 4 is a bottom view of the cover component, showing the alarm in
cross-section; and
Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the alarm circuit.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a lockable
storage container 10 in the form of a box. The container has a housing 12 with
a
base component 14 including a bottom wall 16, two end walls 18 and 20, a front
wall
22 and a back wall 24. The housing also includes a cover component 26 with a
top
wall 28, two end walls 30 and 32, a front wall 34 and a back wall 36. The two
components are connected by a piano hinge 38 along the back walls 24 and 36.
The
end walls 18 and 20 and the front wall 22 of the base component carry an L-
shaped
flange 39 along the top edge. This is offset to the inside and projects
upwardly to
cover the joint between the bottom edge of the cover of the top edge of the
base.
The cover and base components include respective components 40a
and 40b of a lock 40 mounted on the front walls 22 and 34 at the center. In
the
illustrated embodiment, this is a combination lock of conventional form.
Mounted in the housing and secured to the underside of the top 28 of
the cover component is an alarm 42. This includes an alarm housing 44 that is
generally unfeatured. At one end of the housing is a slide type on/off switch
46 and a
slide type set-reset switch 48, both of which are accessible from outside of
the alarm
housing 44 but from inside of the container housing 12.
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The alarm includes a speaker 50 which serves as an audible alarm
generator. The radiating side of the speaker confronts a grill 52 in the top
28 of the
cover component 26. The grill is formed by a series of apertures 54 that allow
the
sound generated by the speaker to be emitted from the container. The alarm
also
includes a circuit board 56 mounted inside the alarm housing 44 and carrying
the
electronic components used for activating and operating the speaker 50. A
battery
container 58 in the alarm housing 44 houses an electric storage battery or
batteries
for operating the alarm.
The electric circuit 60 for operating the alarm is illustrated most
particularly in Figure 5. That circuit includes a battery 62 which serves as
the alarm's
power source. This is connected through the on/off switch 46 to the reset
terminals
64 and the set terminals 66 of the single pull double throw (SPDT) reset and
set
switch 48. The reset terminals are in turn connected to a reset timer 68 which
is reset
to its initial condition whenever the reset terminals 64 are closed. When the
terminals
are open and the set terminals 66 are closed, the output of the reset timer 68
and the
set terminal 66 of the set-reset switch 48 are delivered to an AND gate 70.
When the
timer 68 times out, the output of the AND gate switches state.
The alarm is activated by a motion switch 72 that normally opens and
closes in response to movement of the housing 12. Momentary closing of the
motion
switch 72 causes a flip-flop latching circuit 74 to change state. The outputs
of the
AND gate 70 and the flip-flop 74 are delivered to a second AND gate 76. The
output
of this second AND gate changes state when the output of AND gate 70
corresponds
to a combination of closed set terminals 66 of switch 48, timed out timer 68
and the
change of state of the output of the flip-flop 74 as a result of the closing
of the motion
switch 72. When triggered the AND gate 76 activates an alarm delay timer 78
that
counts down a short period that is adequate to unlock the lock 40, open the
cover and
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operate the on/off switch 46. If the on/off switch 46 is not returned to an
open state
within this time, an alarm driver 80 is activated to cause the speaker 50 to
generate
an alarm sound.
Thus, with a relatively simple system, the security container inhibits the
unauthorized movement or attempted opening of the container by generating an
audible alarm. It also inhibits the theft of the container itself by
maintaining that alarm
until the container is opened and the on/off switch is activated or,
alternatively, until
the battery loses its charge.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described in
the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible
within the
scope of the invention and are intended to be included herein.
