WO2007010107A1 - Device for compressing an ink reserve for setting off documents in a secure chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention concerns a device for compressing (1) a reservoir in particular for use in devices for setting off documents or valuable objects, comprising a base frame (13), a mobile element (15), defining a plane for pressing on the reservoir, and a driving element (17), the activation of the driving element (17) ensuring the movement of the mobile element (15). Said device is characterized in that the driving element (17) consists of pyrodynamic means enabling, prior to being activated, the reservoir to be uniformly pressurized ready to be perforated, and upon activation of said driving element (17), to be pyrotechnically triggered thereby releasing the mobile element (15) enabling the mobile element (15) to be dynamically translated, while providing a homogeneous and uniform distribution of the compressive load on the reservoir, and the dynamic movement of said mobile element (15) to its final position, parallel to the initial position, where the reservoir is emptied of its contents.

Description

 DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING AN INK RESERVE FOR MACULATING DOCUMENTS IN A SECURE ENCLOSURE

The present invention relates to a device for compressing a reservoir containing a product or smearing liquid, usable especially in the secure transport of funds or valuables, for the projection of said product or liquid on said funds or objects, in case of aggression, said smearing device preferably being used in a cassette-type secure enclosure for automatic ticket dispensing, or container type for conveying said documents or valuables from a shipping point to a destination point.

The smearing devices generally consist of a power source, an electronic card which manages the putting into service of said device and activates the triggering of a device for compressing a tank during the detection of a break-in. or attempted break-in, the detection being carried out by means of sensors of the thermal, hydrometric, gyroscopic, infrared, positional contact type, etc., capable of detecting any malfunction. When it is triggered, the compression device compresses a reservoir containing a product or dye or aggressive liquid, thus allowing the perforation of said reservoir which releases the product or liquid, said product or compressed liquid being then projected, by means of sprinkling, on documents or valuables that are so degraded.

Compression devices known to those skilled in the art are variable, but generally use a similar technique of triggering a pyrotechnic charge which releases, with a high intensity, a breath or a gas capable of either compressing the reservoir directly or moving a plate, such as a piston, which compresses said reservoir or directly expels the smearing liquid.

Compression devices and / or devices smearing are generally not hermetic, because of their design, resulting in a loss of gas emitted during the explosion of the pyrotechnic charge, tending to reduce the intensity of the load, and thus to reduce the compressive force on the tank.

With regard to the devices where the pressure is exerted, for the most part, directly on the tank by the blast of the explosion of the pyrotechnic charge, as for example in the document WO 92/07159, the distribution of the force is disproportionate, so that the reservoir is compressed in a random manner and does not empty properly.

With regard to the compression devices consisting of a piston, implemented generally by means of a plate which slides inside the body of the smearing device to compress the reservoir, as for example in the patent application FR 2.858.005 the explosion of the charge exerts a strong pressure on the plateau, but with a very irregular distribution; the plate is therefore very likely to tilt inside the body of the device, tending to bend the two parts, which reduces the compressive force on the tank and limits the complete recovery of the plate which, moreover , is inclined. The tank can not be emptied in its entirety.

The spraying means on the smearing device are designed to distribute the deflagrator liquid in various places in the secure enclosure in order to spray all the documents or valuables. It is therefore generally provided several points of perforation on the reservoir for injecting the liquid in all the channels provided on the spraying means. Due to the poor distribution of the compressive force on the reservoir, the perforation of said reservoir is not synchronized and the ejection of the liquid out of the reservoir varies according to the offset between each of the perforations and according to the random compression of the reservoir; the smudging is not homogeneous and some documents or objects of value can still be recovered during a break-in.

Other smearing devices are also known for example the patent application FR 2,836,461 which describes a cylindrical device having a circular central chamber closed at its ends by two lids, said chamber containing smearing liquid. The two lids comprise a circular and peripheral weakening line. The two lids each comprise an axial cylindrical portion, one being solid and the other hollow, the two cylindrical portions being slidably mounted relative to each other such as a piston. These sliding mounted parts receive a pyrotechnic generator. The triggering of the pyrotechnic generator makes it possible to emit a gas inside the sliding mounted parts, the pressure exerted by this gas makes it possible to detach the two lids closing the chamber at their line of weakening. Once the two lids detached from the chamber, the pressure in the sliding parts tends to push relative to each other said lids which then slide at their cylindrical portions. These covers then move away from one another until reaching the stops formed by the caps located at both ends of the cylindrical device. The chamber is then opened, which allows the flow of the smearing liquid through the openings left during the detachment of the lids at the ends of the chamber, the liquid then flowing through the liquid outlet openings placed in the chamber. work at the plugs.

