SECURITY CABINET

Abstract: A security cabinet comprises a body (19) of a high strength material and at least one burglary resistant lockable door (16). To make the inventive cabinet sufficiently burglary resistant for storing e.g. firearms, it is designed with one main element (10) and at least one end element (11) attached to one end of the main element, at least one display window (15) with a glass panel of shock-proof, burglary resistant glass sheet material being stationarily mounted in the body of the main element, whereas the burglary resistant, lockable door (16) of the cabinet is attached to the body (19) of the end element (11) and forms at least part of the corresponding end wall of the cabinet. The display window (15) is mounted by being clamped between a circumferential frame (23) made of a high-strength material and arranged on the outside of the body (19), and a circumferential, torsionally rigid frame section (21) on the inside of the body. The frame (23) engages the body outside, and the frame section (21) is attached to the body inside to form a mounting groove for the glass panel.

Description: SECURITY CABINET The present invention relates to a security cabinet of the showcase type which permits display of objects stored in the cabinet with a minimum of theft risk. The cabinet is especially intended for the storing of goods and objects, e.g. firearms and jewellery, for which the theft risk is great. When storing such objects, prior-art cabinets have proved not to be sufficiently burglary resistant to satis¬ fy the requirements of the authorities concerning security cabinets for firearms. With regard to, inter alia, the matter of insurance, there is a need of security cabinets of the showcase type also for other articles that are especially liable to be stolen, for example in the gold¬ smith, watchmaking and computer business. By "showcase- type security cabinet" is meant, in this context, a cabi¬ net having at least one glass panel through which the objects stored in the cabinet can be seen. Such showcases and/or cabinets approved for the storing of firearms in shops or at home are not available, as far as is known. One object of the present invention therefore is to provide a security cabinet which satisfies these needs. A further object is to design a showcase so as to allow dis- play of goods or objects, while maintaining such a secu¬ rity class that it can be used as a cabinet approved for storing firearms at home, at arms dealers' or in museums. According to the invention, these and other objects are achieved if the security cabinet is designed as defin- ed in claim 1. The subclaims define especially preferred embodiments of the invention. Briefly, the problems with prior-art cabinets have been solved by the knowledge that the cabinet should be formed of a plurality of interconnected elements, viz. a main element and at least one end element. The display window or windows of shock-proof, burglary resistant glass sheet material is/are stationarily mounted in the body of the main element. The burglary resistant door is arranged in the free end wall of the end element, which constitutes a side wall of the cabinet. If desired, end elements can be attached to both ends of the main element to make the interior of the cabinet accessible from both ends. This arrangement renders it possible to use ordinary, approved security cabinets as end elements, by being made with an open back and an inwardly directed circumferential mount¬ ing flange which is connected, by screwing and/or welding, at least tack welding, to a similar mounting flange at the corresponding open end of the main element. The entire front and/or back of the security cabinet main element may be designed as a display window having a glass panel of shock-proof, burglary resistant glass sheet material by the main element having a body in which the glass panel of the display window is mounted by being clamped between a circumferential frame on the body outside and a circum¬ ferential, torsionally rigid frame section positioned on the body inside. The frame engages the body outside, and the frame section is attached to the body inside so as to form a mounting groove for the glass panel. Swedish Patent Specification 80013302-2 (SE-B- 434,967) discloses a cabinet which is made as a parallel- epipedal box of steel sheet, the box having a door opening surrounded by a rigid, internal box section which is pro¬ vided by folding the steel sheet of the box and which con¬ stitutes the door frame of the cabinet. The door of the cabinet is mounted in the box section by means of hinge pins extending into the corresponding hinge sleeves or holes in two opposite box sections in the cabinet door frame. This cabinet does not allow display of the objects stored therein. US-A-1,076,143 discloses a showcase which is readily mountable and dismountable and has a simple corner post construction for the front and end walls, display windows being inserted in the walls and having the shape of simple glass panels which are clamped between a mounting flange or groove which is made in one piece with the wall, and an externally mounted clamping strip or frame. This showcase is not designed in such a manner that it may be classified as a security cabinet. US-A-3,544,181 discloses a simplified showcase in which glass panels are mounted in extrusion formed plastic sections of an essentially rigid plastic material. The plastic sections are designed in such a manner that they can receive and yieldingly support the outer edges of the glass plates and neighbouring parts of the fronts and backs of the glass panels, these plastic sections in turn being mounted in U-shaped metal sections forming the frame of the showcase. However, the construction cannot be clas¬ sified as a security cabinet. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a secu¬ rity cabinet according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of this cabinet, Fig. 3 is a side view of the cabinet, as seen from the left in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line IV-IV in Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line V-V in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI in Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 4, of parts of a further embodiment of the security cabinet according to the invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a security cabinet according to the invention. The security cabinet comprises one main element 10 and two end elements 11, 12. These three elements are mounted together and, besides, attached to a lower part 13 having a base 14. In the embodiment shown, the main element 10 is form- ed with a front in the form of a display window 15. Each end element 11, 12 comprises a security door 16 with a handle 17 and a combination lock 18 or some other suitable lock. