WO1997026517A1

WO1997026517A1 - Alarm indication in a protecting equipment using optical fiber

Info

Publication number: WO1997026517A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/000073
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Eriksson
Original assignee: Gullmert, Jan
Priority date: 1996-01-19
Filing date: 1997-01-17
Publication date: 1997-07-24
Also published as: SE9600209D0

Abstract

The invention refers to a protecting equipment which is provided with an alarm activated by an optical fiber transluced by a signal, said fiber extending through at least one structure detail in at least one protecting equipment and said fiber during damage gets the signal to be damped so that the alarm is started.

Description

Alarm indication . in a protecting equipment using optic fiber.

Many different structural details are today used to estab^¬ lish a physical protection against encroach and escape by aid of a protecting equipment. This is made in order to decrease the risk and the possibility to force the protec¬ ting equipment in the form of e.g. a wall, a grating, a dis¬ play case, a window or a door, a fence or a wire which is anchoring a thief-attractive item. The structural details which belongs to the protecting equipment can consist of a post, a wire, a rope, a cord, a net structure, a frame, an isolating material, a tube formation, a locking mechanism e.g. a lock plunger, different types of beams and profiles such as a flat profile, L-profile, T-profile or H-profile. Different types of sheet units in planar, curved, arched or corrugated designs can also belong as structure details in a protecting equipment.

The structure details can be formed in suitable matching materials in order to increase the strength during damage and thus decrease the possibilities to break through a protecting equipment. The structural details can be made of metal, wood, plastic, glass, concrete, silicates, isolation, ceramics and/or combinations or composite material of these. All structure details which are needed to make a protecting equipment can be built up by aid of one or several of components and material mentioned above. Sometimes a struc¬ ture detail alone forms a protecting equipment. As an ex¬ ample of this fact is when a wire for anchoring of a com¬ puter extends through the same.

Using different types of penetrating such as deformation, drilling, sawing, blowpipe cutting, blasting, heating and rapid cooling and so on of a structure detail the thief tries to force the protecting equipment. The work to break through this takes a certain time. The longer time it takes the greater reason is it to install an alarm. Takes it more time than the time needed for the police to arrive a good alarm is needed which is not too easy to start false alarm of or which can be bridged. During repeated false alarms the police will be bored to arrive at the place of the crime and in this way the criminals can work without being disturbed. When bridging the alarm is out of function.

When a protecting equipment which is provided with an alarm is attaced the alarm shall be put in function and frighten the thief and at the same time via an alarm central phone after the police. The time in forcing e.g. a grating is the time the police have in arriving before the criminals have taken themselves into that place which is going to be pro¬ tected against encroach. Different forms of alarm devices are used to alarm different protecting equipments.

The alarm devices used today work in different ways. An alarm can be started by registrating infra-red radiation, vibrations, light and/or of the fact that an electrical loop is broken during damage. All these types of alarm indicators can be bridged and/or be subjected to false alarm. A sensor for infra-red radiation can be coverd by paint when the alarm is chut off during daytime. When this alarm is acti¬ vated during night time it does not function. A photocell can be avoided and gives in this way a rather bad alarm portection. An electrical loop can be localized by aid of measuring instruments and be bridged so that an admittance can take place without starting the alarm.

The alarm systems mentioned above are often visible and easy to localize and manipulate. Therefore it is important that an alarm equipment can be hidden or if it is visible it can be anchored so that a manipulation cannot occur without starting tha alarm. Often it is very difficult to alarm a whole protecting equipment in using one alarm function which has an extension such as e.g. a wall, a fence, a grating, a door or the like using the methods of today. The region which is forced can in fact be unalarmed. Should the region nevertheless be provided by an alarm it can be localized and put out of action.

By aid of the present invention it will be possible in a cheep way in using an active alarm having a transmitter and a receiver to start a false alarm and to provide bigger and/or smaller structure details and protecting equipments with an activated alarm. Using known methods this has been almost impossible before or very complicated and expensive to provide. All protecting equipments described above according to the invention can be activated in an excellent way and nearly totally eliminate the risk of false alarm and/or bridging or any manipulation of the alarm equipment. By the present invention alarm is started when a real started treatment against the protecting equipment causes a break of an optical fibre,

An optical fibre is connected to an electronics which registrates the damping of a signal sent out through the fibre. A transmitter is sending out a signal through the fibre which is registrated by a receiver. When the optical fibre is damaged, broken, scratched or cut off the receiver registrates a damping of the signal which is of such a value that the alarm is started. The fibre is impossible to bridge or be exposed to false alarm. Is the damage done on the optical fibre the attack on the protecting equipment is also so great that the alarm will be started if the fibre is installed according to the invention.