Also known is US Patent 2004/0007165 which discloses an ink device for protection against theft. This device comprises a movable element consisting of at least one compression plate, a tank and motor elements that can be activated by a mechanical triggering device.

The motor element allows the displacement of the plateau of compression, from an initial position where the closed tank is full to a final position where the tank is perforated and emptied of its contents. The motor element consists of springs that exert pressure under the compression plate. The expansion of the springs moves the tray which compresses the reservoir to perforate it and empty it of its smearing ink.

The design of this trigger device described in US 2004/0007165 is purely mechanical. This mechanical triggering device is subjected to a retaining force of the compression plate, this retaining force being proportional to the pressure exerted by the springs under the plate, said springs serving to move the plate when the mechanism is triggered. The trigger is obtained by a translation of the mechanism during an attempted forced opening of the smearing device, which releases the compression plate. The restraint force therefore tends to oppose the translation of the mechanism. The mechanism may eventually become blocked and prevent the device from functioning properly.

The present invention proposes a new mode of design of a reservoir or bag compression device, adaptable to any type of document smudging device or valuable objects, ensuring a proper distribution of the compressive force exerted by the tray on said tank in order to perforate it simultaneously at the various points provided for this purpose, and to promote uniform spraying on the documents or valuables, thus rendering them all useless. Another advantage of the present invention is to allow the complete compression of the reservoir, and therefore the use of the entire product or liquid when smearing documents or valuables.

Another advantage of the present invention is to guarantee an immediate pressurization of the reservoir in the compression device to ensure a uniform perforation of said reservoir and thus a homogeneous evacuation of the ink contained therein for spraying the assembly. documents or valuables.

The present invention also aims to ensure immediate triggering of the compression device, - without risk of failure of the trigger device, and instantaneous perforation of the reservoir during an attempt fraudulent opening of the smearing device.

For this purpose, and in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device for compressing a reservoir containing a product or a liquid, which can be used in particular in the smearing devices for projecting said product or said liquid onto documents or objects of value, comprising a base frame defined in a "Pe" plane, a movable element consisting of at least one reservoir compression plate, defining in its initial position a bearing plane "P" on the reservoir parallel to the plane "Pe", and a motor element that can be activated by means of an internal or external triggering device to said compression device, the activation of the motor element causing the displacement of the movable element from a position where the tank is full and closed to a final position where the tank is perforated and emptied of its contents, remarkable in that the motor element consists of means pyrodynamic allowing, prior to its activation, a uniform pressurization of the reservoir ready to be perforated, then when said motor element is activated its pyrotechnic trigger which releases the movable element, allowing the dynamic translation of the plane "P" of said movable element in a rectilinear direction while remaining constantly perpendicular to the plane "Pe", ensuring a homogeneous and uniform distribution of the compressive force of the movable element on the reservoir, and the dynamic displacement of said movable element to its final position, parallel to the initial position, where the tank is completely emptied of its contents which is extracted by continuous and homogeneous projection.

We understand that the pyrodynamic means provide uniform and uniform compression of the reservoir ensuring simultaneous perforation to the zones provided for this purpose on said reservoir and an identical ejection of the product or liquid through each of said perforated zones.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and is based on figures, among which:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the compression device according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 presents a perspective view of the compression device during assembly,

- Figure 3 shows a secure enclosure equipped with a smearing device using the compression device object of the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 3, the compression device 1 which is the subject of the present invention will find, in a preferred and nonlimiting mode, its application for the smearing of documents or valuable objects 3 positioned in a secure enclosure such as a cassette for automatic dispensing. tickets, or a container used for conveying. During a break-in of the secure enclosure 5, a trigger device 7, internal or not to the compression device 1, activates said compression device which compresses a reservoir 9 containing the product or the deflagrator liquid which is projected through spraying means 11 and stains the documents or valuables 3, rendering them unusable.

The skilled person may however extend its use to any other field where it is necessary to uniformly compress a tank or pocket to extract its contents According to Figure 2, the compression device 1 consists of a base frame 13, a movable element 15 and a motor element 17. The activation of the motor element 17 causes the displacement of the movable element 15 from a first "stowed" position where the reservoir 9 is full and closed to a second so-called "relaxed" position where said reservoir 9 is perforated and emptied of its contents. The base frame 13 is defined in a base plane "Pe" and has in a preferred embodiment the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped open on its upper face 19, such as an open box, and its dimensions are suitable for receiving the parts of the drive element 17.