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cabinet main ele¬ ment 10 and a portion of the lower part 13. The main ele- ment and end elements of the cabinet comprise a body 19 of a high-strength sheet material, preferably steel sheet. In the embodiment shown, only one of the major parts of the main element is formed with a display window 15, and the back is in this case made of the same material as used for the body 19. Around the opening of the window glass panel 15 in the front of the main element there is fitted an inwardly directed stiffening flange 20 which in this case is integrated with the body 19. To form a mounting groove for the glass panel 15, which may have a thickness of e.g. 30 or 40 mm or more, use is made of a torsionally rigid frame section 21 which in the embodiment shown is trape¬ zoidal in cross-section, thereby obtaining excellent tor- sional rigidity. At the inner edge of this frame section there is formed an inwardly directed clamping flange 22 which is adapted to be a mounting groove for the glass panel 15. The glass panel 15 is clamped between this clamping flange 22 and a frame 23 engaging the cabinet outside. This circumferential frame is attached by means of screws 24 which are screwed through the frame section and the material of the body 19 such that this and also the glass panel are clamped between the frame section 21 and the frame 23. The fact that the body 19 comprises the inwardly directed flange 20 and the frame section 21 encompasses this flange and besides is screwed to the body and the frame 23 results in excellent security against attempted burglary by using burglary tools in these areas of the cabinet. A sealing material is, in conventional manner, inserted between the glass panel 15 and the clamp¬ ing flange 22 as well as the frame 23, and also between the flange 20 and the circumferential edge of the glass panel. Fig. 4 also shows that the main element 10 is screwed to the lower part 13 by means of screws 25. Of course, use can be made of tack welding or complete welding together, either instead of or supplementing the screw joint. Fig. 4 also shows that the ends of the main element 10 are fitted with inwardly directed flanges 6 which per¬ mit assembly of the main element 10 and the two end ele¬ ments 11, 12. Also this assembly may be effected by means of screws 25 and/or by tack welding or complete welding. Figs 5 and 6 illustrate parts of two horizontal sec¬ tional views along the lines V-V and VI-VI, respectively, in Fig. 3. The two Figures illustrate how the main element 10 is screwed to the end element 11 by screws 25 being inserted through bores in the inwardly directed end flanges 26 on the main element 10 and the end element 11, respectively. As mentioned above, such screwing together may be supplemented with or replaced by tack welding or complete welding together of the flanges 26. As is evident from the Figures, the end element 11 is designed as the front part of an ordinary security cabinet, i.e. it is made of a high-strength sheet material (preferably steel sheet) with reinforced corner areas 27 which form a square-section-like element. Fig. 6 illu¬ strates how the security door 16 is hinged to the end element 11 by means of hinges 28, the door leaf 16 having at its terminal edge a projecting flange 29 which engages the open reinforced corner area of the body. Furthermore there is an outwardly directed flange 30 which engages behind the inwardly directed portion 31 of the corner area. At the opposite side edge of the door, the door leaf 16 is formed with two inwardly directed flanges 32, 33 between which an outwardly directed flange 34 extends when the door is closed. The spring bolts 35 of the lock are inserted through these flanges 32, 33, 34 and into the square-section-like element of the corner area 27, when locking the door. If a burglar thus tries to burn off the hinges 28, it will not be possible to open the security door since the flanges 29 and 30 as well as the spring bolts 35 prevent this. A great advantage of the invention is that one or both ends of the security cabinet is/are designed as a shortened, standard type security cabinet having an open back to be assembled with the main element 10 of the security cabinet designed according to the invention. This implies an essential rationalisation of the manufac- ture of cabinets. Furthermore, the main element may be optionally designed with security panels covering the entire front and possibly also the entire back and top of the cabinet main element. The drawings do not illustrate the interior fittings of the security cabinet according to the invention. The fittings may be varied as requested and according to the type of article displayed. Of course, the inside and the metal sheet components of the security cabinet should be covered with some suitable coating material to provide an attractive appearance. Correspondingly, the end elements of the security cabinet may possibly be coated with wooden material or some other material if the security cabinet is to be used as a piece of display furniture at home. A great advantage of the invention is also that the end ele- ments can be designed as standard type elements and be combined with main elements of different length according to the desired size of the showcase. Presently, a cabinet depth of about 550 mm is considered convenient, the end elements having a thickness of e.g. 110 mm, counted from the front of the door to the back of the inwardly directed flanges 26. The height of the cabinet may, of course, vary, but at present a height of 1500 mm is considered convenient. The main element may have different length, for instance 1000 mm, 1500 mm or 2000 mm, which at a depth of 110 mm of the end elements 11, 12 yields of a total length of 1220 mm, 1720 mm and 2220 mm, respectively, for the above-mentioned lengths of the main element 10. For these three sizes of the security cabinet according to the invention, the glass panels may be of a length of 992 mm, 1492 mm and 1992 mm, respectively, and a height of 1366 mm. The