UTILITY VEHICLE FOR THE TRANSPORT AND DELIVERY OF GOODS OVER SHORT DISTANCE

Abstract

The invention relates to a utility vehicle for the transport and delivery of goods over short distances, said vehicle comprising a chassis equipped with at least two sets of wheels (R) and carrying, respectively, a front driver's cab (A) and a rear compartment (B) for storing packages (K) containing the goods, characterized in that said rear compartment (B) comprises, on the one hand, a vertical internal partition (1), movable in translation in the longitudinal direction under the action of a jack (11) and, on the other hand, a floor (P) equipped with rotating rollers (2) ensuring the sliding of said packages during the movement of said internal partition (1). (Fig. 3)

Description

Title of the invention: Utility vehicle for the transport and delivery of goods over short distances

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to the field of logistics for the transport of goods and is more particularly concerned with small motorized vehicles intended for the delivery of parcels over a short distance.

[0002] Currently, the delivery of goods over a short distance, known as the "last mile," is carried out in a traditional manner using, for example, small utility vehicles (such as vans) in which the packages are stored loose or lined up in a space dedicated to loading and unloading. Other delivery methods are also implemented using cargo-type two-wheelers with a short range and smaller cargo space, or even using scooters and / or bicycles mounted on a utility vehicle.

[0003] There are also delivery methods using motorized containers. These containers are equipped, in particular, with at least two drive wheels, a braking system, and a steering mechanism. Such containers move autonomously by being controlled by a tracking system or, more conventionally, by being driven by an operator who is responsible for driving and delivering the packages.

[0004] In the latter case, the container is necessarily equipped with one or more controls operated by the operator and acting on the different motor functions of the container (accelerator, brake, steering,...).

[0005] When delivery is made in the form of packages or bulk parcels from a loading space, these packages are generally positioned in an approximate order but nevertheless ensuring a certain stability (for example, the largest at the bottom), while avoiding the delivery person having to search inside the loading space.

[0006] A solution currently widely used (particularly in the USA) is the use of a compact van whose interior compartment is equipped with a series of shelves and a central aisle allowing the delivery person to stand up and access the packages and parcels placed on these shelves.

[0007] However, the solution of using this compact van is problematic because it results in a loss of interior space and therefore does not allow for optimization of the volume of freight transported. This solution also implies the use of protective packaging for the delivery of parcels.

[0008] In addition, this solution is not easily adaptable to an automated mode of parcel delivery and also requires a high availability of upstream operators in order to load and store these parcels on the shelves.

[0009] Finally, this solution requires the van to be moved to the location where the end customer will receive it and is therefore not suitable for urban environments (narrow streets in the city centre, lack of parking spaces, urban traffic density, etc.).

[0010] The delivery method using a bicycle mounted in the van may constitute a possible improvement (the approach to the delivery location can then be made by bicycle over a very short distance) but its implementation is laborious, due in particular to the fact that the bulkiness of the interior volume of the van, which is essentially devoted to parcels, makes it difficult to access and extract the bicycle.

[0011] US patent 7731255B2 describes a van whose interior compartment is equipped with a movable partition. However, there is no means of moving these packages, nor any means of supporting a bicycle or scooter.

[0012] US patent 20230022812A1 describes a vehicle equipped with means for supporting and housing a scooter. However, this vehicle is not equipped with means for moving packages within its interior compartment.

[0013] In this context, the invention sought an alternative solution for the transport and delivery of goods to overcome the difficulties encountered with previous methods by proposing to package the parcels and / or packages containing the goods in the form of standardized sized containers and to deliver them without interruption, and therefore without changing containers, from a warehouse to the place of receipt by the final customer.

[0014] This goal is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a utility vehicle for the transport and delivery of goods over a short distance, said vehicle comprising a chassis provided with at least two sets of wheels and carrying, respectively, a front driver's cab and a rear compartment for the storage of packages containing the goods, characterized in that said rear compartment comprises, on the one hand, a vertical internal partition, movable in translation under the action of a pushing member and, on the other hand, a floor provided with rotating elements ensuring the sliding of said packages during the movement of said internal partition.

[0015] According to an advantageous feature of the vehicle of the invention, the floor of the rear compartment carries guide rails for the movable partition.

[0016] According to another feature of the vehicle of the invention, the rear compartment further comprises at least one side compartment closed by a retractable panel and intended to carry a light two-wheeled vehicle.

[0017] According to a specific embodiment of the vehicle of the invention, the movable internal partition delimits, at the front of the rear compartment, a receiving niche empty parcels provided, on the one hand, with a side opening closed by a retractable curtain and, on the other hand, with a device for moving empty parcels towards said internal partition.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the vehicle of the invention, the rear compartment has a discharge bay closed by a roller shutter.

[0019] Another object of the invention is a method of transporting and delivering goods by means of a utility vehicle as defined above, characterized in that the goods are packaged in parcels in the form of stackable containers of the same dimensions.

