Currency alarm pack

• US 5,059,949 A
• Filed: 05/10/1990
• Issued: 10/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3SI Security Systems, Inc. (3SI Holdco, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ICI America Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: McCann, Michael J., Banfield, Robert H., Caparoni, Louis J., Cohen, Neal B., Fogle, Homer W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US07/521,665
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 340/571, 340/568, 340/572, 109/29, 109/31, 109/38, 283/83
• US Class Current: 340/571
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/149 with electric, magnetic, capacitive switch actuation

Abstract

In a currency alarm pack, greater flexibility is achieved by multiple circuit boards and an alarm device, connected together by a thin, flexible substrate having printed conductors. The components are movable relative to one another for realistic flexure of the stack. At least two of the components are slidable relative to the stack along its direction of elongation as the stack is flexed. Portions of the substrate have tabs which extend laterally between opposed peripheral portions of adjacent intermediate sheets of the currency pack so that the alarm components are supported and can slide longitudinally as the stack is flexed. Adjacent components are connected by narrow portions of the substrate, which permit torsion of the stack. These narrow portions extend transverse to the surfaces of the currency sheets to allow the alarm components a high degree of relative movement. Compressible foam pads conceal the presence of the alarm components. The intermediate sheets of the pack are stitched together loosely by threads to permit shear motion of the pack while maintaining its integrity. The threads have loops extending laterally across the outermost intermediate sheets to hold flexible covers removably. In another version, each opening of the central cavity is covered by two flexible flaps pivoted near the ends of the alarm packs.

Claims

1. An alarm pack comprising:

an elongated stack of sheets of paper including at least one top sheet, at least one bottom sheet, and a group of intermediate sheets between the top and bottom sheet, the group of intermediate sheets having a hollowed-out central portion providing a space within the stack for alarm components, the top and bottom sheets having the appearance of conventional banknotes, and the peripheries of the intermediate sheets of the stack having the appearance of the peripheries of conventional banknotes;

means for holding said top, bottom and intermediate sheets together in the stack while allowing flexure of the stack about at least one axis which is transverse to the direction of elongation of the stack and parallel to the surfaces of the sheets of paper in the stack, and which intersects said hollowed-out central portion;

a set of alarm components arranged within said space in a series extending in the direction of elongation of the stack; and

flexible means providing electrical interconnections between the alarm components;

said alarm components being movable relative to one another to allow flexure of the stack about said transverse axis.

2. An alarm pack according to claim 1 having a compressible pad located bet ween one of the top and bottom sheets and said set of alarm components, said pad having an inner surface facing said alarm components and an outer surface substantially in register with the intermediate sheet adjacent to said one of the top and bottom sheets, said outer surface having a shape substantially conforming to the shape of said hollowed-out central portion.

3. An alarm pack according to claim 1 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between the alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple conductors printed thereon, said substrate extending from one alarm component to an adjacent alarm component, and said substrate having a wide portion secured to said one alarm component and a narrower portion extending between said one alarm component and said adjacent alarm component.

4. An alarm pack according to claim 1 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, and having means extending through both of said through holes for securing said intermediate sheets together near said one of the short edges while allowing riffling of the intermediate sheets in the vicinity of said one of the short edges and allowing limited relative sliding movement of said intermediate sheets.

5. An alarm pack according to claim 1 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, said alarm pack having thread means extending through both of said through holes for securing said intermediate sheets together near said one of the short edges while allowing riffling of the intermediate sheets in the vicinity of said one of the short edges and allowing limited relative sliding movement of said intermediate sheets, said thread means having a loop extending across one of the top-most and bottom-most intermediate sheets from one of said through holes to the other, and said alarm pack having a first flexible cover overlying the hollowed-out central portion of the topmost intermediate sheet, and a second flexible cover underlying the hollowed-out central portion of the bottom-most intermediate sheet, said thread means being secured to one of said flexible covers, and the other flexible cover extending slidably between said loop of the thread means and the intermediate sheet across which said loop extends, whereby said other flexible cover can be removed to expose the alarm components within the stack by sliding it out of said loop.

6. An alarm pack according to claim 1 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a first pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, third and fourth sets of aligned perforations providing a second pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from the other of the short edges thereof, and having means extending through both of the through holes of each pair for securing said intermediate sheets together near said short edges while allowing riffling of the intermediate sheets in the vicinity of said one of the short edges and allowing limited relative sliding movement of said intermediate sheets.

