Intrusion deterrent apparatus

An intrusion deterrent apparatus which activates a water spraying device in a specific area to prevent unauthorized activities within that area such as the application of graffiti. Connected with the water spraying device is a sensor that detects the presence of an animal. The water spraying device is to be activated for a preset period of time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The field of this invention relates to intrusion deterrent apparatuses and 
more particularly to an apparatus which will deter the presence of an 
animal such as a human being from performing an unauthorized activity in 
or on a given area. 
Within the outdoors environments, there are many specific areas where 
unauthorized intrusion by animals is not desired. Common outdoor 
environmental areas would be walls, buildings, tunnels, bridges and other 
similar structures made by human beings. There is always a risk that these 
structures can be damaged not only by dogs and cats, but principally by 
human beings. A certain segment of the population have a strong need for 
writing and drawing on these structures. Generally, the writing and 
drawing is accomplished through the use of paint with spray paint cans 
being normally preferred. When these structures are constructed, the 
structures are generally made to have a desirable appearance. The 
application of one drawing and/or writing detracts from that appearance. 
Graffiti is a continuous big problem within any city, large or small. 
At the present time, the only way to correct graffiti is after the fact. 
Once a structure has had graffiti applied to it, the municipality arranges 
to either have the graffiti erased or have the structure painted to cover 
by the graffiti. Either procedure is of significant expense to any 
municipality. 
Although the structure of the present invention is designed primarily to 
deter the application of graffiti by human beings onto structures such as 
walls, sides of buildings and the like, it is certainly possible that the 
structure of the present invention can be utilized as a burglar deterrent 
or a deterrent for animals such as dogs and cats. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The structure of the present invention can either be manufactured to be 
usable in conjunction with previously installed equipment or can be 
manufactured as a complete unit to be installed within a given area. The 
previous installed equipment are usually irrigating sprinklers. A sensor 
is to be mounted at an appropriate elevated location from the ground and 
is designed to detect the presence of an animal within a specific area 
with this specific area being located directly adjacent the fixed 
structure that is to be protected. Once the presence is detected, the 
sensor activates through electrical circuitry the irrigating sprinklers 
located in this specific area. Because the human being is getting 
drenched, it is normally not conducive for that human being to continue to 
apply graffiti. Once the human being has left the specific area, the 
irrigating sprinklers will be deactivated. There may also be utilized a 
separate sprinkler system mounted on the fixed structure itself. It will 
be the designation of that sprinkler system to spray directly onto the 
fixed structure. The application of the "sheet of water" onto the fixed 
structure will almost make it impossible for anyone to apply graffiti to 
the fixed structure. 
The primary objective of the present invention is to construct an apparatus 
which will effectively deter the application of graffiti to a fixed 
structure within almost any environment. 
Another objective to the present invention is to construct an apparatus 
that deters the application of graffiti by utilizing pre-existing 
equipment such as previously installed irrigation systems. 
Another objective of the present invention is to construct an apparatus 
which is to deter the application of graffiti to a fixed structure where 
it would be difficult for the person applying the graffiti to discover the 
presence of the apparatus. 
Another objective to the present invention is to construct an apparatus to 
deter the application of graffiti which can be installed in a wide variety 
of different manners depending upon the requirement of a particular 
installation so therefore it is difficult for the graffiti applier to 
discover and deactivate the apparatus. 
Another objective of the present invention is to construct an apparatus 
which deters the application of graffiti which is inexpensive to 
manufacture and therefore inexpensive to the ultimate consumer. 
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a graffiti 
deterring apparatus which is relatively uncomplicated and can be quickly 
and easily installed by individuals of minimum technical ability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOWN EMBODIMENT 
Referring particularly to the drawings, there is depicted a vertical wall 
10 located in an outdoors environment which is supported on ground 12. The 
ground 12 will normally comprise soil and has a landscaped area such as 
grass 14 on its upper surface. Within the ground 12 is mounted a series of 
irrigating sprinklers 16. The sprinklers 16 are connected together through 
a conduit 18 through which water is to be conducted to each sprinkler 16. 
It is to be understood that normally the water is to be supplied into the 
conduit 18 through a valve 20. The valve 20 is to be controlled 
electrically and will be activated at appropriate times by means of a time 
clock 22. The use of a valve 20 and a time clock 22 is deemed to be 
conventional. 
The circuit is shown within FIG. 5 for operating of the valve 20. A 
conventional one hundred ten volt circuit is supplied to a transformer 24. 
From the transformer 24 there is produced a twenty-four volt circuit 
within coil 26 of the transformer 24. The coil 26 is connected by 
electrical connector 28 to the time clock 22. Twenty-four volts is also 
supplied through conductors 34 and 36 to a second coil 38. Coil 38 is part 
of a step-up transformer 54 between the coil 26 and the connection between 
conductors 28 and 34 is located a conventional fuse 56. 
