GR20180200073U - Anti-explosion system for atm machines - Google Patents

Abstract

Novelty: a 4 fix system protecting ATM machines against explosions is disclosed. Constitution: the invention has sensors for breakage or detachment detection and a smoke-producing system placed at the front of the ATM machines. Purpose: to stop any attack (explosive materials or gases drawn inside ATM) via smoke (visibility loss) produced by the smoke-producing system and via a siren warning the bank and police about the attack. More precisely: the invention boosts the security of the ATM machines against foreign bodies (explosives) introduced into the money path, via further metal protection of the openings of the safe deposit box and via inert fire-fighting material filling the void spaces of the safe deposit box.

Description

EXPLOSION PREVENTION SYSTEM IN AUTOMATIC TELLING MACHINES (ATM) OF BANKS

The present invention concerns the development of a system to prevent the explosions that take place against ATMs of Banks in Greece and Europe. The 4 Fix system consists of one or sensors of violent actions in general (sensors of shocks or more breaks or detachments) and a smoke production system (artificial fog or smoke generator, preferably red in color).

To prevent explosions in ATMs, some explosion prevention systems have been developed, but they have the following disadvantages:

These systems are not capable of identifying the precursors to detonating the ATM.

They do not prevent serious damage to the ATM even during the preparation stage of the explosion

They are placed inside the safe area, well away from the facade and perceive the blasting operations when they are already done. They detect and prevent attacks with diffuse explosive gas only and are not capable of detecting explosive attacks with either solid explosives or the air pocket (balloon) method.

Another method of preventing explosions that has already been implemented, and is done by placing barriers (caps) in the money exit slot of ATMs, is easily attacked with violence as it is accessible to the perpetrators.

The present 4 Fix system to prevent explosions in bank ATMs has the following advantages:

It immediately recognizes the illegal act against the bank's property, activating the system to prevent the act and then the alarm. This has as a result the intense harassment of the perpetrator, (from the smoke screen that is created) the deprivation of his time, the peace of mind to continue his actions without interruption and to place the explosive materials inside the safe which is his purpose. It results in the abandonment of the effort and the recording of minimal losses at the ATM.

Early recognition of the actions of the perpetrator (with the first violent blow) prevents the development of explosive methods such as:

• Explosion with penetration of solid explosives

· Explosion with diffusion, inside the ATM, of explosive gas

• Explosion with explosive gas using the balloon method

Attacks by unknown assailants on ATMs using the explosion method have increased recently. The purpose of this violent action is to break into the safe of the ATM, in which there is money stacked in 20E and 50E cassettes.

The phenomenon is on the rise throughout central Europe. In Greece there are now 20 attacks per month, while in England e.g. exceed 40 per month. The banks suffer a serious financial loss since, in addition to the cash they lose, the ATM is also destroyed, costing 20,000 to 30,000 euros. In the current economic climate, ATMs charge 70,000 to 110,000 euros due to the needs of the population they serve.

Types of ATMs (according to their location)

In-site when they are inside the bank branch

Off-site when they are outside the bank branch, i.e. in another building or in a kiosk.

Construction -Operation -Parts of an ATM

The ATM has a safe made of solid and welded steel with the only entrance being its door that opens with a code.

The safe contains the money dispenser and the cassettes for placing the money.

When the customer asks for money on the ATM screen, a complex system of belts moves and selects the banknotes, which are usually 20 and 50 euros, and leads them to the money outlet. The front of the safe has two holes. On the one hand, the smaller one passes the electric-electronic wiring of the orders and on the other the large elongated hole, the conduit that carries the money to the exit, in the hands of the customer.

On the front of the ATM is the screen, the keyboard for the codes, the card input, the input for the deposit notes and mainly the money exit slot that the customer expects

The exit of the money is usually in a straight line with the big hole of the safe and at a distance of 30 cm on average

Explosion methodology

The following blasting methods have been applied so far.

Outside ATMs

• With solid explosives. (This method has been used in approximately 10% of cases. It causes material damage to the ATM and the surrounding area. However, it has a complete failure in extracting the money. It is done by perpetrators with little or no knowledge of the structure of ATMs. It is technically impossible to to detonate outside the ATM unit and achieve the breaching of the internal steel safe (safe) and the withdrawal of the money.

