BURGLARY PROTECTION

Abstract: A burglary protection that strikes back and actively prevents merchandise from being stolen. This operates so that if a burglary is indicated in for example a shop, within a few seconds, an opaque grayish white smoke spreads out and fills parts or the whole room within about 10 seconds. There is no possibility of scattering the smoke and the smoke expansion can continue for 10 minutes or more. At an embodiment, smoke producers are used, which contain a compressed gas and the smoke liquid which is normally at the same temperature as the surroundings. The smoke liquid is heated directly and quickly to vapour by electronic heating at high effect and spread via nozzles.

Description: Burglary Protection The present invention refers to a burglary protection that strikes back and actively prevents merchandise from being stolen. If a door or a window is broken up or smashed in the premises of a shop for example, an opaque grayish white smoke starts to spray out from the construction within about 2 seconds, and fills the whole or parts of the room within about 10 seconds. The burglar has no possibility to scatter the smoke and the smoke generation can continue for 10 minutes or more. The smoke liquid that is used at the present invention is very common at theatres, movies, and rock concerts. It is not dangerous to inhale or at skin or eye contact and it does not leave dust that can stain fabric and alike. The liquid and the smoke is almost odourless. An alcohol-based liquid of this type is sold with the commercial name "ROSCO" . Essential differences between the smoke producers of the present invention and those normally used at theatres and alike, are that the former utilize liquid containers that contain a compressed driving gas and that the smoke liquid normally is of the same temperature as the surroundings. Another difference is that the smoke liquid directly and quickly is heated to vapour by heating at high power at nozzles. With this mode of operation the smoke producers do not consume any energy before they are activated by an alarm sensor or an alarm system. These and other characteristics are more particularly described in the following patent claims. The burglary protection according to the invention can for example be connected to an existing glass smashing alarm or another existing alarm system. It can be provided with electronics for reading of excitations of the leading alarm brands, option-switches and with indication of what type of alarm that is connected. If there is no other alarm installed, it can work as an independent unit, to which different sensors can be connected. The device according to the invention can preferably be provided with a switch for alarm testing, that prevents smoke to develop when being switched on, but gives an indication of alarm at the test situation. The smoke generators are also provided with over-heating protection and short-circuit protection. The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 demonstrates perspicuously an example of a system according to the invention. Figure 2 demonstrates a high pressure container with an expansion unit. Figure 3A and 3B schematically demonstrates how the expansion nozzle can be constructed. Figure 4A and 4B demonstrates in front view respective side view an embodiment of the smoke producer according to the invention. Figure 5 schematically demonstrates a second embodiment of the invention. A control unit 4 contains electronics for operation control af a number of smoke units 5. These consist of two parts, one is stationary installed and the other, changeable part 6, can be quickly exchanged after a triggered alarm so that the arrangement will be in working order. From the control unit 4 to the smoke units 5, operation controlling conductors 7 are extended, at which the smoke units 5 can be connected parallelly or in series. At least one conductor 9 for alarm signals is connected to the control unit and conductors 8 for main current are connected to all units. Altenatively, one control unit 4 is included in every smoke unit 5, so that every smoke unit 5 is complete. The control unit 4 can for example be provided with a signal lamp for operation indication, a set of keys, and a display. It can be constructed with a programmable operation computer with an undestroyable PROM memory. It can be arranged for reading of incoming alarm signals and for control of one or more smoke units. It can have options for parallell and/or serial operation, for time delay on all or one chosen smoke unit, either as a pure time delay counted from the first released smoke unit or from the release of a chosen smoke unit. The stationary installed part of the smoke unit 5 contains electronics for receiving and transmission to the control unit and for power control for feeding of the filaments in the changeable parts 6. Furthermore, there are electronics for operation of filaments and a connection plate for the changeable part. The contents of the changeable part 6 are more particularly described in figure 2. From a high pressure container 3 , containing smoke liquid and driving gas, smoke liquid is led via a tube to an expansion unit 1, in which the smoke liquid is vapourised, and the smoke is spread by spreading tubes 2. At one embodiment, the expansion unit 1 can be constructed according to figure 3A or 3B. In order to get as much vapourisation as possible of the smoke liquid, several electrical filaments at high power are used after each other in the expansion nozzle. The filaments endure very high temperatures. Preferably, three filaments 10, 11, and 12 are arranged one after the other between the inlet 13 for the liquid and the outlet 14 for smoke. The filaments are placed, and the expansion nozzle is shaped so that almost a total liquid vapourisation is gained. As an example to vapourise 2 litres of smoke liquid during 10 minutes of operation, the filaments are dimensioned for the power of 8,7 kW. Loop 10 is made red-hot immediately. It contains a thread with the diametre 1,7 mm, the length 9080 mm and has a surface load of 18,6 W/cm 2 . Loop 2 is made red- hot close to chilling and to burning limit of loop 1 '. It contains of thread with a diametre of 1,9 mm, a length of 1350 mm and a surface load of 15 W/cm 2 . Loop 12 is made red- hot in the same way, and has a diametre of 2,0 mm, a length of 19580 mm and a surface load of 12,1 W/cm 2 in order to manage the remaining vapourisation time for a total operating time of 10 minutes. An electromagnetic valve operates the opening and the closing of smoke liquid supply. There