Secure object storage unit

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage element (1) for objects, delimited by a first sliding flap (6) and a second flap (7) situated in the same vertical plane. The first flap (6) is capable of being translated horizontally between a closed position, in which it is in contact with the second flap (7), and a variable open position, in which it has moved away from the second flap (7) while remaining in the same plane. According to the invention, the second flap (7) has a horizontal strike plate (14), and the first flap (6) has a lock (15) equipped with a bolt (16) capable of being moved in translation along a vertical axis. The strike plate (14) has a lower base (30) intended to receive the bolt (16) if the latter were to become detached from the lock (15) as a result of a malicious action on the lock (15). Figure 6 (for the abstract)

Description

Title of the invention: secure object storage element

[0001] The present invention relates to a secure object storage element.

[0002] Currently, some vehicles transport objects, such as parcels, mail or objects ordered on the internet in order to deliver them to identified customers, along a pre-established route. Thus, the driver at the wheel of his vehicle will carry out a tour during which he will: -go to a customer at a specific address, -stop his vehicle at the said address, - open a storage element of said vehicle in order to seize the object to be delivered to said customer, -close the said storage space, before leaving the vehicle to deliver the selected item by hand to the customer concerned.

[0003] While the driver is making this delivery, his vehicle, which is no longer under surveillance, remains at the mercy of a malicious individual, who could then break into the vehicle's storage element to steal the other objects intended for other customers. Indeed, this malicious individual could easily identify the vehicle's route as well as the driver's habits when delivering an object to a customer. In this way, when the driver is away from his vehicle, this individual could have enough time to force the lock of the storage element in order to steal the objects inside.

[0004] In the same way, an immovable object storage element, located in a specific location in a city and accessible to all, for example against the wall of an establishment or in a square in this city, can also arouse the covetousness of malicious individuals due to the presence of objects in said storage element, not yet removed by customers. Indeed, this storage element, which is not under permanent surveillance, could give bad ideas to these malicious individuals.

[0005] An object storage element according to the invention is provided with a judicious closing element making said storage element tamper-proof with usual tools or commercial objects.

[0006] The subject of the invention is an object storage element delimited by a first sliding flap and a second flap situated in the same vertical plane, said first flap being capable of being translated horizontally between a closed position in which it is in contact with the second flap and a variable open position in which it has moved away from the second flap while remaining in the same plane as the latter.

[0007] According to the invention, the second flap has a horizontal strike plate and the first flap has a lock provided with a bolt capable of being moved in translation along a vertical axis between a locking position for which said bolt is engaged in the strike plate and an unlocking position for which it has been translated upwards to exit said strike plate, said strike plate having a lower base capable of retaining the bolt if it were to fall following fraudulent intervention on the lock by a malicious person, while the bolt is in the locking position. For this configuration, the direction of movement of the bolt is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the first flap. Once the bolt of the lock has been engaged in the strike plate by means of a vertical movement, it prevents any relative horizontal translation between the first flap and the second flap.Furthermore, if a malicious individual wanted to gain access to the contents of the storage element by breaking and entering while the bolt is in the locked position, he would act on the lock and, in the best case scenario, cause the bolt to fall, the vertical travel of which would be stopped by the lower base of the horizontal strike. This lower base of the horizontal strike helps to keep the bolt in a locked position while it is separated from the lock. Indeed, despite the fact that the bolt is separated from the lock following unlawful intervention by a malicious individual on the lock, said bolt still remains in the locked position. This individual will still not be able to open the storage element.Advantageously, the lock, the bolt and the strike are positioned inside the storage element and are therefore not visible from the outside thereof, forcing a potential thief to act blindly on these different parts in an attempt to open said storage element. Preferably, the bolt and the strike are elongated parts of rectangular shape. The second flap can be either fixed, sliding or pivoting. The normal locking and unlocking of the storage element is conventionally carried out by means of a key held by a person authorized to open and / or close the storage element, a rotational actuation of the key in an external lock of the storage element, causing a vertical translation upwards or downwards of the bolt depending on the direction of rotation of the key. The term "variable opening position" means that there is not a single opening position.A person authorized to access the interior of the storage element will open the first flap more or less depending on the size of the object that he wishes to remove from the storage element. A secure storage element according to the invention may, for example, be represented by a transport box intended to be mounted in a vehicle, or by a storage building attached to a wall of a building. More generally, a storage element according to the invention designates any structural element intended to store objects for a certain time and in the absence of a surveillance guard available at . remains.

