Express delivery receiving and dispatching device and express delivery receiving and dispatching system using the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an express delivery receiving and dispatching device, which is arranged on a hollow frame leading to the outside. The express delivery receiving and dispatching device includes a first support member that extends longitudinally and is fixedly arranged relative to the hollow frame without relative rotation; a receiving and dispatching box designed to be coupled to the first support member and used for accommodating the express delivery; a rotating mechanism designed to drive the receiving and dispatching box to rotate relative to the first support member about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first support member; and a translation mechanism designed to drive the receiving and dispatching box to translate along the longitudinal direction of the first support member. The above device realizes the expansion of the volume of the receiving and dispatching box while allowing the receiving and dispatching box to move between indoors and outdoors, and has low transformation cost and little impact on living. The present invention also provides an express delivery receiving and dispatching system including the above express delivery receiving and dispatching device, which further includes an optical communication device for guiding the autonomously movable machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of express delivery receiving and sending, and particularly to an express delivery receiving and sending device and an express delivery receiving and sending system using the device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous progress of e-commerce, the express delivery industry has also developed rapidly, and shoppers have higher and higher requirements for the delivery speed and accuracy of express deliveries. At present, many large enterprises have begun to apply machines that can move autonomously, such as drones, driverless cars, robots, etc., for the delivery or collection of express deliveries. In order to facilitate the work of, for example, drones, existing express delivery receiving and sending devices generally set the receiving and sending box outdoors, for example, fixedly installed on the wall outside the window. However, this arrangement method cannot reliably prevent risks such as possible loss, moisture absorption, or damage of objects; at the same time, arranging the receiving and sending box outdoors is not convenient for customers to pick up express deliveries from the box or put the express deliveries to be sent into the box, which is particularly cumbersome for express delivery items that are too large.

[0003] CN 107180320A discloses a logistics terminal system, in which the receiving and sending box realizes sliding movement between indoors and outdoors by being arranged on a horizontal track that is partially fixed indoors and partially fixed outdoors, thereby solving the above problems that may be encountered when the receiving and sending box is always fixedly arranged outdoors. However, for ordinary urban households, the space where this system can be fixed may be limited, for example, removing a piece of window or door leading to the outside and arranging the system at the corresponding position. If it is desired to increase the accommodation space of the receiving and sending box, only two methods can be adopted. First, increase the width of the receiving and sending box; second, increase the length of the receiving and sending box, for example, removing multiple pieces of glass arranged in the same row and removing the window frames between two adjacent pieces of glass. However, if the width is too long, the receiving and sending box will extend too much into the room, interfering with people's normal life; if multiple pieces of glass are removed, the functions that the window should originally play, such as wind prevention and light transmission, may be weakened too much. Therefore, people expect an express delivery receiving and sending device that can increase the accommodation space of the receiving and sending box under the conditions of minimizing the destruction of existing buildings and minimizing the interference with normal life. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the above problems, the present invention provides an express delivery receiving and sending device. It realizes the movement of a receiving and sending box with a length greater than the length of the hollow frame between indoors and outdoors by means of a support member fixed to the hollow frame and a receiving and sending box that can rotate and translate relative to the support member, thereby increasing the accommodation space of the receiving and sending box. The present invention also provides an express delivery receiving and sending system for a machine that can move autonomously, which cooperates with the above-mentioned express delivery receiving and sending device by means of optical tags to guide the machine that can move autonomously to complete the work of receiving and sending express deliveries.

[0005] The present invention provides an express delivery receiving and dispatching device, which is arranged on a hollow frame leading to the outside. Characteristically, the express delivery receiving and dispatching device includes a first support member that extends longitudinally and is fixedly arranged non-rotatably relative to the hollow frame; a receiving and dispatching box designed to be coupled to the first support member and used for accommodating the express delivery; a rotating mechanism designed to drive the receiving and dispatching box to rotate relative to the first support member about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first support member; and a translation mechanism designed to drive the receiving and dispatching box to translate along the longitudinal direction of the first support member.