Coil 54 produces one hundred ten volts which is to be supplied to relay 58. 
Through relay 58 the one hundred ten volts is supplied through conductor 
46 to the sensor 32. Relay 58 also includes a coil 60. Coil 60 functions 
to close switch 62. Switch 62 is electrically connected by conductor 64 to 
conductor 34. Closing of switch 62 supplies a signal through conductor 66 
to manually operated switch 68. If manually operated switch 68 is closed, 
then the signal is transmitted through conductor 70 to position A of the 
item clock 22. A particular valve, such as valve 20, is to be connected to 
each position on the time clock 22 with only positions A and B being 
shown. It happens to be that valve 20 is shown connected to position A. It 
is to be understood that there will be a separate irrigation valve 20 that 
would be connected to position B. In all probability, the time clock 22 
will include other positions which are not shown. It is normal that such 
time clocks 22 are capable of being connected to six or more irrigation 
valves. 
When the time clock 22 is closed, which is to occur automatically at a 
preset time, the relay 58 is activated which produces a signal within coil 
60 which closes switch 62. Let it be assumed that the manually operated 
switch 68 is in the closed position. As a result, valve 20 will be 
operated or moved to the open position which will permit water to flow 
through conduit 18 to be discharged through sprinkler heads 16. 
Now let it be assumed that the preset time has not arrived and sensor 32 
detects the presence of an animal. This causes the relay 58 again to be 
activated which again closes switch 62 and since switch 68 is closed, 
again, the valve 20 will be operated. Normally, this operation will be for 
a pre-established time such as a minute or two which can be operated by 
the use of some conventional timer mechanism either associated with the 
time clock 22 or separate from the time clock 22. 
The valve 20 is electrically connected to position A through conductor 72. 
Also, the valve 20 is connected through conductors 74 to junction 76 of 
the time clock 22. Connection to junction 76 is connected by conductor 78 
to the coil 26. It has been found to be preferable to include the coil 24, 
fuse 56 and switch 68 within a first control box 80. A second control box 
82 includes switch 62, transformer 54, relay 58 and coil 60. Sensor 32 can 
take any of numerous forms and will normally be sensitive to either light 
or heat. The detection occurs by either there being a change in light or a 
change in heat with this change occurring due to motion. Such sensors are 
deemed to be conventional and well-known and are conventionally available. 
In most instances, the relay 58 will be de-activated since there will be 
no detection by the sensor 32. 
The sensors 32 are to be mounted at some desired elevated location from the 
grass area 14 of the ground 12. A typical mounting would be through the 
use of a post 40 which is mounted on a platform 42 which is mounted on the 
grass area 14 of the ground 12. At the upper end of the post 40 is located 
an aperture 44. It is within the aperture 44 that the sensor 32 is 
positioned and is adapted to "look out" through the aperture 44. The 
electrical conductor 46 is conducted through the post 40 from the sensor 
32 (directly adjacent the aperture 44) to the sensor control relay 30. It 
is to be noted that in actual practice that the aperture 44 will be 
located ten to twelve feet above the grass area 14. This height will make 
it difficult for a human being to negate the operation of the sensor 32. 
Typically negating of the operation would be by covering of the aperture 
44. In actual practice, the post 40 may not be utilized but instead the 
sensor 32 may be mounted directly on the wall 10 or some other elevated 
location directly adjacent the wall 10. Actually, the location of the 
sensor 32 may be hidden to the point to where it is difficult to observe. 
The aperture 44 is to be directed in the direction that is to be observed. 
In other words, the aperture 44 is to be aligned so that the sensor 32 
will "look" in a direction parallel to the surface of the wall 10. It is 
noted in the drawing that there are two in number of the posts 40 being 
shown. However, it is to be understood that there could be utilized a 
single post 40 (therefore, single sensor 32), or there may be utilized a 
number of posts 40 greater than the two that are shown. The sensors 32 are 
constructed to be extremely sensitive and are capable of detecting the 
presence of an animal such as a human being up to one to two hundred feet 
away. 
Not only can the ground irrigation sprinkler 16 be activated, there could 
also be activated a flooding sprinkler. The purpose of the flooding 
sprinkler valves 46 would be to spray or otherwise pour water directly 
onto the surface 48 of the wall 10. The flooding sprinklers 46 could be 
mounted under a coping 50 mounted on top of the wall 10. The mounting of 
the flooding sprinklers 46 would be by means of a bracket arrangement 52 
which is attached directly to the surface of the wall 10.