Inside ATM safes

• With the introduction of solid explosives

• By introducing and spreading inside the safe a gaseous explosive mixture (propane, butane, acetylene, oxygen, etc.) and its activation with a flame that gives explosion effects.

· By inserting an air chamber (balloon) to prevent the explosive gas from spreading inside the ATM, then placing it inside the safe, inflating the balloon with the explosive gas and finally detonating (igniting) at the right time.

The 4 Fix Explosion Prevention System that I invented is based on the philosophy of sequential physical safety. The same principle applies to the physical protection of banks with early alarm activation and safe shielding. When the perpetrator tries to enter a closed bank branch, the alarm is activated that informs the bank and the Police, so the perpetrator abandons his action as he hears the siren sounding and realizes that his attempt was noticed. The physical shielding of the safe prevents him from working quickly and getting to the money in a short time. In short, he has no time available to achieve his purpose. The same system - sequential physical security applies here. The 4 Fix system is activated with the perpetrator's first violent hit on the ATM and prevents him from quickly developing his method and getting to the money. His objective is one: To reach and extract the money.

By analogy with this method of sequential physical security, the following solutions are presented to prevent an explosion inside the ATM safe. Any other explosion (especially outside the ATM) is of no substantial effect for the perpetrator, since it does not reach the desired goal, the withdrawal of money. It just causes a material damage to the bank but once the perpetrators are convinced that they are not going to get the money this way, they will soon give up these inappropriate attempts.

Until now, the electronic protection of ATMs did not include tamper sensor(s) on its front, and especially in the area where the money is taken out. The point of delivery of the money (slot), is the point that the perpetrator violates with violence in order to gain access to the conduit of money that leads him directly to the safe. The 4 Fix invention immediately perceives the actions of the perpetrator and this is done by placing sensors right around the money exit slot. In electronic security products there are many sensors (vibration or breakage or movement or detachment) able to meet this requirement and to exclude false activations of the system that may come from customer transactions.

Immediately after, the smoke production system is activated (the smoke generator or the artificial fog system). The dense smoke that emerges (preferably red) disorients the attacker, is an unexpected obstacle that he cannot immediately overcome, hides the target from his sight, creates confusion for him as he loses valuable time and does not allow him to proceed with the explosion of the ATM

Activating the 4 Fix system will prevent the offender from continuing operations and instruct the alarm to activate the siren and send an ATM tampering message to the bank and the Police

This method can immediately prevent 90% of the perpetrators' attempts to achieve their goal, and gradually 100% if the physical shielding steps as presented below are added to the specific system. The only damage to the bank due to this ill-advised attempt will be the destruction of the money slot by the perpetrator, minimal damage in the face of ATM explosions and withdrawals or destruction of money.

Unnecessary activation of the artificial fog or smoke generator system for any other reason will not cause any damage to the ATM and the store. After a while, the ATM will operate normally serving customers.

To prevent the entry of explosives in general, many ideas have been filed within the body of ATMs. Until now, a system of placing successive "barriers" in the pipeline that brings the money from the safe to the customer has been implemented. That is, the successive barriers "lids" do not leave this money transfer corridor open, but when one barrier (lid) opens, the other one closes. This solution is not sufficient. This obstacle with the successive lids - barriers, is placed on the exit of the money, that is, on the front of the ATMs. The barriers (caps) are not made of durable material, nor are the bases on which they rest. So these barriers are no obstacle for the violent offender who with one blow has already reached 8-10 cm deep into the money conduit. It is on this hit and the breach it brings that the 4 Fix invention is based. This hit activates the sensors we described in the previous solution and with the artificial fog or smoke generator system prevents the explosion. Placing a barrier in the money channel will only be of full deterrent utility if it is done farther from the front of the ATM, i.e. at the bottom of the money aisle, where it just exits the safe (safe) and at a distance of more than 30 cm from the front .

In addition to the immediate identification and interruption of the perpetrator's work with the smoke screen, the 4 Fix invention also complements the physical security of ATMs by closing the transport corridor of explosive materials or explosive gases to the safe. Deception and removal of the money is only achieved by the perpetrators when the explosion takes place inside the safe and the 4 Fix method closes this path with the solutions below.

