MOTOR VEHICLE FOR THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF A DELIVERY PACKAGE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle for temporarily storing a delivery package. Such a vehicle, forming part of the prior art, is described, for example, in US 2018 072 254 A.

[0002] It also relates to a temporary storage device for delivery parcels and a parcel delivery process implementing said device.

[0003] In the parcel delivery sector, it is common practice to use temporary parcel storage boxes located in a designated area of ​​the delivery company's premises. Parcels are deposited and stored in these boxes until later retrieval by the customer. These temporary storage boxes are typically locked, and the lock can be opened either with a key or a digital code known only to the customer. A drawback of such temporary storage facilities is often their distance from the customer's home or workplace. The customer is therefore required to travel to retrieve their parcel. Furthermore, the time allowed for retrieval is often limited. Once this period expires, the parcel is returned to the delivery company.The customer is therefore obliged to pay additional fees to the supplier for the package to be reshipped.

[0004] The present invention therefore aims to provide a temporary storage device for delivery parcels which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages, and, in particular, a temporary storage device for delivery parcels which can be positioned near the customer's home or workplace and which allows the customer to collect their parcel at any time and without having to respect a limited time period.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a passenger compartment accessible from the outside by at least one side door and a trunk accessible from the outside by at least one rear tailgate, said side door and said rear tailgate being able to be opened, respectively closed, by means of first opening / closing means, the vehicle further comprising a storage compartment accessible from the outside through an opening formed in the body of the vehicle and an access hatch disposed at the level of said opening, said access hatch being movable under the action of second opening / closing means between a closed position, in which it prevents access to said storage compartment, and an open position, in which it allows access to said storage compartment,and in that the storage compartment is located in an internal area of ​​the vehicle, situated in a front part of the vehicle and separated from the passenger compartment and the trunk, characterized in that the second opening / closing means are different from the first opening / closing means and are capable of controlling the opening, respectively the closing, of said access hatch by the emission of an ultrasonic signal.

[0006] Configured in this way, the vehicle allows for the temporary storage of a package awaiting delivery in its storage compartment, accessible from the outside via an access hatch. Since this vehicle is generally parked near the customer's home or workplace, the customer no longer needs to travel to collect their package. Furthermore, as the storage compartment is part of a vehicle for the customer's exclusive use, they can retrieve their package whenever they wish, without having to adhere to a deadline or time imposed by the delivery company. In addition, because the storage compartment is separate from the passenger compartment and trunk, a delivery driver with the necessary opening / closing tools to open the access hatch to the storage compartment cannot access the passenger compartment or trunk. This eliminates the risk of a potential violation of the customer's privacy.Furthermore, the fact that the hatch can only be opened using specific opening / closing mechanisms that do not grant access to the passenger compartment or trunk allows the package to be retrieved by someone other than the vehicle owner. In this advantageous configuration, the vehicle could therefore serve as a fully functional temporary storage space for delivery packages, a space that anyone with the specific opening / closing mechanisms could use as they see fit. Moreover, this storage compartment could be refrigerated to store perishable goods.

[0007] The vehicle of the present invention may also include one or more of the following features, taken individually or in combination: The opening is formed at the front end of the vehicle. The motor vehicle is electric. The motor vehicle is geolocatable.

[0008] The invention also relates to a temporary storage device for delivery parcels, comprising: a storage compartment intended to equip a vehicle as defined above, said storage compartment being accessible from the outside through a movable access hatch between a closed position, in which it prevents access to said storage compartment, and an open position, in which it allows access to said storage compartment; opening / closing means capable of moving said access hatch from its closed position to its open position and vice versa.

[0009] In the invention, the opening / closing means are capable of controlling the opening, respectively the closing, of said access hatch by the emission of an ultrasonic signal.

[0010] In another particular configuration of the invention, the opening / closing means consist of an electronic device chosen from a mobile phone, a smartphone or a tablet.