[0020] According to a specific feature of the method of the invention, the containers are extracted from the rear compartment of the vehicle at a short distance from the delivery location and loaded onto a light two-wheeled vehicle mounted in the vehicle to ensure the transport of the containers over this distance.

[0021] Preferably, the containers extracted from the rear compartment of the vehicle are loaded into a box mounted on said light two-wheeled vehicle.

[0022] Where appropriate, the containers are secured to each other by reversibly snapping them into place in the rear compartment of the vehicle.

[0023] Yet another object of the invention is a container for implementing the process defined above, characterized in that at least its upper and lower walls comprise ball-joint cages cooperating with lugs and intended to ensure its reversible attachment with identical containers.

[0024] The solution implemented using the utility vehicle and the method of the invention makes it possible to gain efficiency in reaching delivery locations that are difficult to access (city center, narrow streets, pedestrian streets, restricted traffic zones, very dense or very busy places, etc.) thanks to a multimodal mode of transport using the utility vehicle as a base (hub) supplemented, where appropriate, by a light two-wheeled vehicle (electric scooter, bicycle, etc.) to complete the last few meters of the journey.

[0025] In addition, the invention allows the transport of individualized containers of dimensions compatible with easy and ergonomic manual transfer and carrying while optimizing the filling rate of the utility vehicle because the containers are stacked and juxtaposed.

[0026] Since empty containers can be loaded into the utility vehicle and then reintroduced into the logistics circuit, the invention thus saves CO2 because the vehicle remains parked at the entrance to the area to be served.

[0027] The invention thus meets a strong demand from e-commerce in terms of logistics and, in particular, last mile delivery, and which, moreover, respects environmental constraints in urban areas.

[0028] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying figures, for which:

[0029] [Fig. 1] is a schematic view illustrating a preferred implementation method of a delivery method with a utility vehicle according to the invention.

[0030] [Fig.2] is a schematic view illustrating a variant implementation of a delivery method using a utility vehicle according to the invention.

[0031] [Fig.3] is a schematic and partial side view of an embodiment specific to the utility vehicle according to the invention in a first phase of unloading the packages of goods.

[0032] [Fig.4] is a schematic and partial side view of the utility vehicle of the [Fig.3] in a second phase of unloading the parcels of goods.

[0033] [Fig.5] is a schematic and partial side view of the utility vehicle of the [Fig.3] in a third phase of unloading the parcels of goods.

[0034] [Fig.6] is a schematic view illustrating one embodiment of containers used by the transport and delivery method according to the invention.

[0035] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs throughout the figures.

[0036] Naturally, the embodiments of the utility vehicle and container according to the invention, as well as the method of implementing the transport and delivery process, schematically illustrated in the figures above and described below, are given only by way of non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided for within the scope of the invention that different methods can be proposed and combined to offer other solutions.

[0037] The invention relates to the general field of freight transport logistics and is more particularly concerned with material means such as motorized utility vehicles used for the delivery of parcels over the short distance known as the "last mile".

[0038] As illustrated by figures 1 and 2, these vehicles (of the van type) generally comprise a chassis with a floor P and at least two wheel assemblies R and carrying, respectively, a front cab A for driving and a rear compartment B for storing parcels K containing the goods to be delivered.

[0039] However, the structure of these traditional utility vehicles, although compact, is not satisfactory because it results in a loss of space in the rear interior compartment and therefore does not allow for optimization of the volume of freight transported. These vehicles also necessitate the use of protective packaging for the delivery of parcels.

[0040] In addition, this mode of transport requires the vehicle to be moved to the reception location by the end customer and is therefore not suitable for the urban environment (narrow streets in the city centre, lack of parking spaces, density of urban traffic, etc.).

[0041] The invention proposes a solution intended to solve these problems by means of both an improved transport and delivery method and a utility vehicle in which the rear compartment B has a specific functional structure whose section is substantially in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0042] This structure, shown in particular in Figures 3 to 5, is internally delimited by a vertical internal partition 1 located at the front of compartment B and which is movable in translation under the action of a thrusting element formed here by a cylinder 11, preferably electric. In the embodiment illustrated by Figures 3 to 6, this partition is movable in the longitudinal direction, forward and backward, but it could alternatively be moved transversely without departing from the scope of the invention. The structure of the rear compartment B also includes a set of rotating elements 2 such as rollers (or balls) mounted on the floor P and ensuring the sliding by rolling of the packages K during the movement of the internal partition 1. The floor P of the rear compartment B is equipped with guide rails 10 for the movable partition 1 and has a discharge opening at the rear which is preferably closed by a roller shutter 3.The movable partition 1 thus allows the K packages to be pushed towards the rear bay of the vehicle as it is unloaded.