[0006] Preferably, the rotating mechanism is arranged inside the first support member and is configured to include a rotating motor and a plug-in member coupled to the motor shaft of the rotating motor. The receiving and dispatching box includes a vertically extending support plate, and a plug-in hole matching the plug-in member is formed on the side surface of the support plate facing the first support member. The plug-in member extends out of the first support member and is inserted into the plug-in hole.

[0007] Preferably, the translation mechanism is configured to include a translation motor fixed to one end of the first support member, a driven wheel fixed to the other end of the first support member, and a translation conveyor belt with one end wound around the motor shaft of the translation motor and the other end wound around the driven wheel. The rotating motor is fixedly coupled to the translation conveyor belt to drive the receiving and dispatching box to translate along the first support member as the translation conveyor belt moves.

[0008] Preferably, the first support member is designed to be conformally fixedly coupled to one of the side edges of the hollow frame.

[0009] Preferably, the receiving and dispatching device is further configured to include a second support member arranged in parallel with the first support member and conformally fixedly coupled to the other side edge of the hollow frame. The rotating mechanism and the translation mechanism are symmetrically arranged on the first support member and the second support member.

[0010] Preferably, the first support member and the second support member are arranged on the opposite side edges of the hollow frame extending in the horizontal direction.

[0011] Preferably, a limiting pulley is fixedly arranged on the rotating motor, and the limiting pulley slides inside the first support member and the second support member.

[0012] Preferably, the plug-in member is designed as a spline, and the plug-in hole is designed as a keyway.

[0013] The present invention also provides an express delivery receiving and dispatching system for an autonomously movable machine, which includes the above-mentioned express delivery receiving and dispatching device and an optical communication device for guiding the autonomously movable machine.

[0014] Preferably, the optical communication device is arranged above the hollow frame. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic diagram of an express delivery receiving and dispatching device according to the present invention mounted on a hollow frame.

[0016] Figure 2 FIG. is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an express delivery receiving and dispatching device according to the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 FIG. is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a receiving and dispatching box;

[0018] Figure 4 FIG. is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a rotating mechanism and a translation mechanism;

[0019] Figure 5 and Figure 6 FIG. is an enlarged schematic diagram of the rotating mechanism;

[0020] Figure 7 FIG. is a schematic diagram of the working process of an express delivery receiving and dispatching device according to the present invention.

[0021] List of reference numerals

[0022] 1. Receiving and dispatching box; 2. Support plate; 3. Insertion hole; 4. Rotating motor; 5. Connector; 6. Translation motor; 7. Translation conveyor belt; 8. Limiting pulley; 9. Hollow frame; 10. First support member; 11. Second support member. Detailed Embodiments

[0023] Referring now to the drawings, a schematic embodiment of the structure disclosed by the present invention will be described in detail. Although the drawings are provided to present an embodiment of the present invention, the drawings need not be drawn to the dimensions of a specific embodiment, and certain features may be enlarged, reduced, or removed to better illustrate and explain the disclosure of the present invention. Certain directional terms used hereinafter to describe the drawings should be understood to have their normal meanings and refer to those directions involved when the drawings are normally observed. Specifically, it is clear that the width of the receiving and dispatching box refers to the shorter side extending perpendicular to the plane of the hollow frame; the length of the receiving and dispatching box refers to the longer side extending parallel to the plane of the hollow frame; "left" refers to the left hand side when facing the drawing, and "right" refers to the right hand side when facing the drawing.

[0024] Figure 1A three-dimensional schematic diagram shows a courier receiving and dispatching device according to the present invention fixedly arranged on a hollow frame 9 leading to the outdoors. The hollow frame 9 can be selected as a window frame, a door frame, etc., which communicates with the outdoors and is formed by connecting multiple side edges end to end. In the following, the window frame will be taken as an example for description. When installing the receiving and dispatching device, only the glass originally inserted in the window frame needs to be removed. Next, the support member of the receiving and dispatching device described below is fixedly connected or detachably connected to one or more side edges of the window frame to complete the installation, that is, the existing window frame is cleverly utilized without causing large-scale damage to it. In addition, if the receiving and dispatching device is no longer needed, it only needs to be removed from the window frame and then the glass is inserted back into the window frame.