[0008] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, one end of the latch protrudes from the second flap and covers the first flap when said first flap is in the closed position.

[0009] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the lock comprises a wall which is fixed to the first flap, the bolt being inserted between said wall and an internal surface of the first flap.

[0010] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the latch is pivotally mounted between a horizontal position in which it projects from the second flap and a vertical position in which it is stored in the second flap without protruding from it. When the storage element is opened to access the goods placed inside it, the horizontal latch constitutes a projecting horizontal protuberance, which risks injuring a person and / or damaging said goods during the extraction phase of said storage element. It is then sufficient to pivot it substantially 90°, to retract it into the second flap so that it no longer protrudes from it. This rotation of the latch is preferably carried out manually.

[0011] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the latch is pivotally mounted on a support base which is secured to the second flap, a magnet being secured to said base to interact with the latch in order to maintain it in the vertical position. This base, which is advantageously flat and of small thickness, constitutes an excess thickness for the second flap. Once the latch has pivoted 90° to extend vertically, it will be attracted by the magnet and will therefore come into contact with it. This magnet acts as a means of maintaining the latch when the latter extends vertically. This magnet is of small size so as not to significantly encroach on the storage space inside the storage element. Advantageously, the latch is mounted to rotate about an axis of the support base, projecting from said support base while being perpendicular thereto.

[0012] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, a lug projects from the support base by being inserted into an arcuate slot of the striker, said lug serving to guide the rotational movement of the striker to move from the horizontal position to the vertical position. This lug placed in the arcuate slot of the striker serves as a guide element to ensure precise and repetitive rotation of the striker around its axis of rotation. It should be noted that when the striker is rotated to move from the horizontal position to the vertical position or vice versa, the arcuate slot moves around the lug.

[0013] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the second flap is sliding so that it is able to be translated horizontally between a closed position for which it is in contact with the first flap when the latter is in the closed position, and a variable opening position for which it has moved away from the first flap while remaining in the same plane as the latter. The sliding of the second flap is completely decoupled from the position of the first flap. This second flap makes it possible to increase the dimensions of the opening allowing access to an internal space of the storage element. This second flap can be moved to a variable opening position, whether the first flap has remained in the closed position or is in a variable opening position.

[0014] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the first flap and the second flap are slidably mounted in rails, stops included in said rails making it possible to position the first flap and the second flap in their respective closed position. When the first flap or the second flap is moved in translation from an open position to reach the closed position, their travel is stopped by these stops, signifying that they have reached their respective closed position. The closed position of each of said two flaps is not variable but is dictated by the position of the stops in the rails. Advantageously, the rails comprise an upper rail and a lower rail which are parallel to each other, the upper rail being placed above the lower rail.

[0015] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, a translational locking lock is associated with at least one flap to be chosen from the first flap and the second flap, said locking lock being systematically triggered as soon as the flap has reached the closed position. This locking lock may for example be constituted by a vertical rod secured to the flap and by a step secured to a fixed floor of the storage element and having a sloping upper wall provided with an orifice. The rod is mounted on the flap by means of a pre-stressed spring which tends to push said rod against the sloping upper wall of the step. The sliding of the flap towards the closed position causes a movement of the rod along the step and against it due to the presence of the pre-stressed spring, until the rod enters the orifice, signifying that the flap has reached the closed position.

[0016] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the first shutter and the second shutter each comprise vertical slats connected to each other in a jointed and articulated manner.

[0017] A storage element according to the invention has the advantage of being secured by means of a lock of simple but judicious design, involving mechanical parts having usual geometries, and which are therefore easy to manufacture. This storage element also has the advantage of having a closing latch which is retractable, making it possible to eliminate any risk of injury for an authorized person. to handle said storage element, and / or any risk of snagging with goods which are being removed from this storage element. Finally, it has the advantage of having an opening of variable dimensions thanks to the mobility of the first and second flaps, allowing this opening to be sized as precisely as possible according to the objects to be extracted from this storage element.

