WO2007010328A1

WO2007010328A1 - Alarm device for handbags and holders in general

Info

Publication number: WO2007010328A1
Application number: PCT/IB2005/003612
Authority: WO
Inventors: You Yi Miao
Original assignee: You Yi Miao
Priority date: 2005-07-18
Filing date: 2005-11-25
Publication date: 2007-01-25
Also published as: ITFI20050158A1

Abstract

Anti-theft device for an handbag (2) and holders in general said handbag has an aperture (20) provided with contacts (21) connected to control means (8) to enable the activation of an alarm (7) in case of a unauthorized opening of the handbag, and is also provided with means (22) for access by the owner in order to disable the alarm activation.

Description

DESCRIPTION ALARM DEVICE FOR HANDBAGS AND HOLDERS IN GENERAL

Technical Field The present invention refers to an alarm device for handbags, suitcases, wallets and holders in general. Background Art

Pickpocketing and theft of suitcases in the airports, for example, are known to occur with increasing frequency and affecting less protected subjects such as women and elderly people.

This type of cases concern in particular those who make frequent use of crowded means of public transportation, or those that go regularly through streets or districts where there is a high degree of criminality.

At present, warning devices are known comprising a proximity sensor which emits a sound signal when the distance between the object (key case, wallet, handbag) and the legitimate owner exceeds a given length. These devices solve the problem of an accidental loss of the object, but do not have any discouraging capacity over thieves or violent third parties. Disclosure of the invention A first object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks and to propose a "complete" anti- theft system, that is, a system capable of both informing the owner about the loss or fraudulent removal of the handbag and acting efficiently against any pickpocket trying to steal the handbag or in possession of the stolen handbag.

A second object is to propose an anti-theft/anti-loss which is operable and programmable as the need arises. The technical task and the specified purposes are substantially obtained by an anti-theft device having the characteristics disclosed in one or more of the appended claims .

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from a reading of the indicative and non-limiting description of a non-exclusive preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows a typical handbag provided with the inventive system;

- Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the components of the device.

With reference to the figures, a device according to the invention for handbags, wallets and holders in general, comprises a first proximity sensor 1 solid to the handbag 2 and wireless-connected with a second sensor 9 to be used by the owner of the handbag.

Preferably, the sensor 9 is disposed integral with an object of common use such as a watch or a cellular telephone 12 or a device's remote control 13. In the embodiment described hereunder, a unit or board 10 - comprising or anyway physically connected with a portable source of electric energy 3 and held inside a box of plastic material or the like - is preferably fixed removably inside the handbag 2. According to the invention, the battery 3 (preferably of rechargeable type) feeds an electric shock-emitter 5 electrically connected with conducting elements 6 distributed over the external surface of the handbag 2. The elements 6 are advantageously put out of sight by a layer of non-isolating material such as leather, or natural or synthetic fabric.

In order to enable/disable the emission of electric shocks, the device comprises a control means 4 capable of receiving signals on output from the sensor 1, so that, when a predetermined distance between the sensors 1 and 9 is exceeded, the sensor 1 will feed a signal to the means 4 enabling the emission of electric shocks by the emitter 5. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the conducting elements 6 are made up of, or comprise, a metal net (or distributed metal contacts) extending over the whole or a portion of the outer surface of the handbag 2 possibly including the handles 15 and being concealed by a layer of isolating material.

Preferably, the net 6 is of anti-burglary type, that is, able to resist to any attempt to cut it by knives, cutters or the like.

With reference to Fig. 2, the device comprises also a sound alarm 7 interfaced with said proximity sensors and a control means 8 possibly coincident with the means 4, to enable/disable the alarm activation depending on the detected distance between the first and second sensors 1/9. In this embodiment, the anti-cut net may also be provided with anti-burglary sensors 14 connected with the means 8 to enable alarm activation in case of net's forcing attempt. For example, the net 6 may be taken under a slight electric tension by the battery 3, and the sensors 14 may consist of an electric leakage detector activated by the contact of a metal blade with the net 6 (or by the cutting thereof) and thus able to feed a signal of burglary attempt to the control means 4. In order to forewarn the thief, or whoever may have taken away the handbag from the owner, the device includes a timer 11 for enabling and disabling the emission of electric shocks with a predetermined delay from the alarm activation. To make the use of the device easier, a remote control 13 is also provided for activating/deactivating the same device, for example by switching on/off the battery 3. In particular, the remote control 13 may include a key 17 for the automatic programming of the device, a key 23 for selecting the stand-by mode in which the sound alarm and subsequent shock are activated by the handbag movement through a movement sensor integral to the board 10, a key 18 for the activation of the remote control 13, an on/off key 24 selectable, for example, via a cursor 19, and the integrated proximity sensor 9.