Figure 1. A barrier in the depth of the money duct 1 can be easily installed (in all types of ATMs) by adding a movable or fixed metal barrier 2 inside the duct but also very close to the opening of the safe 5.

The metal barrier 2 can be inclined or vertical but positioned so as not to limit the movements of the belts that transport the money towards the exit. The metal barrier 2, however, will prevent the entry in the opposite direction of an object such as the pipes for channeling the explosive gases (nozzles) of minimum dimensions (1+1cm) and will not allow entry into the safe 4

a. nor a solid explosive

b. nor diffused explosive gas.

c. nor tubing (nozzles) prepared with a balloon

In ATMs where the money is transferred to the customer by belts driven by shafts, an additional solid shaft vertical to the duct, like those that help the rotation of the belts, can be used as a metal barrier to prevent the entry of foreign objects. That is, this shaft will have a double role, and will assist the movement of the belts but will also close the entrance to the opening of the safe, preventing the entry of objects of some considerable dimensions such as the nozzles (1+1cm).

Figure 2. Some types of ATMs transfer the money to the customer inside a box 2, which moves through the money chute 1. When the box delivers the money to the customer at exit 3 it is programmed to stay behind the money exit slot 3 , as an additional barrier. However, this solution also has the disadvantage that the barrier box is close to the perpetrator who destroys it immediately. This box could play the deterrent role of the barrier provided that the electronic programming of the ATM would bring the box to be parked just outside the slot of the safe 5 at a distance of 30 cm from the offender and not visible during the preliminary operations of the of energy. And this solution does not allow entry into the safe (safe) 4.

a. nor a solid explosive

b. nor diffused explosive gas.

c. nor tubing (nozzles) prepared with a balloon

Drawing 3. The safe 4 on its front side has two holes. A small hole 5 for the entry of the cables and a larger elongated hole 2 for the passage of the conduit 1 for the transfer of money.

In some types of ATMs, the cross-section 3 of the money transfer duct is smaller than the cross-section 2 of the opening of the safe, with the result that an intermediate space sufficient for the entry of a foreign body is created.

In such a case, it is extremely easy to close this surrounding empty space of the opening 2 by adding a metal surface 6 that will prevent the forcible introduction into the space of the safe (safe) 4, of any foreign body, which is what is intended.

The additional physical security of ATMs can be improved by filling (filling) the empty spaces of the safes with inert material. All methods of internal blasting of ATMs take advantage of the space that exists inside the safe (safe) and not other areas of ATMs that are really useless for such an operation.

For any material to enter (solid explosive, gas and especially the balloon that needs room to inflate,) it must find empty space to pay (fill). The empty spaces of a safe, which are sufficient, can be closed with an inert material, eg glass wool. Especially the space between the money dispenser (cassettes-dispenser) and the sides of the safe, on the side and on the roof, is largely useless space for the functionality of the ATM, but this is the space that the perpetrators look for and that is where 90% of the explosions occur.

Claims (2)

1. Placement of vibration or breakage or detachment sensors in two parts of the ATM. a. On the facade and b. in the money exit slot that is fitted on the faceplate. These sensors are connected to the smoke production system (artificial fog or smoke generator) and activate it in case of violation. 2.Metal barrier movable or fixed (depends on the type of ATM) that is placed directly in front of the opening of the safe (Figure 1) within the money transfer duct, which allows the movement in the direction of the money exit, while firmly preventing any reverse movement (entry) of a foreign body. 2a. A solid rotating shaft perpendicular to the conductor as a metal barrier according to claim 2 similar to others that assist the rotation of the belts. This axis will have a dual role. It will help the movement of the belts but it will also close the entrance of the opening of the safe, preventing the entry of objects. 2b Metal barrier according to claim 2 is also the money transfer box with a modification of the existing movement programming of some ATM types. The cash transfer box to the customer will be parked in the opening of the safe Design 2 and not behind the cash exit slot on the front of the ATM, so as not to be vulnerable. 2c Metal surface covering the empty space between the hole of the safe and the conduit for transporting the money (Drawing 3). 2d. Filling (filling) the empty interior spaces of ATM safes with inert material, e.g. fiberglass so that these spaces are eliminated and do not form a cavity for the diffused gas or a space for the balloon or a space for placing a quantity of explosives.