Adjustable cabinet with independent interior and exterior spaces

Abstract

This invention provides an adjustable storage cabinet with independently configurable internal and external spaces, comprising: a cabinet body with two opposing cabinet sides inside, including: a plurality of grooves disposed on the cabinet side, extending from the top surface of the cabinet body adjacent to the cabinet side to the bottom surface of the cabinet body; a plurality of grooves disposed on the cabinet side, connecting the plurality of grooves; and a plurality of positioning parts disposed on the cabinet side; at least one shelf with two opposing shelf sides, including: a plurality of protrusions disposed on the shelf side and installed in the plurality of grooves; and a plurality of positioning members disposed on the same side as the plurality of protrusions and installed in the plurality of positioning parts; and a plurality of door panels disposed on the cabinet body and corresponding to the accommodating unit, with a fixing member disposed on one side adjacent to the shelf, aligned with the groove and extending in the same direction.

Description

Adjustable storage cabinets with independent interior and exterior spaces ADJUSTABLE CABINET WITH INDEPENDENT INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SPACES Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a storage cabinet, and more particularly to an adjustable storage cabinet with independently configured internal and external spaces. Prior Technology

[0002] Existing traditional lockers and dynamically adjustable lockers still have the following shortcomings in practical applications:

[0003] Insufficient flexibility in space utilization: Traditional lockers are limited by production costs, and the locker space is mostly of fixed size. When storing multiple small items, the space of a single locker often far exceeds the volume of the items, resulting in low volume ratio of a single locker and failure to maximize space utilization efficiency.

[0004] High privacy and security risks: The current dynamic adjustment cabinet adopts a cabinet body and shelf separation design, which requires opening the cabinet door of the non-goods storage compartment during the shelf installation process. If other people's goods are stored in this compartment, the goods may be at risk of being spied on or taken, resulting in privacy vulnerabilities.

[0005] Accessory Management and High Operational Risks: If the above-mentioned detachable shelves are not effectively managed or regularly inspected, they are easily lost or damaged during installation, resulting in operational losses. Furthermore, if the user does not install them properly, the shelves may slip off along with the goods due to unbalanced load, causing damage to the goods and raising concerns about personal safety. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this new type of locker is to solve the problems of insufficient space utilization flexibility, high privacy and security risks, and high operational risks in the current smart locker system.

[0007] Therefore, this invention provides an adjustable storage cabinet with independently configurable internal and external spaces, comprising:

[0008] A cabinet has two opposing cabinet sides inside. The cabinet includes: a plurality of grooves disposed on the two cabinet sides, and the grooves extending from the top surface of one cabinet side adjacent to the two cabinet sides to the bottom surface of the cabinet side opposite to the top surface of the cabinet side; a plurality of grooves disposed on the two cabinet sides, and the grooves connecting the plurality of grooves; and a plurality of positioning portions disposed on the two cabinet sides.

[0009] At least one layer of board has opposing second-layer board sides, the layer of board comprising: a plurality of protrusions disposed on the second-layer board sides, and the plurality of protrusions being detachably mounted in the plurality of grooves; and

[0010] A plurality of positioning members are disposed on the same side as the plurality of protrusions, and the plurality of positioning members are detachably aligned and installed on the plurality of positioning portions, dividing a receiving space of the cabinet into a plurality of receiving units; and

[0011] A plurality of door panels are disposed in the cabinet and corresponding to the receiving unit. A fixing member is provided on one side of the door panel adjacent to the shelf, and the fixing member is aligned with the groove and extends in the same direction as the groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, the door panel further includes a housing, and the housing has an opening on one side opposite the door panel.

[0013] In some embodiments, the housing is embedded in the door panel.

[0014] In some embodiments, when the fixing member moves out of the receiving unit as the door panel is opened, the positioning member disengages from the positioning part and the protrusion moves from the groove to the recess, causing the shelf to move along the recess to adjust the receiving space.

[0015] In some embodiments, the adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces further includes a computing module that is signal-connected to the locker body and the shelf, for performing calculations and analysis based on information about the volume of an item, information about the accommodating space, and information about the shelf, and outputting locker position information.

[0016] In some embodiments, the adjustable locker with independently configured interior and exterior spaces further includes a control module that is signal-connected to the computing module. The control module opens the door panel according to the locker location information, which corresponds to the volume and quantity of the items.

[0017] In some embodiments, the length of the fastener in that direction is equivalent to the length of the groove.

[0018] In some embodiments, when the positioning part is disposed at the same height as the fixing member, the positioning part is disposed in the groove; when the positioning part is disposed at a different height from the fixing member, a plurality of the positioning parts are disposed in the recess.

