Method of window foiling precut geometric patterns in a burglar alarm system

Abstract

This invention describes a method and apparatus for window foiling in a burglar alarm system. Precut geometric shaped metallic foil patterns are removably mounted on a support means. The patterns are mounted in its full shape. The window is initially foiled with straight line segments using conventional foil. The precut foil patterns are removed from the support and connected to the straight line segments in an overlapping relationship therewith. The overlapping portions can be perforated to provide good electrical contact therebetween.

Description

The aforementioned abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to burglar alarm systems and more particularly to foiling procedures and apparatus for burglar alarm systems.

In various types of burglar alarm systems, in order to protect windows, doors, or the like, metallic foil is placed along the perimeter of the window, door, or the like in a continuous arrangement. The ends of the foil are connected to a connector to the rest of the burglar alarm system. When the glass of the window or door to which the foil is applied is broken the foil will split thereby opening an electrical circuit causing the alarm to sound.

Since a continuous foil must be placed on the window, door, or the like, it is necessary to use the same foil strip to form a corner. In order to do so, the foil must be bent and folded in a particular manner to achieve a corner without cutting the foil. Such corners are difficult to achieve and frequently untidy corners will mar the appearance of the window. Furthermore, in some windows, such as stores, it is necessary to insure that the window foil does not mar the beauty of the window. Thus, the foil is utilized to provide a decorative pattern in addition to providing the security within the burglar alarm system. However, in order to get a nice pattern it is difficult to properly shape, bend, and form the foil into the desired pattern. Further, the foiling operation is time consuming and it is necessary to find means to expedite such installation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a apparatus for window foiling in a burglar alarm system which avoids the aforementioned problems of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of window foiling in a burglar alarm system which avoids the aforementioned problems of the prior art.

A further object of the present invention is to provide precut geometric shaped metallic foil patterns which can be utilized in window foiling procedures for burglar alarm systems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide precut rectangular metallic foil patterns removably mounted on a support backing which can be removed from the backing and placed within the window foil arrangement of a burglar alarm system.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a precut geometric shaped metallic foil pattern which can be connected to straight line foil segments in a window foil arrangement to provide a desired pattern for beauty and safety.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a method and apparatus for window foiling in a burglar alarm system. Precut geometric shaped lead or aluminium metallic foil patterns are removably mounted on a support backing. The foil is provided with a self-adhesive backing. In foiling a window, straight line segments are placed on the window in accordance with a predesired pattern. The precut geometric patterns are removed from the backing and placed connecting the straight line segments in an overlapping relationship. If needed, the overlapping portions can be perforated with a serrated roller to provide good electrical contact therebetween.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form an integral part thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a window foiling arrangement;

FIG. 2 shows a corner of the foil arrangement in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a foiling arrangement utilizing one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c show various ways in which the present invention can be utilized;

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show foiling arrangements utilizing the embodiment shown in FIG. 6;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show other embodiments of the present invention, and

FIG. 12 shows a device useful for providing the perforations in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a window 10 having a frame 11 and including metallic foil 12 arranged in a continuous pattern around the perimeter of the window. The ends of the foil 14, 16 are connected to a terminal block 18 which can be interconnected within a burglar alarm system. When the window is broken the foil will split thereby opening the continuous path and causing the burglar alarm to sound.

In foiling the window, a roll of foil is utilized and pulled off as needed to apply the foil in one continuous strip. The foil is started at one end, for example in 14, and firmly applied along the window in accordance with the desired pattern. The roll of foil can either be self-adhesive foil which applies directly to the window or if not adhesive foil is utilized, a coat of adhesive is first placed on the window in accordance with the desired pattern and the foil placed onto the adhesive. The foil may be coated with varnish or other protective coating.

While the main purpose of the foil is to provide protection to the window as part of the burglar alarm system, since the foil is readily visible, it is generally applied so as not to mar the beauty of the window. In fact, frequently, the foil is utilized to provide a decorative arrangement to the window. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, each of the corners of the foil is provided with a rectangular extension 20 which adds to the decorative beauty of the arrangement.

While the variations of the decorative patterns are many, in order to achieve the decoration, it requires a great amount of skill. Since the foil must be applied in a continuous strip, at each corner, the foil must be folded in such a manner as to provide a right angle without cutting the foil. As is shown in FIG. 2, the prior art foil is therefore initially placed along line 22 until the edge 24 is reached. The foil must be then bent over at edge 24 to form a first fold. The foil is then bent back along line 26 at a 45.degree. angle and the foil continued along line 28. In so doing, a number of bends and creases result and in order to achieve the proper corner, it becomes a highly skilled operation. It is therefore difficult, if not impossible, for the average layman to apply the foil to his own windows. The difficulty results not only in providing a decorative arrangement as shown in FIG. 1, but even providing normal square corners without the decorative arrangement also becomes a task since the corners must be relatively neat and at the same time continuous.