The optical fibre which can be equipped with a protecting cover can extend through channels, slots, cavities in different structure details and between these, e.g. between a bar and a sheet unit in a protecting equipment or a post and a tube in a grating. Examples of protecting equipments are a display case, a door, a window, a wall, a grating, a fence. The optical fibre can be drawn losely, wholly or partly fixed, hidden behind cover means or sealing materials. Is it not hidden it shall be anchored so that it cannot be losen without damaging arises on the fibre so that the alarm is started.

During an attack on the protecting equipment either an deformation or a breakage arises in at least one structure detail and in this way the optical fibre is hurt or is broken so that the alarm is started. It is impossible to localize the optical fibre by instruments. Thus it cannot be destroyed or sabotaged. Should it be found by chance or be visible it cannot be loosen without starting the alarm if the fibre is installed according to the invention.

In protecting equipments having stronger structure details such as beams, tube formations, uprights, the optical fibre can run internally or in slots and cavities and be anchored in points with a tensioned line extension between the an¬ choring points. During deformation of these structure details the fibre breaks off owing to a too strong extension and the alarm is started. This occurs of course also during any damages. In using weaker structure details such as e.g. in a wall structure with an isolation or a net formation between uprights in a fence the fibre can extend having closer formations in a net like pattern, where the meshes in the net are not greater than a small cavity of e.g. the size of a hand. During an attack on such a protecting equipment the optical fibre is hurt of either deformation or mechani¬ cal damage and the alarm is started.

According to the invention it is possible to alarm all types of protecting equipments with this active alarm having both a transmitter and a reciever.

The invention will be described closer below by aid of some preferred embodiments examples in viev of the drawings enclosed, on which

Fig. 1 illustrates a first embodiment example of a structure detail which is included in a protect¬ ing equipment where the optical fibre can run anywhere in a slot, a cavity or channel. It can also be hidden behind a flange, a slot or in close connection to a corner.

Fig. 2 illustrates another embodiment example of a structure detail which is included in the pro^¬ tecting equipment where the optical fibre runs through a tube formatio .

Fig. 3 illustrates a third embodiment example of a structure detail in the form of an extruded pro- file in.metal or pasties which is included in the protecting equipment where the optical fibre runs either freely, localized or in different forms of slots.

Fig. 4 illustrates a fourth embodiment example of a structure detail in a protecting equipment where the optical fibre runs beteen different struc¬ ture details in a protecting equipment.

Fig. 5 illustrates a fifth embodiment example of a structure detail in a protecting equipment where the optical fibre is anchored in spot areas via extensions.

Fig. 6 illustrates a sixth embodiment example of a structure detail in the form of a wire, a rope or an extruded profile having an optional cross section formation, where the optical fibre is embedded in the structure detail.

Fig. 7 illustrates a seventh embodiment example of a structure detail in the form of a fragile body which surrounds the optical fibre. This is an^¬ chored somewhere in a shosen position in the protecting equipment.

Fig. 8 illustrates an eight embodiment example of the structure detail.

The invention shows in fig. l structure details l included in a protecting equipment e.g. a grating, in which an opti¬ cal fibre 3 can run anywhere in a slot, a cavity or a chan¬ nel 6. The fibre 7 can also be located in connection with -a corner, behind a flange/slot or lie freely in the channel/slot 6. Said channel can have an optional formation in cross section e.g. rounded, oval, - , H- , T-formed, chosen to in a best way be suited for its using range. It can also present a width which mainly corresponds with the thickness of the optical fibre 3,7 provided with or not provided with a mechanical protection cover. In order to hide the optical fibre and making it impossible to loosen the same without starting the alarm, the cavity, slot/channel 6 can be filled with a compound 13 e.g. an adhesive either in points or totally covering or also be covered by a permanent, glued, screwed, snap anchored or slot connented 8 cover 18, which can cover the fibre in points or totally. The optical fibre 3,7 can also be totally or fixed or fixed in points along its longitudinal direction or be located freely. The optical fibre can be coated with a sheltering layer 2 of plastic or another material.