[0018] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a storage element according to the invention is given below, with reference to the following figures:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a perspective view of a storage element according to the invention,

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a front view of a storage element according to the invention from inside thereof, showing an interface area between the first flap and the second flap in a first configuration,

[0021] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a front view of a storage element according to the invention from inside thereof, showing an interface area between the first flap and the second flap in a second configuration,

[0022] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a front view of a storage element according to the invention from inside it, showing an interface area between the first flap and the second flap in a third configuration,

[0023] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a front view of a storage element according to the invention from inside thereof, showing an interface area between the first flap and the second flap in a fourth configuration,

[0024] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a front view of a latch of a storage element according to the invention, in an active configuration,

[0025] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a front view of a latch of a storage element according to the invention, in an inactive configuration,

[0026] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] is a front view of a translational locking lock of the second flap of a storage element according to the invention,

[0027] Referring to [Fig.l], a storage element 1 according to the invention has a parallelepiped shape and is delimited by a flat lower horizontal wall 2 acting as a bottom, by a flat upper horizontal wall 3 acting as a ceiling and by three side walls 4 connecting edges of said flat lower horizontal wall 2 to edges of said flat upper horizontal wall 3. The three side walls 4 extend vertically and comprise two parallel walls and a connecting wall connecting said two parallel walls while being perpendicular thereto. The flat lower horizontal wall 2, the flat upper horizontal wall 3 and the three side walls 4 are solid and do not leave any opening or orifice. The flat lower horizontal wall 2 and the flat upper horizontal wall 3 each have a rectangular shape and are perfectly superimposed on each other. fourth side wall of the storage element 1, and which is parallel to the connecting wall, is in the form of a first flap 6 and a second flap 7 slidably mounted in parallel rails 8, 9 of said storage element 1. Among these rails 8, 9, we distinguish: - a lower rail 8 having a central segment running along a large edge of the lower flat horizontal wall 2, and two lateral segments extending on each side said central segment, and each running along a short edge of said lower flat horizontal wall 2, said two lateral segments being perpendicular to the central segment, - an upper rail 9 having a central segment running along a large edge of the flat upper horizontal wall 3, and two lateral segments extending on each side said central segment, and each running along a short edge of said flat upper horizontal wall 3, said two lateral segments being perpendicular to the central segment.

[0028] The lower rail 8 and the upper rail 9 are placed in line with each other, perfectly superimposing themselves in a vertical plane. The first shutter 6 and the second shutter 7 are each made up of a multiplicity of vertical slats 10, connected to each other in a jointed and articulated manner.

[0029] Referring to [Fig.l], the first flap 6 and the second flap 7 can each occupy a closed position in which they are in contact with each other. In the example illustrated in [Fig.l], the straight line 11 materializing the contact zone between the two flaps 6, 7 occupies a central position within the fourth side wall, suggesting that the first flap 6 and the second flap 7 have the same length. According to an alternative embodiment of a storage element 1 according to the invention, the contact zone 11 between the two flaps 6, 7 can be eccentric. Each flap 6, 7 can slide in the rails 8, 9 from its closed position to reach a variable open position. The sliding of each flap 6, 7 is independent of the position and / or sliding of the other flap 6, 7.Thus, if the two flaps 6, 7 were to reach their variable opening position from their closed position, they would slide along the rails 8, 9 in opposite directions. It is also entirely possible that one of the two flaps 6, 7 remains in the closed position while the other flap is in the variable opening position.

[0030] The term “variable opening position” means that the flap 6, 7 is no longer in the closed position but in a position allowing access to the interior of the storage element 1. There are thus, for the same flap 6, 7, several opening positions corresponding to different sliding amplitudes.

[0031] The lower rail 8 and the upper rail 9 each have a stop placed inside said rail 8, 9 and in the middle of their respective central segment. When one of the two flaps 6, 7 is resting against one side of these stops, it is then in the closed position, and when the other flap 6, 7 is resting against an opposite side of said stops it is also in the closed position. Each flap 6, 7 is provided with an external handle 12, 13, allowing an authorized person to easily grasp at least one of the two flaps 6, 7 to slide it manually along the rails 8, 9.

