Patent Description:
Security systems currently exist which preserve the valuables inside a compartment of a deposit safe, immobilizing them through the use of very strong foams or resins which are poured inside the compartment, react in contact with the air and form solid compounds which entirely occupy the compartment and make it impossible to withdraw the valuables, at least in a short and acceptable time for the burglars.

Such systems are currently used, for example, in armoured trucks, where the value transported and the risk of robbery require a particularly high level of security.

The foam dispensing means typically comprise two tanks of a first and a second substance, which substances generate a fast-curing foam when mixed together. The outlets of the two tanks are therefore connected to a mixing chamber from which at least one dispenser is branched which opens inside the closed compartment.

The two independent tanks keep the substances separate from each other, which substances remain in the liquid phase until mixing. The chemical reaction of the foam formation is instead irreversible, making the valuables inaccessible once the compartment is filled with solidified foam.

Such a system is described for example by document <CIT>, concerning a protection process and an installation of a space or volume, for example a safe or a security chamber. An attempt to break into a safe causes the abrupt and irreversible formation of a coherent medium such as a curable foam starting from components contained separately in tanks connected with a mixing and an ejection head under the control of a collector.

The curable foam is typically a polyurethane foam obtained by mixing one or more polyols with one or more isocyanates.

However, once installed in the anti-burglar system, such components do not remain unchanged over time but undergo chemical modifications such as to require their periodic replacement by means of emptying the tanks and subsequent filling with new liquids.

Since an on-site transfer can be difficult, it is currently preferred to act on the hydraulic system, disconnecting the old tanks and replacing them with tanks full of new liquids. The old tanks are then transported to an operations centre, where they are emptied and refilled. Such an operation requires the intervention of specialized personnel, with an increase in timing and maintenance costs. Other related systems are disclosed in documents <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Therefore, there is an unmet need for a system which, with simple systems, allows a quick but effective replacement of liquids, without the need for specialized personnel.

The present invention aims at solving this technical problem by means of an anti-burglar system as described at the beginning, in which said tanks are comprised in respective removable units, a box being included which is provided with housing seats of said removable units, automated means for connecting each tank to said propulsion means and to said mixing chamber also being included, which connecting means are housed in said box.

It is thereby possible to easily remove the tanks from the system and possibly replace them, since these are comprised in units inserted in special housings, from which they can be easily extracted. This also allows unskilled personnel to carry out the replacement, reducing maintenance time and costs. The presence of means for automated connection means that the user only has to worry about having correctly inserted the new units comprising the tanks and not manually restoring the connections thereof to the rest of the system.

It is possible to include two separate tanks or a single tank comprising two separate chambers therein.

In an exemplary embodiment, said connecting means comprise an outlet connector for each tank consisting of a first outlet element connected to the tank and a second outlet element connected to the mixing chamber, the elements of which are movable relative to each other from a distanced condition to a coupling condition in which they are cooperating with each other to ensure the hydraulic connection.

Thereby the hydraulic connection in output from the tanks can remain interrupted as long as the two outlet connector elements remain separated from each other, and is actuated only when the two connectors are coupled to each other by a relative driving movement. Once connected, the liquid is free to flow towards the mixing chamber.

In a further exemplary embodiment, said first outlet element consists of an opening made in the wall of the tank and provided with an occlusion membrane, and said second outlet element can be moved in the direction of penetration in said opening and is provided with a breaking and penetrating end of the membrane hydraulically connected to a conduit leading to said mixing chamber.

As long as the membrane remains intact the liquid is confined inside the tank. When the second outlet element is moved towards the opening, the membrane is torn by the breaking end and the liquid is put in hydraulic communication with the mixing chamber, to which it is free to flow.

According to an embodiment, said second outlet element is moved by a fluid cylinder.

By adjusting the inlet of the fluid cylinder it is thus possible to move the second outlet element and cause the coupling of the outlet connector by penetrating the second outlet element in said opening.

According to an exemplary embodiment, said fluid cylinder is provided with a hollow stem, said second outlet element consisting of said stem.