Fig. 2 illustrates a structure detail 4, which is included in a protecting equipment, where thge optical fibre runs through a tube formation 5, which can be wholly or partly filled such as the slot/channel 6 in fig. l, hidden of its totally or partly surrounding walls. The tube formation 5 can be e.g. a grating, an upright or a net formation included in the protecting equipment. The optical fibre 3 can extend through the whole protecting equipment in e.g. a grating. An attack against an optional location of the whole protecting equipment then will start the alarm.

Fig. 3 shows how a structure detail in the form of an extruded profile 13 in metal or plastic can be provided with an optical fibre in a protecting equipment where the optical fibre runs either freely located 12 or in a bigger cavity 10. The alarm is started if the profile is treated so that the fibre gets damaged. The advantage having a freely positioned fibre 12 and in the cavity 10 is that it can rapidly be drawn through a protecting detail. The fiber can also run in different forms of formations e.g. in a slot 9 which mainly corresponds with the thickness of the fibre. In this slot it can be glued or clamped along its total length or in points. The fibre can also run in a cavity ll which has mainly the same diameter as the fibre in order to give a direct contact against the walls of the cavity which also occurs when the fibre is placed in the slot 9. During deformation of the profile 13 the same is extended so that it will break and the alarm is started.

Fig. 4 shows a structure detail constituting a part of a wall 14 in a protecting equipment where the optical fibre 18 can run e.g. freely and with an extension anywhere in the building detail, or in an isolation 17 or through cavities 20, or fixed between a crossbar 16 and a sheet unit 15 or between the sheet units 15 in the opening 19 and in such a way being fixed, being glued in points or totally along its extension between different structure details in a protecting equipment. During attack against the protecting equipment the fibre 18 will be damaged and start the alarm.

Fig. 5 shows a structure detail 23 in a profile formation wieved in a cross section, where the optical fibre 21 is fixed in points by gluing, screwing, jamming in slots via at least one projection or a clamping means 22 to at least one point in the protecting equipment. The fibre 21 is extended between the fixing points 22. During attack against the structure detail 23 breakage arises of the fibre 21 owing to the extension when the profile is deformed and the alarm will start.

Fig. 6 shows a structure detail i the form of a longitu¬ dinal, strong body 26 e.g. a wire, a rope or an extruded profile having optional cross section, where the optical fibre 25 is embedded, glued or connected into the surrounding material 24 in the structure detail 26. It can constitute the protecting equipment itself e.g. extend through expensive items in a shop, secure computers, cycles or other thief-attractive items and in this way make a theft difficult to perform. The longitudinal body 26 is anchored in an element which is not easy to move. During attack against the longitudinal body the alarm is started, since the optical fibre 25 then is damaged.

Fig. 7 shows a frigile body 27 surrounding the optical fibre 28, which is fixed at a suitable location where a de¬ formation will be expected in a structure detail in the protecting equipment. During attack against the protecting equipment a breakage will occur on the frigile body 27 and in this way the optical fibre 28 is damaged so that the alarm will start. The fragile body 27 is used where the risk of an attack using bending, breakage and hits are most common e.g. in locking mechanisms, electric striking-plate locks, hinges, different strengthenings in doors and window profiles and in sheet units.

The invention can of course be used in combinating and in building together structure details and/or protecting equip¬ ments mentioned above into greater protecting equipments.

in order to use the invention in the best way it is im¬ portant that each structure detail is chosen in view of what kind of protecting effect which is required in order to later on be able to function in such a way that optimal use is achieved in a protecting equipment, in this way the alarm will start during a real burgelry attack.

With an embodiment example of the invention which is illu¬ strated in fig. 8 this structure means 29 in the form of a flexible means which unloaded is connected to a running through sprig with a passing through fibre. During loading of the spring this is loosen from its contact against another connected fibre. By the structure detail 29 one fibre 30 is thus a fibre 30 which is connected to another fibre 33 so that the plant location of the two ends of the fibres 30 and 33 is achieved in one point 32. In this way a signal can extend uninterrupped through the fibres 30 and 33 by aid of a means 31 which keeps the ends of the fibres 30, 33 against each other. The point 32 can e.g. consists of coverlike devie. The structure detail 29 is included in a protecting devise and during attack against the same, e.g. a fence, the structure detail 29 is influenced such that one optical fibre 30 is separated from the other optical fibre 33, whereby the signal running in the fibre is interrupped and an alarm is started.