[0025] Specifically, for example, as Figure 2 shown, the receiving and dispatching device is configured to include at least one support member that can be fixedly coupled to one or more side edges of the window frame in a non-rotatable relative manner, including a first support member 10 extending longitudinally. The size and shape of the first support member 10 are preferably designed to conform to one of the side edges of the window frame, so that it can be, for example, snapped onto it or detachably fixed onto it with the aid of tools.

[0026] The receiving and dispatching device further includes a receiving box 1 for accommodating courier packages. Taking the example of only removing one piece of glass in one window frame, under the condition of using a receiving box 1 with the same width, the present invention increases the length of the receiving box 1 to expand the volume of the receiving box 1 as much as possible, thereby allowing the length of the receiving box 1 to be greater than the length of the window frame. In order to enable the receiving box 1 to be located indoors during dormancy and move outdoors during operation to receive or send couriers, the receiving box 1 is designed to be at least connected to the first support member 10 and capable of rotating and translating relative to it. With the cooperation of the rotational movement and the translational movement, the receiving box 1 can smoothly move between indoors and outdoors.

[0027] For this purpose, the present invention also provides a cooperating rotating mechanism and a translating mechanism. Among them, the rotating mechanism is designed to drive the receiving box 1 to rotate relative to the first support member 10 about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first support member 10. The translating mechanism is designed to drive the receiving box 1 to translate along the longitudinal direction of the first support member 10.

[0028] Specifically, in combination with Figure 3 and Figure 4 the rotating mechanism and the translating mechanism are described. The rotating mechanism is configured to include a rotating motor 4 and a plug-in member 5 connected to the motor shaft of the rotating motor 4. In order to drive the receiving box 1 to rotate, a plug-in hole 3 that matches the size of the plug-in member 5 can be provided on the receiving box 1, which is in Figure 3It is clearly shown that the receiving and sending box 1 is designed to include a vertically extending support plate 2, and the insertion hole 3 is formed on the side surface of the support plate 2 facing the first support member 10. By inserting the insertion member 5 into the insertion hole 3, the rotary motor 4 can drive the receiving and sending box 1 to perform a rotary motion. The insertion member 5 can be, for example, a spline, and the insertion hole 3 can be, for example, a keyway that matches the shape and size of the spline. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the insertion member 5 and the insertion hole 3 can also adopt a variety of other structures, such as an insertion member 5 with a hexagonal or even triangular cross-section, as long as the purpose of driving the receiving and sending box 1 to rotate by the insertion member 5 can be achieved. In addition, there are various ways to drive an object to rotate by a motor in the prior art, and these ways can all be applied to the rotary motor 4 and the receiving and sending box 1 of the present invention after appropriate modifications. Only preferred embodiments are given here, but other structures that can achieve the same effect are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0029] Preferably, the translation mechanism is configured to include a translation motor 6 and a driven wheel arranged longitudinally on the first support member 10, and further includes a translation conveyor belt 7 with one end wound around the motor shaft of the translation motor 6 and the other end wound around the driven wheel, wherein the driven wheel mainly plays a role of steering and tensioning. When the translation motor 6 is started, the translation conveyor belt 7 can travel in the longitudinal direction of the first support member 10 as the translation motor 6 rotates. In order to translate the receiving and sending box 1 longitudinally along the first support member 10, the rotary motor 4 is fixedly connected to the translation conveyor belt 7 as shown, for example, so that the rotary motor 4 can translate longitudinally along the first support member 10 as the translation conveyor belt 7 rotates, realizing the longitudinal translation of the receiving and sending box 1 along the first support member 10 by means of the rotary motor 4. Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that there are also various structures in the prior art that drive the rotary motor 4 to move in one direction. For example, a motor is provided at each longitudinal end of the first support member 10, and each motor is connected to the end of the rotary motor 4 facing itself by a flexible rope; or a trolley that slides along the bottom surface of the first support member 10 is provided below the rotary motor 4. Only preferred embodiments are given here, but other structures that can achieve the same effect are also within the scope of the present invention. Figure 6 For a compact layout, the above translation mechanism is preferably arranged inside the first support member 10. The translation motor 6 is fixed at one end of the first support member 10, and the driven wheel is arranged at the other end of the first support member 10. Since the rotary motor 4 is connected to the translation conveyor belt 7, the rotary motor 4 can also be accommodated in the first support member 10 and translate longitudinally inside the first support member 10, and the spline protrudes beyond the first support member 10 to be inserted into the insertion hole 3 of the receiving and sending box 1. In order to ensure the stable translation of the rotary motor 4 inside the first support member 10, for example, two limit pulleys 8 are provided on one side surface of the rotary motor 4 (as shown in