[0019] In some embodiments, a plurality of the positioning members are disposed on the bottom surface of a layer on the side surface of two adjacent layers.

[0020] In some embodiments, the shelf further includes a gripping portion.

[0021] This invention provides an adjustable locker with sliding adjustment according to the size of the items and independent configuration of the inner and outer spaces of the locker on the door panel. It can effectively utilize the space in the height and depth directions of the locker at the same time. Furthermore, by controlling the number of doors that can be opened and the mobility of the shelves, it improves the convenience of storing and retrieving goods and the security of stored and retrieved goods. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0022] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the present invention; Figures 5a and 5b are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a two-layer smart locker; Figure 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the adjustment method for the smart locker system; Figure 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the detection module; and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a four-layer smart locker. Implementation

[0023] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, which are structural schematic diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment provides an adjustable storage cabinet with independently configured internal and external spaces, comprising:

[0024] The cabinet 1 has two opposing cabinet sides 1A inside. The cabinet 1 includes: a plurality of recesses 11 disposed on the two cabinet sides 1A, and the recesses 11 extend from the top surface 1B of the cabinet on the adjacent two cabinet sides 1A to the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet on the opposite top surface 1B; a plurality of grooves 12 disposed on the two cabinet sides 1A, and the grooves 12 connect to the recesses 11, preferably, the grooves 12 are perpendicular to the recesses 11; and a plurality of positioning parts 13 disposed on the two cabinet sides 1A.

[0025] At least one shelf 2 has opposing second-layer side panels 2A. The shelf 2 includes: a plurality of protrusions 21 disposed on the second-layer side panels 2A, and the plurality of protrusions 21 are detachably mounted in a plurality of grooves 12; and a plurality of positioning members 22 disposed on the same side as the plurality of protrusions 21, and the plurality of positioning members 22 are detachably aligned and mounted in a plurality of positioning portions 13 to fix the shelf 2 so as to have load-bearing capacity and to divide the accommodating space of the cabinet 1 into a plurality of accommodating units; and

[0026] Multiple door panels 3 are installed on the cabinet 1 and corresponding to the accommodating unit to close the cabinet 1. Each door panel 3 has a fixing member 31 on one side adjacent to the shelf 2 to limit the movement space of the shelf 2 when the door panel 3 is closed, so that the shelf 2 is fixed. The fixing member 31 is aligned with the groove 12 and extends in the same direction. Since the groove 12 and the shelf 2 may have different thicknesses in actual operation, the alignment here means that the height of the two is the same within a certain dimensional tolerance or error range.

[0027] Preferably, the lengths of the fixing member 31 and the groove 12 in the aforementioned direction are equal without considering dimensional tolerances, so as to avoid the gap between the door panel 3 and the shelf 2 being too large, which would allow items in the accommodating space to be seen or taken.

[0028] On the other hand, compared to the groove 12 with the same length as the depth of the cabinet 1, the groove 12 with the same height as the fastener 31 is limited in length within a certain range. When manufactured by destructive processing such as grooving, it can provide support towards the top surface 1B of the cabinet while maintaining the relatively complete structure of the cabinet 1, stabilize the structure of the shelf 2, and prevent the shelf 2 from slipping out of the cabinet 1 during movement or installation. In addition, the groove 11 provided from the top surface 1B of the cabinet to the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet is less likely to accumulate foreign objects, thereby reducing sliding wear caused by foreign objects and reducing maintenance costs.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the door panel 3 further includes a box 32 to improve the space utilization rate in the depth direction of the cabinet 1. Furthermore, the storage unit can simultaneously provide different users with access to items, allowing the space of the door panel 3 to be independently diverted, providing a flexible access mechanism.

[0030] Preferably, the cabinet 32 ​​is embedded in the door panel 3, and the cabinet 32 ​​has an opening on one side opposite the door panel 3. For example, the cabinet 32 ​​has openings on two sides parallel to the door panel 3. The opening outside the accommodating space is used when the door panel 3 is closed, while the opening inside the accommodating space is used when the door panel 3 is open. The opening can be selectively matched with the cabinet door or locking device to enhance the security of items placed inside the cabinet 32, but is not limited to this.