It is also possible thet the fibre 30,33 extends not inter¬ rupped without contact areas through the structure detail 29 and the means 31. Instead a tool e.g. a cutting part in the point 32 influense the fibre so that the alarm is started.

Eventually you can when the influence ceases against the means 31 give this a constraining effect so that the ends of the fibre closes automatically, so that the signal again can extend through ends of the fibres 30,33 closes auto^¬ matically, whereby the signal again can run through the point 32 without rupture. Any repair of the fibres 30,33 need not be done since a replacemant to the starting position occurs automatically.

The optical fibre 30 and 33 can be extending from e,g, a door or window frame corresponding a point 31 in fig. 8 and then be broken corresponding point 32 and then run over into a part 31 correspondnig to a door or a window frame. When a window part or a part of a door is attacked the fibre is separated so that alarm is started. In the same way a lock cylinder in a lock can be provided with a drawn through fibre having connections on suitable locations in connection to the surrounding parts of the lock cylinder so that a signal can pass through joints in the fibre. During damage of such a structure detail distances occurs in the joints of the fibre so that an alarm is started.

A futher embodiment example of the invention consists of an optical fibre which runs through the protecting equipment in the form of a wall and/or a frame and ends its extension there. A gap exists between a door sheet and/or a wall. The optical fibre continues its extension after the gap in at least some part of the door sheet and/or the window frame and runs then back preferably to mainly the same location to the frame and/or the wall. A sent out signal then leads through the fibre and can thereafter send the same over the gap and continue through the fibre in the door sheet and/or the window frame and thereafter return over the gap and then back to the frame and/or the wall and back to the receiver. The signal has also run from a transmitter to a reciever. When the distance in the gap will be 'big enough a damping arises of the signal which is so big that the alarm is started. This can happen during an attack against the window or the door sheet so that the fibre is manipulated or that the gap is made bigger when e.g. a door or a window is going to bent up or damaged. From the transmitter to the receiver the fibre can run near itself up to the gap. This means that only one cavity must be made in order to create place to the extension of the fibre. Then the fiber ends are also met from the door sheet and/or the window frame the other fiber ends near each other. The means to connect the fibre in its right position in connection to the gap then will in this case be a structure detail as well as its extension in the door sheet and/or window frame.

Claims

1. A device to alarm indicate a protecting equipment comprising at least one structure detail (1,4,13,14,13,26,27 29) having at lest one optical fibre (3,12,18,21,25,28,30) extending integral or not integral so that its ends when it is broken are not located longer from each other than that a signal with enough strongness is transmittable from one end to the other where it is broken through or in connection to at least some part of the structure detail, characterized in that the optical fibre (3) is actuatable during attack against the protecting equipment (1) , so that a damping arises in the signal sent in the optical fibre, so that alarm is started.

2. A device according to claim l, characterized in that the optical fibre (3) runs through cavities, slots, channels (6).

3. A device according to claim l or 2, characterized in that the cavity, slot, channel (6) is wholly or partly filled or glued with a mass (13) or is provided with at least one cover formation (18) .

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure detail consists of a tube formation (4) or a longitudinal profile (13) having channels (9,10,11) receiving the the optical fibre (3,12).

5. A device according toclaim l, characterized in that the structure detail (14) is to at least some extent pro¬ vided with an optical fibre (18) which is wholly or partly secured (19) between at least one frame (16) and at least one sheet formation (15) or an isolated material (17) or running through a cavity (20) in the structure detail (14) .

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure detail (26) comprises of a longitudinal body with a strong material (24) in which the optical fibre (25) is anchored in at least one location.

7. A device according to claim l, characerized in that structure detail consists of a profile formation (23) having extensions (22) for fixing of the optical fibre (21) , so that it can run in a tensioned state through at least one structure detail.

8. A device according to claim l, characterized in that the structure detail consists of a frigile body (27) in which the optical fibre (28) is anchored in at least one location.

9. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one structure detail must be included into a protecting equipment.

10. A device according to claim 1, characterized in a structure detail (29) comprising at least one means (31) for keeping together two fibres (30,33) having their ends situated towards each other in one point (32) in the not influenced location of the structure detail (29) , whereby during attack against the fibres (30,33), the structure detail (29) yields at the point (32) , so that the ends of the fibres (30,33) get apart and the alarm is started.