EP0665356A1

EP0665356A1 - Improved security closure arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP0665356A1
Application number: EP95500006A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Victor Estepa Garcia
Original assignee: Patentes FAC SA
Current assignee: Patentes FAC SA
Priority date: 1994-01-26
Filing date: 1995-01-25
Publication date: 1995-08-02
Also published as: CA2140612A1; CO4370789A1; BR9500502A; JPH07217314A; AU1134295A

Abstract

The present invention provides a safe whose door (6) may be displaced within its own plane as well as being tilted about an axle (7.7'). Thus, the door itself, on being displaced away from the axle, locks behind the frame (3) of the opening that provides access to the inside of the safe.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a) Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a security closure arrangement that has been specially designed for safes, but that is equally applicable to other practical applications in which a door or other closure closes an opening. The invention encompasses a safe having said security closure arrangement.

b) Description of the Prior Art

A safe may be a fixed element, for example built into a wall, or an independent element, whose stability and resistance to theft is ensured by its own weight. In either case, as is well known, the safe has a basic structure defined by a casing, and an access opening in the casing provides access to the interior of the casing.
The opening in the casing is closable by a door that usually opens outwardly so as not to reduce the capacity of the safe. The size of the casing is determined by the desired internal capacity of the safe, and both the casing and the door are constructed with sufficient robustness to provide the degree of security required.
The door of a safe is usually connected to its casing by hinge means comprising a hinge or a set of hinges, these generally connecting one of the side edges of the door to the adjacent part of the periphery of the opening although it is also known for the hinge means to be situated at the upper or lower edge of the door.
Locking of the door in a closed and locked state is commonly effected by bolt means comprising a bolt or a set of bolts worked by a locking mechanism, there being a multitude of known locking arrangements both regarding the number and arrangement of the bolts as well as the structure of the locking mechanism itself. For example, it is well known to have a set of bolts that, in the closed and locked state, extend into sockets disposed around the periphery of the access opening. When the safe is to be opened, the bolts can be retracted into the door by the locking mechanism.
Known safes suffer from either complexity or lack of security, or both. On the other hand, safes having relatively simple locking arrangements can be forced open, most often by breaking the hinges or other elements that attach the door to the casing. This vulnerability is maximised where the door occupies the same general plane as the periphery of the access opening, as is common.
The security lock proposed by the present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages; it is based on an entirely novel functional design which enjoys the dual benefits of structural simplicity and high security.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with these objects, the present invention provides a safe comprising: a casing; means defining an access opening in the casing, said access opening having a periphery of a first width; a door capable of closing the access opening and having a width greater than the first width; and support means for movably supporting the door; wherein the support means includes means for tilting the door to open or close the access opening, and means for displacing the door to engage behind the periphery of the access opening.
In a preferred embodiment, the door is mounted on hinges and can be displaced sideways in its own plane with respect to the hinges, the door being slightly oversized with respect to the access opening in the direction of such displacement. Thus, on closing, the door occupies the plane immediately inside the entrance of the safe.
In this way, when the door is displaced slightly towards the hinges, the door can freely pivot open and closed, whilst when it is displaced in the opposite direction when closed, all of its edge opposite the hinges engages behind the corresponding part of the periphery of the access opening and consequently prevents opening of the door. In a sense, therefore, the door itself acts as a very large and strong bolt.
To effect the displacement of the door within its own plane, that is within the closing plane, a crank or cam may be provided between the hinge or hinges and the door, in addition to guides to allow the displacement of the latter. When suitably driven from the outside with the help of any appropriate closing mechanism, the crank or cam allows relative displacement in one or other direction between door and hinge, so that the door adopts locked or unlocked positions with respect to the periphery of the access opening.
Whilst displacement in the plane of the door allows a simple driving mechanism and is preferred, the broadest aspect of the invention is not limited to movement solely in the plane of the door. One component of the door's movement may be in a direction that does not lie in the plane of the door: for example, the door may move both forwards and sideways as it assumes the locked position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary of the invention, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangements and instrumentalities disclosed.
Figure 1 is a partial schematic cross-sectional side elevation of a safe provided with the security closure arrangement of the present invention, the door of the safe having a horizontal pivot axis situated adjacent to its lower edge.
Figure 2 is a partial schematic cross-sectional plan view of another safe provided with the security closure arrangement of the present invention, the door of the safe having a vertical pivot axis situated adjacent to a side edge.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the security closure arrangement of the invention is applied to a safe provided with a body or casing 1 which, in the embodiments illustrated, is embedded in a wall 2, but which can also be an independent free-standing element. The casing 1 has a front frame 3 forming an access opening 4 to the interior 5 of the safe, protected by a corresponding door 6, which in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 tilts or hinges about a horizontal axle 7 and in the embodiment of Figure 2 tilts or hinges about a vertical axle 7'.
In both embodiments, a hinge portion 8 is mounted in pivotal fashion upon the axle 7 or 7'. The hinge portion 8 includes guides 9 such as holes which receive rods 10 attached to the internal face of the door 6, the guides 9 allowing the door 6 to be displaced in its own general plane parallel to the hinge portion 8, between two limit positions. In one limit position, represented by a broken line in the drawings, the door 6 can tip freely to open the safe, and in the other limit position, represented by a continuous line, the door 6 engages behind the frame 3 of the opening 4 to prevent the door 6 being opened.
The displacement of the door 6 is effected by a crank mechanism comprising a crank 11 that passes through and pivots about the door 6. On its outer end, the crank 11 carries an operating wheel 12, whilst the inner end of the crank 11 is defined by a cranked arm 13 terminating in a journal 14 which is received in a bearing 15 forming part of the hinge portion 8. Thus, turning the wheel 12 in one or other direction causes the displacement of the door 6 in one or other direction relative to the axle 7 or 7'.
The illustrated door driving mechanism is simply a preferred example of a solution, and in every case will be assisted by a closing or locking mechanism of a conventional type.
In the closed situation represented by a continuous line in the Figures, the door 6 rests with two or three of its edges against the frame 3. In this way, the structure offers a maximum level of security, since the door 6 is prevented from tilting outwardly to open the safe whilst forcing the door inwardly (which would in any event be pointless since it would not open the door) can also be avoided by the use of appropriate internal buttresses.
It can be seen that, in the embodiment of Figure 2, the axle 7' is situated very near to an edge of the access opening 4 whereas the axle 7 of Figure 1 is relatively central. This difference is due to the differing orientations of the respective axles 7 and 7'. Specifically, as the axle 7' is vertical, the weight of the door 6 does not influence its opening motion whereas, as the tilting axle 7 is horizontal, the weight of the door 6 causes the opening motion to be excessively abrupt. Accordingly, where the axle 7 is horizontal, it is preferred to position that axle relatively centrally so that the lower part of the door, together with the driving mechanism of the same, constitute a type of counterweight which balances and slows the motion of the door 6.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