Thereby the connection is made by the simple penetration of the end of the stem in the opening, after which the liquid can flow inside the fluid cylinder, in particular inside the stem thereof, up to a connection conduit with the mixing chamber.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the propulsion means comprise a pressurized gas, each tank being connectable by said connecting means to a respective supply conduit of said gas from a pressurized gas tank closed by closing means, the opening of the closing means being controlled by said activation signal.

Alternatively or in combination, it is possible to include other propulsion means such as electric pumps or electric compressors.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, said connecting means comprise an inlet connector for each tank consisting of a first inlet element connected to the tank and a second inlet element connected to said supply conduit, which elements are relatively movable from each other from a distanced condition to a coupling condition in which they cooperate with each other to ensure the pneumatic connection.

Therefore, in addition to ensuring the outlet connection from the tanks, the connecting means put the inlet of the tanks in communication with the pressurized gas supply conduit, which by entering the tanks pushes the liquid out of them.

In an embodiment said inlet connector consists of a pneumatic quick coupling connector, in which the first inlet element is fixed and the second inlet element is movable towards the coupling condition with the first inlet element.

In a further embodiment the second inlet element is constrained to said stem, so that it is movable from said fluid cylinder.

This allows to include a single cylinder to drive both the inlet and outlet connection with respect to the tank.

According to a further embodiment the fluid cylinder is a pneumatic cylinder driven by said pressurized gas.

This is very advantageous because the propulsion gas of the liquids is used to drive the pneumatic cylinder. When the activation signal commands the opening of the closing means, the pressurized gas drives the pneumatic cylinders to make the connection at both the outlet and inlet of the tanks. The gas then enters the tanks and pushes the liquids outside them towards the mixing chamber and consequently towards the dispenser.

In an exemplary embodiment, said removable units are shaped differently from each other and said housing seats are each shaped correspondingly to a respective removable unit, such that each removable unit is insertable only in the respective housing seat.

This avoids the incorrect insertion of the units containing the tanks in the system by an inexperienced user, for example by inserting two tanks with the same liquid, which would not react in case of need.

According to an exemplary embodiment, each removable unit is provided with automatically connectable electrical contacts with corresponding contacts at the end of the insertion in the respective housing seat.

Thereby, the user inserts the removable units in the corresponding housing seats and automatically activates the electrical connections for each tank. The removable units are thus correctly positioned so as to be ready for the actuation of the connecting means.

In an embodiment the sensors are shaped in a plurality of branches, which branches are arranged so that the distance therebetween is always less than a predetermined maximum distance, such as not to allow openings larger than those which allow the withdrawal of the valuables stored in the compartment.

This allows to ensure a total coverage of the compartment, without lim iting it to the control of opening the armoured door, so as to detect even the most violent attacks to the walls of the compartment itself.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the detecting and/or processing means comprise control means adapted to verify that the variation of one of the physical parameters measured by the sensor is actually due to an action of modification, opening, cutting or breaking of one or more of the walls of the closed compartment, said control means consisting of sensors of further different physical parameters.

The presence of a plurality of different types of sensors allows to have a greater precision in the detection of the attempted burglary, avoiding false positives and the inconveniences which these can cause.

In a further embodiment, remote alarm means are included, which alarm means are activatable by said detecting and/or processing means.

This allows to immediately notify law enforcement, the owners of the valuables, surveillance, etc. during the foam dispensing itself, so as to allow for timely intervention.

The present invention is applicable to any type of armoured value compartment, such as a safe, an armoured truck, a security chamber, etc..

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of some exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:.

<FIG> illustrates an anti-burglary system known in the state of the art, included in a safe <NUM>. The safe <NUM> is internally provided with a closed compartment <NUM> for housing valuables <NUM>. The closed armoured compartment <NUM> is limited by delimiting walls <NUM>.

The system comprises one or more burglary sensors <NUM> placed at at least one of the delimiting walls <NUM> and a processing unit <NUM>, adapted to manage the system, which receives the signals generated by the sensors <NUM> and processes them for generating an activation signal of foam dispensing means inside the closed compartment <NUM>.