is detecting of burnt off filament and sensing of vapourised smoke liquid so that the valve closes the supply of smoke liquid if it is not vapourised. The expansion nozzle's outlet can also be arranged so that unvapourised smoke is led to a container on the side. An example of an arrangement of the smoke unit with three one-time-use smoke ampoules is demonstrated in figure 4A and 4B. Pressure containers with overpressure are connected to the smoke ampo les. The containers can be of different sizes for different covering needs. With the burglary protection installed at a ceiling level the three smoke ampoules are released at an alarm, the release opens the containers outlet channels with an electromagnetic valve. The outlet channels leads to a heating nozzle where a filament loop is getting in contact with the liquid that is heated and transforms into smoke before it leaves the nozzle opening. The smoke generation continues uninterruptedly for about 10 minutes, the time it normally takes for the police or security crew to get to the place. The smoke does not need to fill the whole room immediately. It can be enough if it quickly forms a thick and "impenetrable" wall. Several smoke producers can be connected to the same control unit in a way that they either are released after each other, for an extended smoke production, or at the same time in order to cover larger areas and volumes. At the second embodiment that is demonstrated in figure 5, the pressure tank 3 is connected, via a closing valve 16, to a tube 15, to which a pressure guard 17 and a magnetic valve 18 are arranged, after which the tube 15 transforms to the inlet tube 13 for smoke liquid to the expansion unit 1, in which the smoke liquid is heated before it reaches the outlet 14. In a normal case with three-phase heating of the smoke liquid, the inlet tube 13 is divided into three identical inlet tubes (not shown) that leads to the expansion unit 1. Inside of the latter, three vapourisation chambres are arranged, each spirally following between the hollow cylinders casing surfaces from the inlet 13 to the outlet 14. In each vapourisation chambre a longish heating spiral is arranged. An operating unit (not shown) is arranged for connection to the magnetic valve 18 and the heating spirals of the expansion unit and to control the valve for the smoke liquid and the heating arrangements so that a heating, corresponding to the smoke liquid flow, is achieved to make an opaque smoke of the smoke liquid. As extra equipment, one or several lamp modules can be connected. They can consist of for example 1 kW halogen tube with asymmetrical reflectors for vertical light concentration. These can be connected on the smoke unit or separately, operated from the smoke unit, or in occuring cases, the separate control unit. At alarm, the light beams are reflected on the smoke particles and creates an even greater feeling of inpenetrability. Other embodiments are possible within the limits of the following patent claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for burglary protection, at which at least one smoke generator is connected to an alarm detecor or an alarm device that is arranged to start the smoke generator when a burglary is indicated, at which the smoke generator includes at least one container with smoke liquid, characterized by that every container is connected to at least one nozzle via heating arrangements that are normally not activated, that the smoke generator is started by the alarm detector or the alarm device, and that the heating arrangement is connected when the smoke generator is started so that smoke is spread through the nozzle/the nozzles. 2 . A method according to claim 1, characterized by that to the alarm detector or the alarm device several modules are connected, containing heating arrangements and appurtenant container for smoke liquid, and that the number and the placement of these modules are adapted to the space they are placed in to attain a necessary volume of smoke and spread of smoke. 3. A method according to claim 1, characterized by that the container with smoke liquid is under pressure and that it is connected to the nozzle via a valve. 4. A method according to either of the claims 1-3, characterized by that one or several illumination arrangements, with light direced toward the smoke from a smoke generator, is arranged. 5. A method according to claim 3, characterized by that an operation unit is arranged for each smoke unit, at which the operating unit is arranged to operate the valve for the smoke liquid and to this smoke unit connected heating arrangements, so that a heating, corresponding to smoke liquid flow, is received to create an opaque smoke of the smoke liquid. 6. A device for burglary protection, at which at least one smoke generator is connected to an alarm detector or an alarm device so that the alarm detector or the alarm device is arranged to start the smoke generator when a burglary is indicated, characterized by that the smoke generator includes at least one container with smoke liquid, that each container is connected to at least one nozzle via heating arrangements that the heating arrangements normally are not activated but are switched on when the smoke generator is started when burglary is indicated, whereby smoke is spread through the nozzle/the nozzles. 7. A device according to claim 6, characterized by that several modules including heating arrangements and appurtenant containers for smoke liquid, are connected to the alarm detector or the alarm device and that the number and the placement of these modules are adapted for the space they are place in to attain a necessary volume of smoke and smoke spread. 8. A device according to claim 6, characterized by that each container with smoke liquid is pressurized and that it is connected to at least one nozzle with heating arrangements via a valve. 9. A device according to any of the claims 6-8, characterized by that it includes one or several lighting arrangements with light directed toward the smoke from a smoke generator. 10. A device according to claim 8, characterized by that an operating unit is arranged for each smoke unit at which the operating unit is arranged to operate the valve for the smoke liquid and to this smoke unit connected heating arrangements so that a heating, corresponding to the smoke liquid flow, is attained to create an opaque smoke of the smoke liquid.

Inventors: LJUNGBERG OLLE, LJUNGBERG, OLLE
Applicants: LJUNGBERG OLLE, SMOKE ON GUARD, LJUNGBERG, OLLE
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G08B15
IPC codes: G08B15