[0032] A storage element 1 according to the invention may, for example, be in the form of a box intended to be fixed to a platform of a vehicle. Once this box has been filled with various objects, such as parcels, a delivery driver will carry out a round with his vehicle to deliver their object to customers located at very specific addresses. During this round, there are more or less long phases during which the delivery driver can no longer monitor his vehicle, in particular when he moves away from it to bring a very specific object to a clearly identified customer. The vehicle which is loaded with goods then becomes easy prey for a malicious person who would like to fraudulently steal these goods.

[0033] In order to prevent such a theft from occurring, a storage element 1 according to the invention implements a lock comprising a striker 14 which is fixed to the second flap 7 and a latch 15 provided with a bolt 16 which is secured to the first flap 6. The striker 14, the latch 15 and the bolt 16 are placed inside the storage element 1 and are not visible from outside thereof.

[0034] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the second flap 7 comprises a support base 17, preferably made of metal, and on which the latch 14 is rotatably mounted. This support base 17 is a flat, thin part, having a rectangular outline. This base 17 comprises a cylindrical rotation axis 18 and a cylindrical lug 19, said rotation axis 18 and said lug 19 projecting from the same face of the support base 17 while being perpendicular to said face. The latch 14 is an elongated rectangular-shaped part, having a circular orifice and a slot 20 in the shape of an arc. The latch 14 is mounted on the support base 17, so that the rotation axis 18 passes through the circular orifice and so that the lug 19 is inserted into the slot 20 in the shape of an arc. In this way, the latch 14 can move from an active position in which it extends horizontally as shown in [Fig.6], to an inactive position for which it extends vertically as illustrated in [Fig.7], after having undergone a rotation of 90° around the axis of rotation 18 from its horizontal active position. During this rotational movement, the arcuate slot 20 has moved around the lug 19. The interaction between the lug 19 and the curved slot 20 makes it possible to guide the rotational movement of the latch 14 between the active position and the inactive position. This interaction makes it possible to robustify this movement in . rotation making it more precise and more reliable. When the striker 14 is in the horizontal active position, it has a lower bottom 30, for example in the form of a folded edge representing its lowest part.

[0035] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the support base 17 carries a magnet 21 intended to interact with the latch 14 when the latter is in the vertical inactive position. Indeed, when the latch 14 is going to be rotated from its horizontal active position to reach the vertical inactive position, it will be attracted by the magnet 21 which will contribute to keeping it in the vertical position.

[0036] The bolt 16 is an elongated piece of rectangular shape. Actuation of the lock 15 in one direction or the other will cause a vertical translational movement of the bolt 16, either upwards or downwards.

[0037] It should be noted that the support base 17, the strike plate 14, the lock 15 and the bolt 16 are fixed to internal surfaces of the two flaps 6, 7 and are therefore not visible from the outside of the storage element 1.

[0038] Referring to [Fig. 2], the storage element 1 can be in a locked configuration for which the latch 14 extends horizontally, projecting from the second flap 7 and overlapping the first flap, the bolt being inserted between said latch 14 and an internal surface of the first flap 6. For this configuration, the two flaps 6, 7 are in the closed position

[0039] Referring to [Fig. 3], the conventional opening of the storage element 1 is carried out by means of a key making it possible to act on the lock 15 from outside the storage element 1. The bolt 16 is then translated vertically upwards to disengage from the latch 14.

[0040] Referring to [Fig. 4], since the element no longer holds the two flaps 6, 7 together, these can then be moved manually along the rails 8, 9 in order to be moved apart from each other and therefore to create an access route to the interior of the storage element 1.

[0041] Referring to [Fig. 5], so that the latch 14 no longer constitutes a protrusion likely to injure a person or damage objects which would be extracted from the storage element 1, it undergoes a manual rotation of 90° in order to find itself in the inactive vertical position. In the inactive position, the latch 14 is completely retracted into the second flap 7 without protruding from it, the magnet 21 helping to maintain the latch 14 in this vertical position. A delivery driver can then safely extract the parcels stored in the storage element 1, to deliver them to the corresponding customers.