The foam dispensing means comprise a first tank <NUM> and a second tank <NUM> containing, respectively, a first and a second substance which, when mixed together, generate the fast-curing foam. The foam can be a two-component polyurethane foam. The liquids can consist of polyols and isocyanates or other suitable liquids known to those skilled in the art. The outlets of the tanks <NUM> and <NUM> are connected by respective conduits <NUM> and <NUM> to a mixing chamber <NUM>, from which at least one dispenser <NUM> branches out which opens inside the closed compartment <NUM>.

<FIG> to-<NUM> illustrate an embodiment of the system according to the present invention.

Each tank <NUM> and <NUM> is connected to liquid propulsion means. Such means comprise for each tank <NUM> and <NUM> a respective supply conduit for a pressurized gas coming from a pressurized gas tank <NUM> closed by closing means, preferably a solenoid valve <NUM>. The opening of the closing means is controlled by the processing unit <NUM> by sending the activation signal. The propellant gas is preferably an inert gas, for example nitrogen. The propellant gas can alternatively be nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, helium, or other inert gas.

At the opening of the solenoid valve <NUM>, the pressurized inert gas exits the tank <NUM> and enters, through the appropriate conduits, the two tanks <NUM> and <NUM>. By virtue of the pressure exerted by the inert gas, the two substances exit from their tanks <NUM> and <NUM>, and are pushed into the conduits <NUM> and <NUM> up to the mixing chamber <NUM>, in which they create a mixture which is poured into the closed compartment <NUM> through one or more dispensers <NUM>, creating a low-density product, but extremely rigid and resistant to shocks and perforations, so that it is impossible to take the valuables <NUM> stored inside the closed compartment <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the system is comprised in a box <NUM>. The box <NUM> is provided with housing seats <NUM> and <NUM> of two respective removable units <NUM> and <NUM> comprising the tanks <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. The housing seats <NUM> and <NUM> are open to the outside in a wall of the box, so that the removable units <NUM> and <NUM> can be inserted in the housing seats <NUM> and <NUM> or removed therefrom by a user acting from the outside of the box <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates the box <NUM> assembled on the safe <NUM>. In the example in the figure, the box <NUM> is placed above, but it can be placed on any side of the safe <NUM>, even below it.

The box <NUM>, illustrated in detail in <FIG>, is parallelepipedshaped, preferably in ballistic material <NUM> thick, with a lower face in contact with the safe <NUM>. The box <NUM> is constrained to the safe <NUM> by means of internal fasteners <NUM>, illustrated in <FIG>, in particular consisting of internal rods so that nothing is visible from the outside. <FIG> further shows the dispenser <NUM> placed inside the closed compartment <NUM> of the safe <NUM>. The foam is dispensed in the upper central area so as to cover the entire area to be protected. The dispenser <NUM> can advantageously be of the static mixer type, i.e., consisting of a spout comprising loops and internal walls such as to define a winding exit path, so as to complete the mixing of the substances during the exit.

Insertion openings of the removable units <NUM> and <NUM> are included on one side of the box <NUM>. It is possible to include a protective bulkhead in a position superimposed at least on the openings.

Automated connecting means of each tank <NUM> and <NUM> to the propulsion means and to the mixing chamber <NUM> are housed in the box <NUM>.

The connecting means comprise for each tank <NUM> and <NUM> an outlet connector consisting of a first outlet element connected to the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and a second outlet element connected to the mixing chamber <NUM>.

The first outlet element consists of an opening <NUM> made in the wall of the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and provided with an occlusion membrane <NUM>. The occlusion membrane <NUM> is thick enough to contain the liquid in the tank <NUM> or <NUM>. Such a thickness can be small, since the liquids in inactive condition of the system are not pressurized inside the tanks <NUM> or <NUM>. The occlusion membrane can be of any suitable material, for example polyethylene.

The second outlet element is movable in the direction of penetration in said opening <NUM> and is provided with a breaking and penetrating end of the membrane <NUM> hydraulically connected to a conduit leading to the mixing chamber <NUM>.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the second outlet element consists of the hollow stem <NUM> of a pneumatic cylinder <NUM>, whose end <NUM> is positioned facing the opening <NUM> and is movable from a distanced position to an insertion position in the opening <NUM>. The end <NUM> is cut at <NUM>° so as to form said breaking and penetrating end of the membrane.

