Alarm device

• US 5,734,325 A
• Filed: 10/10/1995
• Issued: 03/31/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3SI Security Systems, Inc. (3SI Holdco, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ICI America Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Johnson, Raymond C., Walker, James J., Grajewski, Michael J., Burns, Gregory J., Epple, Michael J., Layfield, Walter K.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/541,786
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568, 340/687, 340/541, 340/545, 340/548, 340/547, 340/569, 902/1, 902/9, 902/41, 232/35-37, 109/25, 109/29, 109/31, 109/38, 109/39, 109/43
• US Class Current: 340/568.7
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/02 with smoke, gas, or coloured or odorous powder or liquid

Abstract

An alarm device for night deposit boxes consists of a housing with a tear gas or dye-releasing alarm in a housing mountable inside the deposit box. The housing includes electrical circuitry, which is connected by a flexible conductor cable to a trigger switch fitting into a magnetic keeper. The keeper is mechanically connected to the deposit box door assembly by a flexible cable. The circuitry includes a key-operated disabling switch and a light-emitting diode which is momentarily energized through a capacitor when the circuit is enabled.

Claims

1. In a box comprising an enclosure having an access door, a device for providing an alarm when the access door is removed, comprising:

an alarm;

trigger means, responsive to removal of the access door from the enclosure, for providing a trigger signal;

the trigger means allowing normal opening of the access door without activation of the alarm.

2. In a box comprising an enclosure having an access door, an alarm device for providing an alarm when the access door is removed, comprising:

a first trigger element comprising an electrical switch capable of assuming first and second states;

a second trigger element comprising keeper means for holding the switch in its first state when the keeper means is in proximity to the switch;

means for causing the switch to assume its second state when the switch is out of proximity to the keeper means;

an alarm;

electrical circuit means, connected to the switch, for activating the alarm in response to assumption by the switch of its second state;

mechanical connecting means for connecting at least one of the trigger elements to the enclosure and the other trigger element to the access door; and

said mechanical connecting means allows normal opening of the access door without separation of the electrical switch from the keeper means.

3. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 in which the alarm comprises means for releasing at least one substance from the group consisting of dye, tear gas and smoke.

4. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 in which said electrical circuit means comprises delay means for causing activation of the alarm only after a predetermined interval following assumption by the switch of its second state.

5. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 including disabling means for preventing activation of the alarm, and means for preventing unauthorized persons from operating the disabling means.

6. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 in which the box is a bank night deposit box having a front cover which includes both said access door and a fixed part, and in which the mechanical connecting means for connecting the other trigger element to the access door comprises a mechanical link connecting said other trigger element to at least one of the fixed part of the front cover and the access door.

7. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 in which the box is a bank night deposit box having a front cover which includes both said access door and a fixed part, and in which the mechanical connecting means for connecting the other trigger element to the access door comprises a flexible cable connecting said other trigger element to at least one of the fixed part of the front cover and the access door.

8. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 in which the box is a bank night deposit box having a front cover which includes both said access door and a fixed part, and in which the mechanical connecting means for connecting the other trigger element to the access door comprises a flexible cable connecting said other trigger element to the access door.

9. A box and alarm device according to claim 2 comprising means providing a self-contained electrical power supply for supplying electrical power to the electric circuit means, and in which the electric circuit means includes means for providing an indication that the power supply is active, and that the switch is in its first state.