The movable element 15 consists of at least one plate defined in a plane "P", represented in FIG. 2, corresponding to the bearing plane on the reservoir 9, shown in phantom in FIG. operation. In a preferred and nonlimiting mode, said movable member 15 has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped open on its lower face 21, such as a cover, and its dimensions are substantially greater than those of the base frame 13. Thus, the mobile element 15 matches the shapes of the base frame 13 and encloses all the components of the motor element 17 when the compression device 1 is assembled, that is to say, armed, conferring the shape of a rectangular box, closed by a lid, and thin. Such a design has the advantage of being easily available in any type of smearing device.

With reference to FIG. 1, the mobile element 15 is composed, in a preferred and nonlimiting design mode, of two plates 23 and 25. The plate 23 is positioned above the intermediate plate 25 and has a shape identical to that which is written in the above paragraph for the movable member 15 composed of a single piece. The plate 23 has on its upper face 27 an opening 29, said upper face 27 being located in a plane "Pl".

The intermediate plate 25 is of rectangular shape able to slide inside the plate 23 by its lower face 31. It has on its face upper 33 of a projecting portion 35 located in a plane "P2" parallel to the plane "Pl", and whose dimensions and shapes correspond to those of the opening 29 of the plate 23. When the two plates 23 and 25 are assembled , the upper contour 37 of the intermediate plate 25 bears against the inner face 39 of the upper face 27 of the plate 23 and the projecting portion 35 penetrates remarkably at the level of the opening 29 so that the two planes "Pl" and "P2" merge in the same plane corresponding to the plane "P", shown in Figure 2, for exerting mutual effort on the reservoir 9. In the initial position of the movable member 15, the support plane "P" is parallel to the "Pe" base plane. The driving element is composed of pyrodynamic means allowing, when the triggering device 7 is actuated, to transmit a dynamic and continuous movement to the movable element 15 which translates along a rectilinear trajectory whose direction axis remains constantly perpendicular to the plane "Pe". Thus, the movable element 15 remains defined in a plane "P" parallel to the plane "Pe" during its displacement until reaching an end position in which the reservoir 9 is perforated and emptied of its contents. The movable member 15 thus retains a constant support position ensuring a uniform distribution of the pressure exerted on the reservoir 9; the extraction of the product or liquid from the reservoir 9 is thus carried out by continuous and homogeneous projection on the documents or valuable objects 3. The pyrodynamic means first consist of fastening means 41 which make it possible to secure the element mobile 15 with the base frame 13 in the initial position of the compression device. These fixing means 41 are able to be broken during a burglary detection of the secure enclosure 5, then releasing the movable member 15 of the base frame 13. Said fixing means 41 consist of a part fixed link 43 and pyrotechnic means 45 able to break said fixed connection piece 43 when the motor element 17 is triggered.

In a preferred and nonlimiting mode, the fixed link piece 43 consists of a metal monoblock element whose first portion 47 is secured to the movable member 15, or the plate 25 in the preferred case where said movable member is consists of two trays 23 and 25 as described above. The second portion 49 of the piece 43 is, in turn, secured to the base frame 13. The attachment of the two respective parts 47 and 49 on the plate 25 and the frame 13 will preferably be screwed. Any other means of attachment may, however, be considered.

The fixed connection piece 43 has an embrittlement zone 51 which defines a rupture plane "Pr" between the two parts 47 and 49, as shown in FIG. 1. the pyrotechnic means 45 consist of a pyrotechnic cord and a detonation device, preferably capable of being triggered remotely; the pyrotechnic cord, not shown in the figures, through the piece 43 in the weakening zone 51, for breaking said part 43 along the rupture plane "Pr" when triggering the pyrotechnic charge; the first part 47 then detaches from the second part 49, thus releasing the mobile element 15 of the base frame 13.

Other design modes fastening means 41 are within the reach of the skilled person; said fixing means 41 may, for example, be implemented from two magnetic pieces, one fixed on the movable member 15 and the other on the base frame 13, the triggering of the motor element then causing the deactivation of the magnetic field which releases said movable member of said base frame. The pyrodynamic means are then composed of propulsion means 53 of the movable element 15 from its initial position to its final position where the reservoir 9 is compressed and emptied for smearing. documents or valuables. These propulsion means 53 are triggered as soon as the fastener 43 breaks, compressing the reservoir 9 instantaneously.

