GB2239546A

GB2239546A - Integrated anti-theft and anti-intruder system

Info

Publication number: GB2239546A
Application number: GB9013001A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alessandro Belli
Original assignee: Ave SpA
Current assignee: Ave SpA
Priority date: 1989-12-27
Filing date: 1990-06-11
Publication date: 1991-07-03
Also published as: IT222234Z2; IT8907137V0; AU5764090A; GB9013001D0

Abstract

The system is for perimeter and enclosure protection and is characterised in that it comprises a central unit 11 formed of modular units 17-20, each having a different function, which can be connected functionally and structurally for installation on a standard section on a domestic electrical board or in a conventional cabinet, and peripheral components 12-16 for installation on flush-mounted fittings or supports in walls harmoniously with the switches and other devices of a domestic electrical installation connected to the central unit, wherein some units of the central unit and peripheral components can perform their function independently and for other purposes within the context of an electrical installation. <IMAGE>

Description

"INTEGRATED ANTI-THEFT AND ANTI-INTRUDER SYSTEM" This utility model relates to anti-theft installations for perimeter and enclosure protection, and more particularly to an anti-theft system which is integrated in a modular way with an electrical system.

Commercial anti-theft installations are normally installed in visible cabinets which are cumbersome, highly prominent and poorly consistent with the aesthetics of a house. Also the central unit of the system generally has a suitable cabinet which is completely separate from the other components of an electrical system and is intended to contain all the functional components of the anti-theft device such as the power feed, the anti-interference filter, overload protection devices, alarm memories, etc., located in such a way that their useful functions cannot be made use of within the context of the electrical installation.

The object of this invention is to provide an anti-theft system comprising components which are perfectly integrated with other equipment in an electrical installation and by means of which cabinets, boards and supports normally used in domestic installations can advantageously be made use of without having to have recourse to specific and special structures, with obvious advantages of an economic, operational and functional order.

Thus on the one hand it is possible to make the components of the antitheft device prominent, while on the other hand such components can simultaneously be harmonised from the aesthetic point of view with the components installed alongside them on an electrical board, and the peripheral components of the anti-theft device can be aesthetically consistent with a particular set of switches or the other devices, e.g.

flush-mounted devices, of an electrical installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anti-theft system in which the various functions, which are conventionally all brought together into a central unit, are subdivided into modular components which can be placed alongside each other in a functional way, and, in addition to a modular arrangement, placed on normal electrical boards with the possibility of making use of those functions which are also useful for the remainder of the electrical installation.

The integrated anti-theft system provided here conforms substantially to claim 1 below. This will however be described more particularly in the description below which refers to the appended drawing in which: Figure 1 shows, separately, some modular units for various functions of the anti-theft device, Figure 2 shows the components in Figure 1 alongside each other in a single cabinet, Figure 3 shows the anti-theft system illustrated in Figure 2 diagrammatically in association with peripheral components which may be connected thereto, and Figure 4 shows a variant application of the system.

The anti-theft system in question substantially comprises a central unit designated by 11 and supplementary peripheral components such as, see Figure 3, magnetic microcontacts 12, an external alarm siren 13, an auxiliary alarm indicator 14, passive infrared intrusion detectors 15 and/or other sensors and optical and/or acoustic indicators, not shown, and an optional electronic keyboard input 16 functionally connected to central unit 11.

Central unit 11 comprises at least one core unit If for setting and operation of the system, a transformer/supply 18 supplying the core unit, a battery charger 19 for a stabilised supply to the alarm siren 13, and if appropriate a radio interference filter 20, an overload limiter and/or other devices.

Each component 17 - 20 of the central unit has its own housing: all the components and their corresponding functions are therefore separated even though they can be functionally connected to each other and peripheral units within the contexts of the anti-theft system. The enclosures of these components have well defined modular dimensions like the known equipment of electrical installations and can therefore be conveniently placed alongside each other.

In particular core unit 17 is designed to be mounted on a domestic electrical board and its enclosure is characterised by the following features: - a "modular" container 22 occupying 6 modules 17.5 mm wide, suitable for snap-on attachment to a standard section, - a base 23 to the cabinet designed for housing the sealed batteries required for the functioning of the system, - a visible front 24 with posterior mountings for the attachment of electronic boards, - the possibility that the front part may be fixed to the posterior part by means of screws when the system is installed and the possibility of dismantling it in a simple way for maintenance of the central unit, - a front housing 25 designed to contain a tamper-proof magnet attached to the covering panel of the electrical board for automatic protection of the core unit which also ensures protection of the other modular units forming the anti-theft device, such as the feed transformer and the stabilised feed for the independently supplied siren mounted alongside the central unit, - terminal board covers 26 which can be snapped into place to protect the terminal board to which the conductors of the anti-theft device are attached. These covers ensure separation between the metal parts connected to the low safety voltage of the central unit and other parts at the voltage of the electrical installation which may be present on the electrical board on which the core unit is mounted.

Through the separation of functions into modules the individual modules of the anti-theft system, such as for example the filter, the overload limiter, the supply and the transformer, may also be used for other purposes in the installation and can be replaced in the event of damage to any individual component. in order to achieve the above a mounting system and a modular unit of suitable dimensions (45 mm) is used for both the board components and the components which have to be installed on plates and frames 27 with a frontal plate 28.

The anti-theft system thus comprises separate units which are capable of performing their function automatically.

Finally the addition of one or more functional modules called "alarm memories 21 (flip-flops) which can be installed either alongside the central unit on the electrical board or in the normal fittings used for flush-mounted components flexibly enlarges the functional capacity of the central unit and the installation without requiring expensive circuit installations. Through this characteristic the installation can be adapted to the user's requirements, by first installing only the basic functional modules, and additional modules as necessary, without it being necessary to reconstruct the pre-existing installation.

Claims

1. An integrated anti-theft system for perimeter and enclosure protection, characterised in that it comprises a central unit formed of modular units, each having a different function, which can be connected functionally and structurally for installation on a standard section on a domestic electrical board or in a conventional cabinet, and peripheral components for installation on flush-mounted fittings or supports in walls harmoniously with the switches and other devices of a domestic electrical installation connected to the central unit, wherein some units of the central unitandperipheral components can perform their function independently and for other purposes within the context of an electrical installation.

2. An integrated anti-theft system according to claim 1, in which the central unit comprises at least some of the following units mounted alongside each other and functionally connected: a core unit for setting and operation of the anti-theft system, a transformer/supply which supplies the core unit, a battery charger for a stabilised supply to an alarm siren, a radio-interference filter, an overvoltage limiter and yet other devices, each of the said units being constructed in the form of an individual modular component which can be placed alongside the others on a single support and in which the peripheral components include at least magnetic microcontacts, an external alarm siren, an auxiliary alarm indicator, passive infrared intruder detectors,and/or other optical and/or acoustic sensors and indicators and if appropriate an electronic keyboard input, all of these components being capable of being snapped onto suitable plates or frames which can be placed alongside normal switches or channels.

3. An integrated anti-theft system in which the core unit in the central unit comprises a modular cabinet constructed for snap-on mounting on a standard section on an electrical board, a base designed to hold sealed batteries for operation of the system, a front member with posterior mountings for electronic boards, a frontal housing designed to receive a tamperproof magnet fixed to the covering panel and terminal board covers which can be snapped-on for protection of the terminal boards connecting the conductors of the antitheft installation.

4. An anti-theft and anti-intruder system consisting of a plurality of independent modular units, which can be snapped onto or fixed on suitable supports and are therefore individually replaceable, having separate and independent functions each of which can also be used for other purposes in the electrical installation.

5. An anti-theft system, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.