Recyclable safe
One embodiment is a safe including an outer wall formed of a metal, an inner wall formed of the metal, and a coarse aggregate and fill material filling a gap between the outer and inner walls. The fill material, such as a metal or thermoplastic with a melting point lower than the metal of the inner and outer walls.
1 . A safe comprising:
an inner cuboid nested within an outer cuboid;
the inner cuboid having at least one face parallel to a face of the outer cuboid;
the inner cuboid and outer cuboid formed of a metal;
an intermediate space between an inner surface of the outer cuboid and an outer surface of the inner cuboid, the intermediate space filled with a coarse aggregate and a fill material filling a remainder of the intermediate space including gaps between the coarse aggregate, the fill material with a solid phase at ambient indoor and outdoor temperatures and having a melting point lower than the metal forming the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid; and
a door on parallel faces of the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid providing access to an inner cavity of the inner cuboid through the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid and a filled intermediate space;
wherein the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid, with the filled intermediate space filled with the coarse aggregate and the fill material are formed as two or more distinct sides of the safe and are assembled to complete a cuboid structure of the safe including the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid;
the safe further comprising one or more openings through which currency or other documents may pass to and from the inner cavity, wherein the inner cavity is sized to hold one or more currency cartridges and other currency and document handling devices;
wherein the metal is mild steel or chromoly or tungsten steel alloy;
wherein the fill material and coarse aggregate are removable from the intermediate space by heating the fill material to at least the melting point but lower than a melting point of the metal, providing environmentally conscious safes with materials that are recyclable.
2 . The safe of claim 1 , wherein the fill material is aluminum.
3 . The safe of claim 1 , wherein the fill material is at least one of a thermoplastic polymer and a thermoplastic rubber.
4 . The safe of claim 1 , wherein the fill material and coarse aggregate are removable from the intermediate space by heating he fill material to at least the melting point but lower than a melting point of the metal.
5 . The safe of claim 1 , further comprising:
passages formed in the safe, the passages sized to allow documents to pass into and out of the inner cavity.
6 . The safe of claim 1 , wherein the inner cavity is sized to hold a currency cartridge of a currency dispensing kiosk.
7 . A safe comprising:
an outer wall formed of a metal;
an inner wall formed of the metal; and
a coarse aggregate and fill material filling a gap between the outer wall and the inner wall, the coarse aggregate and fill material with a solid phase at ambient indoor and outdoor temperatures and a liquid phase at a temperature lower than a melting temperature of the metal forming the inner wall and the outer wall;
wherein sides of the safe include at least two elements that are couplable to form the safe;
wherein the safe includes one or more openings through which currency or other documents may pass to and from an internal cavity, wherein the internal cavity is sized to hold one or more currency cartridges and other currency and document handling devices;
wherein the metal is mild steel or chromoly or tungsten steel alloy;
wherein the coarse aggregate and fill material are removable from the gap between the outer wall and the inner wall by heating the coarse aggregate and fill material to a melting temperature of the coarse aggregate and fill material but lower than a melting point of the metal forming the outer wall and the inner wall, providing environmentally conscious safes with materials that are recyclable.
8 . The safe of claim 7 , wherein the coarse aggregate and fill material is aluminum.
9 . The safe of claim 7 , wherein the coarse aggregate and fill material is a thermoplastic polymer.
10 . The safe of claim 7 , wherein the coarse aggregate and fill material and coarse aggregate are removable from the gap between the outer wall and the inner wall by heating the coarse aggregate and fill material to a melting temperature of the coarse aggregate and fill material but lower than a melting point of the metal forming the outer wall and the inner wall.
11 . The safe of claim 7 , wherein a thickness dimension from an outer surface of the outer wall to an inner surface of the inner wall facing an internal cavity of the safe is approximately 40 mm.
12 . The safe of claim 7 , wherein an inner cavity of the safe is sized to hold currency-related equipment of a kiosk.
13 . The safe of claim 12 , further comprising:
passages formed in the safe, the passages sized to allow documents to pass into and out of currency related equipment installed within the inner cavity.
14 . The safe of claim 7 , wherein the metal is a steel alloy.
15 . A method comprising:
forming an inner cuboid of a safe from sheet steel having a thickness of at least 2 mm;
forming an outer cuboid of a safe from sheet steel having a thickness of at least 2 mm;
nesting the inner cuboid within the outer cuboid oriented with the inner cuboid having at least one face parallel to a face of the outer cuboid and leaving an intermediate space between an inner surface of the outer cuboid and an outer surface of the inner cuboid;
filling the intermediate space with a coarse aggregate and a fill material filling a remainder of the intermediate space including gaps between the coarse aggregate, the coarse aggregate and the fill material with a solid phase at ambient indoor and outdoor temperatures and having a melting point lower than the sheet steel forming the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid; and
providing a door on parallel faces of the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid providing access an inner cavity of the inner cuboid through the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid and a filled intermediate space; and
wherein the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid, with the filled intermediate space filled with the coarse aggregate and the fill material are formed as two or more distinct sides of the safe and are assembled to complete a cuboid structure of the safe including the inner cuboid and the outer cuboid;
wherein the inner cavity is sized to hold one or more currency cartridges and other currency and document handling devices and includes one or more openings through which currency or other documents may pass to and from the inner cavity;
wherein a metal of the sheet steel is mild steel or chromoly or tungsten steel alloy;
wherein the fill material and coarse aggregate are removable from the intermediate space by heating the fill material to at least the melting point but lower than a melting point of the metal, providing environmentally conscious safes that are constructed to maintain security standards while also being capable of disassembly for recycling of materials.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the fill material is aluminum.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the fill material is a thermoplastic polymer.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the fill material and coarse aggregate are removable from the intermediate space by heating the fill material to at least the melting point but lower than a melting point of the metal.