In a preferred and nonlimiting mode, the propulsion means 53 consist of a set of springs 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67 and 69, among which the springs 55, 57, 59 and 61, which the term "inertia springs" in the following description, can break the inertia of the movable element in the initial position, and the springs 63, 65, 67, and 69, which will be called "springs dynamic ", allow to extend the dynamic rise of the movable member 15 to its final position.

The inertia springs 55, 57, 59 and 61 have their base 71 in contact on the bottom 73 of the base frame 13, said base frame 13 advantageously having a set of positioning studs 75, shown in FIG. FIG. 1, making it possible to properly distribute said inertial springs having their end 77 bearing against the lower face 79 of the plate 25. In a preferred embodiment, the inertia springs have identical technical characteristics and are four in number, uniformly distributed. , and have a coefficient of stiffness "kl" to exert a homogeneous compression force of high intensity on the tank 9 initially closed and containing the product or liquid smear. The coefficient of stiffness "kl" and the length of the inertia springs will be sized to break the inertia, said inertia being broken by exerting a sufficiently high pressure on the reservoir 9 allowing its perforation.

The dynamic springs 63, 65, 67 and 69 have their base 81 resting on the lower face 79 of the plate 25 and their end 83 resting on the bottom 73 of the base frame 13. Said base frame 13 advantageously has 85, uniformly distributed, in which are housed the end 83 of the dynamic springs to position them uniformly. The said pins 85 also have the function of maintaining position the end 83 dynamic springs and thus preserve their axis 87 perpendicular to the bottom 73 defined in the plane "Pe". The dynamic springs have identical technical characteristics and are four in number; they have a coefficient of stiffness "k2" which, combined with the uniform distribution, keeps the plane "P" of the movable member 15 parallel to the plane "Pe" in the course of its displacement.

The coefficient of stiffness "k2" and the length of the dynamic springs will be sized to exert sufficiently high force on the movable member 15 to move dynamically to its final position where the reservoir 9 and completely compressed and emptied, position in which dynamic springs must maintain a compressive force to ensure the complete rise of said movable member 15. In order to optimize the technical function of each of the sets of springs, the coefficient "kl" will be greater than the coefficient "k2" and the length of dynamic springs will be greater than that of the springs of inertia.

The driving element comprises suspension means 89 of the movable element 15 in the preferential and nonlimiting mode where said movable element 15 consists of two plates 23 and 25. These suspension means are implemented by springs 91, 93, 95 and 97, which will be called "suspension springs". Said suspension springs hold the plate 23 floating relative to the intermediate plate 25 when the movable member 15 is in its initial position. In this initial position, the end 99 of the suspension springs is in contact on the bottom 73 of the base frame 13, and will preferably be positioned inside the stud 85. The second end 101 of the suspension springs is to it, in contact on the inner face 39 of the upper face 27 of the plate 23. The intermediate plate 25 advantageously has orifices 103 which allow the suspension springs to pass through said intermediate plate 25. In a preferred and nonlimiting mode, the suspension springs have identical technical characteristics and are four in number so as to uniformly distribute the suspension force of the plate 23 and to ensure that the plane "Pl" of said plate 23 is parallel to the plane "Pe" of the base frame and thus, that said plate 23 exerts a uniform support on the reservoir 9. The suspension springs will be sized to allow the uniform compression of the reservoir 9 in the initial position of the movable member 15 ensuring however the pressure exerted by the plate 23 is not too high at the risk of perforating the reservoir 9 even before the activation of the compression device 1.

When the compression device 1 is assembled and in an initial mode of use, the plate 25 is fixed on the upper part 47 of the connecting piece 43 and the base frame 13 is fixed on the lower part 49; the inertia springs 55, 57, 59 and 61 and the dynamic springs 63, 65, 67 and 69 are compressed between the bottom 73 of the base frame 13 and the lower face 79 of the intermediate plate 25. The suspension springs 91, 93, 95 and 97 are in an equilibrium position where they support the plate 23 and the reservoir by pressurizing it inside the smearing device. During a break in the secure enclosure, the pyrotechnic means 45 are triggered and break the fastener 43 which releases the intermediate plate 25 of the base frame 13; the inertia springs 55, 57, 59 and 61, combined with the dynamic springs 63, 65, 67 and 69, then instantly move the intermediate plate 25 which immediately merges with the plate 23 in the same plane "P", then exerting a uniform high intensity pressure on the reservoir 9 to perforate it instantly and simultaneously along all the perforation zones provided for this purpose on said reservoir, and thus to break the inertia of the movable member 15 which then moves following a rectilinear trajectory perpendicular to the "Pe" plane, the plane "P" of said movable member 15 thus maintaining a position perfectly parallel to the plane "Pe" of the base frame 13, ensuring that the pressure exerted by the movable member 15 remains homogeneous and uniform throughout the compression of the reservoir 9. Once the inertia is broken, the inertia springs are relaxed, in which position they have reached their elastic limit and their end 77 loses contact with the lower face 79 of the plate 25; the dynamic springs then ensure the continuity of the dynamic displacement of the movable element 15 until it reaches its final position where the reservoir is completely emptied.