[0030] For a compact layout, the above translation mechanism is preferably arranged inside the first support member 10. The translation motor 6 is fixed at one end of the first support member 10, and the driven wheel is arranged at the other end of the first support member 10. Since the rotary motor 4 is connected to the translation conveyor belt 7, the rotary motor 4 can also be accommodated in the first support member 10 and translate longitudinally inside the first support member 10, and the spline protrudes beyond the first support member 10 to be inserted into the insertion hole 3 of the receiving and sending box 1. In order to ensure the stable translation of the rotary motor 4 inside the first support member 10, for example, two limit pulleys 8 are provided on one side surface of the rotary motor 4 (as shown in Figure 5As shown, the limiting pulley 8 can slide within the first support member 10. Preferably, a longitudinal slideway cooperating with the limiting pulley 8 is provided within the first support member. This is clearly visible in Figure 1 where the limiting pulley 8 slides along the longitudinal slideway and protrudes from the first support member 10 to show the position of the rotary motor 4.

[0031] Although the rotation and translation of the transceiver box 1 relative to the first support member 10 can be achieved by only providing the first support member 10 and arranging the rotary mechanism and the translation mechanism therein, for the transceiver box 1 to perform rotation and translation stably, it is preferred to provide a second support member 11 arranged in parallel with the first support member 10 and fixedly connected conformably to the other side of the hollow frame 9. Preferably, the first support member and the second support member are provided on the opposite side edges of the hollow frame extending in the horizontal direction. The above-mentioned rotary mechanism and translation mechanism are symmetrically arranged within the first support member 10 and the second support member 11. Of course, it should also be understood that when the rotary mechanism adopts the preferred plug-in structure described above, plug-in holes are also provided on the side surface of the support plate facing the second support member. The rotary mechanism and the translation mechanism within the first support member 10 and the second support member 11 operate synchronously in two opposite directions of the transceiver box 1, ensuring the stable movement of the transceiver box 1 relative to the first support member 10 and the second support member 11 (substantially relative to the hollow frame 9).

[0032] In one embodiment, in order to guide a machine capable of autonomous movement (such as a drone, a driverless vehicle, a robot, etc.) to accurately stop at the corresponding receiving system, for example, an optical tag (not shown, which can also be referred to as an optical communication device) can be provided above the hollow frame 9 on an outdoor wall. The optical tag can transmit different information by emitting different lights. Examples of the optical tag include, but are not limited to, the optical tags disclosed in the international applications PCT / CN2017 / 099642 and PCT / CN2017 / 099645 filed by the applicant on August 30, 2017, and the Chinese patent publications CN105740936A, CN109661666A, CN109936694A, etc.

[0033] Next, taking Figure 7Taking the transceiver box 1 with an approximate length to the window frame shown in the figure as an example, the process of moving it from indoors to outdoors with the cooperation of rotational motion and translational motion is described. Among them, the sides of the transceiver box 1 that may come into contact with the window frame are called surface A and surface B. After receiving the instruction for the arrival of the drone, first step (a) is executed, starting the rotary motor 4, and the transceiver box 1 rotates. However, when surface A of the transceiver box 1 rotates to the window frame, it is blocked and cannot pass through, and the transceiver box 1 stops rotating; next, step (b) is executed, starting the translation motor 6, and the translation motor 6 causes the transceiver box 1 to move a certain distance to the right along the first and second support members; next, step (c) is executed, starting the rotary motor 4 again to make the transceiver box 1 continue to rotate, and surface A of the transceiver box 1 rotates out of the window frame; step (d), after surface A rotates out, the entire transceiver box 1 continues to move to the right until the rightmost ends of the first and second support members, so as to ensure to the greatest extent that no translational motion needs to be executed again when surface B rotates out next; step (e), the transceiver box 1 continues to rotate to a direction perpendicular to the plane of the window frame; steps (f) to (i), continue to rotate the transceiver box 1, and at the same time, the transceiver box 1 can also be translated to the left until surface B also rotates out of the window frame; finally, in step (i), the transceiver box 1 accurately reaches the position for receiving the express delivery. Among them, in steps (b) and (c), after the transceiver box 1 is translated a certain distance to the right, surface A tries to pass through the window frame. If it can, surface A rotates out of the window frame as shown in step (c). If not, the transceiver box 1 continues to move to the right and tries a certain distance, and then rotates again until surface A rotates out of the window frame position.