In order to provide the feasibility of foiling a window without the aforementioned problems, and at the same time the possibility of having a decorative arrangement, the present invention provides precut geometric shaped metallic foil patterns which can be utilized in the foiling operation. Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown three rectangular precut metallic foil patterns 30, 32, 34 mounted on a backing 36. The foil patterns 30, 32, 34 can have an adhesive backing such that it sticks to the support 36 and at the same time can easily be removed. In utilizing the apparatus described in FIG. 3, and referring back to FIG. 1, the window would be foiled by initially placing down the straight line segments 12 around the perimeter of the window. These could be made of one continuous strip without providing excessive neatness at the corners, or in fact could be made in separate strips avoiding the need of providing the square corner. After the straight line segments 12 have been placed down on the window, the precut geometric shape as shown in FIG. 3 are removed from the backing sheet 36 and located in the corners 20 of the foiling arrangement. The precut shapes are placed in overlapping arrangement with the straight line segment such that contact can be made therebetween. In order to insure proper contact, a perforation can be made between the overlapping portions to provide good electrical contact therebetween. Such perforations could be made utilizing a pin by pricking small holes therethrough or utilizing the tools shown in FIG. 12. The tools include a handle 40, with a small rotating serrated wheel having a diameter in the order of 1/4 inch and connected thereto by means of the arm 44 through wheel shaft 43 passes.

In addition to the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the precut geometric rectangles of FIG. 3 can be utilized to form the decorative arrangement shown in FIG. 4. The straight line segments 46, 48 would initially be placed down on the window and consequently the rectangle 50 would be added to provide the decoration. It is understood that the procedure could be reversed such that first the geometric shape be placed and subsequently the straight line segments added thereto. The only requirement is that they be placed in overlapping relationship to insure good electrical contact.

The geometric shape shown in FIG. 5a can be utilized in its entirety to provide a complete rectangle as heretofore described, or portions thereof can be utilized to provide specific shapes. For example, by cutting the rectangle along two of its arms, the single L-shaped figure shown in 5b can be obtained. This can be utilized to provide good corners in a simple arrangement without the rectangular blocks. Also, the rectangle can be cut to provide the U-shaped channel shown in FIG. 5c to provide additional window foiling arrangement.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it is seen that the precut shaped pattern can include not only rectangles but loops 51 and either one or a plurality of loops can be placed on the backing sheet 52. Furthermore, the loops can be interconnected such that the entire pattern can be utilized in its entirety or portions of the pattern can be cut and interconnected to various line segments of the window foil pattern. For example, FIG. 7 utilizes a single precut foil loop 54 interconnecting the line segment 56. FIG. 8, utilizes three such loops 54, interconnecting the straight line segments 60,62. FIG. 9, utilizes a single loop 64 interconnecting the straight line segments 66, 68. It is understood that other such type arrangements could be utilized to provide additional patterns and to provide additional foiling arrangements.

It is also possible to have the precut geometric shaped metallic foil patterns formed as a continuous strip. As shown in FIG. 10, the continuous foil pattern 70 is located on the backing sheet 72. In this manner, the complete window arrangement could be made comprising the loops 70 by interconnecting segments of the precut pattern one to the other. The window would therefore be foiled by first placing the end contact using standard foil from a roll, and then utilizing the precut strips 70 to form the entire window arrangement.

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is seen that other arrangements can be utilized such as the triangular arrangement 74 placed on the backing sheet 76 such that triangular corners or other geometric patterns and arrangements can be obtained from the window. The backing sheet, or support means should be of a release type; one which will not adhere to the self-adhesive of the foil, aluminium and lead are currently preferred materials for the foil.

The main features of the invention are that the foiling arrangement can be achieved not only to provide safety but at the same time to provide neatness in forming the corners and at the same time provide beauty by utilizing various arrangements heretofore not possible to achieve when using the conventional roll of foil for the rolling procedure.

There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A method for window foiling a pre-determined pattern in a burglar alarm system with the pre-determined pattern having at least one corner, said method comprising the steps of:

a. foiling the window with straight line segments of electrically conductive foil to thereby form part of the pre-determined pattern;

b. applying pre-cut, geometrically shaped metallic foil patterns to the window in at least partially overlapping relationship with the straight line segments to thereby complete the pre-determined pattern; and

c. electrically coupling the portion of the straight line segments and the pre-cut patterns that are overlapped so that the complete, pre-determined pattern may be connected to the burglar alarm system.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pre-cut patterns have an adhesive backing and are positioned removably on a backing strip and wherein said applying step comprises removing said pre-cut pattern from the backing strip and adhering them to the window and to the line segments.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said applying step comprises placing the pre-cut patterns at corner locations in the pre-determined pattern of the line segments.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said applying step comprises placing selected ones of the pre-cut patterns at least partially contiguously with the line segments.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said electrically coupling step comprises perforating the overlapped portions of the line segments and pre-cut pattern whereby the said overlapped portions are interlocked to provide electrical coupling.