SAFE DEVICE COMPRISING A NUMBER OF SAFE-DEPOSIT BOXES EACH LOCKABLE BY AN INDIVIDUAL DOOR

Abstract: Safe device (1) comprising a number of safe-deposit boxes (2) each lockable by an individual door (3), in which a storage container (8) can be slid, said container being provided with pins (16) operable with a key (14) by which said container can be secured to the walls (4) of said safe-deposit box (2). The key (14) can only be taken away after securing the container (8) and the door (3) of the safe-deposit box can only be closed if the key (14) has been removed from the container (8). Signalling and protection means (22) have been provided for signalling when the door (3) of a safe-deposit box (2) is closed while there is no container (8) present and secured in it and for signalling when someone is trying to force the door of the safe-deposit box.

Description: Safe device comprising a number of safe-deposit boxes each lockable by an individual door. The invention relates to a safe device comprising a number of safe-deposit boxes each lockable by an individual door, in which a storage container can be slid, said contai¬ ner being provided with means operable with a key by which said container can be secured to the walls of said safe- deposit box. Such a safe device, applied in banks in particular, is known from FR-A-2535382. A client can rent such a safe- deposit box. With such a device, for protection of the safe- deposit boxes, the key to the door will be with the bank, and the key to the safe-deposit box will be with the person hiring the safe-deposit box. When the hirer wishes to use the safe-deposit box, the safe-deposit box door will be opened by the bank employee and the hirer of the safe-depo¬ sit box can take the container from the safe-deposit box with his own key. If an unauthorized person succeeds in opening the door of a safe-deposit box in one way or another, he will not be able to take out the contents of the safe-deposit box right away, since he must then also trie to remove the container from the safe-deposit or to force the container itself open. If a safe-deposit box hirer wishes to use the safe- deposit box, he will have to report to a bank employee first, and, if necessary, will have to identify himself. In addition to that, e.g. a so-called signature card must be filled out and signed. The bank employee will accompany the hirer to the safe device to open the door of a safe-deposit box. Thus, he will not be available for other work. In order to prevent the hirer form being in the safe room all by himself, the bank employee will have to stay with him. If he doesn't, then there is a chance that the hirer might try to affect the lock of the bank and the lock of his safe-deposit box and of the storage container in it. The hirer might also try to take away the storage container and claim later that the container was unlawfully taken from the safe-deposit box. The object of the invention is to remove these diffi¬ culties and to provide a system such, that the risk of fraude and burglary is limited as much as possible. It is also important, that if affection of the alarm system and of locks occurs, this inevitably leaves traces of burglary. According to the invention, to that end it is provided for, that the key by which the container is secured in the safe-deposit box can only be taken away after securing the container, the safe-deposit box door can only be closed if the key has been removed from the container, that signalling means are present, signalling if the door of a safe-deposit box is closed when no container is present and secured in it, and that the jamb of the safe-deposit box accomodates electrically actuated locking means for locking and relea- sing the safe-deposit box door, said locking means coop¬ erating with protection means. Thus, a hirer will not be able to leave the key in the container unintentionally, since then the safe-deposit box door can not be closed. Nor can he take away the container and close the safe-deposit box, since then the absence of a container in the safe-deposit box will be signalled. The protection means mounted in the jamb of the safe- deposit box can be e.g. electronic means for signalling when an unauthorized person is trying to open the door, and that can be adjusted to the signalling means for signalling when the door is being closed if there is no container in the safe-deposit box. The means for signalling when an unauthorized person is trying to open the door can be in the form of an alarm system. By activating the alarm on unauthorized opening of the door it can be achieved, that a bank employee has suffi¬ cient time to take action, since removing the container from said safe-deposit box is not easily realized. By mounting the door locking and protection means for that purpose in the jamb of the safe-deposit box, the possi¬ bility of affecting it is considerably reduced, since these parts are not easily accessible. This will still be the case after opening the door of a safe-deposit box. Should a hirer yet try to affect said means, then this will definitely cause traces of burglary. The protection means will be operative both on forced ope¬ ning of the door at the side of the locking means and at the side of the hinge of the door. In order to prevent that a bank employee must perform actions and e.g. has to go to the safe room and stay there for the time a client is there, further it can be provided for, that providing access takes place by means of the pass- pin code method, further employing a biometrical character- istic of the hirer, such as a fingerprint, the shape of the hand, of the face, or a like personal characteristic. The means for securing the container to the walls of the safe-deposit box can in the known way be pins or rods being connected to the lock by coupling members, in which with the help of the key, from the walls of the container said pins or rods can be slid in and out of bores in the abutting walls of the safe-deposit box. Then, said pins will be at some distance from the front wall of the container and thus from the front side of the safe-deposit box, so that they are not easily accessible. Since the walls of container and safe-deposit box closely connect, the