circumferential frame 23 may be designed as a continuous frame, but may also be designed as four sepa¬ rate clamping strips having a cross-section of e.g. 20 x 60 mm at the stated dimensions of the security panels. In the embodiment according to Figs 1-6, the glass panel 15 is shown to be a homogeneous glass sheet, but preferably the glass panel is laminated, i.e. two or more individual glass sheets are interconnected by means of polycarbonate layers. The security panel may advantageous¬ ly have alternate layers of glass material and layers of polycarbonate material for obtaining high impact resis¬ tance and high resistance to attempted burglary. In the embodiment according to Fig. 7, the security window 15 is designed as a glass sheet unit in which two glass panels 15', 15" are spaced apart by means of inserts in the form of a circumferential spacing element of, for instance, aluminium, the two glass panels being intercon¬ nected to form a sealed glazing unit. In this embodiment, the outer glass panel 15' is designed as a laminated panel with an outer layer 31 of glass material and an interme- diate layer 32 of polycarbonate material. The inner glass panel 15" is formed of three layers 33 of glass material and three layers 34 of polycarbonate material. This design of the glass panel 15 yields an extremely high burglary resistance, since the air gap 35 between the two panels 15', 15" strongly obstructs the use of cutting tools for making a hole in the security window 15. In the embodiment according to Fig. 7, the outside frame 36 is designed in a manner which is slightly diffe¬ rent from the embodiment according to Figs 1-6. In this case the frame 36 comprises an extruded metal section 37 of e.g. aluminium or some other light metal material and a frame strip 38 of a high-strength material, preferably steel, which is inserted in this metal section. In the embodiment shown, the metal section 37 is formed as a U-section with an undercut groove for receiving the frame strip 38, the fixing screws 24 being inserted through the mouth 39 of the groove to be screwed into threaded holes in the frame strip 38. In the embodiment according to Fig. 7, the torsional- ly rigid frame section 21' , which is used to clamp the glass panel or glass sheet unit 15, is designed as an extruded section strip of steel or hardened aluminium or some other light metal material. The illustrated design of this frame section 21' with an inwardly directed clamping flange 22' results in high torsional rigidity. Like in the embodiment according to Figs 1-6, an adhesive sealing material is inserted in conventional man¬ ner between the glass panel 15 and the clamping flange 22' and the frame 36, respectively.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Security cabinet having a body (19) of a high- strength material, preferably steel, and at least one burglary resistant, lockable door (16), c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that said safe comprises a main element (10) and at least one end element (11, 12) attached to one end of said main element (10), the main element (10) hav- ing two opposite major parts of which at least one com¬ prises a display window (15) having a shock-proof, burg¬ lary resistant glass panel attached to the body (19) of said main element (10) by being clamped between a circum¬ ferential frame (23) of a high-strength material, prefer- ably steel, engaging the outside of said body, and a cir¬ cumferential, torsionally rigid frame section (21) attach¬ ed to the inside of said body, and that the burglary resistant, lockable door (16) of said cabinet is attached to the body of said end element and forms at least part of the corresponding end wall of said cabinet. 2. Security cabinet as claimed in claim 1, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that the end faces of said main ele¬ ment (10) and said end element (11, 12), which face one another, are formed with inwardly directed flanges (26) by means of which said main element and said end element are interconnected. 3. Security cabinet as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the circumferential frame section (21) is formed, at its inner edge, with an inwardly directed clamping flange (22) which is adapted to form a mounting groove for the glass panel (15). 4. Security cabinet as claimed in claim 3, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that the circumferential frame sec¬ tion (21) is essentially trapezoidal in cross-section. 5. Security cabinet as claimed in claim 4, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that the frame section (21) of trapezoidal cross-section has its wide surface facing inwards, and that the clamping flange (22) is formed at the inner edge of said wide surface. 6. Security cabinet as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the body (19) of said main element (10) is formed with an inwardly directed, circumferential stiffening flange (20) at the edge of the display window (15), that said circumferential frame sec¬ tion (21) in its mounted state engages said stiffening flange (20) in such a manner that the clamping flange (22) of said frame section extends towards the display window (15), thereby forming the mounting groove for the glass panel. 7. Security cabinet as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said frame sec- tion (21) and said frame (23) are screwed together, there¬ by clamping between themselves the body (19) of said main element and the glass panel (15). 8. Security cabinet as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the shock-proof glass panel (15) is a laminated glass sheet. 9. Security cabinet as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said shock-proof glass panel (15) consists of a glass sheet unit (15', 15") comprising at least two spaced-apart laminated glass sheets (15', 15"). 10. Security cabinet as claimed in claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said laminated glass sheets (15', 15") of said glass sheet unit (15) comprise at least two sheets (31, 33) of glass and three sheets (32, 34) of polycarbonate, which sheets are laminated together such that both outer faces of the glass sheet unit (15) are formed of sheets (31, 33) of glass.

Inventors: JOHANSSON JERZY KRYSZOF, JOHANSSON, JERZY, KRYSZOF
Applicants: JOHANSSON JERZY KRYSZOF, JOHANSSON, JERZY, KRYSZOF
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A47B81
IPC codes: A47B81, A47F3, A47F7, E05G1