Antitheft system and antitheft apparatus

• US 6,094,135 A
• Filed: 07/24/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Secom Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Secom Company Limited
• Inventors: Maeda, Shuji, Nakamura, Toshinori, Sugimoto, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIEU, JULIE BICHNGOC
• Application Number:
  US08/898,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/426, 340/425.5, 340/573, 340/628, 379/40
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/02 with smoke, gas, or coloured or odorous powder or liquid

Abstract

A antitheft apparatus for hindering theft by an intruder when the intruder is detected in an alarm mode without operator. In a smoke generation system which is coupled with an alarm system including an intruder detector for detecting an intrusion of an intruder into an monitored area and a mode setter for setting or resetting an alarm state in the monitored area, and which includes a smoke generator for generating smoke inside the monitored area, a antitheft system include smoke generation operation control means for operating the smoke generator in response to the detection signal of the intruder detector when the mode setter sets a mode of the monitored area to an alarm mode without operator, fills the monitored area with smoke, cuts off the field of vision of the intruder and prevent theft and destruction of the intruder, and when the mode setter sets the mode of the monitored area to an alarm mode with an operator inclusive of a resetting mode, this means prevents the operation of the smoke generator 60 due to the detection signal of the intruder detector.

Claims

1. An antitheft apparatus comprising:

intruder detectors for detecting an intrusion by an intruder into a monitored area; and

a smoke generator for generating smoke or an atomized smoke-like gas inside said monitored area;

wherein a smoke sensor for detecting fire inside said monitored area is installed in said monitored area, and said apparatus includes cancellation means for canceling a fire occurrence signal of said smoke sensor when said smoke generator operates in response to the detection output of said intruder detector.

2. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cancellation means comprises a relay.

3. An anti-theft apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mode setter for setting at least first and second states of said monitored area;

a smoke generation starting means for operating said smoke generating means when said mode setter is set to said first state and said intrusion detector detects an intrusion and for not operating said smoke generating means when said mode setter is set to said second state and said intruder detector detects an intrusion; and

an alarm means connected to said intrusion detector, said smoke generation starting means, said mode setter and an alarm center, said alarm means for sending a signal to said alarm center a) when said intrusion detector detects an intrusion and said mode setter is in said first state and b) when said smoke generation starting means operates said smoke generating means.

4. An antitheft system according to claim 3, which includes time counting means which operates when said intruder detector detects the intrusion and a release device installed inside said monitored area, and wherein

said smoke generation starting means causes the smoke generator to generate smoke inside said monitored area when a release operation is not effected by a release device within a predetermined period of time.

5. An antitheft system as claimed in claims 2, 3 or 4, which further includes:

warning means for warning an intruder;

warning control means for operating said warning means when said intruder detector detects the intruder; and

a detector for detecting the intruder inside said monitored area; and

wherein;

said smoke generation starting means causes the smoke generator to generate smoke when said detector confirms the existence of the intruder after said warning device starts operating.

6. An antitheft device apparatus as claimed in claims 3 or 4 comprising:

moving object detection means installed inside a monitored area;

smoke generation means for jetting smoke into said monitored area in response to the output of said moving object detection means; and

control means for controlling each of said means; and

wherein said smoke generating means has the function of generating smoke by vaporizing components which are to be converted to smoke.

7. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said smoke generation means includes storage means for storing smoke generation components and heating means for heating said smoke generation components.

8. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said smoke generation means includes a stationary supporting means for rendering a nozzle for jetting smoke movable.

9. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said smoke generation means include a front surface portion for rendering smoke vents movable.

10. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said smoke generation means further includes draft means.

11. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said smoke generation means includes a louver for sending downward air from said draft means.

12. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:

control means for controlling each of said intrusion detectors and smoke generating means; and

wherein said control means includes time counting means for counting a lapse time of smoke jetted from said smoke generating means, and reducing means for reducing continuously the quantity of smoke by an output signal of said time counting means.

13. An antitheft apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising:

control means for controlling each of said intrusion detectors and smoke generating means; and

wherein said control means includes concentration detection means for detecting concentration of smoke jetted into said monitored area, and means for changing a quantity of smoke jetting in accordance with an output signal of said concentration detection means to maintain a predetermined smoke concentration.

14. An apparatus according to claim 3, Therein the modes to be set by said mode setter includes at least a mode of warning and manned state, a mode of warning and no-man state, and a mode of a warning-release state.

15. An anti-theft system according to claim 3, wherein said alarm center is located remote from said alarm means, said alarm center including a monitoring device connected with an alarm generation circuit provided in said alarm means through a communication line, a signal representing the activation of smoke generation being sent from the alarm generation circuit to the monitor device.

16. An anti-theft system according to claim 3, further comprising activation means for activating said smoke generation starting means irrespective of a state set by said mode setter.

17. An anti-theft system according to claim 3, which further includes a report device for sending a signal to the alarm center and confirmation means for confirming the operation of said smoke generating means, and wherein said report device sends an intruder signal to said alarm center when said confirmation means detects the generation of smoke.

18. An antitheft system according to claim 1, which further includes time counting means which operates upon the operation of said smoke generation starting means, and wherein said smoke generating means is again operated when said confirmation means does not detect the generation of smoke by said smoke generating means during counting by said time counting means.