[0031] In this embodiment, when the fixing member 31 moves out of the accommodating unit as the door panel 3 is opened, the positioning member 22 disengages from the positioning part 13, and the protrusion 21 moves from the groove 12 to the recess 11, so that the shelf 2 moves along the recess 11 to adjust the accommodating space in the height direction of the cabinet 1. The main movement direction of the shelf 2 is restricted to the direction of the recess 11, and the non-recess 11 direction can only move conditionally. In this way, it is ensured that the shelf 2 will not be detached from the cabinet 1 due to external force.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the positioning part 13 is set at the same height as the fixing member 31, the positioning part 13 is set in the groove 12; when the positioning part 13 is set at a different height from the fixing member 31, the positioning part 13 is set in the groove 11. However, it is not limited to this. The position and number of positioning parts 13 can be planned according to practical needs. For example, the side of the cabinet side 1A near the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet is supported by the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet, so the positioning part 13 can be selectively not set.

[0033] In this embodiment, a plurality of positioning members 22 are disposed on the bottom surface of a first layer of adjacent two-layer plates side surface 2A. The plurality of positioning members 22 located on the same side of the bottom surface of the plate can be selectively connected to facilitate the one-time movement of the plurality of positioning members 22 on the same side.

[0034] In this embodiment, the shelf 2 further includes a gripping portion.

[0035] In this embodiment, the fastener 31 is disposed on the side of the door panel 3 near the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet. Since the door panel 3 closest to the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet has no corresponding shelf 2, the fastener 31 may be selectively not installed.

[0036] In this embodiment, a computing module is further included, which is connected to the cabinet 1 and the shelf 2 by signal, and is used to perform calculation and analysis based on the item volume information, the storage space information and the information of the shelf 2, and output the cabinet position information.

[0037] Preferably, the volume information of the items can be automatically measured using a measurement module or manually entered by a person; the storage space information can selectively include the storage status of items in each storage unit; the information of the shelf 2 can selectively include the location of the shelf 2; and the cabinet information can selectively include the location and number of the best storage units for the items, as well as the information of the door panels 3 corresponding to these storage units, but is not limited to these.

[0038] In this embodiment, a control module and a signal connection computing module are further included. The control module opens the door panel 3 according to the cabinet position information to match the volume and quantity of the items, so that the shelf 2 relative to the door panel 3 is in a movable state to adjust the accommodating space to match the volume information of the items. Preferably, the shelf 2 in the movable state includes: both adjacent door panels 3 of the shelf 2 are open, or the shelf 2 is located on the top surface 1B or bottom surface 1C of the cabinet.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flowchart of one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment provides a method for adjusting an adjustable storage cabinet with independently configured internal and external spaces, the steps of which include:

[0040] S1: The computing module performs cabinet selection analysis based on the item volume information, the storage space information, and the shelf 2 position information. The cabinet selection analysis selects the first cabinet space that best matches the item volume information from the top surface 1B of the cabinet 1 to the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet opposite the top surface 1B. The cabinet space contains at least one storage unit.

[0041] S2: The control module opens the door panel 3 of the corresponding accommodating unit according to the cabinet space. That is, the control module will not open other door panels 3 outside the cabinet space that best matches the item volume information, so as to ensure that the operation range is limited to the cabinet space, wherein: When the door panel 3 and the cabinet space cannot form a closed space, resulting in a gap, the shelf 2 closest to the gap is slid from the top surface 1B or the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet to the gap to close the cabinet space; or / and When there are shelves 2 between the accommodating units in the cabinet space, slide the shelves 2 to the cabinet top surface 1B or cabinet bottom surface 1C that is closest to the shelf 2; and

[0042] S3: Use the detection module to confirm whether the cabinet space has been adjusted, including: When the detection module confirms that the cabinet space has been adjusted, it confirms that door panel 3 is closed, and the detection module updates the accommodating space information and shelf 2 position information; or When the detection module confirms that the cabinet space has not been adjusted, it outputs a warning message to prompt the cabinet space to be readjusted.

[0043] In this embodiment, the control module may selectively use an identity verification module and electronic locks to verify the identity of the person retrieving the item and to simultaneously unlock and lock the door panel 3. For example, after identity verification is completed, the electronic locks simultaneously unlock the door panels 3 corresponding to all the accommodating unit locks in the cabinet space so that the items can be retrieved from the cabinet space, but this is not limited to this.

[0044] In this embodiment, step S2 further includes: checking the module to confirm whether the door panel 3 is opened correctly, and checking the module output shelf 2 movement information. Preferably, the shelf 2 movement information provides the best way to adjust the shelf 2 to the cabinet space and the number and position of the shelf 2 currently in the movement state, but is not limited to this.

[0045] In this embodiment, step S3 further includes: the detection module confirms that the shelf 2 is in a fixed state. For example, the protrusion 21 slides into the groove 12 and the positioning member 22 is correctly installed in the positioning part 13 to ensure that the shelf 2 has the load-bearing capacity and will not tilt due to the placement of items, causing the items to fall off.

