Alarm system for boat covers and automobile convertible tops

An alarm system for a boat cover comprising:

• a boat cover made of a flexible material;
• a power supply;
• a conduction grid made of a high resistance material affixed to a side of said boat cover;
• a plurality of electrodes placed around the perimeter of said boat cover, each electrode being connected to said conduction grid at a different location;
• a control box connected to said power supply and each said electrode individually, said control box sampling and measuring the resistance across said conduction grid between each permutation of electrode pairs and providing a signal indicative of significant changes in said resistance;
• an indicator actuated by said signal to notify an operator that the resistance across any portion of said conduction grid has significantly changed;
• and
• a switch attached to the power supply, said switch arming and disarming the alarm system.

An alarm system for a convertible automobile top comprising:

• a top for a convertible automobile, said top made of a flexible material;
• a power supply;
• a conduction grid made of a high resistance material affixed to a said top;
• a plurality of electrodes placed around the perimeter of said top, each electrode being connected to said conduction grid at a different location;
• a control box connected to said power supply and each said electrode individually, said control box sampling and measuring the resistance across said conduction grid between each permutation of electrode pairs and providing a signal indicative of significant changes in said resistance;
• an indicator actuated by said signal to notify an operator that the resistance across any portion of said conduction grid has significantly changed;
• and
• a switch attached to the power supply, said switch arming and disarming the alarm system.

A snap receptacle switch to fit over a standard male portion of a snap, comprising:

• a body, primarily cylindrical in shape, consisting of a top, a bottom, a curved surface, and long axis, said body being made of an electrically insulating material;
• a bore in the body along said long axis beginning at said bottom;
• a pair of electrical contacts molded into said body, such that one end of each electrical contact protrudes into said bore, and the other end of each electrical contact protrudes from said curved surface of said body;
• a plurality of flanges integrated into said body and on said curved surface thereof, said flanges spaced to facilitate installation of said snap receptacle into a hem of a fabric;
• and
• a snap cover fitted over said top of said body to keep said snap receptacle in place once installed.