7. An alarm pack according to claim 1 in which said holding means permits sliding movement of the sheets of said group of intermediate sheets relative to one another along the direction of elongation of the stack.

8. An alarm pack according to claim 1 in which said holding means comprises thread means loosely stitching the sheets of said group of intermediate sheets together and permitting sliding movement of the sheets of said group of intermediate sheets relative to one another along the direction of elongation of the stack.

9. An alarm pack comprising:

an elongated stack of sheets of paper including at least one top sheet, at least one bottom sheet, and a group of intermediate sheets between the top and bottom sheet, the group of intermediate sheets having a hollowed-out central portion providing a space within the stack for alarm components, the top and bottom sheets having the appearance of conventional banknotes, and the peripheries of the intermediate sheets of the stack having the appearance of the peripheries of conventional banknotes;

means for holding said top, bottom and intermediate sheets together in the stack while allowing flexure of the stack about at least one axis which is transverse to the direction of elongation of the stack and parallel to the surfaces of the sheets of paper in the stack, and which intersects said hollowed-out central portion;

a set of alarm components arranged within said space in a series extending in the direction of elongation of the stack, the set of alarm components including at least one circuit board carrying electronic means for activating an alarm device, and an alarm device separate from said circuit board; and

flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components;

said two alarm components being movable relative to each other to allow flexure of the stack about said transverse axis, and being slidable relative to the stack along said direction of elongation, as the stack is flexed about said transverse axis.

10. An alarm pack according to claim 9 having a compressible pad located between one of the top and bottom sheets and said set of alarm components, said pad having an inner surface facing said alarm components and an outer surface substantially in register with the intermediate sheet adjacent to said one of the top and bottom sheets, said outer surface having a shape substantially conforming to the shape of said hollowed-out central portion.

11. An alarm pack according to claim 9 having a compressible pad of foam material located between one of the top and bottom sheets and said set of alarm components, said pad having an inner surface facing said alarm components and an outer surface substantially in register with the intermediate sheet adjacent to said one of the top and bottom sheets, said outer surface having a shape substantially conforming to the shape of said hollowed-out central portion.

12. An alarm pack according to claim 9 having a compressible pad of foam material located between one of the top and bottom sheets and said set of alarm components, said pad having a smooth inner surface facing said alarm components and allowing free sliding movement of said alarm components along said inner surface, and said pad having an outer surface substantially in register with the intermediate sheet adjacent to said one of the top and bottom sheets, said outer surface having a shape substantially conforming to the shape of said hollowed-out central portion.

13. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple printed circuit conductors thereon, said substrate having portions secured to both of said two alarm components and the portion of said substrate secured to at least one of the two alarm components having first and second tab means extending laterally in opposite directions, both transverse to the direction of elongation of the stack and parallel to the surfaces of the sheets of paper in the stack, each of said first and second tab means extending between the surfaces of peripheral portions of adjacent sheets of the group of intermediate sheets, and thereby supporting and guiding said one of the two alarm components as it slides relative to the stack along the direction of elongation of the stack as the stack is flexed about said transverse axis.

14. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple printed circuit conductors thereon, said substrate having a wide portion secured to one of said alarm components and a narrower portion extending from said one of said two alarm components to the other of said two alarm components.

15. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple printed circuit conductors thereon, said substrate having a wide portion secured to one of the two alarm components and a narrower portion extending from said one of the two alarm components to the other of the two alarm components, said wide portion of the substrate having first and second tab means extending laterally in opposite directions, both transverse to the direction of elongation of the stack and parallel to the surfaces of the sheets of paper in the stack, each of said first and second tab means extending between the surfaces of peripheral portions of adjacent sheets of the group of intermediate sheets, and thereby supporting and guiding said one of the two alarm components as it slides relative to the stack along the direction of elongation of the stack as the stack is flexed about said transverse axis.

16. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple conductors printed thereon, said substrate having a wide portion secured to one of said alarm components and a narrower portion extending from said one of said alarm components to the other of said alarm components, and in which the wide portion of said substrate secured to said one of said alarm components includes conductor means providing electrical connections between electronic components on said one of said alarm components.

17. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple printed circuit conductors thereon, said substrate having a wide portions secured to said one of said alarm components and a narrower portion extending from said one of said alarm components to the other of said two alarm components, and the portion of said substrate secured to said one of said alarm components having first and second tab means extending laterally in opposite directions, both transverse to the direction of elongation of the stack and parallel to the surfaces of the sheets of paper in the stack, each of said first and second tab means extending between the surfaces of peripheral portions of adjacent sheets of the group of intermediate sheets, and thereby supporting and guiding said one of said alarm components as it slides relative to the stack along the direction of elongation of the stack as the stack is flexed about said transverse axis, and in which the wide portion of said substrate secured to said one of said alarm components includes conductor means providing electrical connections between electronic components on said one of said alarm components.

18. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple conductors printed thereon, in which said substrate has a first portion connected to said one of said alarm components and disposed in a first plane substantially parallel to the surfaces of said sheets of paper, in which said substrate includes a second portion connected to the other of said alarm components and situated in a second plane parallel to and spaced from said first plane, and in which said first and second portions of the substrate are connected by a narrow portions of the substrate extending in a direction transverse to said first and second planes.

19. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, and having means extending through both of said through holes for securing said intermediate sheets together near said one of the short edges while allowing riffling of the intermediate sheets in the vicinity of said one of the short edges and allowing limited relative sliding movement of said intermediate sheets.

20. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, said alarm pack having thread means extending through both of said through holes for loosely securing said intermediate sheets together near said one of the short edges, said thread means having a loop extending across one of the top-most and bottom-most intermediate sheets from one of said through holes to the other, and said alarm pack having a first flexible cover overlying the hollowed-out central portion of the topmost intermediate sheet, and a second flexible cover underlying the hollowed-out central portion of the bottom-most intermediate sheet, said thread means being secured to one of said flexible covers, and the other flexible cover extending slidably between said loop of the thread means and the intermediate sheet across which said loop extends, whereby said other flexible cover can be removed to expose the alarm components within the stack by sliding it out of said loop.

21. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a first pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, third and fourth sets of aligned perforations providing a second pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from the other of the short edges thereof, and having means extending through both of the through holes of each pair for securing said intermediate sheets together near said short edges while allowing riffling of the intermediate sheets in the vicinity of said short edges and allowing limited relative sliding movement of said intermediate sheets.

22. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the intermediate sheets of the stack have first and second sets of aligned perforations providing a first pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from one of the short edges thereof, third and fourth sets of aligned perforations providing a second pair of through holes, each extending substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets from the top intermediate sheet to the bottom intermediate sheet at locations in peripheral areas of said intermediate sheets near the respective long edges thereof but substantially equally spaced from the other of the short edges thereof, and having means extending through both of the through holes of each pair for securing said intermediate sheets together near said short edges while allowing riffling of the intermediate sheets in the vicinity of said short edges and allowing limited relative sliding movement of said intermediate sheets, and band means extending around all of the sheets of the stack at an intermediate position between the locations of the first pair of through holes and the second pair of through holes, for preventing separation of the sheets from one another at said intermediate position.

23. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which areas of the faces of said intermediate sheets extending inwardly from the peripheries thereof and extending substantially all the way around the peripheries of the intermediate sheets, have the appearance of conventional banknotes.

24. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which the flexible means providing electrical interconnections between at least two of said alarm components is a flexible, thin substrate having multiple printed circuit conductors thereon, said substrate having a wide portion secured to one of said two alarm components and a narrower portion extending from said one of said two alarm components to an the other of said two alarm components, and said wide portion of the substrate having first and second tab means extending laterally in opposite directions, both transverse to the direction of elongation of the stack and parallel to the surfaces of the sheets of paper in the stack, each of said first and second tab means extending between the surfaces of peripheral portions of adjacent sheets of the group of intermediate sheets, and thereby supporting and guiding said one of the alarm components as it slides relative to the stack as the stack is twisted about an axis parallel to its direction of elongation.

25. An alarm pack according to claim 9 having top and bottom cover means for at least partially enclosing said hollowed-out central portion, said top and bottom cover means each comprising a first flap pivotally connected to the intermediate sheets near one end of the alarm pack, and a second flap pivotally connected to the intermediate sheets near the opposite end of the alarm pack, the first and second flaps of each of the top and bottom cover means being independently movable whereby the alarm pack has a high degree of torsional flexibility as well as a high degree of flexibility about said transverse axis.

26. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which said holding means permits sliding movement of the sheets of said group of intermediate sheets relative to one another along the direction of elongation of the stack.

27. An alarm pack according to claim 9 in which said holding means comprises thread means loosely stitching the sheets of said group of intermediate sheets together and permitting sliding movement of the sheets of said group of intermediate sheets relative to one another along the direction of elongation of the stack.