EP0268924A1 - Automatic entry control sluice incorporating a weapon detector - Google Patents

Abstract

The screening lobby consists of a first transit zone (5a) located behind a first door (1) which opens inside this first zone, a second transit zone (6a) located behind a second door (2), and a detector (3) of metal objects such as a weapon. The first zone is bounded by a floor, a ceiling and two walls in such a way that the first door (1) opens without any space between itself and the floor or the ceiling. The metal detector (3), whose useful detection volume extends over the first zone (5a) is arranged so that the first door (1) sweeps over this useful detection volume and sweeps over all the dead space adjacent to the useful volume and bounded by the floor, the ceiling and the two walls (21, 23) and the first door (1) in its closed position. In this way, no object to be detected can remain in this dead space when the first door (1) is being manoeuvred. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to the field of access control, in particular to bank offices, and has for its object a control airlock making it possible to automatically pass people not carrying a weapon and to control others, in particular for the purpose of limit armed robbery during customer office hours. The system can also be applied to access control to all types of buildings such as embassies, factories, offices, computer rooms.

Passage control devices equipped with weapon detectors currently used at the entrance to certain buildings, for example airports and embassies, require the permanent presence of a supervisor. This one checks the passage of visitors through the portal of the weapon detector, and searches in a voting booth each of the people who triggered the detector. These devices also require at least one armed guard to prevent a possible intrusion of an intruder.

The present invention aims to perform an automatic control limiting the intervention of expensive personnel and limiting the space occupied on the ground.

The airlock according to the present invention comprises a first passage zone located behind a first door which opens inside this first zone and a second passage zone situated behind a second door, as well as an object detector. metal such as a weapon, in particular an eddy current displacement detector. According to the present invention, said first zone is delimited by a floor, a ceiling and two walls so that said first door opens without space between the latter and on the one hand the floor and on the other hand the ceiling, the metal object detector whose useful detection volume extends in the first zone being arranged so that the first door scans this useful detection volume and scans all the dead volume, adjacent to this useful volume and delimited by the ground , the ceiling, the two walls and the first door in the closed position, so that no object to be detected can remain in this dead volume during the operation of said first door.

In accordance with the present invention, this airlock preferably comprises presence detectors respectively associated with said first and second zones, these presence detectors possibly being contact mats.

According to the present invention, the successive operations of locking and unlocking of said first door and said second door and vice versa of said second door and said first door are preferably controlled automatically by the presence detector associated with said second zone and vice versa by the presence detector associated with said first zone.

According to the present invention, said first door preferably does not have a metal part.

According to the present invention, the door closers of said first door and possibly of said second door are preferably outside of said first zone and are preferably embedded and the locking locks of said first door and possibly of said second door are preferably embedded in their sleeping frame.

According to the present invention, a vertical bar is preferably fixed on the wall and obstructs the passage between the hinges of said first door when the latter is open.

In accordance with the present invention, in the event of detection of a metallic mass or a false maneuver, the instructions for the visitor can be issued automatically by an electronic management circuit by means of a speech synthesizer or a speaker located in the airlock.

In a preferred variant, said first door consists of an opening frame of synthetic resin reinforced with glass fibers and of laminated glass or polycarbonate panes.

According to the present invention, said first door can be made of synthetic resin reinforced with fibers with a horizontal crosspiece at mid-height, the assembly being hot-molded under pressure, in one piece.

The present invention will be better understood from the study of an automatic access control airlock provided with a metal mass detector such as a weapon, described by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated schematically, in horizontal section, in the single attached figure.

The airlock shown in Figure 1 is of rectangular shape and includes walls 19 resistant to bullets, in one of which is provided an outer door 1 opening inside a weapon detector 3 which in the example two opposite surfaces 3a and 3b which are placed behind vertical non-metallic walls 21 and 23 which extend perpendicularly to the outside wall of the airlock in which the door is located. These walls 21 and 23 are parallel to the two walls of the airlock which are perpendicular to door 1.

The weapon detector 3 is a metal mass displacement detector by eddy current. It determines a useful detection volume delimited by the floor and the ceiling of the airlock as well as the walls 21 and 23. In front of this useful detection volume, there remains a dead volume which is furthermore limited by the ground, the ceiling, the walls 21 and 23 and the door 1 in the closed position. The useful volume and the dead volume defined above delimit a first zone 5a for passage through the airlock and are swept by the door 1 when it is opened or closed.

All visitors with their luggage must pass through the useful volume of weapon detector 1 to allow door 1 to close behind them.

During the opening and closing movements of door 1, there is no space between door 1 and the floor, neither between door 1 and the ceiling, nor between door 1 and wall 2 , which would allow a visitor to enter an object in the airlock and close door 1 behind him without the object and the visitor crossing the useful volume of weapon detector 1. Indeed, either the object would be driven towards the useful detection volume, or it would be evacuated to the outside.

A vertical bar 25 fixed to the wall 23 obstructs the passage between the hinges of the door 1 in order to avoid the introduction of an object in the dead space between the wall 23 and the door 1 in the open position.

A first presence detector 5 is placed behind door 1 in said first zone 5ª. A second presence detector 6 is placed behind a second door 2 provided opposite the door 1 and which opens outside the airlock to give access to the room or building protected by the latter. Behind this second door 2 is therefore provided, in the airlock, a second passage zone 6a adjacent to the first zone 5ª. The two presence detectors 5 and 6 are, in the example, contact mats.

The use of at least two presence detectors 5 and 6 makes it possible to automatically know if the person who is in the airlock wishes to enter or exit, only by his position relative to doors 1 and 2. This avoids the use of buttons - pushers, simplifies access and accelerates the rate of passge of visitors.