[0011] The invention also relates to a method for delivering parcels from a sender to a customer, implementing the temporary storage device for delivery parcels as defined above, said method comprising the steps of: transport of a package to be delivered from a place of dispatch to a parking place of a vehicle as defined above; opening of a hatch giving access to a storage compartment of said vehicle; placing the package to be delivered in said storage compartment; closing of the hatch.

[0012] In the invention, the opening and closing of the hatch are controlled by the emission of an ultrasonic signal.

[0013] In another particular configuration of the invention, the ultrasonic signal is emitted by an electronic device chosen from a mobile phone, a smartphone or a tablet.

[0014] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following non-limiting description, made with reference to the figures attached hereto. there figure 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle according to the present invention. figure 2 is a partial, perspective view of the front end of the vehicle. figure 1 , in the closed position of the access hatch. figure 3 is a view similar to the figure 2 , partially truncated, in the open position of the access hatch. the figure 4 is a view of an example of an opening / closing mechanism allowing the opening, respectively, of the access hatch shown on the figure 2 .

[0015] In this description, the terms front and rear refer respectively to the front and rear directions of the vehicle in the direction of travel. The terms upper and lower refer respectively to upward and downward directions. The terms inner or internal and outer or external refer respectively to directions directed inward and outward from the vehicle.

[0016] With reference to the figure 1 An example of a motor vehicle 1 according to the present invention is shown. In the configuration shown, vehicle 1 is a sedan. However, the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle, and any other type of vehicle could be considered. In particular, the invention could relate to a coupe, minivan, station wagon, or utility vehicle, for example. The invention could also relate to a truck. Vehicle 1 has, in particular, a passenger compartment 2 accessible from the outside by at least one side door 3 and a trunk (not shown) accessible from the outside by a tailgate 4. The side door 3 and the tailgate 4 can be opened and closed, respectively, by means of a key, in the case of manual opening and closing, respectively, and / or by means of a remote control integrated into said key, in the case of electric opening and closing, respectively.However, other means of opening / closing may be considered instead of the said key or remote control.

[0017] The vehicle 1 also includes a front part 6 inside which is arranged a storage compartment 9, as illustrated in the figures 2 et 3 This storage compartment 9, which is substantially parallelepiped in shape, is delimited by a rear wall 9a, two side walls 9b, a lower wall 9c, and an upper wall 9d. This storage compartment 9 can be refrigerated to store perishable goods. It is open at its front face to allow a package to be inserted into the storage compartment 9. This front face is substantially coplanar with an opening 7 in the body 5 of the vehicle 1, at its front end 12. As shown in the figures 2 et 3 The opening 7 may or may not be closed by a hatch 8 in response to an open / close signal emitted by opening / closing means. An example of such opening / closing means is shown in particular on the figure 4 It consists of a mobile phone 10 capable of emitting an ultrasonic signal 11 towards the vehicle 1. This ultrasonic signal 11 can then be picked up by corresponding sensors installed in the vehicle 1. In response to this signal 11, the sensors will generate an electrical or electronic signal to a central control unit of the vehicle 1, causing the hatch 8 to move from its closed position, as shown in the diagram. figure 2 , to its opening position, represented on the figure 3 or conversely, from its open position to its closed position.

[0018] Thus, during the delivery of a package according to the invention, a delivery person must first transport the package from its original shipping location to the parking location of vehicle 1. This parking location can be communicated by geolocation of said vehicle 1. In order to place the package in the storage compartment 9 of vehicle 1, the delivery person will first open the hatch 8 using their mobile phone 10, then place the package in the storage compartment 9, and finally close the hatch 8 again using their mobile phone 10. The same sequence of opening and closing the hatch 8 can then be repeated by the recipient of the package who, in principle, will possess a mobile phone 10 capable of emitting the same ultrasonic signal 11. In this way, they can retrieve the package temporarily stored in the storage compartment 9.The combined use of the storage compartment 9 of vehicle 1 closed by the hatch 8 and the mobile phone 10 thus makes it possible to provide a temporary storage device for delivery parcels which is fully operational and totally independent of the rest of vehicle 1.