[0043] According to a specific embodiment of the vehicle of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 4 to 6, the movable internal partition 1 delimits, at the front of the rear compartment B, a niche B1 for receiving empty packages KL. This niche B1 is provided with a lateral opening which is closed here by a retractable curtain 4. The empty packages KL are thus stacked in the niche B1 as they are returned. The niche B1 is further provided with a means of moving the empty packages KL against the movable partition 1 in order to free up space in this niche. If necessary, it could be the thrust cylinder 11 of the movable partition 1 (or an independent and complementary means) that could be actuated in order to shift the rows of empty packages against the partition 1, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.

[0044] The rear compartment B further comprises at least one side compartment B2, positioned, for example, above the wheels R (which is a difficult location for loading packages) and closed off by a retractable panel 5. This compartment B2 is intended to carry a light and compact vehicle, such as a two-wheeled vehicle of the scooter type T (Figures 1 and 2), possibly folding and electrically powered. If necessary, the rear compartment B will comprise two compartments laterals to each accommodate a light vehicle for transferring goods over a short distance, as in the embodiment variant illustrated by [Fig.2].

[0045] The method for transporting and delivering goods of the invention is preferably implemented using the utility vehicle described above and shown in the figures. This method involves packaging the goods in K-shaped packages in the form of stackable containers, all having the same dimensions.

[0046] These containers are removed from the rear compartment B of the vehicle a short distance from the delivery location and loaded onto a two-wheeled light vehicle (such as a scooter T) which is carried in the vehicle to transport the containers over this distance. The containers K removed from the rear compartment B of the vehicle are either directly loaded and manually secured by an operator onto the light vehicle or placed in a box C previously attached to the light vehicle, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. This box may be removable by simply being attached to the light vehicle or permanently mounted.

[0047] Preferably, and to ensure load stability, these containers are secured to one another by a reversible snap-fit ​​mechanism in the rear compartment B of the vehicle. For this purpose, at least the upper and lower walls of each container K comprise, for example, ball-joint cages gl designed to receive lugs g2 and enabling the mutual and reversible securing of a series of identical containers by stacking them, as illustrated in [Fig. 7]. However, it is possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to use other means of reversible securing (for example, removable hooks or "push clips" where pressing a button opens the ball-joint cage and thus allows the containers to be easily separated).

[0048] Where appropriate, the side walls of these containers will also be provided with snap-lock fastening elements to ensure compaction and stability of the stock of containers in the vehicle.

[0049] The structure of the rear compartment B allows for the loading of several walls of standardized K containers stacked one on top of the other and placed side by side. Each wall, consisting of a series of containers (each containing one or more packages or parcels of items destined for the end customer), can be moved forward as the delivery route progresses. Preferably, these containers are equipped with two side handles integrated into their volume.

[0050] K containers will advantageously be produced in dimensions compatible with the current logistics standard of a Euro pallet (i.e., 400 x 600 mm), which allows the handling of four K containers loaded onto such a pallet. The containers will be loaded either lengthwise (longitudinal stacking) or according to their width (transverse stacking). In both cases, the overall loading width will be 1200 mm, which corresponds precisely to the distance between the wheel arches of most commercial vehicles.

Claims

Demands

1. Utility vehicle for the transport and delivery of goods over a short distance, said vehicle comprising a chassis provided with at least two sets of wheels (R) and carrying, respectively, a front cab (A) for driving and a rear compartment (B) for the storage of parcels (K) containing the goods, characterized in that said rear compartment (B) comprises, on the one hand, a vertical internal partition (1), movable in translation under the action of a pushing member (11) and, on the other hand, a floor (P) provided with rotating elements (2) ensuring the sliding of said parcels during the movement of said internal partition (1).

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the floor (P) of said rear compartment (B) carries guide rails (10) of the movable partition (1).

3. Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rear compartment (B) further comprises at least one side box (B2), closed by a retractable panel (5) and intended to carry a light two-wheeled vehicle (T).

4. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable internal partition (1) delimits, at the front of the rear compartment (B), a niche (Bl) for receiving empty packages (Kl) provided with, on the one hand, a lateral opening closed by a retractable curtain (4) and, on the other hand, a device for moving empty packages towards said internal partition.

5. Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear compartment (B) has a discharge bay closed by a roller shutter (3).

6. Method of transporting and delivering goods by means of a utility vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the goods are packaged in parcels (K) in the form of stackable containers of the same dimensions.

7. A method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the containers (K) are extracted from the rear compartment (B) of the vehicle at a short distance from the delivery location and loaded onto a light two-wheeled vehicle (T) mounted in the vehicle to ensure the transport of the containers over this distance.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the containers (K) extracted from the rear compartment (B) of the vehicle are loaded into a box (C) mounted on said light two-wheeled vehicle (T).

9. A method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the containers (K) are joined together by reversibly snapping them into place in the rear compartment (B) of the vehicle.

10. Container (K) for implementing the method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that at least its upper and lower walls comprise ball-joint cages (g1) cooperating with lugs (g2) and intended to ensure its reversible attachment with identical containers (K).

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