The second outlet element can alternatively consist of an independent connecting terminal, comprising the breaking and penetrating end of the membrane and connected to a conduit leading to the mixing chamber, moved by a pneumatic cylinder with a full stem.

It is also possible to alternatively include further means of moving the output connectors from the distanced condition to the coupled condition, for example hydraulic cylinders or electrical actuators.

The propulsion means preferably comprise a pressurized gas, each tank <NUM> and <NUM> being connectable by means of said connecting means to a respective supply conduit <NUM> of said gas coming from a pressurized gas tank <NUM>. The pressurized gas tank <NUM> is closed by a solenoid valve <NUM> whose opening is controlled by said activation signal.

The connecting means further comprise for each tank <NUM> and <NUM> an inlet connector consisting of a first inlet element <NUM> connected to the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and a second inlet element <NUM> connected to the pressurized gas supply conduit <NUM>. The first inlet element <NUM> and the second inlet element <NUM> are movable relative to each other from a distanced condition to a coupling condition in which they cooperate to ensure the pneumatic connection between the liquid tanks <NUM> and <NUM> and the pressurized gas tank <NUM>.

For this purpose, the inlet connector consists of a pneumatic quick coupling connector. The first inlet element <NUM> is fixed to the tank <NUM> or <NUM>. The second inlet element <NUM> is movable towards the coupling condition with the first inlet element <NUM> being constrained to the stem <NUM> of the pneumatic cylinder <NUM> by a bracket <NUM>.

The position of the bracket <NUM> is such that, during the movement of the stem <NUM> towards the opening <NUM>, the penetrating end <NUM> encounters the membrane <NUM> before the two inlet elements <NUM> and <NUM> forming the inlet connector enter the coupling condition. This allows to establish a hydraulic connection for the outlet connector, i.e., between the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and the mixing chamber <NUM>, prior to the pneumatic connection for the inlet connector, i.e., between the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and the pressurized gas tank <NUM>. Thereby, the outlet of the tank <NUM> or <NUM> is released before sending the pressurized liquid.

However, it is possible to include different pneumatic cylinders <NUM> for moving the inlet connectors and the inlet connectors, for a total of four pneumatic cylinders. Alternatively, a single pneumatic cylinder <NUM> can be included with one or more connecting brackets to the two inlet connectors and the two inlet connectors.

The pneumatic cylinder <NUM> is driven by said pressurized gas, being connected to a conduit deriving from the pressurized gas tank <NUM>.

However, it is possible to include an independent source of pressurized gas for actuating the pneumatic cylinders <NUM>, such as a separate tank or a compressor. In this case it is possible to use hydraulic cylinders, for example oleodynamic cylinders.

Alternatively or in combination, the cylinder can be electrically operated, by elastic means such as a spring or the like or by an explosive charge.

Also in this case, it is also possible to alternatively include further means for moving the inlet connectors from the distanced condition to the coupled condition, for example electrical actuators.

It is also possible to include non-gas propulsion means for the tanks <NUM> and <NUM>, for example by means of pistons driven by electric actuators or fluid cylinders, electric pumps or electric compressors.

<FIG> illustrates an external view of the removable units <NUM> and <NUM>, comprising the tanks <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. Each removable unit <NUM> or <NUM> consists of a box-like element having a wall provided with a plurality of connecting elements. Such elements comprise: the first output element, i.e., the opening <NUM> provided with an occlusion membrane <NUM>; the first inlet element <NUM>; electrical contacts <NUM>.

The removable unit <NUM> or <NUM> comprises therein the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and means for regulating the temperature of the liquids inside the tanks, which liquids must in fact be kept in a predefined temperature range in order to operate optimally upon need. Such means are electrically powered and connected to the rest of the system by means of the electrical contacts <NUM>, which are automatically connected in the inserted condition of the removable unit <NUM> or <NUM> inside the housing seat <NUM> or <NUM> with the corresponding contacts included inside the box <NUM>.