pens can not be sawed-through easily. The lock and the coupling members of the pins to be actuated by the lock will be mounted in a portion of the storage container closed off in such a way, that the lock and the coupling members and the parts of the pins situated within the container can only be reached by breaking open the container. Thus, traces of burglary will be produced, so a hirer can not affect the lock of his storage container without burglary. The closed off portion of the storage container can be realized by welding together wall portions of said contai¬ ner, for example. The signalling means mentioned before can be mounted in the side walls of the safe-deposit box and can be operated by the pins of said container. In order to prevent undesired influencing of said signalling means when the container has been removed from the safe-deposit box, it is provided for that closing means are present, by means of which, on re o- ving the container from the safe-deposit box, the bores in the side walls of the safe-deposit box are closed off. In a simple way, this can be mechanical closing means, e.g. operated by actuating means mounted on or near the rear wall of the container. Then it will be possible to push away the closing means, but then the actuating means at the back in the space must be forced, which must be made as difficult as possible. It will be obvious, that it is impossible to replace the lock in a storage container when it is within its welded up room. By employing an arbitrary combination of safe- deposit box and container, reproduction of the key of a container by a temporary user thereof will be useless. However, in some cases, it could be desirable, that a specific storage container can only be mounted in one speci¬ fic safe-deposit box. To this end, the container can be provided with electronically operated identification means cooperating with identification means adjusted to them, mounted in the wall or walls of the safe-deposit box, at least the one system of identification means being adjusta¬ ble. Since a large number of combinations is possible with the use of electronic identification means, it can be provi¬ ded for that only one specific container can be placed into one specific safe-deposit box. Another container will not be accepted. The invention is now further explained by means of an embodiment shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a plan view and a parti- al cross-sectional view of a safe-deposit box received in a safe device with a storage container mounted therein; Fig. 2 diagrammatically shows a cross-section accor¬ ding to the line II-II of Fig. 1 from which certain portions have been omitted; and Fig. 3 diagrammatically shows a front view of a stora¬ ge container with the pins thereof in the extended position. The safe device 1 shown in the drawing comprises a number of safe-deposit boxes 2, in which each of them can be closed off by an individual door 3. By means of the hinge 5, the door 3 is connected to the side wall 4 and the jamb 4A of the safe-deposit box 2 and at the opposite side wall 6 of the safe-deposit box 2, said door is provided with a lock 7. At the same time, the door is provided with a so-called security lock 25. Due to this, the door can not be taken out after sawing through the hinge pin of the hinge 5. The lock 7 cooperates with the side wall 6 and is operable by means of a key or electrically or electronically. In the latter case, a pass/pin code can be used, for example. Obviously, this is different for every safe-deposit box. When the door has been released electronically, the hirer need only exert a slight pressure on the door to be able to open the door. When a released door is not opened within a fixed time, it will be locked again automatically. Thus, when a user has released the door using his code and something would take place as a result of which he does not actually open the door within a specific time, the door will be locked again. The electrical lock operates according to the rest principle, that is, that on lack of voltage or failure of the electronics, the bank lock will remain closed and locked. In that case, the bank lock of every safe-depo¬ sit box, possibly per column of safe-deposit boxes, can be operated mechanically. A special protection can be achieved by incorporating e.g. the fingerprint or another biometrical characteristic of a hirer, and possibly of authorized representative, in the safety system and use it for identification on opening of the door. A safe-deposit box 2 can receive a storage container 8 consisting of a tray 9 and a cover 10. The front wall 11 of the container is provided with a handle 12 by which the container can be pulled from the safe-deposit box 2. Fur¬ ther, at the front wall 11 there is the lock 13 that can be operated with the help of the key 14. The cylinder ( o t shown) of the lock 13 is provided with two excentric pins to which two arms 15 being situated behind the front wall 11 are pivotably connected. The other ends of the arms 15 are pivotably connected to pins 16 being slidably received in the side walls 17 of the container 8. On sliding the pins 16 out, they are received in bores 18 in the side walls 4 of the safe-deposit box 2. The cross-section of the pins 16 and of the bores 18 need not necessarily be round, but can be U- shaped too, or have another arbitrary shape. In order to prevent documents or the like stored in the container 8 from impeding the proper functioning of the lock 13 and of the pins 16, a wall 19 can be mounted in the container 8 behind the pens 16. For example, the wall 19 can be connected to the front wall 11 of the container 8 by means of a flanged portion. The wall 19 can be welded to the further walls of the container so that a completely closed up space is formed in which the lock 13 and the various moving parts are situated. Therefore, undesired influencing of said portions, other than through burglary, is excluded. It will be obvious, that the walls of the container 8, except for the front wall 11, will closely connect to the walls of the safe-deposit box 2, although this is not always the case in the drawing, for the sake of clarity. Directly behind . the side walls 4 of