In use, the handbag or suitcase 2 is normally in the hands or within easy reach of the owner, that is, located at a distance form the sensor 9 that can be considered as capable of ensuring a direct control of the handbag, for example one meter.

In case of loss, the distance detected by the sensor 1 will increase as far as to exceed a predetermined threshold, for example ten meters, beyond which it will be assumed that the handbag has been taken away without authorization. In this case, the sensor 1 will feed a signal to the means 8 to activate the alarm 7. Depending on the selected program, after a given delay set by the timer 11, the emitter will produce a shock hitting the thief in possession of the handbag or suitcase. According to the invention, , in case of a deftly theft attempt, the handbag 2 results protected by means of an aperture 20 provided by contacts 21 (for example two teeth corresponding to the slides of the zipper or to the two parts of a metallic button) magnetically connected to said control means 8 to enable the activation of the alarm 7 in case of an attempt to break in the handbag.

To avoid accidental alarms, a switch or similar means 22 is also provided and which is accessible by the owner to deactivate the alarm via the contacts 21. In different embodiments, the distances and activation criteria of the alarm or electric shocks may be different in order to adapt the device's response to various practical cases . For example, in case of an attempt to break the net or to open without authorization the zipper (or magnetic closure) 20, only the sound alarm will be activated to prevent the owner from receiving a shock upon the theft attempt. The device is thus able to protect the legitimate owner of the handbag against all or the majority of actual cases in which an unwanted removal of it may occur, also allowing to program and adapt the operation of the device by providing, for example, different shock intensities or different times and distances of activation. Moreover, in addition to what has been described above, it will also be possible to provide the device with a position detector (of satellite type or other) solid to the handbag and also activated by the means 4/8, which might be used for recovering the suitcase or handbag 2 after a theft or loss. The thus devised invention can be also the object of numerous modification and variants falling within the scope of the invention; moreover, all the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. Anti-theft device for an handbag (2) and holders in general comprising a portable source of electric energy (3) and a sound alarm (7) , wherein said handbag has an aperture (20) provided with contacts (21) connected to the alarm (7) to enable the activation of an alarm (7) in case of a unauthorized opening of the handbag, and is also provided with means (22) for access by the owner in order to disable the alarm activation.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said contacts consist of at least two teeth corresponding to respective slides of a zipper of the handbag aperture.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein said contacts consist of two parts of ' a metallic button owning to respective sides of the handbag aperture.

4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said means (22) for access by the owner comprise a switch placed on an handle (15) of the handbag.

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising:

- a first proximity sensor (1) solid to the handbag (2) and wireless-connected with a second sensor (9) to be used by the legitimate owner of the handbag;

- control means (4, 8) interfaced with said first sensor (1) to receive an activation signal when a predetermined distance between said first and second sensors (1, 9) is exceeded and to feed an enabling/disabling signal to said alarm (7) in response to said activation signal.

6. Device according to claim 5, comprising an electric shock-emitter (5) powered by said source (3) connected to said control means (4, 8) to receive an enabling/disabling signal in response to an activation signal emitted by said first sensor and a timer (11) to allow the emission of electric shocks with a predetermined delay after the activation of the sound alarm.

7. Device according to claim 5 or 6, comprising also anti- breaking structure in the form of a metal net (6) extended over the whole surface of the handbag (2) .

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims wherein said net is provided with anti-burglary sensors connected to said control means (8) to enable/disable the alarm activation in case of an attempt to force the handbag.

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a remote control (13) with keys (17, 18) for remote-programming the device in automatic or manual mode selectable through a selector (19) .

10. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a watch to be used by the owner and embodying therein said second distance sensor.

11. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a cellular telephone (12) to be used by the owner and embodying therein said second distance sensor.

12. Device according to any of the preceding claims wherein said second distance sensor (9) is embodied in said remote control (13) .

13. Device according to any of the preceding claims wherein said conducting elements (6) of the electric shock-emitter comprise said anti-burglary net.

14. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a group (10) removably attached to the handbag

(2) which holds integral therewith at least said battery

(3) , said sensor (1) , said control means (11) and said sound emitter (7) and electric shock-emitter (5).

15. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a programming unit to preset at least the minimum distance for the activation of the emitter (5) and/or alarm (8), the delay in the activation and the intensity of the electric shock.

16. Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a satellite position detector (16) also activated by the menas (4/8) upon exceeding one or more predetermined distances between said sensors (1, 9) .

17. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said net is protected from sight by a layer of nonisolating material, for example, leather or natural or synthetic material.

18. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said sensors (1, 9) are infrared or radiofrequency- connected.