In the airlock, a light 30 "open" is provided, a light 32 "wait", a light 16 "open" and a light 19 "wait" and outside the airlock are also provided with electronic management 24 and a control panel 26.

Doors 1 and 2 have no metal parts and their frames are made of synthetic resin reinforced with glass fibers with a horizontal reinforcement crosspiece at mid-height, these frames carrying glazing. To guarantee good rigidity despite the weight of the glazing, the entire frame is hot-pressed in one piece.

The thickness of the resin and the layers of glass fibers is greater than three centimeters to stop the balls. Each door is fitted with bulletproof laminated glass or polycarbonate windows.

To avoid any metal part on doors 1 and 2, their two door closers 13 and 14 are embedded in the ground and the electrically controlled locks 7 and 8 fitted to doors 1 and 2 are embedded in their sleeping frame.

We will now complete the description of the airlock using its operating modes.

In the rest position, the airlock is empty, the two doors 1 and 2 are closed, the door 2 is locked by the electrically operated lock 8.

In a first case, a visitor without a weapon or important metallic object, coming from the outside, freely pushes door 1, enters the airlock and advances in zone 5ª of the presence detector 5.

The door 1 closes behind him via the door closer 13 embedded in the ground.

Lock 7 locks door 1.

The management electronics 24 verify that the visitor is in zone 6ª of the presence detector 6, that there is no one in zone 5ª of the presence detector 5, that the door 1 is closed by closing a contact 11, that the lock 7 is locked by a bolt position contact 9, and that the weapon detector 3 has detected nothing.

After these checks, the management electronics 24 controls the opening of the electric lock 8 which releases the door 2. An indicator light 30 "open" indicates the visitor to enter.

The system returns to the initial rest state.

The visitor carried out a simple and natural maneuver by successively pushing door 1 and door 2, without manipulating a push button and without requiring the intervention of surveillance personnel.

In a second case, a visitor with a metallic object such as a weapon freely pushes door 1 and enters the airlock.

When it arrives in the useful zone of the weapon detector 3, the latter keeps the door 2 locked and triggers a buzzer in the control console 26 to alert the supervisory personnel.

The supervisor can interact with the visitor via an intercom with a loudspeaker 20 and a microphone 22 placed in the direction.

If the visitor is perfectly known, the supervisor can release door 2 by pressing an opening button 28 located on the control console 26. Otherwise the supervisor refuses access and asks the unknown visitor to exit the airlock and place his object in a locker locker 27 located outside.

In a fully automatic variant, in the event of detection of a metallic object or a false maneuver by the visitor, the control electronics automatically issue instructions by a synthesized speech generator and by the loudspeaker 20. This avoids any intervention supervisory staff.

In a third case, a visitor located inside wants to go out. For this, he presses the push button 4.

The management electronics 24, thanks to the presence detectors, checks that there is no one in the airlock and that the door 1 is closed. It then locks the door 1 using the electric lock 7, unlocks the door 2 and controls the lighting of an "open" indicator 18.

The visitor opens door 2, advances into zone 5ª of the presence detector 5, which automatically controls the locking of door 2 and then the unlocking of door 1 and the lighting of an indicator light 15 "open".

The visitor opens door 1 and leaves.

Door 1 closes with door closer 13 and the system returns to the initial rest state.

The present invention is not limited to the example described above. The weapon detector 3 could in particular be designed and arranged differently, in particular directly in the walls 19 of the airlock and the door 2 could be provided perpendicular to the door 1.

Claims (12)

1. Airlock comprising a first passage zone (5a) situated behind a first door (1) which opens inside this first zone and a second passage zone (6a) situated behind a second door (2), as well as a detector (3) of metallic objects such as a weapon, characterized in that said first zone is delimited by a floor, a ceiling and two walls so that said first door (1) opens without space between the latter and on the one hand the ground and on the other hand the ceiling, the detector (3) of metal objects whose useful detection volume extends in the first zone (5a) being arranged so that the first door (1) scans this useful detection volume and scans all the dead volume, adjacent to this useful volume and delimited by the floor, the ceiling, the two walls (21, 23) and the first door (1) in closed position, so that no object to be detected can remain in this dead volume when operating the first door (1). 2. Airlock according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises presence detectors (5, 6) respectively associated with said first (5a) and second zone (6a). 3. Airlock according to claim 2, characterized in that the presence detectors (5, 6) are contact mats. 4. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the successive operations of locking and unlocking of said first door (1) and said second door and vice versa of said second door (2) and said first door (1) are automatically controlled by the presence detector (6) associated with said second zone and vice versa by the presence detector (5) associated with said first zone. 5. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first door (1) does not have a metal part. 6. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door closers (13, 14) of said first door (1) and possibly of said second door (2) are outside said first zone and are embedded and that the locking locks (7, 8) of said first door (1) and possibly of said second door (2) are embedded in their sleeping frame. 7. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a vertical bar (25) is fixed to the wall (23) and obstructs the passage between the hinges of said first door (1) when the latter is opened. 8. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal object detector is a metal object displacement detector by eddy currents. 9. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the event of detection of a metallic mass or of a false maneuver, the instructions for the visitor are issued automatically by an electronic management circuit (24) by means of '' a speech synthesizer or a speaker (20) located in the airlock. 10. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises lockers (27) accessible from the outside. 11. An airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first door (1) consists of an opening frame of synthetic resin reinforced with glass fibers and panes of laminated glass or polycarbonate. 12. Airlock according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first door (1) is made of synthetic resin reinforced with fibers with a horizontal crosspiece at mid-height, the assembly being hot-molded under pressure, d 'one piece.

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