[0046] In this embodiment, the detection module may selectively include a position sensor and a cabinet door sensor. The position sensor is used to detect the position of the shelf 2, and the cabinet door sensor is used to detect the open / closed state of the door panel 3. However, it is not limited to this and can be added or adjusted according to the actual use.

[0047] In this embodiment, step S3: the detection module updates the accommodating space information and the shelf 2 position information, further includes: when the detection module detects that there are multiple shelves 2 on the top surface 1B or the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet, it outputs reset information to prompt the shelf 2 located on the top surface 1B or the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet to be moved after the item is taken out of the cabinet 1, so that the shelf 2 is reset to its original separation position, and to ensure that the number of shelves 2 on the top surface 1B or the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet is not greater than one.

[0048] Example 1

[0049] Please refer to Figures 5a and 5b, which are structural schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a two-layer smart locker. All components of this embodiment have been described in the foregoing embodiments, so they will not be repeated here.

[0050] In this embodiment, a single-layer panel 2 divides the accommodating space of the cabinet 1 into two accommodating units, and two door panels 3 are correspondingly arranged with the two accommodating units. The first door panel and the second door panel are arranged sequentially from the top surface 1B of the cabinet to the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet.

[0051] One side of the first door panel adjacent to the shelf 2 has a fastener 31, which is a long plate-shaped component. It is set below the first door panel and extends in the direction of the shelf 2. Within the tolerance range, the length of the fastener 31 is equivalent to the length of the groove 12 in the same direction, so as to avoid the gap between the fastener 31 and the shelf 2 being too large when the door panel 3 is closed, which would affect the placement of items.

[0052] The length of the groove 12 can be adjusted according to the actual use situation, so that when the shelf 2 is set in the groove 12, the gap between it and the closed second door panel is not large enough for items to be seen or taken.

[0053] In this embodiment, the plurality of positioning members 22 are positioned using positioning pins and are disposed on the bottom surface of the adjacent shelf side 2A. The relative position of the plurality of positioning members 22 on the shelf 2 is the same as the relative position of one side of the adjacent door panel 3 of the shelf 2. For example, one side of the shelf 2 adjacent to the first door panel is located below this side, so the plurality of positioning members 22 are disposed below the shelf 2, that is, on the bottom surface of the shelf, as shown in the figure. When the shelf 2 is located between the first door panel and the second door panel, the shelf 2 will be in a moving state only when the first door panel and the second door panel are opened at the same time.

[0054] In other words, when only the first door panel is opened, because the positioning member 22 is located on the bottom surface of the shelf and the second door panel is not opened, the positioning member 22 is enclosed in the receiving unit formed by the second door panel and cannot be moved out of the positioning part 13, so the shelf 2 is in a fixed state; while when only the second door panel is opened, because the fixing member 31 of the first door panel abuts against the shelf 2, the shelf 2 cannot be moved out of the groove 12, so the shelf 2 is also in a fixed state.

[0055] The above-mentioned protective design ensures that when there are items placed in adjacent storage units, the shelf 2 will not be moved due to external force, thus improving the safety of item placement.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a block diagram of an embodiment of the adjustment method of the smart locker system. The adjustment method of this embodiment includes steps a to k, which have been described in the foregoing embodiments, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0057] In this embodiment, the detection module uses a safety interlock check to prevent items from falling or misjudging space due to improper operation. Please refer to Figure 7, which is a block diagram of an embodiment of the detection module, including steps h and l to s. As shown in the figure, the detection module may include a position sensor and a cabinet door sensor that are interconnected. Before the position sensor detects that the shelf 2 is correctly adjusted and positioned, the cabinet door is locked in a way that is accompanied by an audible prompt, forcing the user to adjust the shelf 2 to the correct position and fix it, so that items can be placed safely.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a four-layer smart locker. All components and adjustment methods in this embodiment have been described in the previous embodiments, so they will not be repeated here.

[0060] In this embodiment, the three-layer board 2 divides the accommodating space of the cabinet 1 into four accommodating units, and the four door panels 3 are arranged correspondingly to the four accommodating units. The four door panels are arranged sequentially from the top surface 1B of the cabinet to the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet as the first door panel adjacent to the first layer, the second door panel adjacent to the second layer, the third door panel adjacent to the third layer, and the fourth door panel.

[0061] In this embodiment, since the number of shelves 2 is greater than two, the shelves 2 may be stacked. In order to maintain the cooperation between the fastener 31 and the shelves 2 and to avoid the situation where no shelves 2 can be moved, the smart locker system with four or more shelves may optionally include reset information. The reset information has been described in the above embodiments, so it will not be repeated here.

