Patent Application
20070095172
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a wrench for installing systems for detecting unauthorized tampering with a device, and, more particularly, to wrenches used for installing systems for detecting unauthorized tampering with a device that is disposed within an enclosure.
2. Description of the Related Art.
Many devices must be placed in locations where they may be exposed to unauthorized tampering or theft. Such devices include controllers for telephone systems, alarm systems, cable television systems, firearms, art work and other valuables, for example. In order to protect the devices from tampering and other forms of physical harm, they may be placed within security system enclosures in the form of boxes that are attached to fixed structures such as ceilings, walls, floors and posts. The boxes may have hinged covers for enabling authorized access to the devices within the boxes, and these doors may be locked shut.
The security system enclosures commonly employ tamper switches for detecting that the cover of the enclosure has been opened, or that the enclosure has been removed from the fixed structure to which it was attached. A typical tamper switch has a pair of contacts that may be opened or closed as a result of the enclosure door being opened, or as a result of the enclosure being removed from the fixed structure. A problem, however, is that separate switches must be used for detecting the opening of the door and the removal of the enclosure from the fixed structure. That is, one tamper switch may detect the opening of the door, and a separate tamper switch may be required to detect the removal of the enclosure from the wall. The use of two separate switches adds to the cost and increases the size of the tamper detection system.
An exemplary tamper switch arrangement that utilizes a single tamper switch to detect both the opening of a door of the security system enclosure and the removal of the enclosure from the fixed structure on which it is mounted is fully disclosed and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/065,191, filed Feb. 24, 2005, entitled TAMPER SWITCH ARRANGEMENT, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. During installation of the tamper switch arrangement, the mounting rail of the tamper switch must be secured to an inner surface of the security system enclosure. Generally, two screws or bolts may be used which are inserted through the surface of the enclosure and through two throughbores in the mounting rail, after which two nuts are threaded onto the screws or bolts to secure the mounting rail of the tamper switch to the surface of the security system enclosure. However, installers typically have difficulty in securely holding the two nuts and preventing them from turning while installing the two screws or bolts from outside the enclosure that hold the mounting rail of the tamper switch in place. Such difficulty occasionally arises because an installer must situate a wrench at a distance spaced apart from the cover of the security system enclosure and/or must work in a confined space within the enclosure. Once the mounting rail is installed, then the tamper switch is installed on the mounting rail.
What is needed in the art is a wrench for tamper switch mounting rail installation that prevents the securing nuts from turning while installing the two screws or bolts to secure the mounting rail to the security system enclosure.
The present invention provides a wrench for tamper switch installation for use with a tamper switch arrangement including an enclosure containing a tamper switch assembly having a mounting rail for assembling the tamper switch assembly to a security system enclosure. The wrench may be capable of holding two separate nuts and have cooperating mating structure to slidably mate with the mounting rail of the tamper switch arrangement. The nuts may be frictionally-fitted into the wrench, after which the wrench is slidably moved onto the mounting rail until the nuts line up with two throughbores in the mounting rail. Two screws or bolts are then inserted through a surface of the security system enclosure and traverse the throughbores in the mounting rail. The screws or bolts then threadably engage the two nuts disposed within the wrench and are threaded therethrough via rotation with a suitable instrument or tool, e.g., a screwdriver, located outside of the security system enclosure. The wrench prevents the two nuts from turning while an installer installs the two screws or bolts from outside the security system enclosure.
The invention comprises, in one form thereof, in combination, a system including a wrench for installing a rail in a security system enclosure with at least one securing element and at least one securable element including a wrench having a body portion; the body portion including at least one recess at a first end thereof, the at least one recess shaped to mate with the at least one securing element in a friction-fit engagement; and the body portion including rail mounting engagement structure; a security system enclosure having an inner surface and at least one aperture disposed in the inner surface to accept passage of the at least one securable element; and a rail including at least one throughbore and disposed on the inner surface of the enclosure, the at least one throughbore alignable with the at least one aperture disposed in the inner surface of the enclosure.
In another form, the invention comprises a wrench for installing a rail in a security system enclosure with at least one securing element, the rail including at least one throughbore and disposed on an inner surface of the enclosure, the enclosure including at least one aperture in the inner surface to accept passage of at least one securable element and alignable with the at least one throughbore, including a body portion; the body portion including at least one recess at a first end thereof, the at least one recess shaped to mate with the at least one securing element in a friction-fit engagement; and the body portion including a rail mounting engagement structure.
In yet another form, the invention comprises a method for installing a rail in a security system enclosure using a wrench, the wrench including at least one recess, the rail having at least one throughbore and disposed on an inner surface of the enclosure, the rail being securable to the enclosure with at least one securing element, the at least one recess shaped to mate with the at least one securing element, the enclosure including at least one aperture in the inner surface for accepting passage of at least one securable element therethrough, including the steps of placing the rail on the inner surface of the enclosure such that the at least one aperture in the inner surface of the enclosure is aligned with the at least one throughbore in the rail; placing the at least one securing element in the at least one recess of the wrench; sliding the wrench along the rail; aligning the at least one securing element with the at least one throughbore in the rail; inserting the at least one securable element through the at least one aperture and the at least one throughbore; engaging the at least one securable element with the at least one securing element; and removing the wrench from the rail.
An advantage of the present invention is that the wrench prevents the two nuts from turning while installing the two screws that hold the mounting rail of the tamper switch arrangement in place on a surface of the security system enclosure.
Another advantage is that an installer cannot accidentally leave the wrench on the mounting rail after installation because the wrench must be removed from the mounting rail prior to installing the tamper switch on the mounting rail. This requirement removes the possibility of detaching the mounting rail from outside the security system enclosure.
Another advantage is that the wrench eliminates the need for an installer to bring a separate wrench to the installation site.
Yet another advantage is that the wrench is sized to be inserted into a security system enclosure and is capable of securely holding two nuts at a location spaced from the cover of the enclosure.
Another advantage is that the wrench eliminates the need for an installer to tighten the nuts in a confined space defined by the security system enclosure.
Still another advantage is that the wrench of the present invention may be disposable after use.
The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate the invention, in one form, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise form disclosed.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
Referring now to
In operation, wrench 10 is slidably engaged with rail 22 via the engagement of rail 22 with channel or groove 18, as shown in
Once nuts 34 are completely tightened onto screws 36, thereby holding rail 22 securely to wall 30 of enclosure 26, wrench 10 may be slid off rail 22 in the general direction of Arrow B, shown in
Advantageously, wrench 10 eliminates the need for a user to bring a separate wrench to the installation site of tamper switch arrangement 20 and wrench 10 may be disposable after use. Furthermore, wrench 10 prevents nuts 34 from turning while a user installs screws or bolts 36 from outside the security system enclosure 26.
As shown in
While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles.