[0042] Referring to [Fig.6], when a malicious person attempts to fraudulently open the storage element 1 while it is in the locked configuration, he will force the lock 15 to attempt to cause the bolt 16 to fall and thus unlock the storage element 1. lock the storage element 1. The bolt 16 will begin to fall, which will then be quickly stopped by the lower bottom 30 of the striker 14 being in the horizontal active position. The bolt 16 will fall approximately 1 cm until a lower end of said bolt 16 comes into abutment against said lower bottom 30. In this new position, the bolt 16 which is still inserted in the striker 14, continues to lock the storage element 1, preventing the malicious person from accessing the interior of said storage element 1. Even if the bolt 16 falls, it will therefore continue to lock the storage element;

[0043] Referring to [Fig.8], a translational locking lock 31 can be associated with at least one of the two flaps 6, 7. This locking lock 31 is constituted by a vertical rod 32 secured to the flap 6, 7 by means of a plate 37, and by a step 36 secured to a fixed floor 33 of the storage element 1 and having a sloping upper wall 34 provided with an orifice. The rod 32 is mounted on the flap 6, 7 by means of a pre-stressed spring 35 which tends to push said rod 32 against the sloping upper wall 34 of the step 36. The sliding of the flap 6, 7 towards the closed position causes a movement of the rod 32 along the step 36 and against it due to the presence of the pre-stressed spring 35 until the rod 32 enters the orifice, signifying that the flap 6, 7 has reached the closed position.The rod 32 has a horizontal upper segment 38 allowing the vertical rod 32 to be manipulated, in particular when the latter is retracted into the orifice corresponding to the closed position of the shutter 6, 7. Indeed, it is sufficient to grasp the vertical rod 32 by means of the horizontal upper segment 38, then to exert an upward traction force so as to overcome the forces of the prestressed spring 35 and therefore to remove the rod 32 from the orifice. Once this vertical rod 32 has been removed from the orifice, the shutter 6, 7 can be moved by translation from the closed position to reach the desired open position.

Claims

Claims

1. Storage element (1) for objects delimited by a first sliding flap (6) and a second flap (7) situated in the same vertical plane, said first flap (6) being able to be translated horizontally between a closed position for which it is in contact with the second flap (7) and a variable open position for which it has moved away from the second flap (7) while remaining in the same plane as the latter, the second flap (7) having a horizontal latch (14) and the first flap (6) having a lock (15) provided with a bolt (16) able to be moved in translation along a vertical axis between a locking position for which said bolt (16) is engaged in the latch (14) and an unlocking position for which it has been translated upwards to exit said latch (14),said strike plate (14) having a lower base (30) capable of retaining the bolt (16) if the latter were to fall following fraudulent intervention on the lock (15) by a malicious person, while the bolt (16) is in the locking position, characterized in that the strike plate (14) is pivotally mounted between a horizontal position for which it projects from the second flap (7) and a vertical position for which it is stored in the second flap (7) without protruding from the latter.,

2. Storage element according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the latch (14) projects from the second flap (7) and covers the first flap (6) when said first flap (6) is in the closed position.

3. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the lock (15) comprises a wall which is fixed to the first flap (6), and in that the bolt (16) is inserted between said wall and an internal surface of the first flap (6).

4. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the latch (14) is pivotally mounted on a support base (17) which is secured to the second flap (7), and in that a magnet (21) is secured to said base (17) to interact with the latch (14) in order to keep it in the vertical position.

5. Storage element according to claim 4, characterized in that a lug (19) projects from the support base (17) by being inserted into a slot (20) in an arc of a circle of the latch (14), said lug (19) serving to guide the rotational movement of the latch (14) to pass from the ho- rizontale in the vertical position.

6. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second flap (7) is sliding so that it is capable of being translated horizontally between a closed position for which it is in contact with the first flap (6) when the latter is in the closed position, and a variable open position for which it has moved away from the first flap (6) while remaining in the same plane as the latter.

7. Storage element according to claim 6, characterized in that the first flap (6) and the second flap (7) are slidably mounted in rails (8, 9), and in that stops included in said rails (8, 9) make it possible to position the first flap (6) and the second flap (7) in their respective closed position.

8. Storage element according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that a translational locking lock (31) is associated with at least one flap to be chosen from the first flap (6) and the second flap (7), and in that said locking lock (31) is systematically triggered as soon as the flap (6, 7) has reached the closed position.

9. Storage element according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first flap (6) and the second flap (7) each comprise vertical blades (10) connected to each other in a jointed and articulated manner.

Images