[0034] It should be noted hereby that there are no strict regulations on the execution order, translation distance, rotation angle, etc. for the rotation and translation actions in the above steps. As long as the complete transfer in and out of the transceiver box can be achieved, the above parameters can be adjusted through continuous trial and error. Of course, for a household transceiver box and window frame with fixed sizes, as long as the above parameters are fixed after the first installation and debugging, the transfer in and out actions can be quickly executed during the subsequent use process. The operation sequence for a transceiver box with a length greater than the side of the window frame where the first support member is fixed to move from indoors to outdoors (moving from outdoors to indoors is the reverse operation) is basically the same as the operation steps shown in the above distance. Thus, in the case of the same width of the transceiver box, compared with the prior art, the transceiver device of the present invention can have a larger volume for accommodating express deliveries.

Claims

1. A courier receiving and dispatching device is arranged on a hollow frame leading to the outside. It is characterized in that The express delivery receiving and dispatching device includes: A first support member (10), which extends longitudinally and is fixedly arranged non-rotatably relative to the hollow frame; A receiving and dispatching box (1), which is designed to be coupled to the first support member (10) and is used for accommodating the express delivery; A rotating mechanism, which is designed to drive the receiving and dispatching box (1) to rotate relative to the first support member (10) about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first support member (10); A translation mechanism, which is designed to drive the receiving and dispatching box (1) to translate along the longitudinal direction of the first support member (10); Wherein the rotating mechanism is arranged inside the first support member (10) and is configured to include a rotating motor (4) and a plug-in member (5) coupled to the motor shaft of the rotating motor (4). The receiving and dispatching box (1) includes a vertically extending support plate (2). A plug-in hole (3) matching the plug-in member (5) is formed on the side surface of the support plate (2) facing the first support member (10). The plug-in member (5) extends out of the first support member (10) and is inserted into the plug-in hole (3); and Wherein the translation mechanism is configured to include a translation motor (6) fixed to one end of the first support member (10), a driven wheel fixed to the other end of the first support member (10), and a translation conveyor belt (7) with one end wound around the motor shaft of the translation motor (6) and the other end wound around the driven wheel. The rotating motor (4) is fixedly coupled to the translation conveyor belt (7) to drive the receiving and dispatching box (1) to translate along the first support member (10) as the translation conveyor belt (7) moves; and The plug-in member (5) is designed as a spline, and the plug-in hole (3) is designed as a keyway.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first support member (10) is designed to be conformably and fixedly coupled to one of the side edges of the hollow frame.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The receiving and dispatching device is further configured to include a second support member (11) arranged in parallel with the first support member (10) and conformably and fixedly coupled to the other side edge of the hollow frame. The rotating mechanism and the translation mechanism are symmetrically arranged on the first support member (10) and the second support member (11).

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first support member (10) and the second support member (11) are arranged on the opposite side edges of the hollow frame extending in the horizontal direction.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A limit pulley (8) is fixedly arranged on the rotating motor (4), and the limit pulley (8) slides inside the first support member (10) and the second support member (11).

6. An express delivery receiving and dispatching system for a machine capable of autonomous movement, characterized in that, Including: The express delivery receiving and dispatching device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and An optical communication device, which is used to guide the autonomously movable machine.

7. The express delivery receiving and dispatching system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The optical communication device is arranged above the hollow frame.

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