The temperature adjustment means comprise a temperature sensor <NUM>, for example a thermocouple, and heating means <NUM>, for example electrical resistors arranged on the surface of the tank, so as to create a feedback thermostat system.

The inlet connector is connected with an internal conduit which opens into the bottom of the tank <NUM> or <NUM>. The tank <NUM> or <NUM> is provided with a piston <NUM> sliding therein so as to form two separate chambers, a chamber filled with liquid and a chamber adapted to be filled by the pressurized gas. Connecting the tank <NUM> or <NUM> to the pressurized gas tank <NUM> causes the internal piston <NUM> to move in the direction of the opening <NUM>, pushing the liquid out of the tank <NUM> or <NUM> and towards the mixing chamber <NUM>.

It is possible to include already pressurized tanks <NUM> and <NUM>, for example by virtue of the presence of pressurized gas included in the special chamber inside the tank <NUM> or <NUM>. This makes the presence of an external pressurized gas tank <NUM> superfluous. In this case the occlusion membrane of the opening <NUM> is sized to resist pressure, alternatively the outlet connector is of the type for pressurized liquids.

The system further includes alarm means which can be activated by said detecting and/or processing means. The remote alarm means preferably comprise a modem and can advantageously use the telecommunication connections included locally, or use separate channels, such as satellite transmission.

The system can be connected to the power supply mains and comprises one or more buffer batteries to be able to be operated even in the absence of external power supply.

The system in operating condition waits for fault signals generated by the sensors <NUM>.

Upon detection of such signals generated by the sensors, the processing unit <NUM> performs a processing to verify whether the received signals are actually indicative of a burglary.

If the processing determines that the detected signals are actually related to a burglary, an alarm signal is generated, which is sent to the foam dispensing means.

At the same time as generating this internal alarm signal, a remote alarm signal is generated and sent.

In the system, the alarm signal sent to the foam dispensing means activates the opening of the solenoid valve <NUM>.

The opening of the solenoid valve <NUM> causes the propellant inert gas, which is pressurized in the tank <NUM>, to be driven.

Through the conduits <NUM>, the propellant gas drives the <NUM> cylinders and for each moves the stem <NUM> in the direction of the openings <NUM> of the tanks <NUM> and <NUM>. The stem <NUM> also moves the second inlet element <NUM> in the direction of the first inlet element <NUM>.

The breaking and penetrating end of the membrane <NUM> pierces the membrane <NUM> and enters the opening <NUM>, putting in communication through the hollow stem <NUM> the liquid tank <NUM> or <NUM> with the mixing chamber <NUM>. Immediately afterwards, the two elements of the inlet connector are connected and the pressurized gas begins to enter the tank <NUM> or <NUM>, pushing all the liquid towards the outlet.

The liquid flows along the conduits <NUM> and <NUM> up to the mixing chamber <NUM>.

The substances are then mixed <NUM> in the mixing chamber <NUM>.

The formed mixture is then expelled from the dispenser <NUM>, always under the thrust effect of the propellant gas, to carry out the foam dispensing in the compartment <NUM>. The foam then solidifies, making the valuables <NUM> stored in the compartment <NUM> inaccessible.

In an embodiment variant not shown in the figure, the propellant gas tank <NUM> is replaced by two pistons placed movable inside the tanks <NUM> and <NUM> for pushing the substances into the mixing chamber <NUM>. The pistons are driven by one or two electric or pneumatic actuators, which are activated by the alarm signal <NUM>. Upon activation, the actuators move the pistons from a first position of maximum distance from the outlet of the respective tank to a final position of maximum proximity to such an outlet, causing the substances to flow out of the tanks <NUM> and <NUM>.

It is possible to include a single sensor <NUM> or a plurality of sensors adapted to detect the variations of some physical parameters related to the interior of the compartment <NUM> and/or its walls <NUM>, which physical parameters are indicative of modification, opening, cutting or breaking of one or more of the walls <NUM> of the compartment <NUM> and/or part thereof. The sensors <NUM> can also detect the inclination of the safe <NUM> or an impact on its walls <NUM>.

