Security systems for containers

• US 9,679,450 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Timothy G. Shuttleworth
• Original Assignee: Timothy G. Shuttleworth
• Inventors: Shuttleworth, Timothy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/679,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20150287308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 3406931, 3405456, 340687
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0075 for safes, strongrooms, vaults, fire-resisting cabinets or the like safes, closures and fastenings therefor E05G
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/44 for furniture for drawers E05B65/46
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/46 for drawers
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems

Abstract

Security systems and methods are disclosed. A security system can be employed with a mobile, unpowered container having a door movable between an open orientation and a closed orientation. The security system can include an enclosure and a switch movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration upon movement of the door between the open orientation and the closed orientation. The security system can further include a battery pack in communication with the switch. The security system can also include a security device. The battery pack can be configured to operably power the security device when the switch is in the closed configuration. The security system can be attached to the container with a magnet and/or an array of magnets enclosed in a flexible magnetic mat. The security system can be deployed for a plurality of deployment cycles.

Claims

1. A security system for a mobile, unpowered container, wherein the security system comprises:

an enclosure comprising an attachment portion;

a security device positioned within the enclosure;

a battery positioned within the enclosure, wherein the battery is configured to operably power the security device;

a magnet removably positionable intermediate the attachment portion of the enclosure and the container, wherein the magnet generates a magnetic field that attracts the enclosure to the container when the magnet is positioned intermediate the attachment portion and the container; and

a magnetic mat comprising the magnet, wherein the magnetic mat is removably positionable intermediate the attachment portion of the enclosure and the container, and wherein the magnetic mat comprises;

a flexible quilt defining an array of receptacles; and

an array of permanent magnets positioned within the receptacles.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the array of receptacles comprises a two-dimensional array of receptacles, wherein the array of permanent magnets comprises a two-dimensional array of permanent magnets, and wherein the permanent magnets are arranged in a checkerboard pattern of alternating polarity along the two-dimensional array of receptacles.

3. The security system of claim 2, wherein the two-dimensional array of receptacles comprises a first column of receptacles and a second column of receptacles, wherein the flexible quilt further comprises a column of fasteners intermediate the first column of receptacles and the second column of receptacles, and wherein the flexible quilt is foldable along the column of fasteners to shunt a magnetic field of the permanent magnets in the first column of receptacles and the permanent magnets in the second column of receptacles.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the attachment portion comprises a first magnetic portion, wherein the container comprises a second magnetic portion, and wherein the flexible quilt is positioned between the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion.

5. The security system of claim 1, wherein the flexible quilt is comprised of a first material, wherein the magnetic mat further comprises a coating on at least a portion of the flexible quilt, wherein the coating comprises a second material, and wherein a coefficient of friction of the second material relative to the container is greater than a coefficient of friction of the first material relative to the container.

6. The security system of claim 1, further comprising a trigger system configured to selectively couple the battery and the security device, wherein the trigger system comprises:

a motion sensor; and

a second battery configured to power the motion sensor.

7. The security system of claim 1, wherein the security device comprises at least one of an alarm, a recording device, a data storage device, and a wireless transmitter.

8. The security system of claim 6, wherein the trigger system further comprises a normally-open relay, and

wherein the normally-open relay is movable from the normally-open position when the motion sensor detects motion.

9. The security system of claim 6, wherein the trigger system further comprises:

a switch positioned within the enclosure, wherein the switch is movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration upon movement of a door of the container between an open orientation and a closed orientation; and

a trigger line extending between the door and the switch in the enclosure.

10. The security system of claim 9, wherein the trigger line extends through a catching aperture mounted to the door.

11. security system of claim 6, wherein the trigger system further comprises:

a switch positioned within the enclosure, wherein the switch is movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration upon movement of a door of the container between an open orientation and a closed orientation, and wherein the switch comprises a reed switch configured to detect a change in magnetic field when the door of the container is moved between the open orientation and the closed orientation.

12. A security system for a mobile, unpowered container, wherein the security system comprises:

an enclosure comprising an attachment portion;

a security device positioned within the enclosure;

a battery positioned within the enclosure, wherein the battery is configured to operably power the security device; and

a flexible mat removably positionable intermediate the enclosure and the attachment portion, wherein the flexible mat comprises a plurality of permanent magnets, and wherein a magnetic attraction between the plurality of permanent magnets and the container attracts the enclosure to the container when the flexible mat is positioned intermediate the attachment portion and the container.

13. The security system of claim 12, wherein the flexible mat comprises an array of receptacles, and wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are positioned within the receptacles.

14. The security system of claim 13, wherein the array of receptacles comprises a two-dimensional array of receptacles, and wherein the permanent magnets are arranged in a checkerboard pattern of alternating polarity along the two-dimensional array of receptacles.

15. The security system of claim 14, wherein the two-dimensional array of receptacles comprises a first column of receptacles and a second column of receptacles, wherein the flexible mat further comprises a column of fasteners intermediate the first column of receptacles and the second column of receptacles, and wherein the flexible mat is foldable along the column of fasteners to shunt a magnetic field of the permanent magnets in the first column of receptacles and the permanent magnets in the second column of receptacles.

16. The security system of claim 12, wherein the flexible mat comprises a first material, wherein the flexible mat further comprises a coating comprising a second material, and wherein a coefficient of friction of the second material relative to the container is greater than a coefficient of friction of the first material relative to the container.

17. The security system of claim 12, further comprising a trigger system configured to selectively couple the battery and the security device, wherein the trigger system comprises:

a motion sensor positioned to detect motion within the container; and

a second battery configured to power the motion sensor.

18. The security system of claim 17, wherein the trigger system further comprises a switch movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration upon movement of a door of the container between an open orientation and a closed orientation, wherein the battery is configured to operably power the security device when the switch is in the closed configuration.

19. The security system of claim 12, wherein the security device comprises an alarm comprising at least one of a speaker and a light.

20. The security system of claim 12, further comprising a second magnetic mat removably positionable adjacent to an exterior wall of the container, wherein a magnetic attraction between the flexible mat and the second magnetic mat attracts the enclosure to the container when the flexible mat is positioned intermediate the enclosure and the container and the second magnetic mat is positioned adjacent to the exterior wall of the container.

21. A security system for a mobile, unpowered container, wherein the security system comprises:

a secure enclosure comprising an attachment portion;

a security device enclosed within the secure enclosure;

a battery enclosed within the secure enclosure, wherein the battery is configured to operably power the security device; and

flexible magnetic means for releasably attaching the secure enclosure within the container.

22. The security system of claim 21, further comprising a trigger system configured to selectively couple the battery and the security device, wherein the trigger system comprises:

a motion sensor positioned to detect motion within the container; and

a second battery configured to power the motion sensor.

23. The security system of claim 22, wherein the motion sensor comprises a passive infrared motion sensor.

24. The security system of claim 21, wherein the security device comprises an alarm comprising at least one of a speaker and a light.

25. The security system of claim 21, wherein the security device comprises a recording device.