Claims

A safe comprising:
a casing (1);
means defining an access opening (4) in the casing (1), said access opening (4) having a periphery of a first width;
a door (6) capable of closing the access opening (4); and
support means for movably supporting the door;
characterised in that:
said door (6) has a width greater than said first width, and can engage behind the periphery of the access opening (4); and
the support means includes means for tilting the door (6) to open or close the access opening (4); and means for displacing the door (6) to engage behind the periphery of the access opening (4).
A safe as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for displacing the door (6) are capable of moving the door (6) in its own general plane.
A safe as defined in claim 1, wherein the support means includes a pivot axle (7,7').
A safe as defined in claim 3, wherein the pivot axle (7,7') is substantially horizontal or substantially vertical.
A safe as defined in claim 4, wherein the pivot axle (7) is substantially horizontal and is situated above the means for displacing the door (6).
A safe as defined in claim 4, wherein the pivot axle (7') is substantially vertical and is situated near to a side edge of the access opening (4).
A safe as defined in claim 1, wherein the support means includes a hinge portion (8) attached to the door (6) by means permitting relative parallel movement between the hinge portion (8) and the door (6), and further includes driving means capable of effecting said movement.
A safe as defined in claim 7, wherein the driving means is a crank (11) or a cam.
A safe as defined in claim 7, wherein the means permitting relative parallel movement comprises at least one guide (9) or hole associated with the hinge portion (8) that receives at least one rod (10) associated with the door (6).
A safe comprising:
a casing (1);
means defining an access opening (4) in the casing (1), said access opening (4) having a periphery of a first width;
a door (6) capable of closing the access opening (4) and having a width greater than the first width;
pivot means supporting the door (6); and
means for displacing the door (6) with respect to the pivot means.