the safe-deposit box 2, strips 20 can be slidably, or possibly pivotably mounted, so that they will be able to close off the bores 18 in the side walls 4 when the container 8 is removed from the safe-deposit box 2. When the strips 20 are slidably mounted in the safe-deposit box, the rear wall 21 of the container 8 e.g. can be used for actuating an inwardly protruding part of the strips 20. With the help of the container itself, the strips 20 are then slid to release the bores 18 on sliding the container 8 into the safe-deposit box. For example, by means of a spring 26, a strip 20 can be pushed to the posi- tion in which the strips 20 close off the bores 18. Possi¬ bly, pins or levers not shown can be incorporated in the side walls 4 of the safe-deposit box 2, that are operated on sliding storage container 8 into the safe-deposit box 2. Means 22 for signalling, e.g. electronically, whether pins 16 are in the bores 18 can be mounted near the bores 18 behind the side walls 4 of a safe-deposit box 2. The presen¬ ce of a container 8 in the safe-deposit box 2 can be signal¬ led in this way. For example, if there is no container 8 in the safe-deposit box 2, the door 3 can not be closed off, or this is signalled on closing the door. If only one specific container 8 is allowed to be accomodated in a safe-deposit box 2, a side wall 17 of the container 8 can be provided with identification means 23 and 24 respectively, adjusted to one another. If another contai¬ ner 8 is slide into the safe-deposit box concerned, this will be signalled. Fig. 1 shows the key 14 when it is in the lock 13. As it appears, first the key 14 has to be taken from the lock 13 before the door 3 can be closed. Further, the key can only be taken from the lock if the pins 16 are in the exten¬ ded position. This position is shown in particular in Figu¬ res 1 and 3. It will be obvious, that only one possible embodiment of a device according to the invention has been illustrated in the drawings and described above, and that many changes can be made without leaving the inventive idea, as it appears from the following claims. - claims -

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Safe device (1) comprising a number of safe-deposit boxes (2) each lockable by an individual door (3), in which a storage container (8) can be slid, said container being provided with means (13) operable with a key (14) by which said container can be secured to the walls (4) of said safe- deposit box, characterized in that the key (14) can only be taken away after securing the container, the safe-deposit box door (3) can only be closed if the key (14) has been removed from the container (8), that signalling means (22) are present for signalling when the door (3) of a safe-depo¬ sit box (2) is closed when no container (8) is present and secured in it, and that the jamb (4A) of the safe-deposit box (2) accomodates electrically actuated locking means for locking and releasing the door (3) of the safe-deposit box (2), said locking means cooperating with protection means. 2. Safe device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protection means mounted in the jamb (4A) of the safe-deposit box (2) are electronic means for signalling when an unauthorized person is trying to open the door (3), that are adjusted to the signalling means for signalling when the door (3) is being closed if there is no container (8) in the safe-deposit box (2). 3. Safe device according to claim 1 or 2, characteri- zed in that providing access takes place by means of the pass-pin code method, further employing a biometrical cha¬ racteristic of the hirer, such as a fingerprint, the shape of the hand, of the face, or a like personal characteristic. 4. Safe device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for securing the container (8) to the walls (4) of the safe-deposit box (2) are pins (16) being connected to the lock (13) by coupling members (15), in which with the help of the key (14), from walls (17) of the container (8) said pins can be slid in and out of bores (18) in the abutting walls (4) of the safe- deposit box (2), said pins (16) being at some distance from the front wall of the container and thus from the front side of the safe-deposit box (2). 5. Safe device according to claim 4, characterized in that the lock (13) and the coupling members for the pins (16) to be actuated by the the lock are mounted in a portion of the storage container (8) closed off in such a way, that the lock and the coupling members (15) and the parts of the pins (16) situated within the container can only be reached by breaking open the container. 6. Safe device according to claim 5, characterized in that the closed off portion of the storage container (8) has been realized by welding together wall portions of said container (8) . 7. Safe device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the signalling means (22) are mounted in the walls (4) of the safe-deposit box (2) and can be operated by the pins (16) of said container (8). 8. Safe device according to claim 7, characterized in that closing means (20) are present, by means of which, on removing the container (8) from the safe-deposit box (2), the bores (18) in the side walls (4) of the safe-deposit box (2), in which bores said pins (16) of the box (8) can be received, are closed off. 9. Safe device according to claim 8, characterized in that said closing means (20) are mechanical closing means operated by actuating means mounted on or near the riέaJfc ma?(L of the container (8). 10. Safe device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (8) is provided with electronically operated identification means (23) cooperating with identification means (24) adjusted to them, mounted in the wall (4) or walls of the safe-deposit box (2), at least the one system of identification means (23, 24) being adjustable. 11. Storage container suitable for use with the safe device as described in one or more of the preceding claims.

Inventors: NEERINCX JOSEPH EDUARDUS NICOD, NEERINCX, JOSEPH, EDUARDUS, NICODEMUS
Applicants: NEERINCX JOSEPH EDUARDUS NICOD, NEERINCX, JOSEPH, EDUARDUS, NICODEMUS
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E05G1
IPC codes: E05B11, E05C7, E05G1