[0062] For example, when storing oversized items and using the storage space of four storage units, all shelves 2 will be moved to the top surface 1B or the bottom surface 1C of the cabinet, resulting in multiple shelves 2 on the top surface 1B of the cabinet.

[0063] At this time, since the movement of the second shelf spans multiple accommodating units and is far from its original separation position, in order to avoid the situation where there is no shelf 2 to move when the second door panel is opened alone, the detection module outputs reset information to prompt that when the oversized object is taken out, the shelf 2 should be reset. Among them, except for the second shelf which must be reset to its original separation position, the other shelves 2 can be selectively reset. Ideally, all shelves 2 should be reset to their original separation positions, but this is not limited to this.

[0064] Next, after all shelves 2 are reset, the detection module confirms whether shelves 2 are fixed and confirms that door panel 3 is closed, and updates the shelf 2 position information and accommodating space information to the status of multiple independent cabinets for the next user to use.

[0065] The advantages of the embodiments provided by this invention are listed below:

[0066] 1. By incorporating cabinets into the door panels, the functionality of the lockers is enhanced, and the space required for additional cabinets is reduced. Furthermore, it allows different users to exchange information or access small items.

[0067] 2. Through the design of sliding rails and shelves, the size of the smart locker's storage space can be dynamically adjusted, greatly improving space turnover and utilization.

[0068] 3. Provide a cabinet space calculation mechanism to output the cabinet space that best matches the size of the goods and open the corresponding number of cabinet doors. At the same time, ensure that only necessary shelves can be moved to prevent shelves from being maliciously removed from the inside and ensure the safety of the goods.

[0069] 4. By stacking shelves on the top or bottom of the cabinet, storage problems after shelf removal are eliminated. In addition, a safety detection mechanism is incorporated to ensure correct shelf installation and improve operational safety.

[0070] However, the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the present invention's patent application and the contents of the specification shall still fall within the scope of the present invention's patent.

[0071] 1: Cabinet 11: Groove 12: Trench 13: Positioning Department 1A: Side of the cabinet 1B: Top surface of the cabinet 1C: Cabinet bottom surface 2: Sheet 2A: Shelf side 21: Protrusion 22: Positioning component 3: Door panel 31: Fasteners 32: Box (S1 to S3: Steps) (a to s: steps)

Claims

1. An adjustable storage cabinet with independently configured internal and external spaces, comprising: a cabinet body having two opposing cabinet sides inside, the cabinet body comprising: a plurality of grooves disposed on the two cabinet sides, the grooves extending from the top surface of one cabinet side adjacent to the two cabinet sides to the bottom surface of the cabinet side opposite to the top surface of the cabinet side; a plurality of grooves disposed on the two cabinet sides, the plurality of grooves connecting the plurality of grooves; and a plurality of positioning portions disposed on the two cabinet sides; at least one shelf having two opposing shelf sides, the shelf comprising: A plurality of protrusions are disposed on the sides of the two shelves, and the plurality of protrusions are detachably mounted on the plurality of grooves; and a plurality of positioning members are disposed on the same side as the plurality of protrusions, and the plurality of positioning members are detachably aligned and mounted on the plurality of positioning portions, dividing a accommodating space of the cabinet into a plurality of accommodating units; and a plurality of door panels are disposed in the cabinet and corresponding to the accommodating units, wherein... A fastener is provided on one side of the door panel adjacent to the shelf, and the fastener is aligned with the groove and extends in the same direction as the groove.

2. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 1, wherein, The door panel further includes a box, and the box has an opening on one side opposite the door panel.

3. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 2, wherein, The cabinet is embedded in the door panel.

4. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 2, wherein, When the fixing member moves out of the receiving unit as the door panel is opened, the positioning member disengages from the positioning part and the protrusion moves from the groove to the recess, causing the shelf to move along the recess to adjust the receiving space.

5. The adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 4, further comprising a computing module connected to the locker body and the shelf, for performing calculations and analysis based on information about the volume of an item, information about the accommodating space and information about the shelf, and outputting locker position information.

6. The adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 5, further comprising a control module, which is signal-connected to the computing module, and the control module opens the door panel corresponding to the volume and quantity of the items according to the locker position information.

7. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 1, wherein, The length of the fastener in this direction is equivalent to the length of the groove.

8. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 1, wherein, When the positioning part is set at the same height as the fixing member, the positioning part is set in the groove; when the positioning part is set at a different height from the fixing member, the positioning part is set in the recess.

9. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 1, wherein, The locating element is located on the bottom surface of the first layer of the adjacent two layers.

10. An adjustable locker with independently configured internal and external spaces as described in claim 1, wherein, The shelf also includes a gripping part.

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