Interlocking system with a number of individual key elements

• US 3,936,662 A
• Filed: 01/14/1974
• Issued: 02/03/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABet Tetra PAK
• Original Assignee: Anders Ruben Rausing
• Inventors: Rausing, Anders Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/433,373
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.11 E, 235/61.7 B, 235/61.12 N, 340/149 A, 340/146.3 K, 117/239, 117/25, 117/29
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00658 operated by passive electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10

Abstract

An interlocking system includes a number of individual key elements such as an identity card each of which has a pre-determined code marking consisting of a number of index elements arranged to form a pattern. At least one interlocking device adapted to co-operate with the key elements includes a release element sensitive to radiation as a function of the radiation pattern pre-determined by the code marking on the key element. The interlocking device comprises a radio-active radiation source, a detector and means such as a slot for interposing the coded key element between the radiation source and the detector.

Claims

1. In an interlocking system actuatable by any one of a plurality of differently coded key elements, said system comprising an interlocking device including a radio-active source of radiation, a radiation code detector having its input side located in spaced relation to said radiation source, a release element connected to the output side of said code detector and means for receiving the coded key elements between said radiation source and said code detector, the improvement wherein each said coded key element comprises a sheet of plastic material, the portions of said sheet opaque to the radiation being established by a coating of a chemical compound incorporating a heavy metal and the portions of said sheet transparent to the radiation and representing the code pattern being established by a different coating but which has a visual appearance similar to that of the opaque coating so that the sheet of plastic material appears homogeneous throughout its surface and thereby in effect makes the code pattern invisible.