| WO2012103200A2 | 2012-08-02 |
| US20070240798A1 | 2007-10-18 | |||
| US20060016530A1 | 2006-01-26 | |||
| GB2388312A | 2003-11-12 |
| CLAIMS 1. Anti-theft container (10) for objects of general use, comprising: - a casing (11) intended for containing the objects; - a closing device (12) of the casing (11) comprising one closing element (13) positionable between an opening position and a closing position of the casing (11); - a flexible member (16) connected to a fixed point (15) of the casing (11) intended for anchoring the casing (11) to a fixed external point; - a safety clamping member (17) connected to the flexible member (16) and intended, in an antitheft operating condition, to connect in a manner that is disconnectable by the user the flexible member (16) to the fixed external point and the closing element (13) to the fixed point (15) of the casing (11) or to another fixed point of the casing (11) in the closure position of the casing (11). 2. Anti-theft container according to claim 1, wherein the casing (11) consists of continuous, at least tear-proof and cut-proof, flexible material. 3. Anti-theft container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing is in the form of a clutch bag (11). 4. Anti-theft container according to any preceding claim, wherein the closing device is a zip fastener (12) and the closing element is a cursor (13). 5. Anti-theft container according to any preceding claim, wherein the flexible member is a chain (16). 6. Anti-theft container according to any preceding claim, wherein the safety clamping member is a padlock (17). 7. Anti-theft container according to any preceding claim, wherein a ring (14) is provided that is connected to the closing element (13) and a further ring (15) that constitutes the fixed point of the casing (11), the clamping member (17) being connected to said rings (14, 15) in the anti-theft operating condition to anchor the casing (11) to the fixed external point and retain the closing element (13) in the closure position of the casing (11). 8. Anti-theft container according to claim 1, wherein two closing elements are provided that are movable between a coupled closing position of the casing and a decoupled opening position of the casing and wherein the safety clamping member is intended, in the operating position, to connect in a manner that is disconnectable by the user the flexible member to the fixed external point and the closing elements together in the closure position of the casing. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is an anti-theft container, in particular for keeping and carrying personal effects.
PRIOR ART In daily life, there are various situations in which one leaves temporarily unattended one's handbag, shoulder bag or pouch containing personal effects. This may occur for example at the swimming pool or sea, in the discotheque, in the restaurant, in hospital, in old people's homes or in other places. There are other situations in which one keeps the bag near oneself, but is distracted by other preoccupations, for example when one puts the bag in the basket of the bicycle, in the shopping trolley or when the bag is hung on the handle of a push chair or on the back of a chair in a restaurant. There are also situations in which, in public places, one has the bag at one's side but monitoring thereof ceases because one falls asleep, for example during journeys by train, aeroplane, or ferry.
In all these situations one always runs the risk that a thief will take advantage of the situation and open or steal the bag, removing one's personal effects. Normally, these thefts are carried out fast, with dexterity and without attracting attention, preventing the victim from being able to intervene despite being nearby.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to propose a container that enables these sudden thefts to be avoided. A further object of the present invention is to make available an anti-theft container that is simple, cheap and easy to make.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
These objects are achieved by an anti-theft container according to what is claimed in the first claim.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to understand the invention better, an embodiment thereof is disclosed below by way of non-limiting example, illustrated in the attached drawings in which:
Fig.1 shows an anti-theft container according to the invention;
Fig.2 shows a detail of the container in fig. l .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The anti-theft container illustrated, indicated generally with 10, is in the shape of a bag or clutch bag 11 that constitutes the casing of the container 10.
The clutch bag 11 consists of continuous flexible, tear-proof and cut-proof material. Continuous material is defined as material without openings or having openings with dimensions that are so reduced as to prevent access by the fingers of an ill- intentioned person or with other removal tools and that are such as to prevent the extraction of objects from inside the clutch bag 11. The continuous and flexible material can comprise, for example, a cut and tear-proof cloth, a material lined with a metal mesh, or a particularly dense and in practice impenetrable mesh.
The clutch bag 11 is closed above by a zip fastener 12 provided with a zip opening and closing cursor 13. A ring 14 is fixed to the cursor 13.
To the clutch bag 11 a ring 15 is anchored near an upper end of the clutch bag and at the ring 14 when the zip fastener 12 is in the closure position. To this ring 15 an end of a chain 16 is fixed. To the other end of the chain 16 a combination padlock 17 is fixed with a curved closing shank 18.
The clutch bag 11 is intended for containing, for example, objects for personal use, such as wallets, bank cards, documents, keys, etc.
When the clutch bag 11 and the contents thereof have to be protected against theft attempts, the following procedure is adopted. The zip fastener 12 is closed. The clutch bag 11 is connected by the chain 16 to a fixed external anchoring point, for example a pole or similar. The chain 16 is for example wound around the pole. Next, the curved shank 18 of the padlock 17 is inserted into the rings 14 and 15 and is closed and locked by the combination of the padlock 17 in a known manner, so as to prevent the opening and the unwinding of the chain 16 from the pole. In this manner, the clutch bag 11 cannot be taken and carried off, being connected to the external support consisting of the pole by means of the chain 16, and further, this clutch bag 11 cannot be opened to remove the contents thereof, that is the personal effects, as the casing 11 is kept closed owing to the padlock 17 that locks the ring 14 to the fixed ring 15 by retaining the ring 14 in the closure position. Further, the clutch bag 11 cannot be torn or cut in situ as it is made of tear and cut-proof material.
The anti-theft container 10 disclosed and illustrated is an excellent deterrent against theft attempts in the, fairly common, situations in which the owner of the objects in clutch bag does not go away, except for a short time, and remains in any case in the immediate vicinity, or needs to leave the clutch bag unattended for a limited time.
The structure of the anti-theft container 10 consists of just a few and simple elements and is therefore cheap and easy to make.
The chain 16 can also be fixed not to the ring 15 but to a further ring anchored on the side of the casing 11 opposite the ring 15. In this case, by hooking the chain 16 to the ring 15 by means of the padlock 17, the chain itself, if of suitable length, can be used as a shoulder belt.
The clutch bag 11 can be anyway provided with a shoulder belt for carrying. The casing of the anti-theft container can also have the shape of a bag, of a shoulder bag, of a knapsack, or another shape that is deemed to be suitable for use. Further, the anti-theft container can be of any colour and/or have any type of decoration for the embellishment thereof. Instead of the zip fastener, another type of closure can be used, for example a snap closure, wherein, if a single closing element is present, it can be locked in a closure position, connecting it to a fixed element of the container by padlock as in the example illustrated above, or, if two closing elements are present that are movable between a coupled closing position of the casing and a decoupled opening position of the casing, they can be locked together in a closure position, always by means of the padlock.
The chain can be replaced by any type of flexible member of material resistant to being broken into.
The combination padlock can be replaced by a padlock locked by a key or by any safety closing member that can also be incorporated into the flexible member.