Preferably the sensor <NUM> consists of an electric cable, to which an electrical signal is fed by means of a signal generator. The electrical signal is read by the processing unit <NUM>, which verifies the variations of the physical parameters of the signal fed to the electric cable inside the electrical system consisting of the sensor <NUM> and the processing unit <NUM>.

There are different ways of verifying the parameters of the electrical signal which are monitored: these parameters can be monitored separately or in combination with each other, for example a parameter can be the current intensity inside the cable, or, in the case of oscillating signal, the variations of the signal frequency are detected.

Inside the processing unit <NUM>, the signals from the sensor <NUM> are loaded into a memory and then compared with reference values by a comparator which, in the event of differences between the analyzed data, generates the activation signal.

An embodiment variant envisages that no nominal threshold values are stored, but that dynamic thresholds are used: at the start of the system the processing unit <NUM> automatically determines the values of the physical parameters of interest of the signal inside the sensor <NUM> and verifies temporal variations of said parameters, a timer which cyclically runs the measurement, storage and comparison between the last value of the parameter recorded with that previously recorded is included.

This possible embodiment variant is particularly useful if, as described above, a control is envisaged on the variations of the physical parameters recorded: in fact, the control can be the comparison of the magnitude of the variation with respect to a unit of time, the measurement of the gradient, i.e., the ratio between variation of the physical parameter and time interval allows to analyse the signals sent by the sensors qualifying them as possible alarms due to burglary attempts.

The activation signal is then generated following any attempt to break into the compartment <NUM>: in fact, the sensor <NUM> transforms such structural modification attempts, i.e., modification, opening, cutting or breaking of one or more walls of the armoured compartment which cause changes of the cable in one or more points, in variations of one or more of the aforesaid electrical parameters which are in turn identified by the comparator and transformed into activation signals.

The activation signal is then sent to the foam dispensing means inside the compartment <NUM>.

The sensors <NUM> are preferably shaped in a plurality of branches, which branches are arranged so that the distance therebetween is always less than a predetermined maximum distance, such as not to allow openings larger than those which allow the withdrawal of the valuables stored in the compartment.

Alternatively or in combination with what is described, the sensors can be hydraulic or pneumatic or fibre optic.

In an improvement, the processing means comprise control means adapted to verify that the variation of one of the physical parameters measured by the sensor is actually due to an action of modification, opening, cutting or breaking of one or more of the walls of the closed compartment, said control means consisting of sensors of further different physical parameters.

Sensors which detect the temperature of the walls or photosensitive sensors which capture the amount of light inside the closed compartment can be used for this purpose: in these cases the control means include control units for the signals coming from the sensors, memories to store nominal values and comparator means which compare the nominal values with those measured and which, in the event of differences between the analyzed data, generate an activation signal.

Claim 1:
Anti-burglary system for closed compartments (<NUM>), limited on all sides by delimiting walls (<NUM>), comprising one or more burglary sensors (<NUM>) placed at at least one of the delimiting walls (<NUM>), means for dispensing a quick-curing foam inside the compartment and means for detecting and/or processing (<NUM>) the signals generated by the sensors (<NUM>) configured to generate an activation signal of the dispensing means, wherein the foam dispensing means comprise at least two tanks (<NUM>, <NUM>) of a first and a second substance, which substances generate a quick-curing foam if mixed together, propulsion means of the liquids output from said tanks being included, and the outlets of the two tanks (<NUM>, <NUM>) being connected to a mixing chamber (<NUM>) from which at least one dispenser (<NUM>) branches out which opens inside said closed compartment (<NUM>),
characterized in that
said tanks (<NUM>, <NUM>) are comprised in respective removable units (<NUM>, <NUM>), a box (<NUM>) provided with housing seats (<NUM>, <NUM>) of said removable units (<NUM>, <NUM>) being included, automated connecting means of each tank (<NUM>, <NUM>) to said propulsion means and to said mixing chamber (<NUM>) being included, which connecting means are housed in said box (<NUM>).