[0019] Of course, the invention is not limited to this particular configuration. In particular, other means of signal transmission could be considered instead of a mobile phone.

[0020] It should also be noted that, on the figures 2 et 3 The opening 7 is positioned in an area of ​​the front end 12 which typically corresponds to that of a grille on a front-wheel-drive internal combustion engine vehicle. In the configuration shown, this grille is absent because the vehicle is electric. This type of vehicle does not require a cooling system in the front section, and therefore, no air intake at the front. This space, freed up by the cooling system, also accommodates the storage compartment 9.

[0021] Furthermore, storage compartment 9 may also have other shapes than the parallelepiped shape illustrated on the figure 3Any shape can be considered at this level, provided it delineates an internal space within the vehicle that is completely separate from the passenger compartment and the trunk. Indeed, one of the aims of the invention is to prevent access to the passenger compartment and the trunk from the storage compartment 9, so that no person depositing or removing a package from the storage compartment 9 can access the personal belongings that the vehicle owner may have left in the passenger compartment or the trunk. Furthermore, this separation between the storage compartment 9, on the one hand, and the passenger compartment and the trunk, on the other, will also prevent the vehicle owner or any other person in possession of the means to open / close the passenger compartment and the trunk from accessing the contents of the storage compartment 9 without being in possession of the means to open / close the hatch 8.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle (1) comprising a passenger compartment (2) accessible from the outside by at least one lateral door (3) and a trunk accessible from the outside by at least one rear tailgate (4), said lateral door (3) and said rear tailgate (4) being openable, respectively closable, by means of first opening / closing means, the vehicle (1) further comprising a storage compartment (9) accessible from the outside through an opening (7) formed in the body (5) of the vehicle (1), and an access hatch (8) disposed at said opening (7), said access hatch (8) being movable under the action of second opening / closing means (10) between a closed position, in which it prevents access to said storage compartment (9), and an open position, in which it allows access to said storage compartment (9), wherein the storage compartment (9) is disposed in an internal area of the vehicle (1) which is located in a front part (6) of the vehicle (1) and which is separated from the passenger compartment (2) and the trunk, characterized in that the second opening / closing means (10) are different from the first opening / closing means and are able to control the opening, respectively the closing, of said access hatch (8) by the emission of an ultrasonic signal (11).

2. The vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (7) is formed in a front end (12) of the vehicle (1).

3. The vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is of the electric type.

4. The vehicle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is geolocatable.

5. A device for temporary storing a delivery package, comprising: - a storage compartment (9) intended to equip a vehicle (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, said storage compartment (9) being disposed in a front part (6) of the vehicle (1) which is separated from the passenger compartment (2) and the trunk and being accessible from the outside through an access hatch (8) movable between a closed position, in which it prevents access to said storage compartment (9), and an open position, in which it allows access to said storage compartment (9); - opening / closing means (10) able to move said access hatch (8) from its closed position to its open position and vice versa, characterized in that the opening / closing means (10) are able to control the opening or, respectively, the closing of said access hatch (8) by the emission of an ultrasonic signal (11).

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the opening / closing means (10) consist of an electronic apparatus selected from a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet.

7. A method for delivering package from a sender and intended for a customer, implementing the device for temporary storing a delivery package according to any of claims 5 and 6, comprising the steps: - transporting a package to be delivered from a shipping location to a parking location of a vehicle (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4; - opening a hatch (8) providing access to a storage compartment (9) of said vehicle (1); - depositing the package to be delivered in said storage compartment (9); - closing the hatch (8); characterized in that the opening and the closing of the hatch (8) are controlled by the emission of an ultrasonic signal (11).

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the ultrasonic signal (11) is emitted by an electronic apparatus selected from a mobile phone (10), a smartphone, or a tablet.