The present compression device 1, which is the subject of the present invention thus makes it possible to obtain a dynamic displacement of the movable element 15 in a rectilinear trajectory perpendicular to the plane "Pe", while preserving the plane "P" of said mobile element 15 parallel to the plane "Pe" of the base frame 13 during its movement, thus ensuring a uniform and homogeneous distribution of the compressive force on the reservoir 9 from the initial position of the movable element 15 to its final position where said reservoir 9 is completely emptied.

Other designs of the compression device 1 may be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, such as for example the implementation of a circular-shaped compression device adapted to a tank and a chamber secure having particular shapes. In such a case, each of the sets of springs can be composed, for example, of three springs.

Claims

1 - Device for compressing (1) a reservoir (9) containing a product or a liquid, which can be used in particular in smearing devices (5) for projecting said product or said liquid onto documents or valuable objects (3) , comprising a base frame (13) defined in a plane "Pe", a movable element (15) consisting of at least one compression plate of the tank (9), defining in its initial position a bearing plane " P "on the reservoir (9) parallel to the" Pe "plane, and a motor element (17) that can be activated by means of a triggering device (7) internal or external to said compression device (1) , activating the motor element (17) causing the moving element (15) to move from an initial position where the reservoir (9) is full and closed to a final position where said reservoir (9) is perforated and emptied of its contents, characterized in that the driving element (17) is composed of a pyrodynamic set allowing, prior to its activation, a uniform pressurization of the tank (9) ready to be perforated, then when said motor element (17) is activated, its pyrotechnic release which releases the mobile element (15) allowing the translation dynamic plane "P" said movable member (15) in a rectilinear direction while remaining constantly perpendicular to the plane "Pe", ensuring a uniform and uniform distribution of the compressive force of the movable member (15) on the reservoir ( 9), and the dynamic displacement of said movable member (15) to its final position, parallel to the initial position, wherein the reservoir (9) is completely emptied of its contents which is extracted by continuous and homogeneous projection. 2 - Compression device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pyrodynamic means consist of fastening means (41) of the movable element (15), in its initial position, with the base frame ( 13), capable of being broken upon activation of the motor element (17), and means of propulsion (53) capable of dynamically translating the movable member (15) to its final position when it is disengaged from said base frame (13). 3 - compression device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening means (41) consist of a fixed connecting piece (43) between the movable member (15) and the base frame (13) and pyrotechnic means (45) capable of breaking said fixed link piece (43) during activation of the motor element (17). 4 - Compression device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the fixed connection piece (43) has weakening zone (51) ensuring the breaking of said fixed connection piece (43) when triggering means pyrotechnics (45-). 5 - A compression device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the propulsion means (53) of the movable element (15) consist of a set of inertia springs ( 55, 57, 59 and 61) ensuring the perforation of the reservoir (9), and a set of dynamic springs (63, 65, 67 and 69) extending the dynamic lift of the movable element (15) to its final position. 6 - Compression device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motor element (17) has suspension means (89) of the movable element (15) ensuring the uniform pressurization of the reservoir (9) when said movable element (15) is in its initial position. 7 - Compression device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the suspension means (89) consist of prestressing springs (91, 93, 95 and 97). 8 - Compression device (1) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the movable element (15) consists of at least two plates (23 and 25), a first intermediate plate (25 ) secured to the base frame (13) in the position initial of the movable element (15), and a second plate (23), suspended in a plane "Pl" parallel to the plane "Pe" of the base frame (13), ensuring the uniform pressurization of the reservoir ( 9) in the initial position of the movable member (15). 9 - Compression device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the two plates (23 and 25) of the movable member (15) merge in the same plane "P" and exert instantaneously mutual effort and uniform compression of the reservoir (9) under the action of the propulsion means (53) when the fixed link (43) between the first intermediate plate (25) and the base frame (13) is broken.